Ashleigh Buhai, Joaquin Niemann and Lachlan Wood earned Australia’s premier golfing events after their wins over the weekend at The Australian Golf Club. Buhai, from South Africa, fought hard to hoist the Patricia Bridges Bowl overcoming Australia’s Minjee Lee by one shot to win the ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open. Chilean Niemann won a playoff over Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino to become the first player from South America to etch his name on the Stonehaven Cup by winning the ISPS HANDA Men’s Australian Open. Wood created history on Saturday becoming the first Australian to win the ISPS HANDA Australian All Abilities Championship.
Buhai defended her win at Victoria Golf Club last year. The 34-year-old joins Karrie Webb (2007 & 2008) and Yani Tseng (2010 & 2011) as back-to-back winners of the Women’s Australian Open. The 2022 Open champion’s lead was out to five shots midway through the final round after a run of 12 consecutive pars to start the round. The lead narrowed to one shot over Lee playing the final hole after Buhai posted bogeys at the 13th, 14th and 17th holes. The world No. 26 holed a nervy three-foot par putt at the final green for victory. Buhai went without a birdie on Sunday producing a 3-over 75 to finish the event at 9-under. Lee, aged 27 from Perth, took solo second place at 8-under after signing for a 3-under 69. The world No. 5 fired eight birdies in her attempt to win her national title for the first time. South Korea’s Jiyai Shin and Jenny Shin shared third place at 4-under. Australians Hannah Green and Stephanie Kyriacou finished one shot further back at 3-under to share fifth place. South Australia's Caitlin Peirce won the honoiurs as the low-amateur. Peirce finished T7.
Niemann and Hoshino advanced into the playoff for the men’s title after reaching 14-under for 72 holes. Niemann closed with an impressive 5-under 66. Hoshino signed for a 1-under 70. Both players produced a birdie at the first playoff hole, which was staged at the reachable par 5, 18th hole. Hoshino made a terrific up and down from the greenside bunker for his four. Niemann brushed in his birdie putt after lipping out his eagle attempt from six-foot sending the event back to the 18th tee. Niemann got the job done at the second extra hole, this time finding the bottom of the cup with his eagle putt from seven feet. Hoshino finised runner up for the second straight week in Australia.
The man of the moment in Australia Min Woo Lee carded a 1-over 72 to finish outright third at 12-under. The 25-year-old was hoping to be the first player since Greg Chalmers in 2011 to win both the Australian PGA and Australian Open in the same year. He was also looking to tally his third win from his last five starts.
Adam Scott held the outright lead when he got to 14-under after holing a monster birdie putt at his 15th hole. The veteran 43-year-old was searching for his second Australian Open after winning in 2009. The Masters champion suffered a triple bogey when he drove his tee shot out of bounds at the par 4, 7th hole (his 16 hole for the day after starting the day at the 10th hole). Scott signed for a 3-under 68 to get to 11-under and take a share of fourth place with Scotland’s Grant Forrest and England’s Laurie Canter. Jasper Stubbs took out the low-amateur at 6-under. The Victorian has enjoyed a remarkable stretch that includes his stunning win at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship staged at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Wood, aged 32, claimed the ISPS HANDA Australian All Abilities Championship after closing the event with a superb 1-under 70 to finish at even par for the 54 holes. It was the world No. 15’s maiden start at the event and first G4D Tour title success. Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor was three shots back in outright second place. Another Australian, Cameron Pollard took solo third place one shot further back.
FINAL RESULTS
ISPS HANDA Australian Open
Women’s
1. Ashleigh Buhai -9
2. Minjee Lee -8
T3. Jiyai Shin -4
T3. Jenny Shin -4
T5. Hannah Green -3
T5. Stephanie Kyriacou -3
Men’s
1. Joaquin Niemann -14
2. Rikuya Hoshino -14
3. Mon Woo Lee -12
T4. Adam Scott -11
T4. Grant Forrest -11
T4. Laurie Canter -11
All Abilities
1. Lachlan Wood E
2. Brendan Lawlor +3
3. Cameron Pollard +4
4. Kipp Popert +7
Photo credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
