Hannah Green has implored golf’s powerbrokers to escalate the LPGA’s water-cooler conversations and seriously consider a mixed-gender overhaul of the Presidents Cup.
Australia’s highest-ranked golfer at number seven will return for the country’s Open on Melbourne’s Sandbelt, the November 28-December 1 tournament to be played alongside the men’s event for the third straight year.
A fan of the concept, if not of the date she says creates too many scheduling conflicts with her fellow LPGA members, Green says mixed-gender competition has become a regular talking point among her peers.
The Internationals’ 10th straight Presidents Cup loss to the United States in Canada last week triggered debate about how to salvage the one-sided contest.
The US have lost just one of 15 ties stretching back 30 years, with LIV Golf’s arrival further weakening an International team that featured just one top-10 player.
Four of the world’s top six men’s players are American, and all of Jim Furyk’s 12-man line-up were inside the world’s top 25.
The women’s rankings are a different story, with spots 3-10 all taken by international talents.
Australian Minjee Lee, the sister of Internationals debutant Min Woo, is currently world number 16, which would have placed her as the second-highest-ranked player in this year’s men’s squad.
A move to a six-man, six-woman Presidents Cup format would theoretically produce a more even battle and also fill a void in the otherwise swollen golfing calendar.
“Definitely, representing my continent would be really cool, or even around the world,” two-time Olympian Green said on Wednesday.
“The International team has struggled the last 10 cups … having the women involved would make it really competitive.”
The 32-player Grant Thornton Invitational is the tours’ only mixed event, while the biennial Solheim Cup is the women’s equivalent of the men ‘s Ryder Cup, pitting Europe’s best against the Americans.
“It could almost outdo a Solheim Cup or Ryder Cup,” Green said of a mixed-gender Presidents Cup.
“Between players it’s kind of been spoken about, but we don’t know if that’s even on the cards, if anyone is possibly thinking about making that an event.
“Even if it was just the women … it’d be very competitive if it was Asia-Pacific versus Europe.
“Perhaps someone could pick that up, that’d be really nice.”
West Australian Green has finished fifth and third at the past two Australian Opens behind South Africa’s two-time defending champion Ashleigh Buhai.
She soared to as high as number five in the world this year after securing her fourth and fifth LPGA Tour titles this season.
Australia’s Hannah Green will be trying to stop South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai from winning a third consecutive Australian Open title in December. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts )
The top Australian chance will only arrive in Melbourne on the Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the tournament begins, because of the jam-packed US schedule.
Green described the year-ending time slot as “inconvenient” compared to the tournament’s traditional February season-opening date.
“But if that’s the only date that works (to combine the men and women) I understand,” she said.
“For the LPGA players, it’s a difficult time to come down to Australia, but it elevates both events having everyone (men and women) on the course at the same time.”
Defending men’s champion Joaquin Niemann will return, alongside emerging Australian star Min Woo Lee and former champion Cameron Davis at Kingston Heath and The Victoria golf clubs.
Jason Day and Cameron Smith have both committed to the Australian PGA Championship a week earlier in Brisbane, but are yet to pencil in their Open appearances.
Former Masters champion Adam Scott, Australia’s highest-ranked male at number 18 and a regular starter in the Australian summer, is also yet to confirm his plans.
AAP
