He’s exhausted, battling his swing and barely hanging on yet David Micheluzzi can celebrate a major milestone simply by teeing it up in this week’s Abu Dhabi Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Micheluzzi is the only player in the 70-man field at Yas Links to be playing their first Rolex Series event, a remarkable achievement in his rookie season on the DP World Tour.

The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner has scratched and clawed his way to the point where he finished as one of the top 70 players on the Race to Dubai rankings available for week one of the DP World Tour Playoffs.

He will now contest a penultimate event of the season worth $US9 million at a venue that the 28-year-old says is bring major championship vibes.

"It almost has that major feel to it,” Micheluzzi says of taking his place alongside fellow Aussies Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee and superstars the calibre of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre.

“I’ve been fortunate to play a couple of majors and it just has that vibe to it.

"I couldn’t wait for Hero Dubai Desert Classic to be my first one (next season) and then obviously I got into this week.

“I’m stoked."

In 23 starts this season Micheluzzi has four top-10 finishes, his best result a tie for second at the BMW International Open in Germany.

He has banked €556,761.72 in prize money, thanks in no small part to his proficiency with the putter.

"I’ve actually struggled quite a bit. Battled with my swing, battled off the tee, into greens and my putting and my short game have really saved me this year,” said Micheluzzi, who is ranked 10th in Average Putts Per Round and 12th in Putts Per Green In Regulation.

"The more tournaments I’ve played, the more comfortable I’ve become. But overall, to make Abu Dhabi is a massive achievement.

"I had one good result in Munich. I think I made the last four cuts at the end of the season which actually got me into the top 70. Overall, very happy."

Grace Kim is also in a happy place as she returns to defend her LOTTE Championship in Hawaii.

A shift in tournament date has kept Kim waiting 18 months to put her title on the line, the 23-year-old unsure of the giant champion’s poster that greeted her upon arrival at Hoakalei Country Club.

“They probably chose a very terrible photo of me up on the banner, but that’s fine. My face is still up there,” said Kim.

“Someone said, ‘Welcome home’, so that’s really cool.”

Tied for 34th last week in Japan, Kim has three top-10 finishes in her second LPGA Tour season and is currently 47th in the Race to CME Globe standings.

Although she has had some disappointing finishes in 2024 after playing her way into contention, Kim believes the win in her rookie season will continue to help throughout her career.

“Obviously was still fresh into my rookie season, so very low expectations. No additional pressure was added,” Kim said of a win that came just three starts into her LPGA career.

“I think I had more pressure this year when I was in the two contending days. That’s just a learning experience itself. I probably got a little bit too ahead of myself or getting to the golf course a little bit too early.

“I still sometimes think when I’m down like might have been a fluke. Obviously it wasn’t, so try to use that as momentum into the rest of my career for sure.”

Although there are six Aussies in the field, Victorian Richard Green is the only Australian who can still win the Charles Schwab Cup on the PGA TOUR Champions and nine Aussies will contest the Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Round 1 tee times AEST

PGA TOUR World Wide Technology Championship El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Mexico 12:41am Aaron Baddeley 5:05am Tim Wilkinson (NZ)

Defending champion: Erik van Rooyen Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US7.2 million TV times: Live 6am-9am Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, UAE 2:28pm David Micheluzzi 3:01pm Adam Scott 5:28pm Min Woo Lee

Defending champion: Victor Perez Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US9 million TV times: Live 3pm-12am Thursday, Friday; Live 6pm-12am Saturday; Live 6pm-11:30pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Qualifying School – Final Stage Infinitum Golf (Lakes & Hills Cses), Tarragona, Spain Australasians in the field: Sam Jones (NZ), Hayden Hopewell, Haydn Barron, Todd Sinnott, Danny List, Tom Power Horan, Matthew Griffin, Brett Coletta, Cameron John, Andrew Kelly

Defending champion: Freddy Schott Past Aussie winners: Nil

LPGA Tour LOTTE Championship Hoakalei Country Club, Ewa Beach, Hawaii 4:40am Stephanie Kyriacou 8:53am Grace Kim 9:15am* Hira Naveed 9:37am* Robyn Choi

Defending champion: Grace Kim Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2016), Grace Kim (2023) Prize money: $US3 million TV times: Live 11am-2pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Japan Golf Tour Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters Pacific Club (Gotemba Cse), Shizuoka 11:05am Michael Hendry (NZ) 12:15pm Brad Kennedy

Defending champion: Shugo Imahira Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1987), Roger Mackay (1991), Greg Norman (1993), Brendan Jones (2007) Prize money: ¥200,000,000

Korean PGA Tour KPGA Tour Championship Cypress Golf & Resort, Korea 1:35pm* Sungjin Yeo (NZ)

Defending champion: Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: KRW1.1 billion

PGA TOUR Champions Charles Schwab Cup Championship Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy.

Defending champion: Steven Alker Past Aussie winners: Prize money: $US3 million TV times: Live 9am-11am Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Legends Tour Farmfoods European Senior Masters La Manga Club, Murcia, Spain Australasians in the field: Michael Campbell (NZ), Michael Long (NZ), Scott Hend

Defending champion: Patrik Sjöland Past Aussie winners: Nil