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Hannah Green feels the pressure to deliver a local victory in the Women's Australian Open golf tournament.

Green says there's no point hiding from it, so she's embracing expectation of becoming just the fourth Australian to win their national Open.

"There's definitely going to be a lot more expectation on myself," Green told reporters on Wednesday.

"I have got to make sure that I'm not pushing myself too hard and possibly setting myself up for failure."

Green knows what to expect when teeing off at Royal Adelaide in Thursday's opening round.

Now a Major champion and a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, the 23-year-old from Perth realises she'll be the centre of attention.

Which is why, when no-one was looking a month ago, she snuck into Royal Adelaide on a reconnaissance mission.

"I knew this week would be pretty busy and that I would be pretty tired from all my commitments," Green said.

Demands for her time have risen since her wire-to-wire triumph in the women's PGA last June.

"I have had obviously a lot more requests for media stuff which has been very different for me so I think that is probably the biggest thing that has changed in my life the last year or so," she said.

"I definitely get more attention when I'm back in Australia, at golf courses in Western Australia particularly.

"It's just making sure that I am still staying the same type of person as I was last year and in my rookie year.

"It (being a Major champion) can definitely get to your head and you can definitely become a different person - and I hope that doesn't happen."

Karrie Webb (five times), Jan Stephenson and Jane Crafter are the only locals to win an Australian Open. Green has finished in the top-10 the past three editions.

"It's definitely one of the harder events to win for anyone that plays their own national Open," she said.

"But I have had some good results the last few years, I have been in contention.

"I had a good result last week (when tied 11th at the Vic Open) so I feel like I'm slowly getting the rust off.

"Hopefully I can have a good week and have some fun out there."

A vicious virus has wrecked golfing great Karrie Webb's preparations for what could be her last Women's Australian Open.

Webb has been laid low by a throat infection which has cruelled any meaningful practice ahead of the Open starting Thursday at Royal Adelaide.

"Today is the longest I have been upright for four days so I'm pretty glad about that," Webb told reporters.

"I was only out here for a couple of hours yesterday, I didn't play any holes.

"I don't have a great feel for how everything is going and I'm not 100 per cent energy."

The 45-year-old Webb, a five-time Open winner, was uncertain how many more national championships she would contest.

"I know I don't have many Australian Opens left, so it's just nice to be here," she said.

Webb was uncertain how long she would remain on the LPGA Tour, having played nine tournaments in each of the past two years on the showpiece circuit.

And the seven-time major winner, asked when she would know it was time to leave the Tour completely, replied: "It (the end) could be at the end of the week.

"I don't have any plans, I don't know when I'm going to play again this year," she said.

"I will still play golf. And the great news is I am old enough to play Legends golf now so there will always be a tournament for me to play in."

The PGA Tour Series-China has postponed four tournaments and two qualifying events because of concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.

The qualifying tournaments were scheduled for Bintan in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand, with the event in Bintan having already been switched from Haikou in China.

It is hoped that the qualifiers can be played in late April or early May, with the regular season beginning in late May or early June.

The postponed tournaments are the Sanya Championship (March 23-29), the Haikou Classic (March 30-April 5), the Chongqing Championship (April 6-12) and the Guangzhou Open (April 13-19).

"We watched and scrutinised the situation closely and we did not make this decision lightly," PGA Tour Series-China executive director Greg Carlson said.

"After consultation with a variety of agencies, we determined postponement of the qualifying tournaments and the start of the regular season are the best courses of action at this time.

"This is a major international health issue, and we will do everything possible to ensure the safety and well-being of our players and everybody else associated with these two tournaments.

"We appreciate the patience our players have shown during what is a difficult time as they try to prepare for their seasons. At the same time, we don't want to do anything that might jeopardise the health of them or anybody else who is involved in PGA TOUR Series-China."

Earlier this week, LPGA tournaments in Thailand and Singapore were cancelled due to the ongoing situation.

The Honda LPGA Thailand, which was scheduled to take place from February 20-23 in Pattaya, and the HSBC Women's World Championship - due to be held in Singapore from February 27-March 1 - were also called off.

Local hope Hannah Green says curtailing her natural aggression is a key to winning the women's Australian Open golf tournament.

Green enters Thursday's first round at Royal Adelaide carrying expectations of becoming just the fourth Australian to win their national Open.

And the 23-year-old says there's no reason she can't join compatriots Karrie Webb, Jan Stephenson and Jane Crafter in achieving the feat.

"I have been working very hard this off-season with all my coaches back in Perth," Green said.

"I have probably been practising more than I have been playing. So I just have to get back into the rhythm of that (playing).

"There's no reason why I can't contend and possibly have the trophy on Sunday."

Green is one of 15 major champions in a field at Royal Adelaide also featuring defending champion and America's world No.3 Nelly Korda.

The Perth native said playing Royal Adelaide required a different mindset than at LPGA Tour courses elsewhere in the world.

"You need to have different shots that you perhaps wouldn't play when you're over in the US ... so not always being aggressive will definitely help you in the long run."

Marc Leishman says two weeks celebrating his win at Torrey Pines may be just the right formula for him at Tiger Woods' US PGA Tour event in Los Angeles.

Leishman's victory at the Farmers Insurance Open took him to world No.19 while making him the 13th Australian to win five or more US tour titles.

The laid-back Victorian admits he marked the achievement accordingly.

"Two weeks off was a good opportunity to celebrate; it might have gone on a couple days too long," Leishman joked on Wednesday.

"But you need to enjoy success and it was very satisfying victory on an iconic course.

"I took (wife) Audrey on a trip to the (NHL) hockey in Washington D.C. We had a date night with a nice dinner and a couple beers.

"I play some of my best golf off a break and I'm definitely feeling refreshed."

Leishman returns at this week's Genesis Invitational - previously the LA Open - at Riviera Country Club.

The tournament has been rebranded with Tiger Woods as its official host and is where he made his US Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992.

Nine of the world's top-10 golfers are teeing up this week, including new No.1 Rory McIlroy and No.2 Brooks Koepka.

The iconic 94-year-old Riviera course near Santa Monica has been kind to Australian golfers over the years.

It bears a strong resemblance to many Australian courses with its eucalypt trees and kikuyu grass on the fairways.

Steve Elkington won the 1995 US PGA Championship at Riviera while Robert Allenby (2001), Adam Scott (2005) and Aaron Baddeley (2011) all lifted the LA Open trophy here.

Leishman himself has had two top-five results from the past four LA Opens.

"Riviera is a course I love; I've been close to winning a couple times here," Leishman said.

"Some courses just make you feel comfortable and Riviera sets up for how I fade my driver with a (left-to-right shape).

"You have to shape your irons and have a great short game and I feel they are the strongest parts of my game."

The event will offer the winner a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour, one more than regular events, and a $US1.674 million ($A2.49m) winner's prize.

Other Australians in the field are former winners Scott and Baddeley, as well as Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Matt Jones.

Fresh off his best tournament result in almost two years, Jason Day feels ready to turn around his poor run of results at Los Angeles' Riviera Country Club.

Day finished near the bottom of the field in all four previous appearances but ends a three-year absence this week now the US PGA Tour has rebranded the tournament as Tiger Woods' invitational tournament.

The former world No.1 is coming off a fourth placing at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday, his best result worldwide since winning the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2018.

That lifted him to No.35 in the world rankings and ensured he avoided dropping out of the top 50 for the first time since he broke into it 10 years ago.

The 12-time US Tour winner says his confidence has returned.

"Coming off a good finish last week is nice because I'm feeling good about my game and I'll need that this week at a demanding course like Riviera," Day told AAP.

"I think overall, I'm most excited about the way I'm striking the ball and the way I'm putting."

Day missed the cut in his first two appearances at Riviera.

The difficult course near Santa Monica is known for demanding iron shots and quick and bumpy Poa Annua greens.

It is why Day, who owns one of the best short games in golf, has been practising his chipping and pitching even more in the lead up.

"You have to have great touch around the greens here because there are some really tough shots if you miss the green," Day said.

"I know I haven't had greatest results here but I'm ready to turn that around."

Day said part of the reason for returning to Riviera for the first time since 2017 was because the Genesis Invitational has been elevated to the same prestige as tournaments hosted by golf greats Jack Nicklaus (Ohio) and the late Arnold Palmer (Florida).

The Genesis Invitational will now offer the winner a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour, one more than regular events, and a $US1.674 million ($A2.49m) winner's prize.

"I think it's only right for Tiger to have his own event; it's good for the game of golf to reward him for his legacy in the sport," Day said of 15-time major winner Woods.

"It's great to be here in LA because he grew up around here and began his career at Riviera."

Nine of the world's top 10 golfers will tee up this week.

Australians in the field are Day, former winners Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley, as well as Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Matt Jones.

Local hope Hannah Green believes she's perfectly placed to chase a veteran English golfer who set a stunning first-round pace at the Women's Australian Open.

Brit Jodi Ewart Shadoff shot a flawless seven-under 66 at Royal Adelaide on Thursday and is daring to dream of a long-awaited breakthrough LPGA title.

A decade after turning pro, the 32-year-old Shadoff holds a one stroke lead from Koreans Jeongeun Lee6 and former world No.1 and seven-time major winner Inbee Park.

Perth pair Green (four-under) and Minjee Lee (three-under) are in the mix as they seek to become just the fourth Australian woman to win their national Open.

Green, one of 15 major winners in the field, is content after weathering tricky afternoon winds to be in a batch of 11 golfers at four-under.

"I'm really glad that I got off to a good start and had a nice, solid round," Green said.

"You had to be really patient, it was hard to hit greens because it was starting to firm up.

"I played on the safer side on a few holes, I probably could have been a bit more aggressive but I feel like I'm in good form for the next few days."

In calmer morning conditions, Australia's world No.8 Lee recovered from a horror stretch of three bogeys in four holes to end her initial nine holes.

"I really needed a good push to get my head out of my butt," Lee said.

"I finished with five birdies on my back nine, so pretty happy ... it's the best that I probably could have got out of today's round."

Only two other Australians broke par: Robyn Choi and Sarah Kemp are one-under while five-time Open champion Karrie Webb finished one-over.

England's Shadoff capitalised in the placid morning conditions with seven birdies to raise her hopes of a breakthrough win after 20 top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour.

"I feel ready now," Shadoff said.

"I feel like every part of my game is up to the challenge. It's hopefully going to be a good year and hopefully I get that win."

American defending champion and world No.3 Nelly Korda was among10 players at four-under.

"I drove the ball really well, kind of didn't take advantage of all my opportunities, but it's just the first day so hopefully I can just build from here on," she said.

Hannah Green has no doubt where the Women's Australian Open will be won: on the greens.

The Perth golfer will start Friday's second round at Royal Adelaide three shots shy of the leader, England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff.

The Brit shot a stellar opening-round of seven-under 66 and holds a one-stroke buffer from decorated South Korean pair Jeongeun Lee6 and Inbee Park.

American trio Amy Olson, Marina Alex and Jillian Hollis are at five-under, with Australia's Green in a batch of 11 golfers at four-under.

Green was satisfied with her opening round, saying she hit just one bad shot - an errant lay-up to the par-5 ninth which resulted in her sole bogey.

"I'm pretty pleased that it was only one that was really quite bad," she said.

"I just have got to work hard on the putting greens.

"I think whoever holes the most putts this week, like most weeks is going to be the winner at the end."

Australia's top-ranked entrant, world No.8 Minjee Lee, is well-placed at three-under but just two other compatriots - Robyn Choi and Sarah Kemp - broke par.

Choi and Kemp are one-under while five-time Open champion Karrie Webb, who is battling a virus, is one-over.

Jason Day has credited a realisation not to "get angry" with Riviera Country Club for his lowest round at the Los Angeles course.

The former world No.1 had never broken 70 in 12 previous rounds at Riviera, but posted a three-under-par 68 on day one of Tiger Woods' Genesis Invitational.

Day sits four shots behind first round leader Matt Kuchar (64).

Day, a 12-time US PGA Tour winner, had never recorded a result better than a tie for 62nd in four starts at Riviera and had missed the cut twice.

But the 32-year-old said he lowered his expectations to set himself up for the rest of the week.

"I realised I can't come here and get angry, because it just won't help," Day told AAP.

"I knew I had to come into a week like this with a different mindset. I changed the way I view this course, because I actually really like it.

"I haven't had greatest finishes here, so I brought down my expectations to take the weight off my shoulders.

"It meant I could just go out there and play freely today."

Day said that was particularly difficult given the tournament had been rebranded this year as Tiger Woods' own US Tour event with invitational status and limited field of 120 golfers.

"Yes, it's a big week and there are a lot of good players here, so your expectations can go up pretty dramatically," he said.

Day's scrambling was remarkable on Thursday, made more difficult by the fact he hit just five of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation.

But he saved par five times from six attempts to keep himself well in contention.

"Overall, it was a solid day. If I missed the fairway I put myself in position to save par," Day said.

"I'm very pleased with the start and I'm putting better than I have in a while. Hopefully I can keep that up in the next three rounds."

A year after being taunted by drunken fans for underpaying a Mexican caddie, Matt Kuchar has taken the first round lead at the Tiger Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.

On the first day of the 2019 event at LA's Riviera Country Club, Kuchar was heckled relentlessly for paying a local resort caddie just $US5,000 of his $US1.3 million winner's share at the Mayakoba Classic in Cancun in November 2018.

The controversy was inflamed in LA when Kuchar justified his payment to resort caddie David Giral Ortiz by saying, "For a (caddie) who makes $200 a day, a $5000 week is a really big week."

Full-time caddies on the US Tour can earn up to 10 per cent of a player's prize money, however Kuchar's regular bagman was not available for his win in Mexico.

In the opening round at Riviera last year, members of the crowd were heard heckling Kuch with, "Go low Kuch, go low! Just not on the gratuity!" and "10 per cent".

After that round, Kuchar issued an apology and agreed to pay Ortiz $US50,000 (A$70,000).

On Thursday, however, Kuchar enjoyed a more pleasant day at Riviera when he carded seven birdies and no bogeys to top the Genesis Invitational leaderboard at seven-under-par.

"It was a fun, fun day out there,'' said Kuchar, who leads by three.

"I got off to a great start. This is the best I've ever seen (Riviera CC).

"It's a place that I absolutely love coming every year.

"I think it's one of the few courses that has truly stood the test of time."

Kuchar's nearest chasers are KH Lee, Russell Henley, Adam Schenk, Wyndham Clark and Harold Varner (67) at four under.

Jason Day leads the Australian tilt after a 68 left him a three under - his best score at Riviera having failed to break 70 in 12 previous rounds.

"I'm very pleased with the start and I'm putting better than I have in a while," Day said. "Hopefully I can keep that up in the next three rounds."

A shot back of Day is event host Woods, who was hot early in his round having eagled the first hole before two more front nine birdies.

However, two back-nine bogeys gave the 15-time major winner a two under 69.

"I got off to a nice start on the front nine (but) I didn't hit many good shots on the back; made a couple loose swings," Woods said.

Next best of the Australians is Marc Leishman (70) at one under while Aaron Baddeley (71) is a shot back.

Adam Scott (72) sits at one over, two ahead of countryman Cameron Smith (74).

Matt Jones is in last place after an eight-over 79.