Help Centre

Zach Murray's reputation for fast starts has gone up another notch, with the Australian golfer grabbing a share of the lead on the first day of the New Zealand Open near Queenstown.

Victorian Murray carded his lowest score since switching in November to the professional ranks, eclipsing most of the 152-strong field with an eight-under-par 63.

The 21-year-old's flawless round at the Milbrook Resort course featured birdies on the front and back nines, leaving him three strokes clear when entering the clubhouse at Thursday's midway point.

He is level with Japan's Ryuko Tokimatsu and New Zealander Harry Bateman, who had both carded eight-under 64s in the afternoon at The Hills, the second course used for the 100th edition of the tournament.

Japan's Kodai Ichihara was two strokes behind the leading trio, while Australians Ashley Hall and Maverick Antcliff were among four golfers sharing fifth on five under.

Murray burst into the limelight last October when he led from start to finish to clinch the WA Open as an amateur.

A week later, he made another sizzling start to lead the Queensland Open, shooting a course-record 65 at the Brisbane Golf Club.

The Wodonga product surprised himself with his latest batch of early fireworks, having struggled to get the blood flowing on a chilly South Island morning.

"I hit about five balls and I was like 'I'm not going to get warm', and so I just sat in the pro shop and waited until the sun came out, hit a couple of putts and off I went," Murray said.

"I do that back at home when I'm just playing with my mates so I suppose I might have to do that more often."

Everything seemed to click from that point for Murray, who didn't miss a green in regulation.

It continues a breakthrough summer which featured a fourth-placing at the Asian Tour's qualifying school and a series of solid returns on the Australian circuit.

Tournament favourite, New Zealand's Ryan Fox, was three under in a tie for 25th.

Australians have won six of past seven NZ titles, including defending champion Daniel Nisbet, coming off victory at last week's Queensland PGA. He shot one under.

Of the three former major winners in the field, Kiwi Michael Campell is best-placed, even with the card, in his first professional tournament for six years.

Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Korean YE Yang sit a stroke behind Campbell.

Former world No.1 golfer Jiyai Shin will restart a love affair with the nation's capital when she defends her Canberra Classic title.

The South Korean star cleaned up last year at Royal Canberra, storming home in the final round to win by six shots.

She proved a popular winner after donating her prize money of $22,500 to the Australian Ladies Professional Golf's development initiatives.

The world No.25, having also claimed the 2013 Australian Open at the course, will start as a favourite to claim the $150,000 classic beginning on Friday.

"I had a pretty good year last year. Including the Canberra Classic win, I won five times so it was a great year for me," she said.

English great Laura Davies also returns and will play the first two rounds with Shin and Australian rising star Hannah Green.

The 22-year-old Green produced her second-straight top-10 finish at last week's Australian Open.

"I'm really looking forward to the tournament and looking to step up and prove that I can get that first win at home," Green said.

Other contenders include Norway's Marianne Skarpnord and Holland's Anne Van Dam.

Royal Canberra avoided a pre-tournament disaster amid concerns the event might be cancelled due to the state of some of the fairways after the club poisoned the couch grass to remove it.

It left the fairways looking patchy, but the club avoided the worst of the damage. It has been able to put together 18 playable holes.

Bob Charles has proved that even at the age of 82 he can still swing a club better than most after New Zealand's first golf major winner made a hole-in-one at a par-three tournament on Wednesday.

Charles, who won the British Open at Royal Lytham in 1963, made the ace on the ninth and final hole of the New Zealand Open warm-up event at the Farm Course near Queenstown, South Island.

The left-hander won the New Zealand Open four times, the first time as an amateur in 1954.

Also playing on Wednesday was Michael Campbell, the only other New Zealander to win a major.

Campbell congratulated Charles on the ace and told him he had "still got it".

"A little bit of talent but a whole lot of luck," local media quoted Charles as saying.

Former US Open winner Campbell has not played competitively in six years and retired in 2015 but is using the 100th edition of the New Zealand Open to prepare himself for his first tilt on the European and U.S. senior circuits.

"It's the first time I've had a scorecard in my back pocket for six years," he said.

"It's going to be pretty interesting on the first tee, but from the very beginning I've got no expectations - I'm here to celebrate a wonderful 100 years of the New Zealand Open, that's a pretty cool thing and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He won the tournament in 2000 and had planned to end his retirement and play in it last year but suffered a torn tendon in his ankle.

While he harboured little hope of winning the tournament, calculating his chances at less than two percent, 50-year-old Campbell was keen to prove he can still hold his own.

"I feel I can actually do well out there again. It's amazing how things come back very quickly."

Campbell, who was once ranked inside the world's top 20, said his return to competition was more about enjoyment

"I'm not here to play 30 events a year, I did that for years," he said.

"I want to play 15 events, do well, win a couple of tournaments, say thank you and then move on for next year."

Geoff Ogilvy may be enjoying a self-described gap year but he insists the competitive fires will be blazing at this week's 100th New Zealand Open near Queenstown.

Ogilvy is among 65 Australians who make up nearly half the field of professionals at The Hills and Millbrook Resort courses that play host to the $1.2 million pro-am tournament.

While most of his rivals are pursuing prize money and ranking points on the Australasian and Asian Tours, the event has more personal meaning for the 41-year-old former US Open champion.

After nearly two decades based in the United States, Ogilvy has moved to Melbourne to devote more time to his family and take the chance to play in some bucket-list events.

The New Zealand Open is one of them and he's determined it won't just be the picturesque scenery that he takes away from the week.

"Professional golf for me is fun when you are in contention and feeling it, especially those last nine holes coming down the stretch on Sunday," he said.

"I have always wanted to play more here but it is hard when you have an $8 million tournament and this is your job. It is difficult to travel 24 hours around the world to play in a little one because you want to."

Ogilvy's poor form of 2018 on the US PGA Tour has continued in Australia this month, having struggled for consistency at the Vic Open and the World Super 6 Perth event.

He said progress on the practice fairway has boosted his confidence.

Ogilvy is one of three former major winners in the field, alongside Kiwi veteran Michael Campbell and Korean YE Yang.

The last seven NZ Open champions are back, with six of them from Australia.

Last year Queenslander Daniel Nisbet stormed to victory after starting the final round six shots back.

Nisbet is in form, coming off a comfortable win at last week's Queensland PGA.

The leading Kiwi hope is Ryan Fox, who claimed victory at Perth this month, pushing his world ranking to a career-best 66th, the highest in the field of 152.

Adam Scott may be practising in shorts for the first time at a regular PGA Tour event, but there's nothing casual about his last tournament before kicking off golf's championship season.

Although Scott is known for a sharp fashion sense, the former world No.1 decided on Tuesday at the Honda Classic in Florida that he would utilise the US PGA Tour's recently relaxed dress code on players wearing shorts during practise rounds.

But Scott remains as serious as ever given the Honda Classic, which he won in 2016, is his last competitive outing before the upcoming Players Championship and the Masters at Augusta National.

With this year's PGA Tour schedule brought forward a month, 38-year-old Scott is almost certain to skip Florida's upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Championship - both of which he played last year.

The PGA Tour's tweaked calendar includes the Players Championship reverting to a March date and the PGA Championship now being held in May.

Although the elite Players is considered golf's unofficial fifth major, Scott believes there is now a clear championship window he is desperate to perform well in.

"Let's call them the five biggest events and they are my focus," Scott told AAP.

"With the Players moving (back) to March, I think it's going to do really well in that date and now there is a massive event on every month."

After earning a runner-up result and tie for seventh from three events in a successful West Coast swing, Scott says the Honda Classic at PGA National will be a matter of reinforcing those good vibes.

"The West Coast was important to breed confidence going into the rest of the season, with the Players and the Masters being so close," Scott said.

"It is good to have your confidence up and feel that whenever you walk out to the course you know will have a good score."

Fuelling the spring in his step is Scott's change to an arm-lock putting grip that yielded electric form on the greens at Torrey Pines, although a poor back nine on the final day at Riviera Country Club proved the change is not yet perfected.

Scott will be joined in the Honda Classic field by fellow Australians Rod Pampling, Curtis Luck, Cameron Smith, Cameron Davis and Matt Jones.

With Tiger Woods skipping Honda despite contending last year, it leaves Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Webb Simpson as big names teeing up at the West Palm Beach event.

Australian rookie Min Woo Lee says the 55,000 kilometres he's flown in the past month playing the European Tour will be worth it if he can eventually usurp sister Minjee as the family's top golfer.

In what could be an exciting sibling rivalry within Australian sport, Lee touched down in the Middle East for this week's Oman Open to learn that LPGA Tour star Minjee had risen to a career-high women's world ranking of No.3.

Four-time LPGA Tour winner Minjee cemented her status as Australia's top-ranked golfer, with world No.11 Jason Day the nation's top male.

While the 22-year-old turned pro in 2014, younger brother Lee joined the paid ranks in January to take up several sponsor's invitations on the European Tour.

The 20-year-old has hit the ground running, recording top-five results in his past two European Tour starts - despite a gruelling travel schedule that included one Web.com Tour event in Central America.

Perth-based Lee has travelled to Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Panama, before US transit stops in New York and Los Angeles on his way home for the recent World Super 6 Perth tournament, where he tied fifth.

The gifted ball-striker has notched 55,000 kilometres of air travel since January.

"The first year as a pro is tough, but if I'm travelling around the world and playing prestigious events, I'm doing well," Lee told AAP from Oman.

"The professional life is awesome. I learned a lot about myself over the past month."

Lee was a globetrotting amateur star who became the first Australian to win the US Junior Amateur (2016) and says Golf Australia's national squad prepared him for the rigours of international touring golf.

"I'm doing great with the travel," Lee said. "It's important to sleep on planes and maintain gym work, as well being disciplined with my nutrition and hydration.

"But, hey, it helps when you are (aged) 20."

World No.302 Lee says sister Minjee's success is an inspiration and dreams of overtaking her equivalent position on the rankings.

"I want to be the best player in my family and she's set the bar pretty high, but I'm willing to put in the work to get to world No.1 as much as she is," Lee said.

Lee has amassed EUR184,000 in three events and likely needs to bank another EUR160,000 to play out the remainder of the year in Europe.

Lee now turns his attention to the Oman Open in Muscat, where fellow Australians Lucas Herbert, Sam Brazel, Scott Hend, Kieren Pratt, Nick Cullen, Deyen Lawson and Terry Pilkadaris will tee up.

A blistering nine-birdie final round by South Korean Amy Yang has consigned Australian Minjee Lee to runner-up at the LPGA Thailand.

Yang became a three-time winner of the event after her final round 65 at Siam Country Club Pattaya saw her finish the tournament at 22-under.

Lee went with her most of the way and finished at 21-under, her birdie on the last not enough as Yang also posted one to secure the title.

Hannah Green is targeting the world's top 50 and next year's Toyko Olympics after continuing her hot summer with a runner-up showing at the Australian Ladies Classic.

The exciting young West Australian recovered from a horror start to Sunday's final round with four birdies in the last 10 holes for a one-under-par 71 at the Augusta-like Bonville International Golf Club at Coffs Harbour.

Green's six-under 282 total left the 22-year-old two shots shy of Norwegian winner Marianne Skarpnord in a tie for second with Spaniard Nuria Iturrios, who also closed with a 71.

Green rued finding the hazard twice on the par-5 seventh to rack up a double-bogey seven, but was nevertheless heartened to have backed up her top-10 showing at last week's Australian Open with her best finish in a co-sanctioned European Tour event.

"If that was the worst-case scenario, then of course I'll take second place," Green told AAP.

"Just four or five shots today really cost me but I'm just happy with the way I played down the stretch."

World No.132 Green hopes to parlay her sizzling summer form into a surge up the rankings in 2019.

"I want to be top 50 in the world," she said.

"I want to set myself up to then be in reach of getting into the Olympics next year.

"So it's quite a big jump but I feel like my game's good enough to get there this year."

Skarpnord carded a stylish three-under 69 on championship Sunday to emerge from a six-way share of the lead early in the final round and clinch the fourth European Tour title of her career.

The 33-year-old bogeyed the 16th but rebounded with birdies on her last two holes to claim the $70,000 winner's purse.

Sydney teenage amateur Doey Choi (72) and Swede Daniela Holmqvist (70) shared fourth spot at four under behind Green and Iturrios.

Third-round leader Madalene Sagstrom faded with a 75 in the final round to finish in a tie for sixth at three under with fellow Swede Jenny Haglund (71).

Dustin Johnson will defend a four-shot lead in the final round of the WGC-Mexico Championship after he overcame tree trouble on moving day to increase his overnight advantage.

The American world No.3 almost threw away his big lead on the par-4 10th hole when he hit the trees three times on his way to a double bogey.

"I didn't let it bother me because I knew I was playing well and there were plenty of holes I could make birdie," Johnson said.

And he was right.

Johnson responded with back-to-back birdies and signed for a five-under 66, which included an eagle two at the second hole, to be 16-under 197 after the third round at Chapultepec Golf Club.

A winner of this event two years ago, Johnson, the only player to capture all four World Golf Championships, is going for his sixth WGC title and his 20th career victory on the PGA Tour, which would make him a lifetime member at age 34.

His closest challenger is Rory McIlroy, who got no closer than two shots of Johnson and had to settle for a three-under 68.

The Northern Irishman's up-and-down day included seven birdies and four bogeys.

"DJ is playing very well. He seems to be comfortable on this golf course. He's going to be very tough to beat," McIlroy said.

"Tomorrow I'm going to have to go out there and probably shoot something similar to what I shot the first day (63) to have a chance."

Australian Cameron Smith is on track for another hefty pay day with a three-under 68 taking him to nine under and a share of third.

The Queenslander had two birdies on each nine and made a bogey on the par-4 eighth.

He is in a group of four with Spain's Sergio Garcia (69) and Americans Patrick Reed (64) and Patrick Cantlay (65).

Tiger Woods pulled to within four shots after Johnson's blunder until a four-putt double bogey and a three-putt bogey on consecutive holes.

His 70 left him 10 shots off the pace in a share of ninth.

Matt Kuchar's hopes for a Mexican sweep of PGA Tour events fizzled with an eight-over 79 dropping him 28 spots after he started Saturday tied second.

Aaron Baddeley has carded a six-under 66 on moving day at a windy Coco Beach Golf and Country Club to take the third-round lead at the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open.

Baddeley was bogey free on Saturday and his six birdies took him to 12-under 204 for a one-stroke lead over Nate Lashley, in the event that was cancelled last year because of Hurricane Maria.

"I hit a lot of greens today," Baddeley said.

"I just feel like it was a pretty low stress today.

"I hit the ball close a few times, I had some short birdie putts, so just doing a few things like that made it pretty comfortable."

The 37-year-old Australian won the 2016 Barbasol Championship for the last of his four PGA Tour titles.

"The last couple weeks I haven't quite hit the ball as I normally have been hitting it," Baddeley said.

"And then figured out one little thing I wasn't quite doing, one of my keys.

"This week I'm hitting the ball really well and also making some putts. That's key."

Baddeley started the day tied seventh with Curtis Luck. two shots off the halfway lead.

While the veteran jumped to the top of the leaderboard his 22-year-old compatriot slid down to a share of 22nd after he struggled to a one-over 73.

Luck was joined at five under by fellow Australian Cameron Davis, who had six birdies in his five-under 67 that lifted him 27 places.

Lashley, tied for the second-round lead with D.J. Trahan, had a 69 to be alone in second, one shot clear of third-placed Martin Trainer (69).

Trahan (71) is in a five-way share of fourth at nine under along with fellow Americans Joey Garber (65), Martin Piller (66), Wyndham Clark (69) and Johnson Wagner (69).

Rafael Campos, the Puerto Rican player who won a Web.com Tour event in the Bahamas in January, shot 74 to fall into a tie for 50th at one under.

The winner will receive a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and an exemption to the PGA Championship, but won't get an invitation to the Masters.