The trophy is the same but the venue is very different as Minjee Lee eyes off a title defence with a difference at this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Ohio.

Twelve months ago, Lee’s playoff victory over Charley Hull at Kenwood Country Club sparked a run of form that saw her climb back to No.4 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.

Lee had two wins, two runner-up finishes and two further top 10s in the space of seven starts but the memories of the performance that started her run are muted somewhat by a change of venue.

“I was actually talking about it with my physio yesterday; it kind of doesn’t feel like I’m defending,” said Lee, who enters the week ranked No.16 in the world.

“Obviously I won the tournament last year, but because we’re at a new venue it feels like I’m learning everything new and getting to know a new place.

“It’s not the same as when you’ve been to the tournament and you feel the vibes from the course that you kind of remember from the previous year.

“I’m really looking forward to a different challenge this year.”

After a busy period that included the Amundi Evian Championship, Paris Olympics, Women’s Scottish Open and AIG Women’s Open, the 28-year-old arrives refreshed and hopeful of another strong finish to the year.

“I had a nice break after our last Europe swing,” said the two-time major champion.

“I feel like after all the wind at the Scottish and AIG I was a little worn out.

“Just needed a couple weeks to refresh and do a little bit of practice and sharpen a few things in my game.”

Lee is not the only Australian with a title on the line this week.

Queenslander Scott Hend returns to WINSTONgolf in Germany as the defending champion of the WINSTONgolf Senior Open on the Legends Tour looking to make it an Aussie trifecta after Richard Green’s triumph in 2022.

It shapes as a potentially career-defining week for young Aussies Karl Vilips and Cassie Porter.

Vilips has qualified for the penultimate event of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals ranked 18th on the Points List, the top 30 after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to earn promotion to the PGA TOUR in 2025.

Porter is also one good result from a step up in class to the LPGA Tour in 2025.

Currently 10th on the Epson Tour with two events left in the season, Porter will earn status on the LPGA Tour if she can finish inside the top 15 at the completion of the Epson Tour Championship.

Round 1 tee times AEST

LPGA Tour Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G TPC River’s Bend, Maineville, Ohio 10:20pm Minjee Lee 10:31pm Grace Kim 10:42pm* Stephanie Kyriacou, Hira Naveed 11:04pm* Robyn Choi 11:15pm* Su Oh 3:09am Gabriela Ruffels 3:20am* Lydia Ko (NZ)

Defending champion: Minjee Lee Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2023) Prize money: $US2 million TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour BMW PGA Championship Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, England 5:45pm Ryan Fox (NZ) 6:05pm Adam Scott 10:25pm Jason Scrivener

Defending champion: Ryan Fox Past Aussie winners: Rodger Davis (1986), Mike Harwood (1990) Prize money: $US9 million TV times: Live 5:30pm-9am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 9pm-10:30pm Thursday on Fox Sports 505; Live 10:30pm-3am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 5:30pm-3am Friday; Live 6pm-2:30am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Japan Golf Tour Panasonic Open Golf Championship Arima Royal Golf Club, Hyogo 8:45am Michael Hendry (NZ) 12:45pm* Anthony Quayle 1:15pm Brad Kennedy

Defending champion: Tomoharu Otsuki Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: ¥100 million

LIV Golf Team Championship Dallas Maridoe Golf Club, Carrollton, Texas Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Danny Lee (NZ)

Defending champions: Crushers GC Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US50 million TV times: Live 2:15am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on 7 Plus.

Ladies European Tour La Sella Open La Sella Golf Resort, Spain 5:36pm Whitney Hillier 6:09pm* Momoka Kobori (NZ) 9:26pm* Kelsey Bennett 9:37pm Kirsten Rudgeley 9:48pm* Amy Walsh

Defending champion: Nuria Iturrioz Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €1,000,000

Korn Ferry Tour Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship Ohio State University GC (Scarlet Cse), Columbus, Ohio 10:14pm* Karl Vilips 3:27am Rhein Gibson

Defending champion: Norman Xiong Past Aussie winners: Curtis Luck (2020) Prize money: $US1.5 million TV times: Live 6am-8am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR Champions PURE Insurance Championship Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Defending champion: Thongchai Jaidee Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US2.3 million TV times: Live 8am-11am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Epson Tour Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout Mystic Creek Golf Club, El Dorado, Arkansas Australasians in the field: Fiona Xu (NZ), Cassie Porter, Amelia Garvey (NZ)

Defending champion: Natasha Andrea Oon Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017) Prize money: $US337,500

Challenge Tour Italian Challenge Open Argentario GC, Monte Argentario, Italy 3:30pm* Hayden Hopewell 9:40pm Sam Jones (NZ) 10:10pm Blake Windred

Defending champion: Natasha Andrea Oon Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017) Prize money: $US337,500

Legends Tour WINSTONgolf Senior Open WINSTONgolf, Vorbeck, Germany Australasians in the field: Scott Hend, Michael Long (NZ)

Defending champion: Scott Hend Past Aussie winners: Terry Price (2012), Richard Green (2022), Scott Hend (2023)