By Tony Webeck

In many ways Hannah Green’s triumph at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship heralded the beginning of a golden era in Australian golf.

It had been four years since Jason Day’s US PGA Championship victory at Whistling Straits and the next generation of Aussie golfers were elbowing their way to the front of the major championship queue.

Cameron Smith and Minjee Lee boasted the amateur resumés that suggested they were the pair most likely yet it was Lee’s fellow West Australian who unexpectedly took command from the first round of the 2019 KPMG at Hazeltine and never let up.

It took a sand save on the 72nd hole and a champagne shower from none other than seven-time major winner Karrie Webb to complete Green’s coronation that would serve as inspiration to those ready to follow in her footsteps.

And perhaps Australia’s two No.1s in waiting.

In the three years since, Smith has ascended to the top five in the Official World Golf Ranking – largely on the back of a dominant win at THE PLAYERS Championship in March – while Lee is now a two-time major champion and one of this week’s strong favourites.

The major-winning duo headline a seven-strong Aussie contingent this week at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, a venue where Greg Norman has won twice and Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy have won US Opens in 2011 and 1997 respectively.

Lee has already joined a list of luminaries by winning the US Women’s Open three weeks ago at Pine Needles and can punch another ticket to her journey towards the career grand slam by winning a second-straight major this week.

Yet perhaps it will be Green – imbibing the vibes as a former champion – who will lead the Aussie charge.

Runner-up at the LA Open, Green shot 69 in the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for a tie for 12th and a healthy injection of confidence as she chases a second major title.

The other Aussies hoping to join Green, Webb (2001) and Jan Stephenson (1982) as Women’s PGA champions are Su Oh, Stephanie Kyriacou, Sarah Kemp, Sarah Jane Smith and Katherine Kirk. KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland Defending champion: Nelly Korda Past Aussie winners: Jan Stephenson (1982), Karrie Webb (2001), Hannah Green (2019) Live TV coverage

Friday 2am-5am on Fox Sports 503 Saturday 2am-5am on Fox Sports 503 Sunday 3am-6am on Fox Sports 505 Monday 3am-6am on Fox Sports 505 Aussies in the field Minjee Lee World ranking: 3 Age: 26 Major wins: 2 (2021 Evian Championship; 2022 US Women’s Open) LPGA Tour wins: 8 Best finish at Women’s PGA: T12 in 2016 Best finish in 2022: Won Cognizant Founders Cup; Won US Women’s Open Key stat: 68.81 Scoring Average (1st) How she qualified: Major championship winner Hannah Green World ranking: 20 Age: 25 Major wins: 1 (2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) LPGA Tour wins: 2 Best finish at Women’s PGA: Won in 2019 Best finish in 2022: Won Vic Open; Won TPS Murray River Key stat: 74.1 per cent Greens in Regulation (10th) How she qualified: Former winner of KPMG Women’s PGA Su Oh World ranking: 111 Age: 26 Major wins: 0 LPGA Tour wins: 0 Best finish at Women’s PGA: T8 in 2016 Best finish in 2022: Won Australian WPGA Championship Key stat: 1.74 Putts per Green in Regulation (7th) How she qualified: Race to CME Globe Points Stephanie Kyriacou World ranking: 121 Age: 21 Major wins: 0 LPGA Tour wins: 0 Best finish at Women’s PGA: First appearance Best finish in 2022: T6 at Saudi Ladies International Key stat: 1.783 Putts per Green in Regulation (33rd) How she qualified: Race to CME Globe Points Katherine Kirk World ranking: 174 Age: 40 Major wins: 0 LPGA Tour wins: 3 Best finish at Women’s PGA: T16 in 2009 Best finish in 2022: T39 at Palos Verdes Championship Key stat: 29.73 Putting Average (48th) How she qualified: Race to CME Globe Points Sarah Kemp World ranking: 188 Age: 36 Major wins: 0 LPGA Tour wins: 0 Best finish at Women’s PGA: T37 in 2007 Best finish in 2022: T26 at LOTTE Championship; T26 at Palos Verdes Championship Key stat: 75.36 per cent Driving Accuracy (58th) How she qualified: Race to CME Globe Points Sarah Jane Smith World ranking: 337 Age: 37 Major wins: 0 LPGA Tour wins: 0 Best finish at Women’s PGA: T11 in 2018 Best finish in 2022: T2 IOA Championship; T2 IOA Golf Classic (Epson Tour) Key stat: 59.09 per cent Sand Saves (7th) How she qualified: Race to CME Globe Points Championship site https://www.kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com/

Social Media Twitter: @KPMGWomensPGA https://twitter.com/KPMGWomensPGA Instagram: @kpmgwomenspga https://www.instagram.com/kpmgwomenspga/ Hashtag: #KPMGWomensPGA