Surfers wait on Margs waves while Slater makes big call
The men's field managed to complete their round of 16 on Wednesday, with local wildcard Jacob Willcox the sole Australian survivor following the shock exits of defending champion Jack Robinson and Queensland star Ethan Ewing.
The Margaret River gun, who earlier eliminated top-ranked Italo Ferreira, backed it up by getting barrelled at The Box, en route to a win over another Brazilian in Joao Chianca.
It's his first quarter-final appearance in seven starts in the West.
Competition was moved later Wednesday back to Main Break, but the rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to delay the women's round of 16.
The women haven't surfed since Tuesday, when Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons advanced through the elimination heats.
Next in wait lies is current world No.1 and defending Margaret Pro champion Gabriela Bryan with Fitzgibbons needing at least a quarter-final appearance to avoid a third straight top- 10 mid-season cut.
Holding down her No.14 ranking will at least ensure she keeps her place on the Championship Tour in 2026, with the women's field expanding.
In a stacked Aussie field, Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Isabella Nichols, who are safe above the cut-line, and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay will also contest the round of 16 with the next call early Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the WSL announced 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will return as a wildcard in the next tour stop at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.
"I'm excited to surf Lowers after having a few months of downtime with family and watching the events online," Slater said in a statement.
"Trestles has been an ongoing great memory for the past 35 years since I won my first event as a professional there ... it's a second home to me.
"I'm looking forward to competing as a wildcard and surf against a top seed or two straight away."
The 53-year-old Slater competed as a wildcard in the first event of the 2025 season, the Pipe Pro in Hawaii.
Lower Trestles has been home to the WSL Finals since 2021, with Cloudbreak in Fiji given the honour of crowning the world champions this year.
It was also recently announced surfing venue for the LA 2028 Olympics.
With surfers fighting to stay on the Championship Tour, the Margaret River Pro will remain on hold for a second day in the hope of better conditions arriving.
The men's field managed to complete their round of 16 on Wednesday, with local wildcard Jacob Willcox the sole Australian survivor following the shock exits of defending champion Jack Robinson and Queensland star Ethan Ewing.
The Margaret River gun, who earlier eliminated top-ranked Italo Ferreira, backed it up by getting barrelled at The Box, en route to a win over another Brazilian in Joao Chianca.
It's his first quarter-final appearance in seven starts in the West.
Competition was moved later Wednesday back to Main Break, but the rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to delay the women's round of 16.
The women haven't surfed since Tuesday, when Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons advanced through the elimination heats.
Next in wait lies is current world No.1 and defending Margaret Pro champion Gabriela Bryan with Fitzgibbons needing at least a quarter-final appearance to avoid a third straight top- 10 mid-season cut.
Holding down her No.14 ranking will at least ensure she keeps her place on the Championship Tour in 2026, with the women's field expanding.
In a stacked Aussie field, Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Isabella Nichols, who are safe above the cut-line, and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay will also contest the round of 16 with the next call early Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the WSL announced 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will return as a wildcard in the next tour stop at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.
"I'm excited to surf Lowers after having a few months of downtime with family and watching the events online," Slater said in a statement.
"Trestles has been an ongoing great memory for the past 35 years since I won my first event as a professional there ... it's a second home to me.
"I'm looking forward to competing as a wildcard and surf against a top seed or two straight away."
The 53-year-old Slater competed as a wildcard in the first event of the 2025 season, the Pipe Pro in Hawaii.
Lower Trestles has been home to the WSL Finals since 2021, with Cloudbreak in Fiji given the honour of crowning the world champions this year.
It was also recently announced surfing venue for the LA 2028 Olympics.
With surfers fighting to stay on the Championship Tour, the Margaret River Pro will remain on hold for a second day in the hope of better conditions arriving.
The men's field managed to complete their round of 16 on Wednesday, with local wildcard Jacob Willcox the sole Australian survivor following the shock exits of defending champion Jack Robinson and Queensland star Ethan Ewing.
The Margaret River gun, who earlier eliminated top-ranked Italo Ferreira, backed it up by getting barrelled at The Box, en route to a win over another Brazilian in Joao Chianca.
It's his first quarter-final appearance in seven starts in the West.
Competition was moved later Wednesday back to Main Break, but the rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to delay the women's round of 16.
The women haven't surfed since Tuesday, when Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons advanced through the elimination heats.
Next in wait lies is current world No.1 and defending Margaret Pro champion Gabriela Bryan with Fitzgibbons needing at least a quarter-final appearance to avoid a third straight top- 10 mid-season cut.
Holding down her No.14 ranking will at least ensure she keeps her place on the Championship Tour in 2026, with the women's field expanding.
In a stacked Aussie field, Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Isabella Nichols, who are safe above the cut-line, and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay will also contest the round of 16 with the next call early Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the WSL announced 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will return as a wildcard in the next tour stop at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.
"I'm excited to surf Lowers after having a few months of downtime with family and watching the events online," Slater said in a statement.
"Trestles has been an ongoing great memory for the past 35 years since I won my first event as a professional there ... it's a second home to me.
"I'm looking forward to competing as a wildcard and surf against a top seed or two straight away."
The 53-year-old Slater competed as a wildcard in the first event of the 2025 season, the Pipe Pro in Hawaii.
Lower Trestles has been home to the WSL Finals since 2021, with Cloudbreak in Fiji given the honour of crowning the world champions this year.
It was also recently announced surfing venue for the LA 2028 Olympics.
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The 23-year-old has been poring over footage of the course and studying Irishman Shane Lowry's famous 2019 victory, when Smith was the only Australian to make the weekend. "I've been watching the official film that they do every year. Just watching it gives me goosebumps," Smylie said on a Zoom call ahead of next week's Scottish Open. "I'm just really excited to embrace the Northern Irish crowd with Rory and Shane Lowry and a handful of other top players. "It will be really cool." Former world No.1 Lee Westwood was another notable qualifier. The 52-year-old Englishman will contest his first major since 2022 after topping the scoring with seven under at Dundonald Links in Scotland. Westwood has never won a major but owns 19 top-10s, including a runner-up finish in 2010 and a T4 placement the last time the Open was played at Royal Portrush in 2019. Now also with LIV Golf, Westwood has not been eligible for any major since he tied for 34th behind the triumphant Smith at St Andrews three years ago. "The Open Championship is the greatest tournament in the golfing calendar," Westwood said. "The first time I played in The Open was in 1995 when I qualified at Leven and I thought it would be great to come back here and try to qualify for another one at Royal Portrush." Lucas Herbert has successfully qualified for the 153rd British Open, giving Australia a nine-strong contingent at Royal Portrush. Herbert will play just his second major championship in two years after topping final qualifying at West Lancashire with an eight-under-par two-round total to clinch medallist honours by one stroke from China's Sampson Zheng. Since joining compatriots Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman on LIV Golf's Ripper GC team last year, the 2024 PGA Championship, where he tied for 43rd, has been Herbert's lone major appearance. But the reigning NSW Open champ has been the team's most consistent performer this year and narrowly missed earning an Open exemption at the Australian Open and New Zealand Open as well as the International Series Macau earlier this season. "I'm super excited to be going to Portrush. I love playing in the Open," Herbert said. "For us Australians, it was the major we watched overnight growing up. It's really cool be playing in another one and joining my teammates, Cam Smith and Marc Leishman, there. "I've made it hard on myself just missing out on qualifying before now, but I've finally got there. I had chances in Australia, Macau and New Zealand and I couldn't finish it off so it's definitely tested my patience. "I'm glad it's held out in the end." Herbert was the only Australian across four qualifying venues to earn a place at the Open from July 17-20. As well as Smith and the resurgent Leishman, the 29-year-old joins Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Australasian Tour order of merit winner Elvis Smylie, Curtis Luck and New Zealand Open champion Ryan Peake at the season's final major. Sydney's Kevin Yuan missed out on the playoff at West Lancashire by a single shot after making birdie at his final hole. After making the halfway cut on his US major debut at the PGA Championship in May at Quail Hollow, Smylie says he's also fired up for Portrush. The 23-year-old has been poring over footage of the course and studying Irishman Shane Lowry's famous 2019 victory, when Smith was the only Australian to make the weekend. "I've been watching the official film that they do every year. Just watching it gives me goosebumps," Smylie said on a Zoom call ahead of next week's Scottish Open. "I'm just really excited to embrace the Northern Irish crowd with Rory and Shane Lowry and a handful of other top players. "It will be really cool." Former world No.1 Lee Westwood was another notable qualifier. The 52-year-old Englishman will contest his first major since 2022 after topping the scoring with seven under at Dundonald Links in Scotland. Westwood has never won a major but owns 19 top-10s, including a runner-up finish in 2010 and a T4 placement the last time the Open was played at Royal Portrush in 2019. Now also with LIV Golf, Westwood has not been eligible for any major since he tied for 34th behind the triumphant Smith at St Andrews three years ago. "The Open Championship is the greatest tournament in the golfing calendar," Westwood said. "The first time I played in The Open was in 1995 when I qualified at Leven and I thought it would be great to come back here and try to qualify for another one at Royal Portrush."
