Source : ABC NEWS
A hungry Hannah Green is eyeing a fast start as she strives to finally shed her unwanted tag of one-major wonder at the rich and prestigious Chevron Championship in Texas.
After a stellar three-win season on the LPGA Tour in 2024, Green will spearhead a seven-strong Australian charge at women’s golf’s first major of the year starting on Thursday.
The world number five has emerged as one of the game’s most consistent performers but yearns to contend more at the sport’s biggest events, having not featured at the business end since finishing tied for fifth at the 2022 Women’s PGA Championship.
“It’s probably the last three or four years I haven’t really been able to do that,” Green said on Tuesday.
“So when I look at it, just not completely through stats, I feel like I never get off to a good start in the tournament [at the majors] so I’m hoping that round one, if I am not having my best performance, I can kind of still keep myself into at least the weekend.
She said she was aware she sometimes put too much pressure on herself.
“Obviously, I’m coming into this major with probably one of the best rankings I’ve ever had, and probably more expectation from other people as well as myself,” she said.
“So I just want to make sure that I’m not putting too much pressure on myself.”
It has been six years since the Perth prodigy won the 2019 Women’s PGA at just 22.
Hannah Green just missed out on a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Getty Images: Andrew Redington)
Carrying momentum
Top-five showings at the past two Olympics, without landing a medal in Tokyo or Paris, have given Green a taste of being in the mix for golf’s greatest spoils.
While unable to pull off an unprecedented title hat-trick, the now-28-year-old warmed up nicely for her latest crack at major glory with a tie for ninth at the LA Championship on Sunday.
Green hopes to carry the happy vibes to the testing Carlton Woods Country Club.
“I always enjoy playing golf in California,” she said.
“I don’t know what it is about it, to be honest, but it was nice to have a top-10 finish going into the Chevron Championship.
“Usually it’s the opposite way.
“Usually I don’t play well the week before so I’m hoping that I can use a little bit of the form that I showed and bring it into this week.”
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Green’s lacklustre pre-Chevron Championship form has translated into missed cuts the past two years, which have served as vital lessons for the West Australian.
The five-time LPGA Tour winner hopes a more meticulous preparation will yield a better result in 2025.
“I’m hoping I can get off to a better start, kind of wipe the slate, the bad memories that I perhaps have at this championship,” Green said.
“At a new venue here in Houston [I want to] start fresh and have a good championship.”
Dual major winner Minjee Lee also enters the $US8 million event fresh off a top 10 in Los Angeles.
Steph Kyriacou, with a top-20 in LA, Gabriela Ruffels, Grace Kim, Hira Naveed and rising Sydney star Cassie Porter, on her major champion debut, round out the Australian contingent.
AAP
