AAP Other Sport

Adam Scott headlines early Open starters

By AAP Newswire

Nov 30, 2022

Adam Scott. — Adam Scott will be among the first big guns to tee off on day one of the Australian Open. -AAP Image

Golf fans can have the best of both worlds after officials released an exciting split draw for the first round of the historic mixed-gender Australian Open in Melbourne.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

With the first two rounds being staged at two venues, spectators have the chance to see all the headline acts if they are prepared to make the cross-course trek between Victoria and Kingston Heath golf clubs.

Women's major winner Hannah Green is the first of the big guns out on Thursday, teeing off at 7am at Kingston Heath with Xiyu Lin and Korea's former world No.1 Jiyai Shin.

Men's former world No.1 Adam Scott is in the next group with fellow PGA Tour star Cam Davis and You Tube sensation Harrison Crowe.

Tournament favourites Cameron Smith and Minjee Lee are among a raft of heavyweights featuring in first-round afternoon action at Victoria, 5km away from Kingston Heath on Melbourne's glorious Sandbelt.

Smith will open his bid for a sixth victory of a stellar year, chasing an Australian PGA-Australian Open title double, at 12.05pm with defending champion Matt Jones and European Tour ace Adrian Meronk from Poland.

Lee will follow in the next group with compatriot Steph Kyriacou and Chevron Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho.

In the space of 45 action-packed minutes, Marc Leishman, Lee's brother Min Woo, in-form Kiwi Ryan Fox and seven-times major champion Karrie Webb also hit off at Victoria GC in the world's first national championship featuring men's and women's events.

Min Woo hailed the afternoon grouping for both he and his sister as win-win for the Lee family and all Aussie golf fans.

"It's cool," he said.

"We were looking at the draw and hopefully we weren't on the other side, but it will be good.

"It's easier obviously for the parents to walk around and people who want to see both of us.

"Watch whoever's playing better, I guess. but it will be nice when the fans finish with her, they have to come see me for three holes."

NOTABLE TEE TIMES FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN ON THURSDAY (ALL TIMES AEDT, AUSTRALIANS UNLESS STATED):

KINGSTON HEATH GOLF CLUB

7.00am: Hannah Green, Xiyu Lin (CHN), Jiyai Shin (KOR)

7.11am: Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Harrison Crowe

7.22am: Gabriela Ruffels, Marina Alex (USA), Grace Kim

7.33am: Jason Scrivener, Lucas Herbert, Ryo Hisatsune (JPN)

VICTORIA GOLF CLUB