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Green set for title defence at Women's PGA

3 minute read

Hannah Green is the defending champion at the Women's PGA Championship and is joined at the major by five other Australians.

HANNAH GREEN.
HANNAH GREEN. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Golf great Karrie Webb has backed Australian star Hannah Green to handle growing homesickness and defend her maiden major title at this week's Women's PGA Championship.

After two months away from Australia, Perth native Green has admitted she is missing Australia given she is unlikely to be able to return home until January because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

But it is an emotion Webb believes 23-year-old Green, and her five fellow Australians contesting the Women's PGA Championship, can handle.

The Women's PGA begins on Thursday AEDT at the 6,577-yard Aronimink GC outside Philadelphia.

"Hannah is a supremely talented golfer and she was on a roll in 2019," Webb told AAP.

"She has an attitude that she is not letting the (LPGA Tour's shutdown) or travel restrictions hurt her momentum from last year and with that attitude she'll do well.

"Among the Australians, those who can handle these restrictions the best, and not get too homesick, will thrive because you can't pop home to Australia for a couple weeks."

World No.21 Green returned to competition after a six-month hiatus at the Scottish Open in August

"Scotland was a shock going because we couldn't leave the hotel to get groceries; we had to eat in our rooms," Green told AAP.

"It was just, golf course and hotel, every day. It's easier in the US but it'll get a lot tougher when I begin to get homesick later this year."

To combat the homesickness, Green has been spending most of her time with good mate and fellow Australian and LPGA Tour player, Su Oh, in the US.

Green and Oh are joined in the Women's PGA field by top-ranked Australian Minjee Lee, as well as Sarah Kemp, Katherine Kirk and Sarah Jane Smith.

Green was supposed to defend her Women's PGA title in June but it was postponed.

Last year, Green became the first Australian woman to win a major since Webb claimed the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

After a long wait, Green says she is ready for her attempt to become the first player in five years to successfully defend the Women's PGA.

"I'm super excited for it," Green said of the third major of 2020.

"Even with the restrictions, it's probably the best way for me to defend without crowds because there will be less pressure.

"Aronimink will play longer than most of the courses we'll play all year, so I'm hoping my driving accuracy is up there and can give me an edge.

"But every part of my game will have to be firing if I want to play this week."

The Women's PGA will field all 11 winners so far this year, including the first two major champions of 2020, Sophia Popov (Women's British Open) and Mirim Lee (ANA Inspiration).

Danielle Kang, a two-time winner in 2020 and 2017 Women's PGA Champion, is also teeing up.

The 132 contestants are vying for the $US645,000 ($A900,000) winner's share of the $US4.3 million ($A6 million) purse.

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