Three golfers from three different Australian states and with three vastly different backgrounds represent a trio of intriguing players to watch.
In a game built on patience, precision and perseverance, the next generation of Australian female golfers is already making its mark on the global stage. These rising stars are carving their own paths, some on European fairways, others through elite amateur circuits – all with resilience beyond their years and a shared passion for the sport they love. Whether they’re chasing a tour card, adjusting to life on the road or juggling study alongside being a new country, one thing is clear: the future of Australian women’s golf is in capable hands.
Here, we shine the spotlight on three standout talents on vastly different journeys. From LET Access campaigner Kristalle Blum, who has returned to competition with a renewed mindset, to Ladies European Tour regular Kirsten Rudgeley, whose laid-back approach is paying dividends, to Sarah Hammett [above], a teenager balancing international competition with a move to college golf in California – these are the stories behind the names you’ll be hearing more from.
Rediscovering the joy
For Kristalle Blum, golf has always been more than a sport – it’s heritage.
“Golf, it’s been in my family,” she says. “I’m the third-generation golf pro of the family on Mum’s side, so ever since I could basically walk, I had a golf club in my hands.”
But after a whirlwind few years across continents and tours, the Adelaide-born tour pro has learned that sometimes, taking a step back is the only way forward.
She burst onto the scene with a win at The Athena in 2021, describing it as “a life-changing moment” that helped propel Blum to chase her European dreams amid the chaos of post-COVID travel. However, the cracks started to appear after years of isolation on tour dealing with pandemic protocols and burnout without any time off.
By the time Blum fired a course-record, nine-under 62 at Rosebud during last year’s Webex Players Series Victoria, most assumed she was back in fine form. But what the scorecard didn’t reveal was the panic attack that preceded it.
That’s when she knew it was time to take a break. Now 27 years old and returning to the LET Access Series with a renewed mindset, Blum’s story is less about a highlights reel and more about resilience, mental health and owning the courage it takes to step away from the game you’ve loved since you could walk.
“You’re scared to walk away or what are people going to say,” she says. “What is the outcome? How does that work? But once I told and spoke to Mum and Dad, they were really good.”
Putting a post on social media sparked other athletes to praise Blum’s courage and speak about their own struggles.
“Not many people talk about it,” Blum laments. “And golf is one of those sports where you might have people around you and if you’re playing the PGA Tour or the LPGA Tour, then yeah, potentially, but on the feeder tours, you don’t necessarily have that [support]. You’re not always around people and you are constantly travelling. You don’t have a normal life.”
So taking a step back was welcome, as she began working at her parents’ nine-hole course at North Haven in Adelaide’s north. Putting the clubs down was challenging but the reset she needed, opting instead to lace up the running shoes and set her sights on competing in a half-marathon.
“When I was making the decision, I was so scared that I was going to lose everything I had built,” Blum recalls. But shooting one-over alongside her mum one day helped remind the player of her calling.
“That was definitely a light-bulb moment and of probably put me on the path back to still wanting to do this and not give up on the dream that you’ve had ever since you were probably 4 years old of playing professional golf and being world No.1 on the LPGA Tour.”
Returning to the tour, Blum’s current focus is clear. “I’d love to be able to get my main tour card from the LET Access, so I think I need to finish top-seven on the order of merit and that’s definitely the goal,” she says.
It will be a busy northern summer with 15 events on the card yet, it’s not just about chasing status. “I just want to actually enjoy playing, enjoy seeing new courses or going back to venues that I’ve been to before and have good memories and not focus too much on the outcome.”
The self-proclaimed foodie is keen to eat her way through stops on the tour and take it in. “It is a full-on schedule and you’ve got to make sure you actually refresh as a person, not only for the golf, but just to keep you a little bit sane as well.
“For me, I think my biggest thing recently is not giving into what everybody around you thinks and says you should be doing.”
That approach is carrying over to her practice, too. “If I only do an hour-and-a-half or two hours’ practice three or four times a week, that’s fine, but make sure that it’s really high quality and with a purpose.”
Blum is keeping things in perspective and knows she still has more to give to the game that has provided so many opportunities for growth.
Calm, composed and climbing
Kirsten Rudgeley doesn’t do drama. Whether she’s grinding through a soggy week in Korea or pulling off a surprise playoff appearance in France, the 24-year-old from Perth approaches life on tour with an unflappable sense of calm. And it’s working.
After another strong season in 2024, Rudgeley heads into the European summer with her card already secured and confidence brewing.
“Now I can just go out now and play and just enjoy it,” she says from Amsterdam, just one stop in a packed stretch that includes the Scottish, British and Irish opens.
Enjoyment is a word Rudgeley uses often. She doesn’t overthink or overplan. Her strategy? “You’ve just got to play golf and just… you never know what’s going to happen. So just go out there, enjoy it and just chill out, really. Do the right things and hopefully it all comes together.”
Rudgeley refuses to let pressure rule her game. That attitude has served her well. After representing Australia in elite amateur events from the age of 15, she made the leap to the pro ranks in 2022 with a growing résumé and grounded mindset.
She hasn’t looked back since. Last season, Rudgeley posted a string of solid finishes on the Ladies European Tour, narrowly missing out on a win but consistently placing herself in contention. Yet one memory stands above the rest.
“I’d probably say in France when I was in that playoff because I wasn’t really in the tournament as such until the back nine on the last day,” she recalls. “Just giving myself that chance was pretty cool.”
While many athletes agonise over goals and scheduling, Rudgeley doesn’t sweat the small stuff.
“I just do week in, week out and I don’t really have any goals or anything like that, because you might as well play your best each week and just see what happens.”
What’s in front of her now is a full LET season with a mix of familiar venues and fresh challenges. “I understand it a lot more – the actual the game and what scores win a tournament and what you need to do prior to the tournament, understanding what areas you need to work on for that golf course.”
Most notable on the schedule is returning to the venues she did well in, relishing the memories and working towards a maiden tour win. But Rudgeley’s strategy has worked so far.
“I’ve always tried to push a bit harder the first couple events and then it kind of relieves the rest of the year,” she says.
But the pressure is never there, never putting it on herself. “No, I never do. Like I said, it’s golf, it’s a silly game.”
Even off the course, she’s low-key. Despite the travel taking a toll on all tour players, getting to go out and play golf as a job is fun. “Enjoying all these distant countries and playing golf. It’s pretty cool.”
Returning home for the Aussie summer was welcome, but Rudgeley is clearly not one to sit still. “After maybe two or three weeks I was a bit bored, though. I was ready to get going again. But I mean, it’s always nice to be home.”
Enjoying the simple pleasures playing back in Perth and at the Women’s NSW Open where she ducked off for a surf after her round. The protocol working, leaving her in a tie for second.
Rudgeley may not be big on rituals or self-hype, but she’s quietly becoming one of Australia’s most dependable young tour pros. She is the kind of player who lets her game and her calm, collected approach speak volumes. Now all that’s left is her first LET win.
A future in flight
At just 18 years old, Sarah Hammett has already played Augusta National, packed up her life on the Gold Coast and relocated to India, all while preparing to start college golf in the United States. But for someone juggling huge life changes and a busy competition schedule, Hammett is remarkably composed.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” she says, speaking from her new home outside New Delhi. “People say, ‘You live in India now?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah… I can’t believe it either.’ My dad got a job over here. So we moved…”
The timing added another layer of upheaval in an already transformative year. Hammett is set to begin at the University of Southern California in August, one of America’s premier collegiate golf programs and a pipeline to the professional game.
“I’m going to University Southern California, so that should be a good experience,” she says of a move that will introduce an entirely new aspect of the game. “It’s kind of like team golf, which I guess we haven’t really experienced before.”
The past year has been a blur of school graduation, travel and elite amateur tournaments – most recently in Japan for the Queen Sirikit Cup in May. Yet most notable was her unexpected invitation to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. “I literally was speechless on the phone,” Hammett recalls. “I was like, No way! That just happened.
“The experience in itself is just so cool. So I can’t really complain. It felt like a blur. It didn’t feel like I was actually there.”
Only now is she letting it all sink in and how special it was having her family there to support her. “Even watching the Masters, I was like, Ohhhh, I played that hole.”
Hammett’s résumé is already impressive, despite not yet turning pro. “I did get [the Karrie Webb Scholarship, along with Victoria’s Jazy Roberts]. We’re spending a week with Karrie Webb the second week of June [at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship].”
Relocating to India hasn’t been without challenges for Hammett, finding a golf course proving difficult. “We’ve been practising a bit. We found a driving range, just not a proper golf course yet.”
Currently coach-less, Hammett is relying on her own insights and her dad’s support. “I’ve learned a lot about myself… learning a lot more about my swing patterns. My dad’s definitely helped me a lot.”
Hammett’s journey into golf also began with international roots. She was born in England before her family moved to Singapore, then onto Australia when she was 7. At age 9, she committed to golf fully. “I was dancing at the time as well… and then I was like, No, I’m quitting dancing. I love golf too much.”
By age 15, she was already holding her own at the professional level, realising she could one day turn pro. “I had played a couple of pro tournaments by then. I came top-10 both those weeks.”
Looking ahead, Hammett sees college as part of her long-term plan. “Going to college and then hopefully playing some good golf there and then getting a degree,” she says. “Then probably after college, turn professional.”
Hammett found inspiration in fellow Aussie Gabi Ruffels, who is now on the LPGA Tour. “I played in the Australian Open two years ago; I played a practice round with Gabi Ruffels and at that point I hadn’t committed to a college yet and she went to USC. Being able to play with her and hearing about her experience and watching her play, I was like, I think I want to go there. I want to do what she did.”
Now, as she prepares to move to Los Angeles, Hammett is feeling the weight and excitement of what’s ahead. “It’s going to be a bit scary. I have to say bye to my family who’ve been by my side for 18-and-a-half years. It’ll be good, but definitely sad.”
As the amateur prepares for her next big adventure hopping off a plane at LAX, she’s a rising star to keep an eye on.
Main Image: Oisin Keniry/getty images
