Hannah Green wins Greg Norman Medal and sets sights on Tokyo 2020
After stunning the world to capture the Women’s PGA Championship in Minneapolis as a 400-1 longshot, Hannah Green has now picked up the most prestigious honour in Aussie golf.
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Perth star Hannah Green has a new ambition to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after this memorable year was crowned by the Greg Norman Medal.
Winning the gong as the best male or female Australian golfer on the world stage in 2019 is a heady acknowledgment of her breakout season.
Green was unheralded outside her own country when she stunned the golf world by winning the Women’s PGA Championship in Minneapolis in June as a 400-1 longshot with calm, precision play.
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She was beaming and suitably dressed in green when she stepped up to accept her honour at the lavish Greg Norman Medal dinner at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night.
The affable Green admitted again she never expected to break through for her first major at 22 but a second win on the LPGA Tour just two months later exemplified her special talent.
“It’s been the biggest year I’ve ever had in my whole career and also really quite unexpected,” said Green, who turns 23 on Friday.
“It’s also been a lot of fun, a tiring year but for great reasons.”
Because so many Australian golfers are US-based, Green was among an elite group of potential Olympians ushered into a uniform-sizing session in Sydney recently.
“It was really cool trying on stuff and hopefully I’m wearing it in July next year,” Green said.
“I don’t really know if I believe golf should be in the Olympics but the opportunity to represent my country and possibly win a gold medal is what I want to be there for.”
Green said Hall of Famer Karrie Webb had become “like a big sister” with her smart advice on handling the future.
“I want Hannah Green to be out there on tour for 10 years, not just a few, and be a strong, consistent player,” she said.
Green recently joined the International Management Group stable beside the likes of swimmer Ariarne Titmus, which is in part to better manage escalating demands on her time.
“I don’t know who to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to but I definitely want to be helping women’s golf grow in Australia and the US,” Green said.
“It’s almost like there are going to be six majors next year with the Olympics on so it’s going to be a big year.”
Green said she would start her 2020 season in February at the Victorian Open at 13th Beach and the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Adelaide.
“I love playing at home in front of home crowds and I’ve said yes to as many things as I can with clinics for the kids to give back as much as I can,” she said.
“It’s awesome that at my home club at Mount Lawley (in Perth) the most girls in the whole state have joined at the club.”
Green’s world ranking has soared to No.22 from No.143 in a year.
Green has never won a big four-round event in Australia and that is still a significant dream for the girl with a five-year exemption on the elite LPGA Tour.
“I think the toughest to win will be the one on home soil and I still regard winning an Australian Open as big as winning a major,” Green said.
HANNAH GREEN...MY BRILLIANT YEAR
2019 Greg Norman Medal
Age: 22. Born: Perth
Titles: (2)
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Cambia Portland Classic
LPGA Tour Prizemoney: $1.52 million (12th)
LPGA Rounds Under Par: 40-of-62
World Rankings Rise:
2018 (end): No.143. Current: No.22
OTHER AWARD WINNERS
2019 MyGolf Deliverer of the Year
Gary Booby, The Ridge Golf Club
2019 National Trainee Professional of the Year
Joint winners – Ben Pisani, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, and Cooper Eccleston, Victoria Park Golf Complex
2019 PGA National Club Professional of the Year
Jason Roach, Cairns Golf Club
2019 PGA National Management Professional of the Year
Darren Richards, Nudgee Golf Club
2019 PGA National Game Development Professional of the Year
Lachlan Foulsham, Empower Golf
2019 PGA National Coach of the Year
Ritchie Smith, Royal Fremantle Golf Club
2019 ALPG Player of the Year
Sarah Kemp
2019 Ladbrokes Legends Tour Player of the Year
Mike Harwood, VIC
2019 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year
Ryan Fox, NZ
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