We chat with three of Australia’s brightest young stars ahead of the new LPGA Tour season
Steph Kyriacou
You have been on the LPGA Tour for a season now and would be comfortable in your surroundings, are you looking forward to having another Aussie in Grace Kim join you on US soil?
Yes, I’m really excited she will be joining us on tour. I grew up with Grace, playing amateur events together, and we are great friends. In the past few years we have gone our separate ways, given we have played on different tours. I’m looking forward to teaching her a thing or two… joking!
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With two wins on the LET and two top-10s in Majors in 2022, how pivotal have these results been in understanding your potential?
It’s definitely very cool to say I’m a tour winner. Recently, I’ve experienced some changes – in coaches and mental challenges – so I’m especially happy with my results given that off the course there were some factors that affected my golf. This past year has definitely been the most challenging year to date. Little glimpses of success, like the wins, boost my confidence and this contributes to positive feelings, even when life is hard. I’m excited to see what I can do when times are easier.
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You said after winning at Bonville and securing status on the LET that you were extremely nervous about the next chapter. What advice do you have for Grace as she starts out on the LPGA Tour in 2023?
I’m certainly not Grace’s mentor! She has had lots of experience playing professional golf so I’m positive she will slot in perfectly well. I know she is somewhat nervous, and that’s only natural. If I have any advice for her, it would be to remember that she is still playing golf – just on a different stage. She’s good enough to win on the LPGA Tour but initially there will be some settling into the tour, being an international, so if she remains patient that would be useful. The Aussies tend to stick together and most of the other players are really friendly, so I think she will be just fine.
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The LPGA Tour is at an all-time high in terms of commercial positioning, creating larger purses and more opportunities. What is it about the game today that is making it so popular?
Women’s golf is a rising sport. I’m sure there are many factors that have contributed to this, but certainly all the equality of the sexes stuff plays a big role. The mixed-field events are tremendously forward-thinking and Australian golf is pioneering this campaign. It’s very exciting.
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We had a first-ever with the Australian Open being both a male and female field in 2022. How was that experience and how do you see it as different or better?
I absolutely loved it! The men draw more attention than the women, so it’s nice to play in the same environment with many more eyes on you. There is a greater sense of excitement in the air, and I really liked that atmosphere. I have played with the guys a lot as an amateur and always relished those experiences; now we are getting to play with them again, which is great for everyone – especially the fans.
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What do you look forward to about the Vic Open, which is also a mixed-gender field?
At this stage, I’m still figuring out my schedule and haven’t quite figured out if I can commit to the Vic Open. I can say that the Vic Open is my favourite event of the year. I love playing with the guys, I love the two courses and the no-ropes situation for the crowds. It’s a vastly different vibe – much more up close
and personal.
Karis Davidson
You have also been on the LPGA Tour for a season and would be feeling comfortable there – are you looking forward to having another Aussie in Grace Kim join you?
Yes, it should be great for another Aussie to join the group. We have fun together and it helps travelling with friends.
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How do you feel about your first year on the LPGA Tour and how mentally challenging was it to go back to Q-School to retain your card?
It was very mentally challenging, but luckily I have a great team around me to support me.
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You made the cut in eight of 11 starts on the LPGA Tour with a best finish of T-8 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with partner Daniela Darquea. What were the main takeaways from your first season?
The Dow event was a highlight of 2022. It changed our year going forward, since it made a significant difference to our rankings. My main takeaways were, it’s challenging and you have to rely on others for support.
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The LPGA Tour is at an all-time high in terms of commercial positioning, creating larger purses and more opportunities. What is it about the game today that is making it so popular?
A lot of people enjoy watching women’s golf because it’s so different to the men in terms of how we attack the golf course.
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Looking to the Vic Open, what do you look forward to about that event?
I always look forward to heading to the Vic Open because the location is beautiful and it’s also great to see everyone again.
Grace Kim
Firstly, congratulations on securing your LPGA Tour card for 2023. How are you feeling about the opportunity ahead?
I feel all sorts of emotions from excited to nervous, but I think that’s just a given. Naturally, I’m going to feel like I may be starting from scratch, but hopefully it won’t take me too long to feel like I belong. I also believe having to play among Major winners recently at the Aussie Open helped me feel comfortable in my own shoes, playing my own game despite the fact I played in the same group.
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Despite being a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2023, you are not new to professional golf – you gained status through finishing in the top 10 on the Epson Tour in 2022. How was the Epson Tour experience as a grounding stage for the LPGA Tour?
The Epson Tour was a grind – I’m not going to lie or sugarcoat it – but it really helped me think thoroughly of how each tournament was so preciously played. It doesn’t matter how badly you play this week, you’ve got another week to make up for it and a whole season to build on.
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You finished fourth at the Australian Open and were so close to winning. What did you take from the experience?
All my losses became lessons right after I walked off the 18th green. I did come up short, but I had an absolute blast for the week. Playing at home with home crowds was a week I will not forget. I did get nervous on the Saturday when I was paired with two Major winners of 2022 (Minjee Lee and Ashleigh Buhai), but once I got a few holes in, I learned to leave that thought behind and to play my own game. I felt like I was ready for the LPGA Tour.
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How much of an inspiration has Steph Kyriacou been in terms of her results on the LET and LPGA? Do you draw confidence from her results and feel you can achieve the same?
Growing up with Steph through Jack Newton Junior Golf as well as the Golf NSW’s High Performance program, I felt like I could look at her and tell myself that I could do it, too. Steph performed so well on the LET and to back it up with her rookie year on the LPGA, it makes me happy seeing her on the leaderboards and on the TV. Yeah, we may be competitors on the golf course but off the golf course, we are all such good mates who will happily celebrate both the wins and the lessons together.
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The LPGA Tour is at an all-time high in terms of commercial positioning, creating larger purses and more opportunities. What is it about the game today that is making it so popular?
It is finally reaching the level of attention it should be getting. Yes, men’s golf is exciting, seeing as they can make pars and birdies out of trees and what not, but you can also learn more by watching female golf. Seeing Minjee’s iron-play statistics for 2022 that showed her beating every male player on the PGA Tour at every distance into the green shows how we can be equally or more exciting to watch than the males at times!
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The 2022 Australian Open was a first-ever with both a male and female field. How was that experience and how do you see it as different or better?
I had an absolute blast! I love a mixed event. Obviously everyone’s got different opinions, but at the end of the day, the crowds are bigger and better, it’s set up to be a world-class event at great courses around Australia and a big field with different Major winners; I think it’s a
big tick.
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What do you look forward to about the Vic Open, which is also a mixed-gender field?
I am really keen on this year’s Vic Open. It’s always been a highlight towards the start of the year. I am excited for what weather we’ll face this year throughout the week as well as the strength of the field. Whatever the outcome, we always love the Vic Open!
