Minjee Lee yet to be locked in for Australian Open in November due to schedule clash

As another round of local stars were locked in for the Australian Open, one of the biggest names in the sport remains absent from the list.

Negotiations to get three-time Greg Norman Medal winner Minjee Lee back for the Australian Open remain ongoing with no commitment yet to join her brother, Min Woo, in Melbourne for this year’s tournament.

Lee, a two-time major champion, is the biggest Australian name still absent from the list of attendees for the dual-gender event, as the scheduling of the season-ending LPGA Championship in Florida, being played the week before, proves a hurdle.

Hannah Green, who this month became the first Australian since Karrie Webb in 2006 to win three LPGA events in the same year, revealed the issue would prevent her from getting into Melbourne until the Wednesday before the Open begins on November 29.

Minjee Lee is yet to confirm her presence in the Australian Open. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

As officials confirmed LPGA winner Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, as well as Cassie Porter, who has earnt her LPGA card for 2025, would be at Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club, confirmation of Lee’s attendance is yet to come.

It’s understood negotiations are trending towards two-time major winner Lee, who powered home to finish runner-up in last year’s Australian Open, are positive.

But her good friend Green confirmed how tight the schedule would make things.

“Unfortunately, our CME Tour Championship is actually the week prior,” said Green, now the world No.5 and top-ranked Australian, male or female.

“So I’m not getting into Melbourne till the Wednesday morning, so that makes my prep a little bit different in a sense to the last couple of years.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done it before, but obviously for the Aussie Open you’ve got to do it, so I’m hoping that I can at least get some sleep on the right time on the plane back.”

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See @gracekimeyy, @CassiePorter02, and @Stephkyriacou2 up close @KingstonHeathGC and @VicGolfClub 28 Nov - 1 Dec, 2024!

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— Australian Open (@AusOpenGolf) October 29, 2024

Jason Day, who is coming home for the first time since 2017 to play the Australian PGA, is skipping the Open to play in Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in Bermuda.

Kyriacou, who nearly joined the major champion category when she finished runner-up at the Amundi Evian Championship in July, already has two Ladies European Tour titles to her name and the 23-year-old, now solidified as an LPGA Tour player, is eyeing off an Australian Open win.

“I love playing in the Australian Open. It’s a really special event, with so much history and winning it would be awesome,” Kyriacou said.

“I know an Aussie hasn’t won for a while and I’d love to be the one to do that.

“It has obviously been a special year so far with some good results on the LPGA Tour, contending in a major. Heading home to round out 2024 at the Australian Open is something I am really looking forward to.”

Originally published as Minjee Lee yet to be locked in for Australian Open in November due to schedule clash