Minjee Lee head-hunted for Australian Open appearance
Golf powerbrokers are hopeful humble superstar Minjee Lee will headline the field when the Australian Open returns to South Australian fairways in 2026.
After ditching the contentious dual-gender format for next year's national championships, Golf Australia on Friday announced that Kooyonga Golf Club would host the Australian Open women's event in Adelaide from March 12-15.
Co-sanctioned by the WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour, the Open is returning to the Festival State for the first time since 2020.
No Australian has won the title since the great Karrie Webb claimed the trophy for a fifth time in 2014.
WPGA Tour boss Karen Lunn says Lee, the newly crowned Women's PGA Championship winner, and Australia's other LPGA Tour stars such as Hannah Green, Grace Kim and Steph Kyriacou are on the organisers' hit list to lure to Adelaide.
"We hope that we'll have all of our Australian stars at this event," Lunn said.
"They're dying to get their hands on the Patricia Bridges Bowl, which our great Karrie Webb has won five times."
Despite boasting four top-five finishes from 11 starts, the closest Lee has come to claiming her national championship was in 2023, when the now-triple major winner finished runner-up at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.
In tipping his hat to the 29-year-old for her latest triumph on Sunday in Texas, Golf Australia chief James Sutherland said Lee was obviously on the Adelaide tournament organisers' radar.
"It's not every week that an Australian golfer wins a major championship," Sutherland said.
"She may be the most under-rated champion athlete that we have in Australia.
"She's certainly understated in her own way - a proud Australian, but someone that is a champion on the biggest stage.
"She's one of only four Australians now - male or female - that have won more than two major events, and she's on the verge of her own career grand slam.
"So congratulations Minjee, and we're certainly very hopeful, like the (SA) premier, that Minjee will be here in March next year."
Lee's PGA Championship victory propelled her above Perth stablemate Green back to Australian No.1 and sixth in the world rankings.
The 11th-ranked Green and Kim were the top finishers at last year's Australian Open at the co-hosting Kingston Heath and Victoria clubs in Melbourne, sharing fourth spot behind South Korean winner Jiyai Shin.
The shift from early December back to its traditional March time-slot means there will be no women's Australian Open contested in 2025.
But it is hoped the move away from a clash with Thanksgiving Day in the US will help lure the world's best players back to Australia and restore the Open's status as one of international golf's biggest tournaments.
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Raising the bar: tennis super duo setting new standards
As Wimbledon pub lunches go, it could have proved a particularly indigestible one for an already miserable Alex de Minaur as he dined while watching two of his rivals serving up a televised feast of tennis in the French Open final. Knocked out in the second round, Australia's big hope had come to England for a bit of r and r with fiancee Katie Boulter, wanting nothing to do with the sport for a while - and the sight of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duelling in one of the greatest tennis matches looked designed to make him feel even more deflated. For didn't the sublime standard of the game they were producing make Australia's No.1 - and perhaps the rest of the best in the men's game - feel they were playing almost a different sport, such was the level the pair reached in their five-and-a-half hour classic finally edged by Alcaraz? On the contrary, reckoned 'Demon'. "By the time we got to dinner, it was on every single TV. And the whole fifth set was captivating from the very first point to the last -- and it was truly great to watch as a fan of the sport," he reflected. So, no sigh of resignation then? "No, I think those two are bringing out the best in each other, and are raising the bar constantly. So the way I was looking at it as a competitor and a fellow player, I saw that as the benchmark. "And it keeps on rising. So ultimately, from my side, I've got to keep on improving too, because, ultimately, what I truly want in this sport is to compete for the biggest tournaments, then I've got to get to that level, or as close as I can to that level. "And that means for me to keep on looking at myself in the mirror and improving in certain areas. And obviously it gives me drive, motivation and hunger." Whether the rest of the Wimbledon men's field feel the same way is unclear as the same dynamic duo of world No.1 Sinner and his nearest Spanish pursuer start Wimbledon as almost unbackable favourites this week, having won the last six slams between them. This increasing duopoly seems ominous even to the peerless Novak Djokovic, who conceded on Saturday that this edition could be his best chance of finally sealing that elusive record 25th grand slam at the age of 38. Seeking to become the oldest slam winner in the Open era, he told reporters: "My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. "That's the goal, but you never know at this stage. "I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon. "But whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next." So if Djokovic trips up in this last waltz, who else might be a contender to end the Sinner-Alcaraz grand slam feast? How about American Taylor Fritz, the fifth seed who quietly wrapped up another ATP title in Eastbourne on Saturday, his third at the traditional Wimbledon curtain raiser, by defeating Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 in the final. "I'm going to be ready to go," beamed the 27-year-old, who has a quick turnaround before kicking off his campaign against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of the big hitters on Monday. As Wimbledon pub lunches go, it could have proved a particularly indigestible one for an already miserable Alex de Minaur as he dined while watching two of his rivals serving up a televised feast of tennis in the French Open final. Knocked out in the second round, Australia's big hope had come to England for a bit of r and r with fiancee Katie Boulter, wanting nothing to do with the sport for a while - and the sight of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duelling in one of the greatest tennis matches looked designed to make him feel even more deflated. For didn't the sublime standard of the game they were producing make Australia's No.1 - and perhaps the rest of the best in the men's game - feel they were playing almost a different sport, such was the level the pair reached in their five-and-a-half hour classic finally edged by Alcaraz? On the contrary, reckoned 'Demon'. "By the time we got to dinner, it was on every single TV. And the whole fifth set was captivating from the very first point to the last -- and it was truly great to watch as a fan of the sport," he reflected. So, no sigh of resignation then? "No, I think those two are bringing out the best in each other, and are raising the bar constantly. So the way I was looking at it as a competitor and a fellow player, I saw that as the benchmark. "And it keeps on rising. So ultimately, from my side, I've got to keep on improving too, because, ultimately, what I truly want in this sport is to compete for the biggest tournaments, then I've got to get to that level, or as close as I can to that level. "And that means for me to keep on looking at myself in the mirror and improving in certain areas. And obviously it gives me drive, motivation and hunger." Whether the rest of the Wimbledon men's field feel the same way is unclear as the same dynamic duo of world No.1 Sinner and his nearest Spanish pursuer start Wimbledon as almost unbackable favourites this week, having won the last six slams between them. This increasing duopoly seems ominous even to the peerless Novak Djokovic, who conceded on Saturday that this edition could be his best chance of finally sealing that elusive record 25th grand slam at the age of 38. Seeking to become the oldest slam winner in the Open era, he told reporters: "My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. "That's the goal, but you never know at this stage. "I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon. "But whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next." So if Djokovic trips up in this last waltz, who else might be a contender to end the Sinner-Alcaraz grand slam feast? How about American Taylor Fritz, the fifth seed who quietly wrapped up another ATP title in Eastbourne on Saturday, his third at the traditional Wimbledon curtain raiser, by defeating Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 in the final. "I'm going to be ready to go," beamed the 27-year-old, who has a quick turnaround before kicking off his campaign against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of the big hitters on Monday. As Wimbledon pub lunches go, it could have proved a particularly indigestible one for an already miserable Alex de Minaur as he dined while watching two of his rivals serving up a televised feast of tennis in the French Open final. Knocked out in the second round, Australia's big hope had come to England for a bit of r and r with fiancee Katie Boulter, wanting nothing to do with the sport for a while - and the sight of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duelling in one of the greatest tennis matches looked designed to make him feel even more deflated. For didn't the sublime standard of the game they were producing make Australia's No.1 - and perhaps the rest of the best in the men's game - feel they were playing almost a different sport, such was the level the pair reached in their five-and-a-half hour classic finally edged by Alcaraz? On the contrary, reckoned 'Demon'. "By the time we got to dinner, it was on every single TV. And the whole fifth set was captivating from the very first point to the last -- and it was truly great to watch as a fan of the sport," he reflected. So, no sigh of resignation then? "No, I think those two are bringing out the best in each other, and are raising the bar constantly. So the way I was looking at it as a competitor and a fellow player, I saw that as the benchmark. "And it keeps on rising. So ultimately, from my side, I've got to keep on improving too, because, ultimately, what I truly want in this sport is to compete for the biggest tournaments, then I've got to get to that level, or as close as I can to that level. "And that means for me to keep on looking at myself in the mirror and improving in certain areas. And obviously it gives me drive, motivation and hunger." Whether the rest of the Wimbledon men's field feel the same way is unclear as the same dynamic duo of world No.1 Sinner and his nearest Spanish pursuer start Wimbledon as almost unbackable favourites this week, having won the last six slams between them. This increasing duopoly seems ominous even to the peerless Novak Djokovic, who conceded on Saturday that this edition could be his best chance of finally sealing that elusive record 25th grand slam at the age of 38. Seeking to become the oldest slam winner in the Open era, he told reporters: "My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. "That's the goal, but you never know at this stage. "I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon. "But whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next." So if Djokovic trips up in this last waltz, who else might be a contender to end the Sinner-Alcaraz grand slam feast? How about American Taylor Fritz, the fifth seed who quietly wrapped up another ATP title in Eastbourne on Saturday, his third at the traditional Wimbledon curtain raiser, by defeating Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 in the final. "I'm going to be ready to go," beamed the 27-year-old, who has a quick turnaround before kicking off his campaign against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of the big hitters on Monday. As Wimbledon pub lunches go, it could have proved a particularly indigestible one for an already miserable Alex de Minaur as he dined while watching two of his rivals serving up a televised feast of tennis in the French Open final. Knocked out in the second round, Australia's big hope had come to England for a bit of r and r with fiancee Katie Boulter, wanting nothing to do with the sport for a while - and the sight of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner duelling in one of the greatest tennis matches looked designed to make him feel even more deflated. For didn't the sublime standard of the game they were producing make Australia's No.1 - and perhaps the rest of the best in the men's game - feel they were playing almost a different sport, such was the level the pair reached in their five-and-a-half hour classic finally edged by Alcaraz? On the contrary, reckoned 'Demon'. "By the time we got to dinner, it was on every single TV. And the whole fifth set was captivating from the very first point to the last -- and it was truly great to watch as a fan of the sport," he reflected. So, no sigh of resignation then? "No, I think those two are bringing out the best in each other, and are raising the bar constantly. So the way I was looking at it as a competitor and a fellow player, I saw that as the benchmark. "And it keeps on rising. So ultimately, from my side, I've got to keep on improving too, because, ultimately, what I truly want in this sport is to compete for the biggest tournaments, then I've got to get to that level, or as close as I can to that level. "And that means for me to keep on looking at myself in the mirror and improving in certain areas. And obviously it gives me drive, motivation and hunger." Whether the rest of the Wimbledon men's field feel the same way is unclear as the same dynamic duo of world No.1 Sinner and his nearest Spanish pursuer start Wimbledon as almost unbackable favourites this week, having won the last six slams between them. This increasing duopoly seems ominous even to the peerless Novak Djokovic, who conceded on Saturday that this edition could be his best chance of finally sealing that elusive record 25th grand slam at the age of 38. Seeking to become the oldest slam winner in the Open era, he told reporters: "My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. "That's the goal, but you never know at this stage. "I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon. "But whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next." So if Djokovic trips up in this last waltz, who else might be a contender to end the Sinner-Alcaraz grand slam feast? How about American Taylor Fritz, the fifth seed who quietly wrapped up another ATP title in Eastbourne on Saturday, his third at the traditional Wimbledon curtain raiser, by defeating Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 in the final. "I'm going to be ready to go," beamed the 27-year-old, who has a quick turnaround before kicking off his campaign against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of the big hitters on Monday.
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Hensby on target for big birthday bash in Colorado
Australian Mark Hensby is on track to celebrate his 54th birthday in style, co-leading the US Senior Open with Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington with one round to play. The trio are tied at eight-under 202 in Colorado Springs. The New South Welshman's 68 on Sunday (AEST) included four birdies, along with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 9th, taking his total to 19 for the tournament. But his best look of all — a six-foot uphill attempt on No.18 that came as the course was still buzzing from a stunning Harrington birdie — fell far off to the right and he settled for par. Hensby is aiming to become just the second Aussie to win the event after Graham Marsh in 1997 and the first to win a senior major championship since Stewart Ginn at the 2002 Senior Players Championship. "Any time you play with two great players like that, it's definitely fun," said Hensby, who also had four bogeys in round three. "Didn't get off to the best start, but ... we all kind of made a few birdies there in a row and we started to get things going. "I just felt like I've just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens. "Fortunately, some things started to go my way, got a couple of nice breaks." Harrington chipped in from 20 yards off the green on the 18th to salvage a floundering round. It capped a two-under 68 and put him in the same spot he was in to start — tied with the same two opponents he played with over another tricky day at the Broadmoor that included wind, rain, even a flash of lightning that pulled the players off the course for a half-hour. "We could've taken the day off," the Irishman said as he shook hands to wrap up a day of twists and turns. Harrington yanked his final tee shot into the rough left of the fairway and had no choice but to hack out over the lake and short of the green. But he turned a possible bogey into an unlikely birdie and guaranteed himself a spot in the final group. "I was very happy with the chip," said the 2022 champion, "and it was a big bonus that it went in." One shot behind sits Dane Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 matched the best round of the day. Steve Flesch (67) was next at four under and Steven Alker's 66 left him at three under, tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67). Seven other Aussies in the field have some work to do to finish in the red. Rod Pampling (69) is even, Steve Allan (69) and Scott Hend (71) one over, Greg Chalmers (71) and Cameron Percy (70) three over, Stuart Appleby (73) four over and Richard Green (73) five over the card. With the AP. Australian Mark Hensby is on track to celebrate his 54th birthday in style, co-leading the US Senior Open with Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington with one round to play. The trio are tied at eight-under 202 in Colorado Springs. The New South Welshman's 68 on Sunday (AEST) included four birdies, along with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 9th, taking his total to 19 for the tournament. But his best look of all — a six-foot uphill attempt on No.18 that came as the course was still buzzing from a stunning Harrington birdie — fell far off to the right and he settled for par. Hensby is aiming to become just the second Aussie to win the event after Graham Marsh in 1997 and the first to win a senior major championship since Stewart Ginn at the 2002 Senior Players Championship. "Any time you play with two great players like that, it's definitely fun," said Hensby, who also had four bogeys in round three. "Didn't get off to the best start, but ... we all kind of made a few birdies there in a row and we started to get things going. "I just felt like I've just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens. "Fortunately, some things started to go my way, got a couple of nice breaks." Harrington chipped in from 20 yards off the green on the 18th to salvage a floundering round. It capped a two-under 68 and put him in the same spot he was in to start — tied with the same two opponents he played with over another tricky day at the Broadmoor that included wind, rain, even a flash of lightning that pulled the players off the course for a half-hour. "We could've taken the day off," the Irishman said as he shook hands to wrap up a day of twists and turns. Harrington yanked his final tee shot into the rough left of the fairway and had no choice but to hack out over the lake and short of the green. But he turned a possible bogey into an unlikely birdie and guaranteed himself a spot in the final group. "I was very happy with the chip," said the 2022 champion, "and it was a big bonus that it went in." One shot behind sits Dane Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 matched the best round of the day. Steve Flesch (67) was next at four under and Steven Alker's 66 left him at three under, tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67). Seven other Aussies in the field have some work to do to finish in the red. Rod Pampling (69) is even, Steve Allan (69) and Scott Hend (71) one over, Greg Chalmers (71) and Cameron Percy (70) three over, Stuart Appleby (73) four over and Richard Green (73) five over the card. With the AP. Australian Mark Hensby is on track to celebrate his 54th birthday in style, co-leading the US Senior Open with Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington with one round to play. The trio are tied at eight-under 202 in Colorado Springs. The New South Welshman's 68 on Sunday (AEST) included four birdies, along with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 9th, taking his total to 19 for the tournament. But his best look of all — a six-foot uphill attempt on No.18 that came as the course was still buzzing from a stunning Harrington birdie — fell far off to the right and he settled for par. Hensby is aiming to become just the second Aussie to win the event after Graham Marsh in 1997 and the first to win a senior major championship since Stewart Ginn at the 2002 Senior Players Championship. "Any time you play with two great players like that, it's definitely fun," said Hensby, who also had four bogeys in round three. "Didn't get off to the best start, but ... we all kind of made a few birdies there in a row and we started to get things going. "I just felt like I've just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens. "Fortunately, some things started to go my way, got a couple of nice breaks." Harrington chipped in from 20 yards off the green on the 18th to salvage a floundering round. It capped a two-under 68 and put him in the same spot he was in to start — tied with the same two opponents he played with over another tricky day at the Broadmoor that included wind, rain, even a flash of lightning that pulled the players off the course for a half-hour. "We could've taken the day off," the Irishman said as he shook hands to wrap up a day of twists and turns. Harrington yanked his final tee shot into the rough left of the fairway and had no choice but to hack out over the lake and short of the green. But he turned a possible bogey into an unlikely birdie and guaranteed himself a spot in the final group. "I was very happy with the chip," said the 2022 champion, "and it was a big bonus that it went in." One shot behind sits Dane Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 matched the best round of the day. Steve Flesch (67) was next at four under and Steven Alker's 66 left him at three under, tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67). Seven other Aussies in the field have some work to do to finish in the red. Rod Pampling (69) is even, Steve Allan (69) and Scott Hend (71) one over, Greg Chalmers (71) and Cameron Percy (70) three over, Stuart Appleby (73) four over and Richard Green (73) five over the card. With the AP. Australian Mark Hensby is on track to celebrate his 54th birthday in style, co-leading the US Senior Open with Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington with one round to play. The trio are tied at eight-under 202 in Colorado Springs. The New South Welshman's 68 on Sunday (AEST) included four birdies, along with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 9th, taking his total to 19 for the tournament. But his best look of all — a six-foot uphill attempt on No.18 that came as the course was still buzzing from a stunning Harrington birdie — fell far off to the right and he settled for par. Hensby is aiming to become just the second Aussie to win the event after Graham Marsh in 1997 and the first to win a senior major championship since Stewart Ginn at the 2002 Senior Players Championship. "Any time you play with two great players like that, it's definitely fun," said Hensby, who also had four bogeys in round three. "Didn't get off to the best start, but ... we all kind of made a few birdies there in a row and we started to get things going. "I just felt like I've just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens. "Fortunately, some things started to go my way, got a couple of nice breaks." Harrington chipped in from 20 yards off the green on the 18th to salvage a floundering round. It capped a two-under 68 and put him in the same spot he was in to start — tied with the same two opponents he played with over another tricky day at the Broadmoor that included wind, rain, even a flash of lightning that pulled the players off the course for a half-hour. "We could've taken the day off," the Irishman said as he shook hands to wrap up a day of twists and turns. Harrington yanked his final tee shot into the rough left of the fairway and had no choice but to hack out over the lake and short of the green. But he turned a possible bogey into an unlikely birdie and guaranteed himself a spot in the final group. "I was very happy with the chip," said the 2022 champion, "and it was a big bonus that it went in." One shot behind sits Dane Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 matched the best round of the day. Steve Flesch (67) was next at four under and Steven Alker's 66 left him at three under, tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67). Seven other Aussies in the field have some work to do to finish in the red. Rod Pampling (69) is even, Steve Allan (69) and Scott Hend (71) one over, Greg Chalmers (71) and Cameron Percy (70) three over, Stuart Appleby (73) four over and Richard Green (73) five over the card. With the AP.
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an hour ago
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Texan native on track for first LIV Golf triumph
Patrick Reed has moved closer to his first career win on the LIV Tour by carding a four-under-par 68 in the second round for a three-shot advantage in Texas. The first-round co-leader with Harold Varner III after five-under 67s, Reed posted birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, eighth, 12th and 14th holes on Saturday to counter bogeys at the 10th and 15th for nine-under 135 after 36 holes at Maridoe Golf Club. "Really, the mindset is the same as it's been all week, just go out, feel like everyone is starting at even par and try to win the day," said Reed, 34, a San Antonio native who also is going for his first professional win in his home state. "I think the biggest thing for me is I feel like the golf game feels pretty solid. Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it's a Monday qualifier." England's Paul Casey shot 67 on Saturday and Mexico's Abraham Ancer posted a 69 to move into a tie for second at six under. Varner shot even par and slipped to a tie for fourth at five under with England's Tyrell Hatton (65), England's Richard Bland (69) and Spain's David Puig (69). Marc Leishman (70) is the best-placed Australian at one over and joint-20th, while Ripper GC teammates Lucas Herbert (71) and Cam Smith (71) are two over and Matt Jones (75) 10 over. 4Aces GC, with Reed and Varner again lead the way in the team standings. Legion XIII and Crushers GC are four strokes back at eight under with one round to play. The 4Aces team, which also includes captain Dustin Johnson (74 - even) and Belgian Thomas Pieters (71 - two over), have three podium finishes in the last five starts. After a meltdown and withdrawal in the first round, Brooks Koepka did not return to the tournament on Saturday. The five-time major winner was six-over through eight holes on Friday. After hitting a tee shot on the par-4 9th, Koepka hammered the tee marker towards the crowd in a show of frustration. He posted a bogey and then withdrew, citing illness. With AAP. Patrick Reed has moved closer to his first career win on the LIV Tour by carding a four-under-par 68 in the second round for a three-shot advantage in Texas. The first-round co-leader with Harold Varner III after five-under 67s, Reed posted birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, eighth, 12th and 14th holes on Saturday to counter bogeys at the 10th and 15th for nine-under 135 after 36 holes at Maridoe Golf Club. "Really, the mindset is the same as it's been all week, just go out, feel like everyone is starting at even par and try to win the day," said Reed, 34, a San Antonio native who also is going for his first professional win in his home state. "I think the biggest thing for me is I feel like the golf game feels pretty solid. Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it's a Monday qualifier." England's Paul Casey shot 67 on Saturday and Mexico's Abraham Ancer posted a 69 to move into a tie for second at six under. Varner shot even par and slipped to a tie for fourth at five under with England's Tyrell Hatton (65), England's Richard Bland (69) and Spain's David Puig (69). Marc Leishman (70) is the best-placed Australian at one over and joint-20th, while Ripper GC teammates Lucas Herbert (71) and Cam Smith (71) are two over and Matt Jones (75) 10 over. 4Aces GC, with Reed and Varner again lead the way in the team standings. Legion XIII and Crushers GC are four strokes back at eight under with one round to play. The 4Aces team, which also includes captain Dustin Johnson (74 - even) and Belgian Thomas Pieters (71 - two over), have three podium finishes in the last five starts. After a meltdown and withdrawal in the first round, Brooks Koepka did not return to the tournament on Saturday. The five-time major winner was six-over through eight holes on Friday. After hitting a tee shot on the par-4 9th, Koepka hammered the tee marker towards the crowd in a show of frustration. He posted a bogey and then withdrew, citing illness. With AAP. Patrick Reed has moved closer to his first career win on the LIV Tour by carding a four-under-par 68 in the second round for a three-shot advantage in Texas. The first-round co-leader with Harold Varner III after five-under 67s, Reed posted birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, eighth, 12th and 14th holes on Saturday to counter bogeys at the 10th and 15th for nine-under 135 after 36 holes at Maridoe Golf Club. "Really, the mindset is the same as it's been all week, just go out, feel like everyone is starting at even par and try to win the day," said Reed, 34, a San Antonio native who also is going for his first professional win in his home state. "I think the biggest thing for me is I feel like the golf game feels pretty solid. Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it's a Monday qualifier." England's Paul Casey shot 67 on Saturday and Mexico's Abraham Ancer posted a 69 to move into a tie for second at six under. Varner shot even par and slipped to a tie for fourth at five under with England's Tyrell Hatton (65), England's Richard Bland (69) and Spain's David Puig (69). Marc Leishman (70) is the best-placed Australian at one over and joint-20th, while Ripper GC teammates Lucas Herbert (71) and Cam Smith (71) are two over and Matt Jones (75) 10 over. 4Aces GC, with Reed and Varner again lead the way in the team standings. Legion XIII and Crushers GC are four strokes back at eight under with one round to play. The 4Aces team, which also includes captain Dustin Johnson (74 - even) and Belgian Thomas Pieters (71 - two over), have three podium finishes in the last five starts. After a meltdown and withdrawal in the first round, Brooks Koepka did not return to the tournament on Saturday. The five-time major winner was six-over through eight holes on Friday. After hitting a tee shot on the par-4 9th, Koepka hammered the tee marker towards the crowd in a show of frustration. He posted a bogey and then withdrew, citing illness. With AAP. Patrick Reed has moved closer to his first career win on the LIV Tour by carding a four-under-par 68 in the second round for a three-shot advantage in Texas. The first-round co-leader with Harold Varner III after five-under 67s, Reed posted birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, eighth, 12th and 14th holes on Saturday to counter bogeys at the 10th and 15th for nine-under 135 after 36 holes at Maridoe Golf Club. "Really, the mindset is the same as it's been all week, just go out, feel like everyone is starting at even par and try to win the day," said Reed, 34, a San Antonio native who also is going for his first professional win in his home state. "I think the biggest thing for me is I feel like the golf game feels pretty solid. Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it's a Monday qualifier." England's Paul Casey shot 67 on Saturday and Mexico's Abraham Ancer posted a 69 to move into a tie for second at six under. Varner shot even par and slipped to a tie for fourth at five under with England's Tyrell Hatton (65), England's Richard Bland (69) and Spain's David Puig (69). Marc Leishman (70) is the best-placed Australian at one over and joint-20th, while Ripper GC teammates Lucas Herbert (71) and Cam Smith (71) are two over and Matt Jones (75) 10 over. 4Aces GC, with Reed and Varner again lead the way in the team standings. Legion XIII and Crushers GC are four strokes back at eight under with one round to play. The 4Aces team, which also includes captain Dustin Johnson (74 - even) and Belgian Thomas Pieters (71 - two over), have three podium finishes in the last five starts. After a meltdown and withdrawal in the first round, Brooks Koepka did not return to the tournament on Saturday. The five-time major winner was six-over through eight holes on Friday. After hitting a tee shot on the par-4 9th, Koepka hammered the tee marker towards the crowd in a show of frustration. He posted a bogey and then withdrew, citing illness. With AAP.
