Table of contents for Sep 2025 - Issue 436 in Golf Australia

All roads had led to Royal Porthcawl for golf’s final major of the year. On a cool Welsh morning, two of America’s biggest names, Angel Yin and Nelly Korda, made the long trek across the dunes of Bridgend, each chasing a different kind of glory at the 2025 AIG Women’s Open. For Korda, it was a chance to rediscover her major-winning form after a season of near-misses and mounting expectations. For Yin, it was another opportunity to cement her place among the game’s elite. Side by side, they walked the third fairway, steady and focused, as the wind off the Bristol Channel reminded everyone that links golf shows no mercy.…

Some stories begin in luxury: champagne arrivals, a Fijian choir, a ukulele, valet parking, automated cars driven by an iPhone, the pursed lips of someone who’s about to charge you $27 for a croissant. This isn’t that story. This one begins in Cranbourne. East of Frankston, south of Dandenong South, somewhere between suburban sprawl, fresh housing estates and a Mitre 10 which does a surprisingly good sausage sandwich, it’s a part of Melbourne you don’t see on tourism billboards, unless the billboard is for four-bedroom homes and a 45-minute commute. However, nestled in this landscape of Aussie underdog grit, sitting on traditional and true “Sandbelt land”, is a golf course which might just be the most misunderstood gem in Australia: Ranfurlie. But first, let’s define “The Sandbelt”. For it’s more…

It’s a Friday morning on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. The sun is up, the breeze is light and Long Reef Golf Club is looking postcard-perfect. But on September 5, 2025 there’ll be something in the air aside from salt spray and the sweet smell of mown grass. Welcome to the inaugural Men for Menopause Golf Day – a one-of-a-kind event where golf meets heart, humour and a whole lot of humanity. It’s a day designed to bring people together, raise awareness and show support for the women we love – all while enjoying the great game we love just as much … maybe but not really … The idea is simple yet powerful: start a conversation, make it comfortable and give it a stage where men feel relaxed and…

On Sunday afternoon in Evian-les-Bains, Lydia Ko, the precocious 18-year-old from New Zealand, produced one of the most controlled and commanding final rounds in the history of the sport. Her six-under-par 63 was clinical. It was bogey-free and historic. And by the time she walked off the 18th green with a six-shot win, there was no mistaking the significance of what had just happened. Ko had become the youngest major champion in modern golf history, breaking a century-long record. It was the way she did it which left the lasting impression; calm beyond her years, precise and illustrating her ability to put the foot down when the pressure-cooker was on full heat. She began the final round one behind Lexi Thompson and was three back after eight holes. The American…

What does it feel like to be at an Open Championship? I had wondered that my whole life growing up in Sacramento, California and getting up at 3am each July to watch Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and the icons of the sport play our favourite game in side-ways rain on seaside links courses as fast as our kitchen floor at home. I was lucky to make the 2015 Open Championship at St Andrews my first one, but this past summer at Royal Portrush was an amazing experience and worth recounting from both a media and fan’s perspective. The Open is a spectacle on TV, but in person it’s very relaxed and the vibe is light and fun. In my opinion, that tone starts with the Irish people. They don’t take…

In an exciting finish to the 2025 NSW Junior Championship in July, a trio of players walked away with titles after a dramatic final day at Catalina Club. Concord’s Ti Fox claimed the boys’ division with a dominant performance, while Queensland’s Ionna Muir and The Australian’s Camilla Kim were declared joint champions in the girls’ after an epic five-hole playoff which ran into darkness. Fox entered the final round with momentum and held his nerve to post a two-under 70, sealing a three-shot win and finishing the tournament at 14-under (70-67-65-70). Fox said the nerves kicked in midway through the round, but he found another gear when it mattered most. “I think we got back to about one shot through 12, and then I kind of put the foot down.…

After years of rumour, nostalgia and fan-fuelled wishful thinking, Happy Gilmore 2 finally teed off, hitting Netflix account-holders’ screens with a driver-sized dose of comedy and cameos in late July. The New York premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Centre drew a wildly eclectic cast, from original stars Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald and Julie Bowen, to new faces like Bad Bunny and Ethan Cutkosky, and even a few surprise golfers turned scene-stealers. Snapped together here for one unforgettable group shot were not only the cast and creators, but also a pair of golf’s heavy hitters – Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, blurring the line between the course and film set.  Happy Gilmore 2 is part sequel and part celebration of everything the original movie inspired. Who wins? Who loses? Is anyone savaged…

One of Australia’s most decorated golfers, and fan favourite Adam Scott has confirmed he will return home in 2025 as one of the headliners of both the Australian PGA Championship from November 27-30 and Australian Open from December 4-7. The first Australian to win The Masters, Scott is a two-time winner of the Kirkwood Cup in his home state of Queensland and a one-time Australian Open winner, with the former world No.1 owning close relationships with both host venues. A junior member of Royal Queensland Golf Club, host of the BMW Australian PGA, Scott’s 2013 Masters winning clubs are on permanent display in the clubhouse of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where he will again go head-to-head with current Masters champion, superstar Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy for the Stonehaven Cup.…

At Brisbane Golf Club, the future of golf is in safe hands – and that’s thanks in large part to Asha Flynn and her dedicated team. As the Women’s and Junior Development Manager, Asha has spent the past seven and a half years building a thriving junior golf academy that does much more than teach kids how to swing a club; it gives them a pathway into the game for life. Asha oversees every detail of the Brisbane Golf Club Junior Academy, from designing the curriculum to making sure every child is placed in the right class. Unlike many programs that rely solely on external systems, Brisbane Golf Club keeps everything in-house. “All of our juniors have to be members of the club,” Asha explains. “So we do everything ourselves…

Planes, trains and drains. This rhyming tagline is passed on with a wry smile by people who have experienced Omanu Golf Club in New Zealand’s picturesque Bay of Plenty. Omanu is on a railway line, the par-5 13th – the hardest hole on the golf course – runs parallel with the tracks — a little ode to Royal Adelaide in New Zealand’s North. Drains? There are open canals for stormwater running throughout the course. They are a hazard unique to Omanu, and look no different to creeks. And planes? The golf club hugs the airport. It is a unique experience standing on the closing holes on the back nine and seeing how low the aircrafts fly. You genuinely feel as if a high draw could find the exterior of one…

PGA Tour Player Director Adam Scott has poured cold water on reconciliation between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf occurring any time soon. “There’s really been no developments since earlier this year [when Scott and a delegation of PGA Tour representatives visited Donald Trump in the White House]. So, I would say, ‘don’t hold your breath’,” Scott said. Asked by Golf Australia magazine if there was any consensus among PGA Tour players around a best outcome, Scott said words to the effect of people having made beds and now sleeping in them. “I think it’s pretty clear the guys who have stayed at the PGA Tour have made a choice to play, let’s say, PGA Tourstyle golf, and most of them probably would’ve had the opportunity to play LIV-style golf,”…

EACH PAIR VALUED AT $290 EAGLE CLUB MEMBERS GET ALLTHIS! • 24 issues of Golf Australia magazine • One dozen Callaway Supersoft golf balls • Golf Australia golf shirt • Entry in all chance to win competitions The Callaway Supersoft Golf Ball features Advanced HEX Aerodynamics, optimised for reduced drag, higher flight and longer carry distance. Chase your low score with these Adizero ZG Spikeless Golf Shoes from adidas. Lightweight yet packed with tech, they feature ultralight Lightstrike Pro cushioning to support focused play, and a dynamic stability system for confident footing on greens and fairways. The waterproof upper keeps your feet dry in damp conditions. For your chance to WIN a pair, simply subscribe to Golf Australia today! adidas.com.au/golf-shoes SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE…

There are moments in sport which make you sit up. Moments which make you proud. Then there are times when you simply stop and marvel. Australian women’s golf has just delivered one of those times – a golden streak of excellence across continents, competitions and generations. From the windswept cliffs of Scotland’s borders to the sun-scorched fairways of Texas and the polished greens of the French Alps, Aussie women have not just competed – they’ve truly conquered. Minjee Lee added a third major to her glittering resume. Grace Kim soared to a first, in the most dramatic way imaginable. Nadene Gole etched her name into the history books in a country which courses through her veins. And teenager Amelia Harris came within inches of a career-defining win, proving the pipeline…

In 1994, Ian Baker-Finch headed back to the U.S Tour confused about his swing and concerned about the way he was missing shots to both the left and the right. His work ethic was unchanged. “I was hitting so many balls while searching for answers, practising and testing, striving to hit it further. I was changing my swing. I wish I had Trackman in those days – science may have been able to tell me where I was going, because I had no idea.” The previous year, Ian tried to work through his problems with [David] Leadbetter’s assistant, Mitchell Spearman, but the coaching had produced no results. He then sought out his friend Steve Bann, who tried his best to help Ian out of his slump. “Every time I went…

Playing golf in Asia is a sublime experience for any avid golfer. Whereas links courses of Great Britain and Ireland are the essence of traditional golf, and perfectly manicured layouts in the United States are the epitome of presentation and style, most Asian courses offer a vastly different experience, especially in the tropics. Across Asia, from Sri Lanka to the Philippines and from Japan to Indonesia, you’ll find the whole gamut of courses – mountainside layouts, oceanside resorts, jungle and lowland tropical experiences, elevated cool climate designs and many more, often the work of leading lights in the game. Playing golf in Asia is special for many reasons, but particularly because of these five Cs: culture, cuisine, courses, clubhouses and caddies. Vibrant, mystical, unique customs and cultures are features of…