GREEN ENJOYS RARE HAT-TRICK, WILSON BEST OF THE IRISH
Australia’s Hannah Green with the trophy after winning the Australian WPGA Championship as she cruised to a four-shot victory to make it three wins in her last three starts (Photo: Ladies European Tour)
Hannah Green completed a famous hat-trick at the Australian WPGA Championship as she cruised to a four-shot victory to make it three wins in as many starts.
The world number seven fired a final round two under 69 at Sanctuary Cove to see off Alexandra Försterling’s Sunday charge and hoist the Karrie Webb Cup with a winning score of 16-under par.
Green’s victory is her second on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in two weeks after she claimed a historic home win at the Women’s Australian Open last Sunday. It also follows a seventh LPGA title at the HSBC Women’s World Championship last month.
“It feels really amazing,” the 29-year-old said. “Again, it hasn’t really sunk in, but it’s been a really crazy month. I guess it’s been four weeks since I won Singapore. But it’s been really special to be able to do that in Australia.
“I didn’t really know how I was going to perform this week, because in the past, when I have won, I haven’t come into tournaments with much form. I’ve kind of flown under the radar if anything and it’s hard to back up a win, especially at home after [the] Aussie Open. It was such a big week.
"I think when I knew that I was going to win was when I actually hit it on the green on 18. That’s when I probably started to think about it more. I tried to just imagine that we still have more holes to play just so that I wasn’t fluffing around it, in a sense.”
Annabel Wilson was best of the Irish after finishing in a tie for 47th on three over, while Aine Donegan was tied 55th on six-over.
Leading by two before the start of play, Green got off to a hot start in Queensland carding three birdies in a row from the second as playing partners Casandra Alexander and Vanessa Knecht dropped shots.
The Australian would quickly give two back to the field carding bogeys at five and six. This rare blip coincided with Försterling – a four-time LET winner – moving to 13-under par after going out in 33 shots with four birdies in six holes.
But the German’s pressure would falter on the back-nine as Green birdied the ninth with Försterling dropping shots at the 13 and 15 to hand the Aussie her four-shot lead back.
The Major winner would bogey 12 before hitting the par-5 18th in two giving her a two-putt birdie for the four-shot victory. Helped by husband and caddie for the week, Jarryd Felton, Green was drenched in champagne by 2022 winner Su Oh plus Amelia Garvey and Steph Kyriacou.
“It’s amazing,” Green said, who becomes the second player to hoist the Karrie Webb Cup. “Like I’ve said before, my best friend [Su Oh] has also won this tournament. Webby’s obviously one of the greatest golfers I think that Australia’s ever produced. I don’t think any of us will ever catch up with the amount of wins she’s had in her career, but she’s a true inspiration to all of us.”
After a rollercoaster afternoon – one which included three birdies, three bogeys, an eagle and a double-bogey – Alexander would finish the week T2 on 12-under par alongside Försterling.
England’s Meghan MacLaren added to her excellent record in Australia ending the week solo fourth on 10-under par. This adds to her three wins Down Under plus a runner-up finish at Magenta Shores two weeks ago.
India’s Diksha Dagar and England’s Annabell Fuller ended the week in a tie for seventh on eight-under par.