The global golf scene kicks off in 2026 in Australia. The Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee will be the first tournament of the year counting towards the world ranking. The first and only one taking place this week. It starts on Thursday and ends on Sunday. It belongs to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, which is the main tour of the country located in our Antipodes.
It is a different, intriguing tournament with the special incentive of having a Spaniard competing. This is Samuel Espinosa, whose story we shared a few days ago on TenGolf. The golfer from Pedreña is set to debut his Australian card after six months of waiting due to bureaucratic issues. Not only is he going to play, but he needs to perform well to be able to play the rest of the year on the Australian tour. He is only guaranteed this tournament and the Vic Open next week.
As we mentioned, it is a different tournament. The Webex Series Players were created on the Australian tour in 2021 with the aim of having women and men compete together in the same tournament. Yes, they are mixed championships. It is the same course for both, same trophy, etc… The only difference is the tees. Obviously, the women face a shorter course.
This is the second edition of this tournament in Perth sponsored by the Lee siblings, undoubtedly the most media-savvy stars in Australian golf at the moment, especially Minjee, a Major winner. In 2025 the victory went to Jordan Doull, who defeated Haydn Barron in a playoff. A total of 144 players participate in the tournament, and after the second round, a cut will be made with the top 50 and ties. The prize fund is 250,000 Australian dollars. It is clear that money is not the main motivation for Samuel Espinosa to travel to the other side of the world to play golf. It is about gaining experience and starting to test himself on the best tours in the world. He finished university in May 2024.
The tournament is held at the Royal Fremantle Golf Club, a course inaugurated in 1905. That’s what the west coast of Australia offers. You kick a stone and find twenty centenary courses. Minjee Lee, Craig Perry, winner of THE PLAYERS, and Greg Chalmers have emerged from this course.
In addition to Samuel Espinosa, notable participants include players like Andrew Johnston, who has received an invitation, Brett Rumford, Connor McKinney, Ryan Peake, as well as players of the calibre of Kirsten Rudgeley, one of the leading golfers on the Ladies European Tour in 2025.
