Browsing: Aussie

Human highlights reel Min Woo Lee has lit up Royal Melbourne to move within a shot of the lead as his superstar playing partner Rory McIlroy briefly threatened to miss the halfway cut on a dramatic day two of the Australian Open.

The stand-out moment of Lee’s second round came when he holed out with a long-range approach shot for eagle on the par-4 10th, raising both arms in triumph.

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Four holes later, McIlroy endured his lowest point when he had a rare air swing after his tee shot finished up under a ti-tree.

The Northern Irishman escaped with a one-putt bogey on the second easiest hole on the course and briefly slipped below the cut line.

“Honestly I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh-air shot,” McIlroy said.

“Not one of my finest moments.”

But McIlroy showed his class to birdie three of the last four holes, signing for a three-under 68 to make the cut by three shots at two under.

Lee had four birdies to go with his hole-out eagle in a flawless six-under 65, which had him in outright third spot at eight under, a single shot behind Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66) and Portugal’s Daniel Rodrigues, who carded the day’s low round of 64.

Most of Australia’s big guns are in the thick of the action going into the weekend action, headed by Lee.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott (66) rolled in a clutch par putt on the 18th to join countryman Cameron Smith (65) and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz in a tie for fourth at seven under.

Min Woo Lee plays his second shot on the sixth hole on day two. Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

After a string of missed cuts in 2025 — including at all four majors — Smith enjoyed one of his best days of a difficult year.

The 2022 British Open champion roared into contention for a first Australian Open title, capping off a great day with a curling birdie putt on the 18th.

Rising Danish star Neergaard-Petersen locked into the sandbelt mindset as he took a share of the lead.

Fresh off a successful first full year on the DP World Tour, Neergaard-Petersen picked up four shots in three holes early in his second round on Friday and added two further birdies coming home to sign for a 66.

“It makes a difference, certainly knowing what to expect,” said the Dane, who has played several recent rounds at nearby Peninsula-Kingswood with his close friend and DP World Tour colleague David Micheluzzi.

“The eagle I made today, it’s one of those shots you’re never normally thinking about.

“I had a six iron and you’re landing it five steps short of the green. But that’s some of the shots you’ve got to hit here.

“It’s kind of getting into that sandbelt mindset, which I think definitely helped.”

Elvis Smylie felt the golfing gods were on his side as the young Australian upstaged global superstar Rory McIlroy to set the early pace at the Open at Royal Melbourne.

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Smylie was the clubhouse leader at six-under 65 as the opening round got underway on Thursday, three strokes clear of the field.

Grand slam winner McIlroy had a rollercoaster round in tricky conditions on the windswept sandbelt course with the world No.2 finishing at one-over with five birdies against six bogeys.

Of the other tournament drawcards who were met by thousands out on course for the early tee times, Australian guns Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee were both at two-under while Cameron Smith sat at one-under.

Smylie’s performance continued his stunning trajectory over the past 12 months after winning the 2024 Australian PGA Championship.

Elvis Smylie Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Playing alongside former British Open champion Smith and former Masters champion, Englishman Danny Willett, on the composite course, Smylie opened with a bogey on the 10th but never looked back.

He had three birdies in succession between the 13th and 15th and then added a further four on his back nine.

Playing on the par-four first, which was his 10th, Smylie’s wayward shot over the green hit a spectator before rolling back into position for him to make birdie.

“The wind was whipping off the left and I just kind of didn’t cut it up enough and I think it hit his foot,” said Smylie, who plays on the DP World Tour.

“I don’t think it hit him hard fortunately, and then it ricocheted to about five foot and I was able to roll that in.

“So I think when things like that happen, you just know that the golf gods are on your side for the day.”

It was a case of McIlroy-mania with the crowds following his group 10-deep with the Northern Irishman delivering for the masses with a first-up birdie.

Australia’s Adam Scott tees off on the 11th hole on Day 1. Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images

But McIlroy, who won the tournament in 2013, found the gusting northerly wind challenging.

Fellow Masters title-winner Scott’s hole of the day came on the par-five 14th when he nailed a superb approach and then drained a 12-foot putt for eagle.

“It was a great day — I mean, playing with Rory and Min and fighting to get to the 10th tee this morning with the crowds was good fun,” Scott said.

“The course held up well even in some of the most challenging wind I’ve probably ever played out here.

“I’m happy with the end results, I mean, it’s easy to be critical, but maybe I shouldn’t be … it’s very hard to keep it under control out there.”

Leading Australian women’s player Steph Kyriacou ensured she had a front-row view with the world No.40 volunteering to carry the scoreboard for the star trio.

Entering the tournament on the back of seven missed cuts and without an individual tournament win for over two years, Smith found some much-needed form.

The 2022 British Open champion had three birdies in four holes between 14 and 17, but was let down by three bogies on his back nine.

Other golfers among the early front-runners included Englishman Eddie Pepperell and NSW golfer Corey Lamb, who were both at three under.

GOLF released its latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the World (2025-26), and while Pine Valley again took the top spot, there were three newcomers and two returnees to the ranking. Here, we’ll introduce you to them.

Golf is fickle, subject to fluctuations. Golf course rankings can be volatile, too. Cape Wickham, which opened in 2015, debuted at No. 72 on the World Top 100 and rose as high as 60 two years later, only to fall off the list in 2023–24. Critics of the course pointed to problems with the site itself, on King Island between Tasmania and mainland Australia, where breezes often swell into four-club gusts. Wind is integral to the game, naysayers said. But conditions this blustery? That, in their view, pushed past character and into chaos.

This year, though, Cape Wickham has blown back onto the roster, buoyed by ballots from raters who felt that any extreme huffing and puffing was more than offset by the layout’s strengths. Start with the setting, which feels like golf at the edge of the map, the routing opening on seaside bluffs and affording views of the Bass Strait throughout. Throw in a collection of coast-hugging par 3s and a closing cape hole that invites derring do, and Cape Wickham delivered with a rare blend of strategy and beauty.

It was also crafted for its surrounds. In a nod to the elements, the fairways are generous and the greens open-fronted, built to welcome low-flighted approaches. When the votes were tallied, Cape Wickham landed right on the number, returning to the ranking on the winds of change.

Ben Stokes (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Former England fast bowler Steven Finn believes the Australian mediaâ€s attempt to provoke Ben Stokes ahead of the Ashes could end up backfiring, warning that the England captain is at his best when challenged. Stokes†arrival in Perth drew headlines from The West Australian, which mocked him as “Cocky Captain Complainer†and labelled his teamâ€s tactics “dopeyâ€. But Finn, who was part of Englandâ€s last Ashes triumph in Australia in 2010-11, thinks such criticism will only fuel the all-rounderâ€s competitive fire. “Ben Stokes thrives when he has a point to prove,†Finn told the PA news agency, adding that some players simply become stronger when targeted. The former pacer explained that Stokes†leadership style is anything but cautious, describing him as someone who embraces pressure and confronts challenges head-on. He also cautioned that while the Australian press tries to find weaknesses, Stokes and coach Brendon McCullumâ€s fearless mindset could help England turn the narrative in their favour. Reflecting on his own experiences Down Under, Finn noted that early success can shift public sentiment quickly, recalling how the Australian crowd began to respect Englandâ€s resilience during the 2010-11 series. Finn also compared Stokes and McCullumâ€s aggressive approach with the more conservative style of previous England teams, suggesting that the current leadershipâ€s boldness gives them a real shot at redefining Englandâ€s fortunes in Australia. “An away Ashes series can be career-defining,†Finn said. “The way Stokes and McCullum lead, they give players the freedom to be themselves and express their best cricket.â€

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