Defending champion Min Woo Lee will have to fend off a field full of Australia’s best talent and an array of international raiders when the BMW Australian PGA Championship tees off at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Thursday.

Co-sanctioned between the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the DP World Tour, the first of Australia’s two majors marks the start of the 2025 DP World Tour season and a crucial week for those with local Order of Merit aspirations.

Among those returning to Royal Queensland are three-time champion Cameron Smith, who, off the back of an uncharacteristic missed cut in 2023 will be out for redemption, while Jason Day will be teeing it up in Australia for the first time since 2017.

Smith’s Ripper GC teammates Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert are also among the headliners, Herbert hot off his recent Ford NSW Open win, his first on home soil. While Cam Davis rounds out the contingent of returning international playing stars, the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic winner keen to add a Kirkwood Cup to go alongside his Stonehaven Cup.

Twelve months ago, it was Lee who broke through and hoisted the Joe Kirkwood Cup, cruising to a three-stroke victory over Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, and he is back and ready to defend.

The young West Australian comes in at the tail-end of an exciting year that includes selection in the Australian Olympic and Presidents Cup teams and two runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR.

“Obviously amazing memories,” Lee said of his 2023 win. “It seems like it was only a few months ago. The year’s gone really quick. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year but amazing feelings coming back.”

Despite a solid year on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, Lee is yet to notch a win this season and would love for one – or two – to come in the next two weeks.

“I know there’s a lot of skill and a little bit of luck that goes on during a tournament, but it seems like a couple of times it’s gone the other way,” he said of his near misses.

“Just being in a tournament that you are coming back to defend is a special feeling and especially being here on the grounds now, it’s cool.

“I’m going to go and try play as good as I can and hopefully get another trophy.”

DEFENDING CHAMPION:

• Min Woo Lee (WA)

PRIZEMONEY:

• $2,000,000

LIVE SCORES:

• www.pga.org.au

TV COVERAGE:

The BMW Australian PGA Championship is available live on Channel 9 and 9Now, as well as Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo. *All times AEDT.

• Round 1: Thursday, 12pm-5pm

• Round 2: Friday, 12pm-5pm

• Round 3: Saturday, 12pm-5pm

• Final Round: Sunday, 12pm-5pm

THE COURSE

Home to this tournament for the last three years, Royal Queensland Golf Club was originally designed by three-time Australian Open champion, Carnegie Clark in 1920 with several modifications including advice from Dr Alistair Mckenzie on his visit in 1926.

More extreme changes to the course were required in 2007 when the construction of a new Gateway Bridge over the river meant Royal Queensland lost a large part of its original layout, with Mike Clayton the designer charged with the task of delivering a new and very different course in the banks of the Brisbane River.

A relatively flat piece of land, players are afforded width off the tee at ‘RQ’ and the opportunity to decide for themselves the best way to play each hole, which all feature sloping greens and tightly mown surrounds. Large bunkering a consistent feature throughout the par-71.

Measuring 6,479 metres, the short par-3 17th “Party Hole” will certainly deliver drama and excitement over the weekend.

HEADLINERS

• Min Woo Lee — Defending champion and multiple DP World Tour winner

• Cam Smith — 2022 Open Champion, captain of the 2024 season winning Ripper GC team on the LIV Golf League

• Lucas Herbert — 2024 NSW Open champion, PGA TOUR and DP World Tour winner, member of the 2024 season winning Ripper GC team on the LIV Golf League

• Jason Day — Former World no.1, 2015 US PGA Championship winner and 13-time PGA TOUR winner

• Cam Davis — 2017 Australian Open champion and multiple PGA TOUR winner

• Victor Perez — Three-time DP World Tour winner

• David Micheluzzi — 2022/23 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner

• Harry Higgs — Three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner and 2024 graduate to the PGA TOUR

• Marc Leishman — Six-time PGA TOUR winner and member of the 2024 season winning Ripper GC team on the LIV Golf League

• Kazuma Kobori — 2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner

• Daniel Hillier — DP World Tour winner

• Geoff Ogilvy — 2006 US Open champion, 2008 Australian PGA champion and 2010 Australian Open champion

• Jack Buchanan — 2024 WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia champion

• Phoenix Campbell — 2023 and 2024 Queensland PGA champion

• Elvis Smylie — 2024 WA Open champion