Words: Release / Paul Prendergast
Image: Australian Golf Media
Hannah Green added her name to an historic roll of honour as she became the first home winner of the women’s Australian Open since 2014. The West Australian carded a 2-under par final round of 70 at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide for an emotional win by one stroke from Queenslander Cassie Porter and Agathe Laisne of France, making it two wins from two starts in 2026. Green came into the week on the back of her seventh LPGA Tour title at the HSBC Women’s World Championship a fortnight ago, and the 29-year-old joins the legendary Jane Crafter, Jan Stephenson and five-time winner Karrie Webb as Aussie names on the Patricia Bridges Bowl. “I feel really honoured to have my name on that trophy amongst so many other great players who have gone on to have really amazing careers,” said Green. “And obviously I’ve just come off a win on the LPGA, so I’m really excited for the rest of the season as well. “I have said before that winning your home championship is like winning a major and I definitely still feel that way. Being able to have my team around me, having my husband again caddie for me, it’s going to be a really special one to remember.” Green started the day with a one-stroke lead over Maggie Simmermacher, but the Argentine ran into trouble on the final day, carding a 3-over par 75. The main challenge came spectacularly from Porter, who carded a course record-setting 10-under par 62. Level par at the start of the day, she set the clubhouse target at 10-under, finishing an hour before Green. Agathe Laisne, who won the Ford Women’s NSW Open a fortnight ago, shared the lead with Green on a number of occasions throughout the day, but the last of six birdies in her round of 67 came at the 11th, and she bogeyed the 17th to finish in a share of second with Porter. Green birdied the 16th and then dropped a shot at the 17th, but she made no mistake with her one-stroke lead on the 72nd hole, finding the fairway with her drive and safely hitting the green with her approach, setting up two putts for the title and her third win on home soil. “I think I would have perhaps been more nervous if I wasn’t in my position in Singapore because that’s where I really felt nervous,” added Green. “But it was just different playing in front of home. I knew everyone wanted me to have the trophy in their hands at the end of the day. So that was a really nice feeling.” The final event of a four-week run of co-sanctioned tournaments between the WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour takes place next week with the Australian WPGA Championship at Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club’s Palms Course. Green will be teeing it up alongside a number of her compatriots, including World Number 45 Steph Kyriacou, Australian Women’s Classic champion Kelsey Bennett and a LET contingent headed by the red-hot Laisne, South African Casandra Alexander and 2025 Order of Merit winner, Shannon Tan. |
