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Golf's ruling bodies say it is time to rein in the increasing distances players are hitting the ball, a trend they assert is detrimental to the game.

The Distance Insights Report, released jointly by the US Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal & Ancient (R&A), leaves the door open to a "bifurcation" of the rules which could lead to elite and recreational players using clubs and balls manufactured to different regulations.

The report said that since 2013, the average driving distance on the US-based PGA Tour and European Tour has increased at a rate of about one yard (metre) per year, now averaging 294 yards.

Top women have shown a similar rate of increase, now averaging more than 250 yards on the LPGA Tour.

Such distances can reduce the strategic challenge of many courses, for example by allowing players to avoid the danger of a deep bunker not by accuracy but simply by smashing their drives over the potential trouble.

"We believe that it is time to break the cycle of increasingly longer hitting distances and golf courses and to work to build a long-term future that reinforces golf's essential challenge and enhances the viability of both existing courses and courses yet to be built," the report said.

"In reaching this conclusion, we recognise that some have the view that the governing bodies might have done more in addressing the implications of the continuing increases in hitting distances and course lengths.

"Our views have evolved as events have unfolded and new information has become available... and we believe that it is never too late to do the right thing for the future of the game."

Some of the world's most famous courses are being overpowered by players.

The Old Course at St Andrews has been rendered almost toothless in calm conditions with many professionals able to reach several of the par fours off the tee.

At Augusta National, home of the Masters, the club has bought surrounding land to give itself the option of lengthening the course but it is running out of room to go beyond the hole extensions already made in recent years.

The report also said the bodies "... will assess the potential use of a Local Rule option that would specify use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances".

The governing bodies said they planned to conduct further research and get feedback from manufacturers over the next year or so before deciding upon any changes to equipment regulations.

Ultra-consistent last year, Minjee Lee is gunning to turn some of those near-misses into tournament victories in 2020.

The world No.9 had a staggering seven top-three finishes in 26 outings on the LPGA tour in 2019, but her only win came at the LA Open.

Fresh from a longer than usual Christmas break, the 23-year-old returns to action in Barwon Heads for the Vic Open, a tournament where she has twice previously lifted the trophy - as a teenaged amateur in 2014 and again in 2018.

Much of the focus this week will be on Lee and countrywoman and major winner Hannah Green, although it's world No.8 Korean Jeong Eun Lee6 who is the highest-ranked player in the field.

"Being one of the top players coming into the event is always a good feeling, it's exciting for you and you want to play well," Australia's Lee said.

"Obviously it's in Australia, so I want to have a good result as well.

"(Outside expectations) are more of a motivation than a stress, but obviously a little bit of stress too.

"Just a little more motivation for myself to get my butt in there and do well."

Lee had long been been considered the female golfer most likely to end Australia's run out of outs in the majors dating back to Karrie Webb's seventh major in 2006.

Instead it was fellow 23-year-old West Australian Green who broke the duck last year at the Women's PGA.

"I'm not really envious, like I know my time will come," Lee said.

"I was just really happy for her and I sent her a message straight away.

"It was cool to watch for sure."

Lee and Green are almost certain to be Australia's two representatives in the women's golf tournament at the Tokyo Olympics, with Lee having enjoyed her first taste of the five-ringed circus in Rio four years ago.

This will be the second year the women's Vic Open has been co-sanctioned by the US LPGA Tour, guaranteeing a strong field.

The combined prize pool for the men's and women's Vic Opens is $3 million - split equally between the two events - a tenfold increase in the space of seven years.

Greg Norman believes the mooted Premier Golf League has every chance of succeeding, 26 years after his own world tour proposal was shot down by the powerful US PGA Tour.

The Australian great says changing times mean the plan for 18 tournaments worth $US10 million ($A14.9m) each featuring 48 leading players could work despite likely opposition from existing tours.

"You've got to remember back in my day the players were looked on a little bit different," Norman told The Scotsman at the final day of the Saudi International on Sunday.

"Seve (Ballesteros), Jose (Maria Olazabal) and I were trying to tell everybody we were independent contractors who could go and play anywhere in the world we want...

"Restraint of trade is not as prevalent - you can't do it basically in this day and age - so that's why this one probably has a little more legs."

Former world No.1 Norman unveiled plans for a World Golf Tour in 1994 but the concept was squashed by the US PGA Tour's then-commissioner Tim Finchem, who threatened to suspend players who took part.

The PGA Tour later established the World Golf Championship (WGC) events, with prize money comparable to the four majors, in order to meet that threat.

Earlier this month, British-based World Golf Group revealed their outline for a global tour they aim to launch in 2022.

The Premier Golf League (PGL) tournaments, with small fields and no cut, would would run over eight months for a total prize pool of $US240m ($A358.5m).

Norman said the PGL appeared to have the ingredients to succeed.

"It's just a matter of getting all the right components together, whether players stay together," Norman said.

"With my original concept, some players loved it and others didn't like it.

"I had corporate, I had television, but you need 100 per cent of the pie to be together before we can bake it.

"From what I'm seeing here, this one has every chance of getting off the ground."

PGL organisers have yet to reveal their plans for all-important broadcast rights but Norman suggested they could turn to streaming giants.

"I was just live streaming the Australian Open tennis before I came to speak to you," Norman said.

"Everybody is out for this real time, 5G, 6G, instantaneous coverage.

"Why not stream golf on Apple, why not on Amazon? Get out of the box.

"There are opportunities out there that are far greater than even I could have contemplated back in my day."

Norman said he'd heard whispers the PGL proposal could possibly trigger a merger of the PGA Tour and European tour to create a world tour.

Fast-finishing Webb Simpson admitted feeling bad for close friend Tony Finau after beating him in a sudden-death playoff to win the US PGA Tour's Phoenix Open.

Seeking a long-awaited second tour victory, world No.12 Finau led by two shots with just two holes to play at TPC Scottsdale.

But 2012 US Open champion Simpson (69) made clutch birdies on each of the last two holes to catch overnight leader Finau (70) at 17-under 267, then birdied the first extra hole with a 10-foot putt to secure his sixth US tour title.

Finau has played on American Ryder Cup and Presidents teams but has not been able to win since the 2016 Puerto Rico Open almost four years ago.

He also lost a playoff to Xander Schauffele in November 2018 in China at the WGC-HSBC Champions.

"It's hard. He is a great friend," Simpson said. "Our wives are friends and he's one of the best guys on tour. So it is a bit tough."

Finau made par at the last two holes in regulation where Simpson charged, then missed his 18-foot birdie try at the first playoff hole.

He was philosophical in defeat.

"If you are going to get beat, that's how it should happen," Finau said.

"I definitely didn't give him the tournament. Unfortunately, it's how the cookie crumbles.

"I love Webb. I think the camaraderie that I have with him as being one of my best friends out here, it would have been hard for either one of us to take this victory from each other."

Simpson improved his poor playoff record to 2-6, three years after falling to Hideki Matsuyama in extra holes at TPC Scottsdale.

Fourth-ranked Justin Thomas (65) tied for third at 14-under, along with Bubba Watson (66) and Nate Lashley (68).

Aaron Baddeley, the lone Australian to make the cut, closed with a three-under 68 to move up 11 places and a share of 40th.

Tony Finau believes it's time to start living up to high expectations as he takes a one-shot lead into into the final round of the US PGA Tour's Phoenix Open.

The 30-year-old American is ranked No.13 in the world and has played Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, but he has only one US tour victory - at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open.

He gave himself a great opportunity to secure a long-awaited second victory when he shot a blistering nine-under-par 62 at TPC Scottsdale on Saturday to grab a one-shot lead from Webb Simpson (64).

"If I want to accomplish the things I feel like I can accomplish, I have to put those types of expectations on myself," said Finau, who asked about his title drought.

"I look forward to tomorrow. My game's in a good place, and I always tell myself whatever happens, you're going to learn from it and get better and stronger."

Finau has missed the cut in his previous four appearances at the Phoenix Open, which attracts huge and notoriously boisterous galleries.

"I like the golf course. I like the vibe. I like the energy. I just haven't performed," he said.

Simpson is seeking his first win since the 2018 Players Championships.

His 64 on Saturday included a hole in one at the 196-yard 12th hole.,

Second round leader J.B. Holmes (70) and fellow American Hudson Swafford (66) were tied for third at 14-under 199 with Xander Schauffele (66), Adam Long (66) and Scott Piercy (68) a stroke back.

Local resident Aaron Baddeley was the leading Australian but well back in a tie for 51st at three under after a 72.

Six years after combining brilliantly for Europe in the Ryder Cup, Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson will play together in the final group at the Saudi International.

McDowell birdied four of his last seven holes - including the 18th - to shoot four-under 66 in the third round and claim a one-stroke lead on 12-under 198 overall at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on Saturday.

Dubuisson is the nearest challenger after a 65, with the Frenchman showing an unexpected return to form after years in the doldrums.

He has just one top-10 finish since November 2017 and has plummeted to No.478 in the rankings.

Dubuisson and McDowell were paired at the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles by Europe captain Paul McGinley, winning both of their foursomes matches and then gaining 1.5 points between them in the singles to help set up a big win for the Europeans.

McDowell's career also has had a dip since that Ryder Cup, with his victory at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in March 2019 being his first title in three-and-a-half years. He tied for fourth place at the Sony Open in Hawaii last month.

Gavin Green of Malaysia was three strokes off the lead on nine-under overall after shooting even-par 70.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson (68) and second-round leader Victor Perez (73) were in a three-way share of fourth place, a further two strokes back.

Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson are other big names playing at the tournament despite criticism of the tour coming to a country with its record of human-rights violations. They were in a tie for seventh place, six strokes behind McDowell, after Koepka shot 65 and Mickelson shot 68.

Australia's Lucas Herbert, who won his first European Tour event at the Dubai Desert Classic last week, had an unlucky third round.

He mixed six birdies with four bogeys and two double bogeys to card a two-over 72 and be 12 shots off the lead, while compatriot Maverick Antcliff is another shot back after he carded a third-round 72 as well.

Australians Scott Hend, Min Woo Lee, David Micheluzzi and Wade Ormsby all missed the cut.

J.B. Holmes roared through the fan-packed closing stretch at TPC Scottsdale on his opening nine Friday (Saturday AEDT), then grabbed the lead on the mellower side of golf's biggest party.

Six months after a final-round collapse and slow-play controversy at the British Open, Holmes took a one-stroke lead into the weekend at the Phoenix Open shooting a six-under 65 - a day after making a hole-in-one in an opening 64.

"There's going to be a lot of people. It's going to be really loud," Holmes said.

"Just keep doing what I've been doing, hopefully, keep making putts and not change the strategy. It's worked pretty good so far."

The 37-year-old American played a five-hole stretch on his first nine in five-under, with birdies on the par-five 13th and 15th and par-three 16th, and an eagle on the short par-four 17th. He made a 16-footer from the back fringe on the stadium 16th, then set up the eagle on the 319-yard 17th.

"I was just worried about it maybe going too far left," Holmes said. "But when I hit it, I thought I hit it about right and hopefully it would hit into that bank or bounce just up and it did."

He bogeyed the par-four 18th and took the lead from compatriot Wyndham Clark with birdies on the first and third.

Holmes chipped in for birdie on the sixth and gave back the stroke on the ninth after hitting into a greenside bunker.

Holmes won at TPC Scottsdale in 2006 and 2008 for the first of his five PGA Tour titles.

Clark was second, following a career-best 61 with a 69, while Bill Horschel was third at 11-under, tied with Korean Byeong Hun An. They are followed by Scott Piercy on 10-under.

The best-placed from the Australian contingent is Aaron Baddeley, who sits nine shots off the pace at four-under after rounds of 68 and 70.

The rest of the Australians in the field, including Matt Jones, Greg Chalmers and Cameron Smith, missed the cut.

Wyndham Clark shot the best score of his PGA Tour career, a 10-under-par 61, to take the first-round lead at the Phoenix Open in Arizona on Thursday.

The second-year player, who lowered his previous best round on the Tour by three shots, had a two-stroke lead over fellow American Billy Horschel while JB Holmes, boosted by a hole-in-one from 175 yards at the fourth, was next on 64.

Former world No.1 Jordan Spieth and defending champion Rickie Fowler both battled to three-over 74s.

Aaron Baddeley was the best of a disappointing Australian contingent in Scottsdale.

His three-under-par 68 left him seven shots behind Clark and in tied 23rd spot.

Next best was Matt Jones (74), who is followed by Greg Chalmers (75) and Cameron Smith (76) near the rear of the field.

Clark's stellar round came on the heels of three straight missed cuts during which he chipped and putted poorly.

"I actually played really good the last couple of weeks. I just wasn't capitalising," the 26-year-old told Golf Channel.

"I had a great front nine, felt really good off the tee, gave myself a lot of (birdie) looks and the putter was hot.

"Then it got kind of fun. It was one of those rounds where everything went right."

Horschel was also pleased to find some form and was quick to credit instructor Todd Anderson with turning things around this week by identifying a couple of small technical flaws in his full swing and putting.

"To come out and put up duds the first two weeks was a really big gut-shock, especially after I shot that 80 last week," said the five-times PGA Tour winner Horschel, who rolled in two putts from outside 40 feet, including a 45-footer for an unlikely par at the last.

"Throughout my history, once I get on a little run, especially with the putter, I feel like I can make anything from anywhere on the green," he said.

While Clark and Horschel enjoyed themselves at the most raucous stop on the Tour, gallery favourites Fowler and Spieth did not join the party.

Fowler had seven bogeys while Spieth started poorly with two dropped shots and could not right the ship.

Three-times major champion Spieth has fallen outside the top 50 in the rankings for the first time since 2013. He is currently ranked 51st.

With wife Richelle due to give birth to their sixth child at any moment, Aaron Baddeley is counting his blessings that this week's US PGA Tour event is in his hometown.

Australian Baddeley will seek a second Phoenix Open title in Scottsdale, Arizona comforted by the fact he is only minutes away if their baby boy arrives during the tournament.

"It's definitely a blessing. Richelle is due any moment and if anything happens I don't need to rush home on a flight; I can just pop into hospital," four-time US tour winner Baddeley told AAP.

"It's not really a distraction, because we have had five children before so I know what to expect. If it was my first child, I'd be a nervous wreck.

"We're really excited and Richelle has already said that if the baby comes this week I can keep playing the tournament."

The Baddeleys plan to give the baby a name starting with J, in keeping with siblings Jewell, Jolee, Jeremiah, Josiah and Jaddex.

"I think he would have a bit of a complex if his name didn't start with a J and his brothers and sisters all did," Baddeley said.

Baddeley is confident of a good showing at TPC Scottsdale, having won the Phoenix Open in 2007.

"I honestly couldn't feel any more comfortable with every part of my game," he said.

"My (previously injured) back feels great, I'm swinging freely and looking forward to playing golf and trying to win this event again."

World No.34 Cameron Smith, who won the US PGA Tour's recent Sony Open in Hawaii, is the highest-ranked Australian in the field this week.

Smith and Baddeley are joined by fellow Australians Matt Jones and Greg Chalmers.

Headlining the field are stars such as defending champion Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm.

Marc Leishman's long-time caddie Matt Kelly believes it's only a matter of time before his boss is ranked among the world's top 10 golfers.

Leishman earned the fifth US PGA Tour victory of his career at last week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and has jumped to No.20 on the world rankings.

It also took his career earnings to $US28.8 million, sitting 41st on the US PGA Tour's career money list.

He is the fifth Australian behind Adam Scott ($US53.5 million), Jason Day ($US46 million), Geoff Ogilvy ($US30.4 million) and Stuart Appleby ($US29.9 million) on that list.

Leishman hit a career-high world ranking of 12th in January 2018 but has drifted gradually since then.

He has never won on the lucrative circuit before the month of March and now has almost a full year on the US PGA Tour to build on his triumph.

His childhood friend and caddie, Kelly, has backed Leishman to earn a maiden stint in the world's top 10 before the year is over.

"To be in the top 10 golfers in the world would be an incredible accomplishment and it's something I think Marc can do, absolutely," Kelly told AAP.

"He would probably need two more wins this year to get there but he has had a multiple-win season before.

"If he drives it better, he can let his world-class iron play and putting shine. There's no reason why he can't contend in the majors this year."

The 36-year-old Leishman is inspired by his early 2020 success, which he says is a product of losing 10 kilograms since the British Open last July.

He has also placed a focus on treating first rounds like final rounds with his mental coach, Neale Smith.

"That has been an issue of mine throughout my whole career; I have a bad habit of slow starts but then I come home hard at the end when it's sort of too late," Leishman told AAP.

"Having lost some weight, I feel as fit as I would in the middle of the season. My focus level is good and hopefully I can keep it that way."

Leishman went through a five-year drought between his first US Tour win in 2012 and his second at the prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2017.

The affable Warrnambool native says he is humbled to call himself a five-time winner on the US Tour.

"I didn't really ever imagine I would be a five-time tour winner, to be honest," he said.

"I just wanted to play on any tour really; play golf for a living. To do it on this tour is pretty amazing."

Leishman will next tee up at the Genesis Invitational, which will be hosted by Tiger Woods at Los Angeles' famed Riviera Country Club.