The final round of the Australian Open is underway at Kingston Heath as the local at the pointy of the leaderboards attempt to break a five-year drought in men’s, and a ten-year one in the women’s, since an Australian has won the national open.
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In the men’s, Lucas Herbert is tied for the overnight lead at -14 alongside American Ryggs Johnston.
Herbert, Johnston and 22-year-old Australian professional Jasper Stubbs will play together in the final group – which tees off at 12:50pm AEDT.
Stubbs, who played in The Masters and The Open this year courtesy of winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne last year, turned professional at the start of the PGA Tour of Australasia season and is one of five players who will start the day two shots behind the leaders.
AUS OPEN GOLF LEADERBOARD: Stay up to date with the live scores here
That group includes defending champion Joaquin Niemann, who burst into contention with a stunning eight-under par third round, as well as Australian PGA champion Elvis Smylie, who is chasing a rare double of winning Australia’s two premier tournaments back-to-back.
A shot further back is Australian LIV Golf star Marc Leishman, and with the wind blowing strongly at Kingston Heath, anyone could jump from the pack with 19 players starting the final round at -8 or better.
In the women’s, Korean superstar Jiyai Shin also leads at -14 with a two shot advantage.
The former world number one is a major champion, Australian Open champion and has won 64 times around the world as professional.
It is no wonder she is called ‘The Final Round Queen’, and Australian Hannah Green will have to produce some of the shot making that led to her winning three times on the LPGA Tour this year to reel her in.
Green starts the day at -12 after a stellar third round on Saturday which included a steak of making six consecutive birdies.
Rounding out the all-star final group is two-time defending champion Ashleigh Buhai, the South African is striving to become the first woman to win three straight Australian Opens.
Minjee Lee was well-back from the leaders, starting the day at -1, while her brother Min Woo and the tournament’s biggest name Cameron Smith are also well off the pace.
The younger Lee sibling teed off at 8am as he was -3 overnight, and Smith had even earlier alarm, teeing off at 7.22am as he was -2 after his dreams of a maiden Australian Open crown unravelled with a horror back nine on Friday before another underwhelming showing yesterday.
HOW TO WATCH
Watch all the Australian Open action on Kayo and Foxtel, with every big moment broadcast on Fox Sports channel 503 – which has become a dedicated Australian Open channel for the week.
Coverage of the final round begins at 1pm AEDT.
LEAD GROUPS TEE TIMES (AEDT)
10:44am Hyojin Yang (a), Stephanie Kyriacou, Justice Bosio
10:55am Ashleigh Buhai, Hannah Green, Jiyai Shin
12:28pm Marc Leishman, Harrison Crowe, Joaquin Niemann
12:39pm Elvis Smylie, Oliver Lindell, Wenyi Ding,
12:50pm Jasper Stubbs, Lucas Herbert, Ryggs Johnston
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