Green completes the treble
Australia’s Hannah Green turns a blazing month into a homecoming masterpiece with another trophy in her hands
Paju, Korea - Hannah Green closed out a remarkable run in style on Sunday, pulling away at Sanctuary Cove to win the Australian WPGA Championship by four shots and complete a career hat-trick of victories in her last three starts.
The world No 7 signed for a final-round 69 to finish at 16 under par, lifting the Karrie Webb Cup after holding off Alexandra Försterling’s early push and adding another home triumph to the title she claimed at the Women’s Australian Open a week earlier. It also followed her seventh LPGA title at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore a month ago.
“It feels really amazing,” Green 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.”
Green began the final round with a two-shot lead and wasted little time asserting control. She birdied the second, third and fourth holes as playing partners Casandra Alexander and Vanessa Knecht slipped backwards, briefly tightening her grip on the championship before bogeys at the fifth and sixth opened the door.
Försterling, a four-time Ladies European Tour winner, surged into contention with four birdies in six holes during an outward 33 to reach 13 under par. For a spell, the German applied genuine pressure. Green, though, steadied herself, birdied the ninth and watched as Försterling dropped shots at the 13th and 15th, restoring the Australian’s cushion.
“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,” Green said. “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.”
There was still time for one more twist. Green made bogey at the 12th, but by then she had regained command. When she reached the par-5 18th in two, the finish became a formality, a two-putt birdie sealing a four-shot victory and touching off the celebration. Green, with husband Jarryd Felton on the bag for the week, was soon drenched in champagne by 2022 winner Su Oh, Amelia Garvey and Steph Kyriacou.
“I think when I knew that I was going to win was when I actually hit it on the green on 18,” Green said. “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.”
The victory gave Green her second Ladies European Tour title in as many weeks and made her the second player to hoist the Karrie Webb Cup, a detail that carried obvious meaning for one of Australia’s leading players.
“It’s amazing,” Green said. “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.”
Alexander finished tied for second at 12 under alongside Försterling after a turbulent final round that featured three birdies, three bogeys, an eagle and a double-bogey. England’s Meghan MacLaren was fourth on 10 under, adding to a formidable Australian record that already includes three wins and a runner-up finish at Magenta Shores two weeks ago. India’s Diksha Dagar and England’s Annabell Fuller shared seventh on eight under.
The result also reshaped the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, where Alexander moved past France’s Agathe Laisne into top spot on 815.83 points after collecting her second runner-up finish of the season. Australia’s Kelsey Bennett remained third on 677.50 points.
For Green, however, the larger number was three. Three starts. Three wins. One extraordinary month that has turned strong form into a statement.