The two-day event is one of the richest on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule and has drawn a field to match.

Winners on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia such as Brad Kennedy, Deyen Lawson, Jordan Zunic and Daniel Gale have all returned from international tours to tee it up alongside established names including defending champion Michael Sim, Marcus Fraser, Matthew Millar, Sam Brazel and Aaron Pike and stars of tomorrow including Barbieri, Lawry Flynn and Cameron John.

Barbieri was just months into his professional career when he finished second to Doug Klein at Redcliffe in 2021.

Wins seemed a matter of formality, but it has taken the New South Welshman almost three years to find a formula for success.

Following the heartbreak of failing to retain full playing rights at the season-ending tournament at The National, Barbieri chose to attend Qualifying School a fortnight later to potentially improve his status.

He won, and although not an official tour event, claims it as his first as a pro.

“I count it as a win, I got paid for it,” he said on Wednesday.

It may prove to be a significant moment in his career, given not only did it solidify his place in the biggest events of the coming season but showed what it took to win as a professional.

And he didn’t stop there.

On a stint playing the Pro-Am Series in Western Australia, Barbieri teamed up with Josh Greer to win the WA PGA Foursomes Championship, edged Curtis Luck at the Cottesloe Open and shot 7-under to win the Sun City Pro-Am.

“It was a monkey off the back,” Barbieri admitted.

“Everyone believes they can do it and then once you do it, it’s a great feeling.

“It’s just the confidence it builds for yourself. You know you can do it and you just keep pushing.

“I was playing well at Cottesloe and then I sort of stalled a bit and I honestly said, ‘I’m not letting this happen again.’

“I’ve had it too many times. I just said in the back of my mind, I don’t want this to happen again. I just need to do this. I need to finish it off and get a win.”

Full of confidence in his game, Barbieri also arrives at Redcliffe with good thoughts about the golf course.

He fired matching 65s to finish one back of Sim last year and said the test that the course provides feeds into the way he likes to play the game.

“You’ve got to hit every shot, for sure,” said Barbieri, part of the John Serhan coaching stable.

“There’s nine holes right-to-left and nine left-to-right and there are a couple of tricky greens that are elevated.

“I just find it really enjoyable to play. You can get some low numbers and the field this year is as good as a Tour event so it should be good.”

Given the quality of field and that the start of the 2024-2025 season is now less than a month away, Barbieri is viewing this year’s Redcliffe Pro-Am as a platform to build on over the course of the year.

“I wasn’t going to originally go to Q School but sort of took a chance and backed myself and it came out good,” said Barbieri, who has entered to play the PNG Open from August 15-18.

“Hopefully this season’s a good one, maybe grab a couple wins and push for that Order of Merit spot.”

Round 1 draw