Hannah Green is off to a solid start in her debut appearance at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

Despite qualifying for the season-opening event at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club several times since becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Green has never teed it up in the year’s first tournament in Orlando, Fla. So, competing alongside several celebrities this week is a new experience for the Australian, one Green has been trying to make the most of while starting her 2025 LPGA Tour season for the first time in the Sunshine State.

“It's been really cool. Being my first time, I've seen things on social media about all the athletes and celebrities that come and play,” said Green. “To be here is a lot of fun. We get really looked after. Today, I played with Mike (Flaskey) and Rob (Cohen, one of the 10 amateur participants in the field). They were really fun to play with. Looking forward to seeing who I get paired with throughout the week.”

The 28-year-old posted a 2-under 70 on day one at Lake Nona, a round that saw her card two bogeys and four birdies, two of which came back-to-back on the par-4 1st and par-5 2nd holes. It was a good way for Green to kick off her eighth season on the LPGA Tour, and even though she is already quite a bit behind first-round leader A Lim Kim, who currently sits alone at the top after opening with a 7-under 65, the major champion is confident she can quickly make up ground over the next few days at Lake Nona.

“I felt like because I haven't played a lot of tournament golf, I wasn't quite at the same club head speed as I'm used to,” Green said. “I think because it was a little bit chillier than what I've been experiencing in Australia, I wasn't really sure how far the ball was traveling. Once the sun came out, I finally took my jumper off. I felt like I could swing a bit more freely and know how far the ball was going. I also rolled in a couple of really nice putts, so that was also helpful.”

Green had her first three-win LPGA Tour season in 2024, picking up her fourth, fifth and sixth career victories at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro and the BMW Ladies Championship, respectively. She also qualified to represent Australia at the Paris Olympics and finished in a tie for fourth at Le Golf National, just a couple of shots away from earning a spot on the podium.

Even though it was a banner year for her, Green’s success was eclipsed by the historic 2024 performances of both Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, who combined for 10 titles, two major championships, a gold medal and an entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame last season. But the Aussie isn’t too worried about that, more concerned with bringing the same consistency she had in 2024 to the 2025 season as she works to reach double-digit victories on the LPGA Tour.

“2024 was such a good year,” Green said. “I felt like I somewhat flew under the radar a little bit. I'm looking forward to coming to some events and defending and hopefully not putting too much pressure on myself. I'm still hungry to get more trophies in my cabinet.”

With 54 holes still to play at what can be a difficult venue, Green is looking forward to putting the pedal down over the next three days as she works to close the five-shot gap that currently stands between her and Kim after day one of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. And if she can clean up a couple of the small mistakes she made during the first round at Lake Nona, Green should be well on her way to contending for her seventh career LPGA Tour title in her 2025 debut.

“I think I got a lot out of my round. I did make a couple of bogeys but felt like I hit some good shots and putts,” Green said. “Overall, just to shoot 2-under, even though I am quite far back after round one, I still feel like I’m in a good position to have some good scores and hopefully a low weekend in some nice weather.”

Hannah Green Gets Off to Good Start in Orlando

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