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Australian pair stun favoured Korean duo

Katherine Kirk and Su Oh have stunned International Crown tournament favourites South Korea by beating the top pairing on day two at Incheon.

By Chris Barclay, Australian Associated Press
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Australia's Su Oh and Katherine Kirk have produced a major upset at the International Crown golf tournament by beating South Korea's top pairing at Incheon.

Oh and Kirk recorded the surprise outcome of day two at a rainswept Jack Nicklaus Golf Club when they combined to beat world No.1 Sung Hyun Park and 10th-ranked In-Kyung Kim three and two on their home patch to keep Australia's title hopes alive.

The Australians were soundly beaten in their match-up with England's Brodie Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff on Thursday and were not expected to threaten the gun Korean duo.

However, a Kirk birdie on the opening hole gave Australia the ideal start to the fourball format and when world No.75 Oh did likewise on the 12th the underdogs were three-up.

Park bogeyed her first two holes and was never able to settle into a rhythm in difficult conditions, leaving Kim to belatedly bridge the gap when she birdied the par-four 14th.

Korea's comeback was mercifully brief for the Australians, who wrapped up the match when world No.69 Kirk birdied the 15th to restore an unassailable three-hole margin.

In the second match, Korea regrouped through world No.3 So Yeon Ru and In Gee Chun (27th) who beat Minjee Lee and Sarah Jane Smith two and one.

Oh and Kirk's heroics enabled Australia to halve their contest and sit third overall in pool A on three points on Friday before the second leg of their double header against stragglers Chinese-Taipei.

When play was curtailed due to bad light Australia was in control of both matches as they seek maximum points.

Oh and Kirk were three-up through nine while Lee and Smith are one-up with eight to play.

England currently lead the pool on seven points and were also dominating both clashes part way through their match-up with Korea, who hold second place with six points.

The United States lead pool B on six points after they won both matches against Thailand on Friday.

Sweden follow on four after they halved their contest with Japan, who are locked with Thailand on three points.

Tournament organisers changed Friday's schedule to feature two rounds as typhoon Kong-Rey bears down on the region.

Play resumes on Saturday, weather permitting.


Davis makes steady US PGA season start

Australian newcomers Cameron Davis and Curtis Luck have started well in the US PGA Tour's season-opening Safeway Open.

By Australian Associated Press
   

Australian Open champion Cameron Davis has made a steady start to his US PGA Tour career.

The 23-year-old Sydneysider shot a two-under-par 70 in the first round of the season-opening Safeway Open in California on Thursday in his first outing since graduating from the secondary web.com Tour.

While Davis is in the top half of the field, it left him seven shots behind leader Sepp Straka of Austria, who was flawless with nine birdies on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa.

He's tied with countryman Brett Drewitt, who put his honeymoon on holiday after securing a start from the Monday qualifying tournament.

Fellow web.com Tour graduate Curtis Luck, 22, is a shot behind Davis after a 71 while veterans Matt Jones and John Senden lead the Australian contingent with 69s.

Also newly-promoted from the web.com Tour, Straka birdied the last three holes to lead by a shot from Chase Wright with Phil Mickelson a further shot away after a 65.

Out of form during the Ryder Cup loss to Europe in Paris last week, Mickelson produced six straight birdies from the ninth hole but remained concerned by his golf.

I've been putting well, like I can putt," Mickelson said. "But I was surprised at some of the shots I've hit.

"Honestly, I hit it just terrible and today was kind of an anomaly. Don't let the good round fool you. I'm not at all at my best."

Brandt Snedeker, Alex Prugh, J.T. Poston, Mackenzie Hughes, Sam Saunders, Sungjae Im and Adam Long shot 66s.

Two-time defending champion Brendan Steele had a 67, playing alongside Mickelson.

Fred Couples, the Hall of Famer who turned 59 on Wednesday, had a 73 in his first PGA Tour round since the Masters in April.


Aust Open turns to US as big three opt out

The Australian Open golf championship will be counting on a group of quality American players for a boost.

By Neil Harvey, Australian Associated Press
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With the country's three biggest names missing, next month's Australian Open golf championship is looking to a clutch of well-performed Americans to add depth and lustre to the field.

Jason Day, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman will all be absent from the national championship at The Lakes in Sydney from November 15-18, leaving world No. 32 Cameron Smith as the leading Australian.

There's also no international superstar of the stature of Jordan Spieth, who made such an impact on the Open in the past four years, including winning in 2014 and 2016.

Organisers have instead targeted strength in depth with American visitors, on Friday adding major winner Keegan Bradley and three-time US tour winner Brendan Steele to their US contingent with more expected.

World No.31 Bradley and No.84 Steele join countrymen Matt Kuchar (world No.33) and No.51 Brandt Snedeker in the field.

The 2011 US PGA Championship winner, Bradley burst back to top form last month, claiming his fourth US tour win with victory in the BMW Championship during the FedExCup playoffs series.

Organisers also welcomed the entry of rising Mexican star Abraham Ancer, who went close to a breakthrough win at the recent US tour playoffs event in Boston.

A regular on his home tour for years, Scott is hoping that skipping the Australian summer will help him rediscover his best form when it matters most internationally, having missed out on Australia's World Cup team to Leishman and Smith.

Leishman and Day both had family reasons for not playing the Open this year, with Day and his wife expecting another child in November while Leishman is confining home appearances to the World Cup in Melbourne and the Australian PGA Championship in the two weeks after the Open.

The decision to play the World Cup (November 21-25) in the Australian Open's usual time slot could hurt the national championship as it puts it up against a US PGA Tour event in Georgia.

Rising star Cameron Davis has already committed to return and defend his Australian Open title.

But it could be difficult for fellow young gun Curtis Luck, who is also starting his first full season on the US tour and may need to fight for his status there in the last event before a graduate reshuffle unless he gets good results early.


Aussie Micheluzzi leads Asia amateur golf

David Micheluzzi's birdie blitz and a stunning eagle has propelled the 22-year-old into the outright lead on day one of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships.

By Australian Associated Press
   

Australian David Micheluzzi has produced a sublime opening round at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships to grab pole position in record-setting style in Singapore.

Among the late starters at the Sentosa Golf Club, the 22-year-old Victorian constructed one of the rounds of his career to hold a one stroke lead on Thursday - thanks to a jaw-dropping eagle on the par-four 18th.

Micheluzzi found the hole with his pitching wedge, the product of pre-tournament practice.

"I was working on my pitching last week and it was just the perfect three-quarter pitch shot," he said.

The current world No.13 amateur upstaged favoured compatriot Min Woo Lee with a course record six-under 64 to top the leaderboard from Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go, China's Jin Cheng and Liu Yung-Hua (Chinese-Taipei).

Micheluzzi defied hot, muggy conditions and an afternoon downpour to record six birdies before finishing with a flourish to more than complement Lee's impressive four-under 66.

Lee, the highest ranked player in the field at world No.10, finished in style with his fifth birdie after sinking a 20-foot downhill putt on the ninth.

The Fremantle-based 20-year-old felt he would have signed for an even better round had his putter not let him down.

"I thought I left a few out there," said Lee, who was in a marquee group featuring Jin, the 2015 Asia-Pacific champion.

Lee starts Friday's second round in a five-way tie for fifth.

Micheluzzi and Lee's promising start also has Australia handily placed in the team component while the individual winner earns a start in next year's Masters at Augusta.

Victorian captain Zach Murray and Shae Wools-Cobb made even-par 70s to be in a tie for 30th while Blake Windred (72) and Dylan Perry (73) rounded out the Australian contingent.

Wools-Cobb was left to rue a sloppy finish to his round after he slipped from four-under with five to play.

The Queenslander lost momentum with two bogeys and a double bogey on the run home.


Australian golfers held by English rally

A stunning English comeback has left Australia winless on the opening day of the biennial International Crown golf tournament in South Korea.

By Australian Associated Press
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A late English surge has placed Australia unexpectedly on the back foot after day one of the International Crown golf tournament in South Korea.

Charley Hull and Georgia Hall conjured up a devastating late rally - including a chip-in eagle and a closing hole birdie - to halve their match against Minjee Lee and Sarah Jane Smith.

The comeback encapsulated a subdued afternoon for the Australians at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon - Katherine Kirk and Su Oh were also beaten to leave the quartet off the pace in pool A on Thursday.

Hot favourites South Korea eventually wore down Chinese Taipei in both their clashes to command the group.

Lee and Smith had appeared on track for victory, but were left to marvel at their opponents accuracy down the stretch.

Australia were three-up through 13 but the complexion of the match changed when reigning British Open champion Hall chipped in for eagle on the par-four 14th.

Hull also upped the ante late with pressure putting drawing the English level before they completed their resurgence on the last.

"I think we played really well, it definitely feels like a loss," Smith told Golf Australia.

"We both felt like we were in pretty good control of the match, so to come away with a square doesn't feel like a win."

In the second match, Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff coasted to a comfortable four and three triumph over Kirk and Oh.

Korea leads Pool A with four points, one clear of England; Australia and Chinese Taipei had to settle for a solitary point.

In Pool B, Thailand holds top spot with three points after a win and half against Japan.

The United States and Sweden had a win each in their contest to sit joint second on two points.

The matches continue on Friday, while the final is scheduled for Sunday.


Aussie golf women to correct teams anomaly

Australia are out to shed their wooden spoon history in the International Crown women's team golf tournament.

By Australian Associated Press
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Minjee Lee and her teammates are out to improve Australia's miserable record in the International Crown women's golf teams tournament when a high-class third edition starts on Thursday.

Australia finished last in the previous two editions of the biennial eight-team event and are seeded fifth for the 2019 tournament where hosts South Korea will open as favourites in Incheon.

World No. 6 Lee is joined by Katherine Kirk, Su Oh and debutant Sarah Jane Smith in pool A alongside Taiwan and South Korea, who are represented by world No.1 Sung Hyun Park, So Yeon Ryu, In-Gee Chun and In-Kyung Kim, all major winners.

They open their account against a strong England team, with Lee and Smith taking on Women's British Open champion Georgia Hall and Solheim Cup star Charley Hull in foursomes while Oh and Smith meet Bronte law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, who is undefeated in International Crown play.

In pool B with Sweden, Japan and a powerful Thailand featuring the Jutanugarn sisters, defending champions USA also have an exceptionally strong line up in Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie.

Lee vowed Australia would play with freedom and optimism.

"The fact that we are here in Korea means the Korean team probably has the most pressure on them, we'll just go out there and play our best and we'll see how it goes," said Lee.

"We will definitely just go and play as free as we want and I guess embrace whatever comes our way."

Kirk agreed.

"We have probably got a little ground to cover on some teams but this year though we feel really confident with our team and our preparation, I think it's going to be a good week for us," she said

"If you look at world rankings the South Korean team is so far ahead of us but we know that anything can happen in match play.

"Certainly, all four of us have played a lot of match play growing up and the world rankings won't mean much standing on the tee against them."


Honeymoon on hold: Drewitt grabs PGA spot

Australia's Brett Drewitt has secured a start at the US PGA Tour season-opener after entering a Monday qualifier during his honeymoon in Napa Valley.

By Evin Priest, Australian Associated Press
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Australian golfer Brett Drewitt has put his honeymoon on hold after winning a Monday qualifying event for the US PGA Tour's season-opening Safeway Open in California.

The newlywed, who plays on the secondary Web.com Tour, was already in California soaking up its famous Napa Valley wine country with wife Brianna Salazar when he decided to enter the 18-hole shootout for four spots in the 144-player field.

Drewitt, who missed out on a PGA Tour promotion from the recent Web.com finals, fired a seven-under-par 65 to share top qualifying spot with fellow Australian Aaron Baddeley.

The Taree, NSW native said his new wife could take credit for his opportunity on golf's most lucrative tour this week.

"Brianna was the one who suggested I do it; the (qualifying) course is only 40 minutes from where her parents live, so I have her to thank for that," Drewitt told AAP.

The 27-year-old Drewitt will tee up alongside five other Australians at the $US6.5-million Safeway Open at Silverado Resort and Spa, the first event of the 2018-19 PGA Tour season.

Drewitt said he has never been more relaxed in his career.

"Things are going great in my life and I couldn't be happier; Brianna and I also found out we're going to be having a baby," said Drewitt, who played a full season on the PGA Tour in 2017.

Australian young guns Curtis Luck and Cameron Davis will begin their PGA Tour seasons this week, having graduated from the Web.com finals.

Luck and Davis are in the Web.com graduate reshuffle - a pool of 56 players who are re-ranked five times during the season based on their performance and given PGA Tour starts accordingly.

Luck is confident of continuing his good form which saw him briefly lead the Web.com Tour Championship finale, where he finished tied for eighth.

"I'm really excited; I played some really good golf in the Web playoffs," said Luck, who played 10 events on the PGA Tour last year.

"Getting off to a good start has a big impact on how many starts I get this year, but I've had a taste of what the PGA Tour is like and I feel comfortable out here."

Rounding out the Australian contingent at the Safeway Open are Matt Jones and John Senden.

Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson headlines the field, fresh from his poor Ryder Cup campaign where, playing as a captain's pick on the US team, he contributed zero points from two matches.


Koepka heartbroken as spectator loses eye

US golfer Brooks Koepka says he is heartbroken to learn the spectator injured by his errant tee-shot during the Ryder Cup will lose an eye.

By Australian Associated Press
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American Brooks Koepka is "heartbroken" to learn a tee-shot of his that struck a spectator at last week's Ryder Cup in France has reportedly left the woman blinded in one eye.

Also on Tuesday, Ryder Cup organisers revealed they were helping Corine Remande, who said she was unable to see out of her right eye after being hit when Koepka's drive veered wide of the fairway on the sixth hole on Friday, the opening day of the event between Europe and the United States.

"Doctors told me I had lost the use of that eye," Remande told French news agency AFP.

Remande was treated at the course before being taken to hospital. US Open champion Koepka stopped to see how she was.

Koepka, who is in Scotland for this week's European Tour event, issued a statement on Twitter on Tuesday expressing his concern at the incident.

"I was deeply hurt and saddened by the tragic accident that occurred when a shot I hit off the 6th tee struck Ms Remande," he wrote.

"I spoke to her at the time on the golf course and after now learning her condition is worse than first thought, I have made contact with her/family to offer my sincere and heartfelt sympathy.

"I am heartbroken by the incident. My thoughts remain with Ms Remande and I have asked to be kept informed of her condition."

Koepka's tweet followed earlier comments by a Ryder Cup spokesperson.

"It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike," the spokesperson said.

Organisers promised to do as much as possible to help.

"We are hugely sympathetic and will do everything we can to support the spectator, in so far as that is possible under very difficult circumstances," they said in a statement.

"We will continue to offer support for as long as necessary."

Ball strikes in golf are an occasional hazard but serious injuries as a result are relatively rare.

"We can confirm that 'fore' was shouted several times but also appreciate how hard it can be to know when and where every ball is struck if you are in the crowd," organisers said.

Europe's triumphant captain Thomas Bjorn said the incident was "upsetting".

"Golf will definitely have to look at anything they can do to protect the fans but I have to say it's the first time I've heard of an incident like this in the time I've played," the Dane told Sky Sports News.

Tony Finau, who was partnering Koepka when the incident happened at Le Golf National confirmed they had yelled "fore" to warn fans the ball was off course.

"Every time you yell fore from that distance nobody is going to hear you," he told Sky Sports News. "People close to the green, unfortunately they are in play sometimes."


Lee unfazed by Asia Pacific Am favouritism

Australia's Min Woo Lee will be the highest-ranked golfer at the elite Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Singapore this week.

By Evin Priest, Australian Associated Press
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Australia's Min Woo Lee has accepted that the pressure of being the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship's highest-ranked player is an obstacle he'll have to overcome to secure a dream invitation to the Masters at Augusta National.

Lee headlines a six-player Australian contingent at the event and at No.10 on the world amateur rankings the 20-year-old is the top player in the field this week in Singapore.

Organised by the Masters Tournament and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the Asia Pacific Amateur affords the winner a start in the following year's Masters and British Open should they retain amateur status.

Lee, the younger brother of LPGA Tour star Minjee Lee, is desperate to contest professional golf's two most revered major championships as an amateur.

"It would mean a lot; it's a dream," Lee told AAP from Singapore.

"We all want to play the Masters at least once in our lives, but a British Open would also be special."

With the event restricted to players from the Asia Pacific region, American amateur stars such as world No.1 Braden Thornberry and No.5 Matthew Wolff, as well as reigning US Amateur champion Viktor Hovland, from Norway, were ineligible to play.

It leaves Lee as the only player in the field from the world's top 10 and he will tee off on Thursday at Sentosa's New Tanjong course as the heavy favourite.

"There is a bit of pressure being the highest-ranked player but I've gotten the hang of that from other tournaments I've played," Lee said.

"You still have to play good golf to win and I'm determined to do that this week."

Lee led last year's Asia Pacific Amateur in New Zealand at the 36-hole mark, only to fade to a tie for third place.

"It is unfinished business for me this year. I felt like I didn't play that great in Wellington and came third," he said.

With intentions to turn professional at the end of this year, this is likely Lee's last chance to join fellow Australians Curtis Luck (2016) and Antonio Murdaca (2014) as Asia Pacific champions.

Also competing at Sentosa are Lee's countrymen and fellow world top-30 amateurs David Micheluzzi (13) and Zach Murray (30), who was the only Australian to make the round of 16 at this year's US Amateur at Pebble Beach.

The Australian contingent is rounded out by Dylan Perry (31), Shae Wools-Cobb (37) and Blake Windred (55).


Euro Tour offers support to Ryder Cup fan

A spectator hit by a tee shot played by US golfer Brooks Koepka during the Ryder Cup could lose the sight in her right eye, news outlets have reported.

By Phil Casey, Australian Associated Press
   

The European Tour has pledged "support for as long as necessary" to the spectator struck in the eye by a ball during last week's Ryder Cup.

Corine Remande was hit by a wayward tee shot by three-time major winner Brooks Koepka on the par-four sixth hole at Le Golf National in Paris and there have been reports she could lose the sight in her right eye.

The 49-year-old Frenchwoman was treated on the course and in a nearby hospital before being transferred to Lyon.

In a statement released to Press Association Sport, a Ryder Cup spokesperson said: "It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike.

"The spectator hit by a ball at the sixth hole during Friday's play was treated by first responders immediately and taken to hospital.

"We have been in communication with the family involved, starting with the immediate on-course treatment and thereafter to provide support, helping with the logistics of repatriation, including providing a transfer for the family from Paris to Lyon. We will continue to offer support for as long as necessary."

Koepka, the reigning US Open and US PGA champion, went on to win his match with Tony Finau, beating Justin Rose and Jon Rahm, but was still upset about the incident afterwards.

"It looked like it hit her right in the eye, so hopefully there's no, you know, loss of vision or anything like that," Koepka said.

"But it's not a fun feeling. I probably do it way more than I should. It seems just about every week we're hitting somebody, and you know, it's unfortunate. You're never trying to.

"It doesn't feel good, it really doesn't. You feel terrible for them. You know exactly how they are feeling, especially when you've got to go over there and apologise, because they are in pain, usually bleeding, and then to hit her in the face - you don't want to hit anybody in the face, especially not a woman, and it's not a good feeling."

The tee on the sixth hole had been moved forward to allow players to attempt to drive the green, but Koepka's shot was pulled left into the crowd.