Big Performances Decide Finals Day for Phillip Island Pro QS 4000

CAPE WOOLAMAI, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) – Finals Day has been locked in for the World Surf League (WSL) Phillip Island Pro Qualifying Series (QS) 4000 event after a full day of competition in large and unruly four-to-six-foot surf at Cape Woolamai. Men’s Round of 32 and Round of 16, along with women’s Round of 16, were completed to determine Quarterfinalists in both divisions.

As the final event of the season for both the Asia and Australia/Oceania regions, Challenger Series (CS) qualification was on the line for many of the surfers competing today. By day’s end, the qualifiers for women for Australia/Oceania and men for Asia were confirmed.

Though final placings will be determined tomorrow, Lucy Darragh (AUS) guaranteed the women’s Australia/Oceania QS regional title for herself, with reigning WSL World Junior Champion Isla Huppatz (AUS), Charli Hately(AUS) and Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie (AUS) all confirmed for the 2026/2027 Challenger Series. For the Asia region, Bronson Meydi (INA) claimed the QS title, with Kei Kobayashi (JPN), Dylan Wilcoxen (INA), Ketut Agus (INA) and Riaru Ito (JPN) each set for next season’s CS.

After earning two big QS 6000 wins in 2025, Darragh was always going to be tough to knock from the No. 1 position for Australia/Oceania. The 15-year-old continued her run today with yet another Quarterfinals berth for the season. Taking out the opening heat of the women’s Round of 16 largely thanks to a 7.25 (out of a possible 10) for a massive backhand hook on her first wave, the NSW South Coaster was relishing in the size and continues to be surprised at her position atop the rankings.

“I’m so stoked, it’s so good to have some swell finally,” Darragh said. “There’s a good bank, a couple of big sections, looking forward to the next couple heats. It feels pretty surreal, honestly, sitting at the top of the rankings. I’m just doing this one for a bit of fun and to get some practice in. Hopefully, I can drop some big scores. Phillip Island is such a beautiful place, so many things to see, and the waves are amazing too.”

One surfer who was not in contention for CS qualification, but is looking for a big result in Phillip Island nonetheless is Ruby Trew (AUS). The Olympian, who represented Australia for skateboarding in Tokyo 2020, delivered a pair of rides in the 8-point range on the back of huge backhand hits in critical sections. Trew’s 16.50 two-wave total set the scale for the women’s division as the highest of the event so far.

“I had nothing to lose,” Trew said. “I was versing Sai [Maniwa], Ziggy [Aloha Mackenzie] and Willow [Hardy], and they’re all ripping. I knew what I was up against. Phillip Island, it’s always fun down here, stoked to get through another round. This is my first year on the QS, I did all the events and it’s a bit of an experience going halfway across the world and having this pressure to get through your heats and stuff. But finishing up here in Phillip Island, it’s a good feeling. It was my first time down here last year and I had a pretty good result, so I’m just hoping to back it up this year again.”

Behind Trew, a major battle in the CS qualification race played out when Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie (AUS) powered through a major buzzer-beating forehand hit to advance into the Quarterfinals and knock Willow Hardy (AUS) out of position in the process. With Mackenzie holding the final qualification spot, Hardy, who won the Phillip Island Pro Junior yesterday, was the only remaining surfer capable of knocking her out of CS contention.

The qualification race continues for women from the Asia region, with Sara Wakita (JPN) advancing to her fifth consecutive Finals Day. After Minami Nonaka (JPN) was eliminated in the Round of 32, Wakita now needs to make the Final in order to move into Nonaka’s place at No. 3 on the rankings and claim the final CS position for the region.

Though now out of contention to retain her place on the CS, Mirai Ikeda(JPN) posted the highest single-wave score of the event for the women, a 9.00, courtesy of an extremely critical forehand hit on a huge section to advance into the Quarterfinals. Current No. 2, Anon Matsuoka (JPN) also progressed, continuing a strong season that also saw her claim the regional junior title.

The Australia/Oceania men’s CS qualification race remains the most hotly contested, with six men vying for the four remaining positions. After experiencing a major knee injury near the season’s start, 2023 World Junior Champion Jarvis Earle (AUS) has been on a long road of recovery and now sits knocking on the door of holding onto his place on the CS. Earle earned two heat wins today, posting an excellent 8.00 in the Round of 16 on his way to booking a place in his first Quarterfinal since close to the start of the season.

“I managed to snag a couple in some tricky conditions and get through that one,” Earle said. “First Finals Day in probably almost a year since I hurt myself. I’m just frothing to be a part of it again. It’s kind of an interesting one, to be honest, because I got second in the first event at Krui, then obviously injured myself in Korea, and then got back just in time for this last one. I’m just stoked I’ve got a chance to compete again and get a shot at that spot. I’m not really too focused on [the Challenger Series], just stoked to be surfing again in the rashie, and hopefully I get the job done while doing that.”

Two surfers sitting in fairly comfortable positions on the rankings, Harley Walters (AUS) and Dane Henry (AUS), posted big numbers on their road to Quarterfinal berths. Alister Reginato (AUS) and Xavier Huxtable (AUS) also progressed together to keep their campaigns alive. Meanwhile, Ben Lorentson (AUS) hangs in the balance after being eliminated in the final heat of the day, waiting on tomorrow’s results to learn what the rest of his year might look like.

The 2026 Phillip Island Pro QS 4000 and Pro Junior events will run at Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island, Bass Coast From February 26 to March 4, 2026. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.