The 2024 Australian Open Golf Tournament has returned to Melbourne once again across Kingston Heath and the Victorian Golf Club after last year’s event was being held in Sydney.
The good news is for a start that we have an Aussie leading the charge ahead of moving day tomorrow in the hope of getting the job done by final day Sunday thanks to Lucas Herbert, who started off well and is still hold on in a great position by four strokes at 14 under par, as this could be a long time coming since Matt Jones last won it as a Aussie back in 2019.
If that’s not enough, we got last weekend’s Australian PGA Championship winner Elvis Smylie making his way up the food chain in Tied 3rd, and that brilliant shift earlier today came from Kingston following a slow start yesterday at the Vic.
Looks like he’s right on the money if he can stay that way throughout this weekend since the last two rounds will only be dedicated at Kingston, having seen the organisers already sought out the bottom half players who will no longer take further part now than Day 2.
Should he win the Australian Open instead of Herbert, Elvis would be the next player to accomplish the Australian PGA major double since Robert Allenby back in 2005 & also Peter Leonard back in 2004 – how good would it be to see that happening at the age of 22.
Don’t forget there’s a slate of overseas players still wanting to make this tournament their own and we’ve continued to see that happen since this tournament was heavily expanded in 2022.
There’s Ryggs Johnston still in 2nd after another brilliant shift to his good start also with fellow American Jordan Gumberg leading the way in Tied 3rd alongside Harry Higgs, as well as Oliver Lindell from Finland, Austrian Lucas Nemecz & don’t forget the Englishman in Matt Southgate.
Although you never know what could come if and when a few other Aussies and even Kiwis would be up for a great battle to try and steal the show as long as they can keep things up ahead of Sunday.
Elsewhere, Cameron Smith’s beef with the Sandbelt at Kingston continues this time on-course following a poor Day 2 earlier today from Tied 4th to now Tied 16th. The same goes to amateur Rintaro Nakano from Japan the other way round by surprise who was 2nd but now Tied 12th after he swapped from Kingston to the Vic.
Plus, Min Woo Lee somehow survived the cut despite some knee issues as he’s currently on Tied 37th with still more work to do. And we won’t be seeing Anthony Quayle this weekend when he came off a good run a week ago from finishing just behind Smith and Smylie at the Aus PGA Championship in Royal Queensland to a bang average Aus Open show to forget.
Now let’s hope this Aus Open 2024 edition will cap it off with a Aussie winner at last or yet another overseas player to saviour, which one would it be? It’s all happening at Kingston Heath’s Sandbelt as make sure you’re there to see it all if you can or there’s always Nine/9Now and Fox Sports/Kayo Sports on TV and online on the go.
