The Australian Open added extra star power for its return this summer, with Major winner Hannah Green committing to play.
Green, fresh from this month’s Women’s Open, was unveiled in Melbourne on Monday as the event’s latest coup.
The 25-year-old is one of just four Australian women to win a major after winning the 2019 PGA Championship and is returning home after a strong year, albeit with the disappointment of a weekend at the Women’s Open.
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Green has six top-10 finishes this year, including a top-5 in the Women’s PGA Championship, while she was also on course for a strong finish at Muirfield until she went from a seven-to-end in the latter both laps was derailed.
With the final Major of the season on the books, the Australian looks to the months ahead, which will include returning home for a historic edition of the Australian Open.
The showpiece event, which did not take place in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, returns with the men’s, women’s and all abilities tournaments taking place simultaneously.
It is the first national Open in the world to combine men’s and women’s fields, while the prize money is the same for the two events; AUD$1.7 million each.
“When I heard the men’s and women’s Opens were coming together for the first time, I knew I wanted to be there,” said Green, who won the mixed-gender TPS Murray River and Vic Open on her most recent visit.
“We’ve seen this kind of concept where men and women play on the same courts at the same time… and to have it at a national Open for the first time is going to be special.”
The number of high-profile Australians signing to return for the summer is growing by the week after Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee recently confirmed they will also be playing.
Herbert, world number 49, will play both the Australian Open, which takes place at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath from December 1-4, and the Australian PGA Championship in Royal Queensland the week before.
Lee – now ranked 66th in the world and with top 30 finishes at three of this year’s majors – will play at the latter, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
Meanwhile, Australian golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return after not playing competitively in his home country since December 2019.
Smith confirmed last month he will have an extended stay in Australia this summer to spend time with his family and friends after three years apart.
However, whether that stint will include participation in the Australian Open or the Australian PGA Championship – both of which he has previously won – is unclear.
Also unclear is his next career moves after the FedEx Cup playoffs after being linked to Greg Norman’s Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf series – claims he has not denied.
Smith tells Fox sports after winning the Claret Jug that he plans to compete in both Australian events but that is not his priority.
“I think my priority these weeks will be to get together with family and friends. I’ll probably stay a little bit after Christmas and just have a good time,” he said Fox sports.
“I am really looking forward to this. You really have no idea. It’s been three years since I’ve been home and just seeing a few familiar faces will be so nice.”
Meanwhile, another well-known Australian, Marc Leishman, confirmed this foxsports.com.au last month that he was also keen to return to those shores, although no deal has been confirmed.