Major champion Hannah Green will be among the headline acts at December’s mixed-gender ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne but says a showdown with fellow West Australian and World No.2 Minjee Lee remains in doubt.
Lee – whose win at June’s Women’s US Open marked her second Major title in the space of 11 months – is yet to commit to the revamped Australian Open at Victoria and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs from December 1-4.
After back-to-back WPGA Tour of Australasia wins at February’s Vic Open and The Players Series Murray River event in New South Wales, Green is eyeing an incredible home soil three-peat.
The 25-year-old says she has not spoken to Lee about whether she plans to join her on the Melbourne Sandbelt.
“I know usually at the end of the year she has a lot of sponsor commitments,” Green says of Lee.
“Most of them are in Korea and they like to do things at the end of the season so hopefully that’s not a conflict because I’m sure she’s keen to come back to play Aus Open obviously with the year she’s already had. She’s in some good form so I’m sure she would love to make it back, but I guess things might not go her way.
“But I’m sure she’ll try her best.”
Asked who she would most like to battle it out against in her quest for a maiden Australian Open title, Green was quick to name Lee and another duo who have not committed to the event: former winners Nelly and Jessica Korda.
“It is a hard time of year because of Thanksgiving the week prior to the Open but some girls might want to go on a holiday and make a trip out of it,” Green says.
“It would be nice if Nelly and her sister Jess could come down, it obviously would be great if Minjee could attend but I think it’s just as important to have all of the Australian players come back. It sounds like Cam [Smith] wants to come back and hopefully Scotty and Leish and all the boys want to come back too. Just getting as many Australian players in the field as possible is important.”
Co-sanctioned by the LPGA from 2012 until its last staging in 2020, the women’s Australian Open is not part of this year’s LPGA schedule.
Green is taking an active role in encouraging her LPGA colleagues to make the long trip to Victoria including last week’s Women’s Open champion, South African Ashleigh Buhai.
“Funny story, Ash Buhai really wants to come and play Aus Open and she actually hadn’t heard back if she was able to get an invite, so I really hope she’s getting one now.”
“I’m sure a lot of girls would take interest if they have the option to play, maybe make a holiday out of it. I’m trying to get as many girls to come down as possible.”
“Aus Open is definitely one of my favourite events to attend so it was just really nice that after the last few years of not having one to be able to get back and play.”
Green has gone close to Australian Open glory in South Australia finishing equal seventh in 2017 at Royal Adelaide and third in 2018 at Kooyonga.
Three years on from her Major breakthrough at the Women’s PGA Championship, Green said winning her home Open would feel like winning a major.
“I feel like Vic Open was important this year to win on home soil, but I still think getting my hand on that trophy would be very important to me,” she says. “I think it would make a difference if we still had LPGA players to come but it still doesn’t mean I’m not going to work just as hard to try and win that trophy.”
“It will be interesting to see how it’s all set up. I think the atmosphere will be really good so hopefully they can do a good job in trying to get as many spectators out there to come and watch.
“We need to elevate both Championships and I hope that combining them at the same venue at the same time is going to do that. We’ve obviously seen the success of the Vic Open with the same format that we’re going to try this year.”
Green’s pair of WPGA Tour of Australasia wins in February came with close friend Monica Marchesani filling in as her caddie but an Australian Open reunion inside the ropes seems unlikely.
“Unfortunately, I think my actual caddie Nathan would love to come back to Australia so hopefully Monica is OK with that but maybe I’ll get her a bag. Maybe I’ll tell someone her record and they’ll want to hire her.”
