Jarryd Felton married Hannah Green last Friday, but there was no time for a honeymoon let alone any normal home life in Perth for Australian golf’s power couple.
That’s because Felton had a tournament to travel to, which is a familiar feeling for both of them.
Felton is teeing it up in the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club this week and chasing a prominent Order of Merit position on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
As for major winner and LPGA Tour star Green, she’s preparing to begin her 2024 season in Asia in a couple of weeks’ time.
The pair, who have been engaged for more than two years and conducted their relationship mainly from a distance, had 80 guests to their wedding in beautiful Yallingup, 250 kilometres south of Perth.
Su Oh, Green’s fellow LPGA Tour professional for the past few years and a constant travelling companion, was matron of honour.
“Nothing’s changed,” said Felton while practising at Rosebud yesterday for this week’s $250,000 mixed tournament.
“We were just trying to find the time when we could both do it and try to get everyone to come down. It was really good, lots of highlights.
“There were some happy tears. It was really good, but now it’s back on with the job. I had a couple of days being married, flew on Sunday night and now back to the grind.
“We’ll have a honeymoon eventually. Just need to find some time when we can do it.”
Felton, 28, is a four-time winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia but has not been at his best over the past 12 months, since he won the 2022 Players Series event in Sydney.
Having spent a few years on the Challenge Tour in Europe where he saw “the bad side of golf”, he is focusing on the domestic tour with its big rewards in the OOM race – top three getting DP World Tour cards and top 10 having access to tour schools overseas.
Felton has always been regarded as a pure ball-striker; he and coach Ritchie Smith have been working more on the mental side of the game. A T-11 finish in the Heritage Classic was an encouraging start to 2024.
“I’ve got some momentum coming into this week,” he said.
“I love the course. I was T-15 last year. “They’ve added some length out there. Nine’s about 50 further back, 16’s 50 further back. If the wind stays this way it’ll be really hard.
“I’ll be going to the USA around the middle of the year. Hannah’s schedule is full-on with the Olympics being in there, but I’ll try to get to Q-School at the end of the year and see how we go.
“I’m working on things and it’s getting better. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel kind of thing. I’ve been struggling for a year or so but I’m getting through to the other side of it, I think. I want to put some good results together and try to get another win.”
Rosebud is in pristine condition for this week’s fourth playing of the mixed event here.
Last week’s Webex Players Series Murray River winner Kazuma Kobori from New Zealand is at Rosebud along with most of the tour’s best players, along with the best of the WPGA Tour of Australasia who are playing on the same course for the same prize pool, $250,000.
Some of Australia’s top amateurs, including Australian Amateur winner Quinn Croker and women’s runner-up Amelia Harris, are also playing alongside the professionals in an event that is meant to draw the strands of golf together.
As is tradition in the Players Series events, there will also be an All Abilities championship and a Junior Players Series event over the weekend as well as a leg of the Australian Long Drive Championship.
Entry at Rosebud Country Club is free and the tournament is live over the weekend on Fox Sports and Kayo.
PHOTOS: Jarryd Felton is chasing his best form at Rosebud this week [top] and the happy couple last Friday [below].
