TELFER’S TAKE 3.8.26

In her near 15 years as a professional Lydia Ko has never seen another NZ golfer finish above her in a Major Championship, but it nearly happened this day at Royal Lytham and St Annes at the 2026 Open Championship, the 5th and final Women’s Major of the year.

26-year-old Kiwi Amelia Garvey from Rangiora stormed home on the last day of the Open with a final round of 68, 3 under par, the second lowest score of the day. This saw her finish in a tie for 23rd place, finishing just one stroke behind Lydia Ko who had her worst round of the week, a 3 over par 74, which saw her slip from 15th spot into a tie for 20th place. Lydia had a decidedly average day with her putter, taking a total of 31 putts. She also missed 6 greens and hit 3 bunkers.

Amelia, for her week’s fine play, was rewarded with a cheque for just over $100,000, easily the biggest payday she’s enjoyed in her 5 years as a professional. Amelia now sits in 23rd place on the Ladies European Tour (or LET).

Now, if by year’s end she can get herself inside the top 10 on the LET Tour, she advances to the final stage of the qualifying school for next year’s LPGA Tour.

Lydia, incidentally, didn’t fare too badly for her 20th place, picking up a cheque of around $120,000. Her career earnings on the US Tour now stand at over US$21 million, second only to Annika Sorenstam.

The title, for the second year in a row went to a Japanese golfer, 23-year-old Shiho Kuwaki, who was forced into a 2-hole play-off after she was tied with Germany’s Esther Henseleit at the end of 72 holes. Kuwaki won the play-off on the second sudden death hole after Henseleit’s second shot finished up in gorse and eventually she putted out for a 5 while Kuwaki two-putted for a par 4.

Kuwaki has had 5 wins on her home tour and has made a bit of a name for herself in the Japanese media with her distinctive fashion style. With the $1.5million first prize now hers, I’m sure she’ll be hitting the designer clothes shops in Tokyo very hard and very soon.

Meanwhile back in NZ Ryan Fox’s break from the helter-skelter life as a Major Championship winner is over as he returns to the USPGA Tour this week in preparation for the start of the super-rich FedEx cup finals beginning on 13 August in Memphis. This week the PGA Tour heads to Greensboro in North Carolina for the Wyndham Championship.

The DP World Tour resumes next week with the Danish Open in Denmark. Daniel Hillier and Kazuma Kobori are expected to be in attendance.