After a summer Down Under flying solo, the Ripper GC boys reunite again for LIV Golf's season-opener in Riyadh starting Thursday.

Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert thrilled Aussie golf fans with their appearances on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia prior to Christmas and now join back up with Matt Jones in defence of the teams title they won in 2024.

Although without an individual winner last year, Ripper GC combined for victories in Adelaide and Singapore and then clinched overall honours at the Dallas Team Championship.

Given the form they displayed in Australia, Ripper GC will be eyeing a fast start to the new season.

Smith was top three at the Queensland PGA Championship, NSW Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship, Herbert won the NSW Open and was tied for fifth at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open while Leishman was top three in both the Australian PGA and Australian Open.

Elsewhere this week, Cassie Porter's debut at the Founders Cup in Florida signals a record representation for Australia on the LPGA Tour in 2025.

Porter’s rookie campaign comes after two years on the Epson Tour highlighted by a breakthrough win last June at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.

That provided the foundation to finish 10th on the season-long points list and earn a 2025 LPGA Tour card, taking the total number of Australians on the premier women’s tour this year to nine.

The previous record Aussie representation was eight (2008, 2009 and 2022) and Porter believes being surrounded by so many familiar faces will aid in her elevation to the LPGA Tour.

“I know it’s small, but hearing the accent is so big for me,” said the 22-year-old.

“You’re all kind of forced to be mates because you’re all Australian and we all kind of grew up together.

“Gracie (Kim), Steph (Kyriacou) and I, we all played a lot together growing up. They’ve been out there for a couple of years now, so we haven’t had a whole bunch of time to reconnect, but I’m excited for that.

“They’re all great human beings and we’re so lucky to have such a great Aussie community out there. All our physios are Aussie. A lot of the caddies are Aussie or from New Zealand.

“I’m just really excited to have that little community.”

As she settles into her new “community”, Porter was also welcomed into a new one in Tuesday’s practice round where she was joined by 11-time LPGA winner Lexi Thompson.

“Being on the practice green and the range with all the girls I watched play on TV, it's really surreal,” Porter added.

“I was walking down the fairway yesterday, it was a Monday, and it's really hard to believe.

“We've worked for this for most of our lives and to be here is pretty cool.”

With Grace Kim continuing her pre-season preparation back in Sydney and Sarah Kemp on the comeback trail after breaking her leg last year, seven Aussies are in action this week, including Karis Davidson who is playing her first LPGA Tour event since June last year. The other exempt players in 2025 are Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Gabriela Ruffels and Hira Naveed.

Round 1 tee times AEDT

PGA TOUR WM Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Cse), Scottsdale, Arizona 5:11am Ryan Fox (NZ) 5:22am Min Woo Lee

Recent champion: Nick Taylor Past Aussie winners: Bruce Crampton (1973), Aaron Baddeley (2007) Prize money: $US9.2m TV times: Live 1am-12pm Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-10:30am Sunday; Live 2:30am-10am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Doha GC, Doha, Qatar 3pm* Elvis Smylie, Daniel Hillier (NZ) 3:50pm* Daniel Gale 7:25pm David Micheluzzi 7:55pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 8:15pm* Jason Scrivener

Recent champion: Rikuya Hoshino Past Aussie winners: Adam Scott (2002, 2008) Prize money: $US2.5m TV times: Live 8pm-1am Thursday, Friday; Live 8:30pm-1am Saturday; Live 7:30pm-12:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

LPGA Tour Founders Cup presented by US Virgin Islands Bradenton Country Club, Bradenton, Florida 11:26pm* Hira Naveed 12:21am Minjee Lee 12:21am* Stephanie Kyriacou 12:32am* Fiona Xu (NZ) 3:44am Karis Davidson 4:28am Hannah Green 4:28am* Lydia Ko (NZ) 4:39am Gabriela Ruffels 5:01am* Cassie Porter

Recent champion: Rose Zhang Past Aussie winners: Karrie Webb (2011, 2014), Minjee Lee (2022) Prize money: $US2m TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 3am-6am Saturday; Live 6am-9am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.

LIV Golf LIV Golf Riyadh Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)

Recent champion: Inaugural event Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US20m TV times: Live 11pm-4am Thursday, Friday, Saturday on 7Mate.

PGA TOUR Champions Trophy Hassan II Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco 6:45pm Cameron Percy, Stuart Appleby 7:33pm Scott Hend 7:57pm Greg Chalmers, Mark Hensby 8:09pm Rod Pampling 8:45pm Richard Green 8:57pm Steven Alker (NZ)

Recent champion: Ricardo Gonzalez Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US2.5m TV times: Live 12am-3am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 506; Live 12am-3am Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.

Ladies European Tour Lalla Meryem Cup Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Blue Cse), Morocco 7pm* Momoka Kobori (NZ) 10:40pm* Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 11:20pm* Amelia Garvey (NZ)

Recent champion: Bronte Law Past Aussie winners: Karen Lunn (2012) Prize money: €450,000

Korn Ferry Tour Astara Golf Championship Country Club de Bogota, Bogota, Colombia 11:25pm Harry Hillier (NZ) 12:15am* Rhein Gibson

Recent champion: Kevin Velo Past Aussie winners: Rhein Gibson (2023) Prize money: $US1m

HotelPlanner Tour Cell C Cape Town Open Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa 4:30pm Sam Jones (NZ) 4:50pm* Haydn Barron 5:20pm* Hayden Hopewell

Recent champion: Mikael Lindberg Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US375,000