Who will be the standout Aussie in 2022?
MORRI: There is much for Australian fans to look forward to in 2022 in both women’s and men’s golf and narrowing things down to just one standout is simply too di cult. So, I’m going with two.
There are already a number of established Australian on the world stage but it is the emerging talent which is most exciting.
On the women’s side Steph Kyriacou’s elevation to the LPGA via the end of year Q School is cause for celebration while amongst the men, Min Woo Lee is coming into his own.
Kyriacou has proven herself a fierce competitor since her stunning win at the Bonville International when still an amateur in 2020.
The Sydneysider went on to be named Ladies European Tour rookie of the Year the same year then backed up the victory at Bonville with a second title in 2021.
It’s a significant step up in class from the LET to the LPGA but her expectations will be high ahead of her first year in the U.S. and while there is always room for improvement in the physical game, Kyriacou is a proven performer under pressure and may surprise some in 2022.
Among the men, Min Woo Lee looks on the brink of fulfilling his considerable promise after a breakout year in Europe.
One of the most talented players to come out of Australia in decades, two years playing the game internationally has added a level of maturity to his already impressive physical skills and the result is a genuinely world class player.
A first trip to the Masters in April will be a good test in elite company and it’s hard to see Lee not being part of the PGA Tour by 2023. HAYES: I defer to my earlier answer to the star women’s major championship player this year, because I think Minjee Lee will be Australia’s most decorated player by season’s end.
But if the editor permits me to fill a podium, I think it will be an easy task given the surge of young talent flying the Southern Cross.
On the men’s side, you could make a case for Min Woo Lee or Lucas Herbert, but let’s give them the chance to feel at home in the world’s top-50 for a few months before heaping pressure on them.
For mine, it’s Cam Smith. Fresh o one of the most financially lucrative seasons ever enjoyed by an Australian, the Queenslander is hot to trot in majors and has the added incentive of a potential leadership position with the International team of the Presidents Cup on the line after his epic singles win over Justin Thomas in 2019.
On the women’s side, the depth of talent assembling behind Minjee Lee is promising in the extreme.
I have high hopes for the emergence of both Gabi Ruels and Karis Davidson, but it’s the almost ceiling-less rise of Steph Kyriacou that will be fascinating.
The Sydneysider has, with such little fuss, taken on and beaten every challenge thrown her way less than two years after turning professional, during which time she has been the LET rookie of the year and followed up with a fifth place on that Tour’s money list. Now with an LPGA Tour card and the comfort of a few of her young compatriots around her, it will be fascinating to watch Kyriacou’s seemingly indefatigable rise. EMANUEL: This year poses as a di cult one to identify an Aussie that will grab the majority of headlines, and it isn’t because of a lack of candidates.
Our top women won’t be short of highlights, with Minjee Lee and Hannah Green the most likely, while I expect Su Oh
might finally break her LPGA Tour duck and Steph Kyriacou will continue her ascension towards becoming a fixture at the top level.
For mine though, it will be between Min Woo Lee and Lucas Herbert as to who is our standout in 2022.
I expect with his expanded opportunities in the U.S and starts in the four majors, Lee will find himself with a PGA Tour card sooner rather than later, and another DP World Tour victory is a likely result this year.
But just ahead in the development curve, Herbert will be the one to garner the most attention and significant success this year among the Aussie contingent. Winning on both the PGA and European Tours in 2021, Herbert has setup a base in the States and will play there, with occasional trips back to Europe and the desert for big events where one would think another win isn’t out of the question.
He might not add a second PGA Tour win this year, but it wouldn’t surprise this scribe, Herbert will contend regularly though and bob his head up at one of the majors with a spot in one of the later groups on a Sunday this year.