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Guy Wall treated himself to a well-deserved glass of Grange after some advice he received from an old friend helped him secure a two-shot win in the Wyong Austbrokers Central Coast Legends Pro Am.
In ideal weather conditions for the Wyong Golf Club’s first PGA Legends Tour event, Wall was one of just three players to break par, shooting a 3-under 68 to beat Paul Gow and Ben Jackson by two shots to claim his second victory for 2023.
His first win came at Hanmer Springs in New Zealand in February.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
It was a rush of late birdies, inspired by the words of the late Glenn Joyner, which grabbed the victory for Wall.
After starting out on the 18th hole on a course that he said resembled his home layout of Pymble, Wall was sitting at even-par with one birdie and one bogey on his card in his first 13 holes.
It was then that some inspiration from Joyner kicked in. He strung together four straight birdies from the 13th to the 16th before giving a shot back at his last hole, the short par-three 17th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I remember my mate Glenn Joyner telling me once ‘if you’re having a bad round, you can always birdie the last five’ and I thought to myself ‘alright that’s what I’m going to do’,” Wall said.
“To come out today and finish it off the way I did was very pleasing. Four birdies in the last five was an awesome achievement.
“I would have loved to have finished it with five just for him (Joyner).”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-3 (68): Guy Wall
-1 (70): Paul Gow, Ben Jackson
Even (71): Lucas Bates, Marcus Peterson, Peter Woodward, Chris Taylor, John Onions, David Diaz.
NEXT UP
The Shelley Beach Legends Pro-Am at Shelley Beach Golf Club tomorrow will conclude a busy week on the Central Coast and Hunter.
The PGA Legends Tour experienced a first-time winner with Brad Cumming snaring the Toronto Legends Pro-Am in the Tour’s first visit to the Toronto Country Club.
After teeing off in the morning wave at 7am and then having to wait to see if his round of 3-under 67 would hold up as the best score of the day, Cumming emerged with a two-shot margin ahead of the previous day’s winner in Maitland, Adam Henwood, and Paul Powell.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
There were good signs early for Cumming who hit a nine-iron approach to inside a metre on his first hole, the 14th, to snare an opening birdie.
The Queenslander made it to 5-under for the day, with six birdies, before back-to-back bogeys on his final two holes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“This is the first win I’ve had in a pro event since I won Q-school all those years ago,” Cumming said.
“I was very nervous during the day. It was up and down, up and down. Every beer actually made the waiting much better.
“The wind did blow up a bit in the afternoon, but I wanted it to blow a bit harder. I was sitting in the clubhouse and saw it was blowing a bit so that was really good.”
“I holed a couple of putts, the greens were pure and everyone’s had a great time being here.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-3 (67): Brad Cumming
-1 (69): Paul Powell, Adam Henwood
Even (70): Peter Lonard, Brad Burns
NEXT UP
A busy week concludes with the Magenta Realty Legends Pro-Am at Magenta Shores on Thursday and the Shelley Beach Legends Pro-Am at Shelley Beach Golf Club on Friday.
Photo: Toronto Legends Pro-Am winner Brad Cumming and Toronto Golf Club head professional Darren Green
The Sydney stop on the Webex Players Series will have a new host venue this summer with Castle Hill Country Club returning to the PGA Tour of Australasia’s itinerary in 2024.
After three years at Bonnie Doon Golf Club, Webex Players Series Sydney hosted by Braith Anasta has been locked in at Castle Hill in the city’s north-west for an initial two-year period.
The first edition at Castle Hill will be staged from February 8-11, carry $250,000 in prizemoney and will be the fourth of five Webex Players Series events in the Summer of Golf.
Now in its fourth year, the Webex Players Series is an innovative series of tournaments that sees male and female professionals, elite amateurs, and All-Abilities golfers, lining up in the one field on the same golf course.
While they play off different tees according to their gender, the PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia professionals are vying for the same trophy and prizemoney.
Castle Hill has a rich history in hosting men’s professional golf, dating back to 1968, including being a host venue for the Australian PGA Championship, NSW Open, NSW PGA and Canon Challenge.
However it will be the club’s first time as a WPGA Tour of Australasia tournament venue.
PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relations Nick Dastey said: “Castle Hill has proven to be a great venue for tournament golf with a distinguished list of past champions.
“We’re very much looking forward to again partnering with the club, and a big lover of golf in Braith Anasta, with Webex Players Series Sydney.”
WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said: “There’s a huge golfing audience in Sydney’s north-west who haven’t had their own tournament in their own backyard for some time.
“Webex Player Series Sydney is going to be a great opportunity to see our best women and men in action together at the same time on the high-quality test that Castle Hill will provide.”
Castle Hill Country Club General Manager Brenden Ellam, said: “We pride ourselves on being a championship venue, and we are thrilled to bring the best of Australasia’s golfing talent back to our Club.
“In 2019, our course underwent improvements, and we have commenced a re-modelling of the members lounge and balcony areas.
“We are keen to showcase these exceptional golfing and hospitality experiences for the tournament.”
Webex Players Series Sydney champions
2023: David Micheluzzi (Vic)
2022: Jarryd Felton (WA)
2021: Andrew Martin (Vic)
Previous professional tournament winners at Castle Hill Country Club:
1968 NSW PGA: Billy Dunk
1969 NSW PGA: Billy Dunk
1970 NSW PGA: Billy Dunk
1985 Australian PGA: Greg Norman
1986 Australian PGA: Mike Harwood
1993 Canon Challenge: Michael Campbell
1994 Canon Challenge: Peter Senior
2000 Canon Challenge: Paul Gow
2001 Canon Challenge: David Smail
2013 NSW Open: Aron Price
Adam Henwood capitalised on a “bizarre” round that included an albatross and eagle in a three-hole stretch to capture the New Era Technology Easts Legends Charity Pro Am in Maitland.
A round of 5-under 66 gave the Victorian a one-shot margin in his second SParms PGA Legends Tour victory for 2023 following on from a win at The Stirling Golf Club in South Australia.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Starting his day on the 12th hole, Henwood grabbed birdies in three of his first four holes but it was when he arrived at the 464m par-5 fourth that his round really came to life.
He holed his seven-wood second shot from 207m to a tight pin position for a rare albatross, then slipped up with a bogey on the fifth, before sensationally chipping in for a two after a long drive on the 305m par-4 sixth.
At one point, he’d just had just 16 putts in 13 holes.
A bogey on the final hole didn’t end up being costly.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was a comedy. It was a very strange round. I had an albatross and an eagle in a three-hole stretch,” Henwood said.
“I drove it like a champion but couldn’t get an iron anywhere near the green and had a couple of chip-ins as well.
“It was a bizarre round. I probably couldn’t play worse but I couldn’t drive it better and couldn’t chip better.
“It all added up to 66 and a win so I couldn’t be happier about it.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-5: Adam Henwood
-4: Andre Stolz, Grahame Stinson, David Fearns
NEXT UP
The Legends are heading to the NSW Central Coast for the Wyong Legends Pro-Am at Wyong Golf Club tomorrow (Wednesday) followed by the Magenta Realty Legends Pro-Am at Magenta Shores on Thursday and the Shelley Beach Legends Pro-Am at Shelley Beach Golf Club on Friday.
After spending more than a decade proving how golf can flourish in the desert, Simon Payne dived straight into the flood fightback effort of Moree Golf Club.
The contrast is striking for the PGA Member of more than 20 years and now General Manager of the popular golfing hub in northern New South Wales.
Water and golf, right? You can’t live with too much and you can’t live without it.
Payne, 51, has embraced his new opportunity after 17 years in the United Arab Emirates where he transitioned from Head Golf Professional to General Manager at the Tower Links Golf Club.
The Brisbane-bred GM’s enthusiastic style is already proving a good fit with a club built around strong community links and a loyal player base in Moree.
“The course and the pro shop were metres under water in the big floods last year. This is a recovery story that beggars belief and built on a strong volunteer group and staff who have done an amazing job,” said Payne.
The culmination of that volunteer labour was on full display when the club last week hosted the two-day $25,000 LDC Moree Legends Pro-Am won by Euan Walters and Tim Elliott.
It was the first time that Moree Golf Club had hosted a PGA Legends Tour event and Payne was justifiably proud of the way the club not only presented the course but the welcome the field of Legends received.
“The 17th is a wonderful par 3, just 140 metres or so over the Mehi River to a postcard green framed by gums,” Payne said of the course’s signature hole.
“The course was in top shape and we were so excited to be able to show it off.”
Payne has only been in the GM’s job since March and admitted the sudden change of scenery hit him.
“It still spins me out. I’m seeing this green-ness again, the maturity of the gums, the sounds of kookaburras and galahs,” he said.
Payne’s golf journey began as a junior at Pine Rivers Golf Club in Brisbane before embarking on his PGA training at the now-defunct Gold Coast Country Club at Helensvale.
He picked up pro-am wins at Horton Park and Pioneer Valley on Queensland’s old “Troppo Tour” as well as Torquay in Victoria and Adelaide Shores more than two decades ago.
Jumping out of his comfort zone was a big attraction of the UAE. His exit strategy had a very Aussie flavour.
“I flew out the day after the 2005 Melbourne Cup. I’d bought a $20 mystery trifecta at the Hamilton Hotel (near Eagle Farm Racecourse) on race day,” Payne still recalls with a smile. “It got up – Makybe Diva and the placegetters – so I picked up $3,500.”
He packed his game for his first stint as head pro at Dubai Country Club because he was sharp enough to earn the UAE PGA Order of Merit three times and represent the UAE PGA in a team competition in Spain.
But the golf culture that comes so naturally to Australians was not always so obvious in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah near the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
“It was a wonderful set-up at Tower Links (one hour up the highway from Dubai International Airport). It was basically the private course of the Sheikh and everything was very well maintained on the edge of a mangrove reserve,” Payne said.
“Some locals would drive their Landcruisers onto the 17th fairway and set out a picnic rug for lunch during a comp. They had no concept it was a golf course.
“They saw it as a big green oasis. Like the guys who’d turn up with their falcons to train them, nothing was done disrespectfully.”
When the time came to return to Australia, Payne was made aware of an opportunity through an old mate and former Head Professional at Moree, David Wright.
He’s quickly connected to the community feel of Moree Golf Club and new Head Professional Darren Burger.
Working side-by-side with Burger, Payne is hoping to initiate a five-hole loop of night golf from shortened tees to the greens around the clubhouse.
“We see it as a way to get more ladies interested in the game with a casual 45 minutes on course with two or three clubs,” Payne said.
It was a Sunday of seconds for Australian golfers competing around around the world, with a total of five runner-up finishes in tournaments in Asia and the United States.
Minjee Lee and Travis Smyth were second in Asia – Lee losing a playoff on the Korean LPGA Tour, while Smyth came close to repeating as champion on the Asian Tour at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei.
Curtis Luck produced his best showing of 2023 to end in a three-way tie for second in the Korn Ferry Tour event, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Classic, to boost his chances of grabbing a PGA TOUR card, while Robyn Choi recorded a T2 in the Epson Tour’s Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout.
In the LIV Golf event in Chicago, Marc Leishman showed a return to form to finish equal second – his best LIV result – one shot behind America’s Bryson De Chambeau.
In the Hana Financial Group Championship, home star Lee Da-yeon outlasted Lee with a birdie on the third extra hole at Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club, forcing the world No.7 to settle for her second runner-up finish in the KRW1.5 billion event. Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit was the first player to be eliminated during the three-way playoff at the par-four 18th after she posted a bogey.
The title might have been Lee’s on the next hole, but the West Australian missed a short par-putt to send the playoff to the third extra hole where Da-yeon ultimately prevailed with a superb 20-footer to claim her eighth title of her KLPGA Tour career.
Da Yeon, Lee, and Tavatanakit closed with 69, 70, and 68, respectively earlier in the day, finishing at the top of the leaderboard on matching eight-under-par 280 totals for the tournament.
Smyth was bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the Yeangder TPC title, but ended up falling three strokes short as Thailand’s Poom Saksansin triumphed on 24-under-par after closing with a 6-under 66 at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club.
Smyth finished with a bogey-free 67, while Douglas Klein was the next best Australian in a tie for ninth at 16-under.
“I love this place and I think this course likes me as well,” Smyth said.
“I hit in the trees a couple times and got some lucky kicks back into the fairway and that sort of thing.
“It’s funny, you know, because I came here before I won and I hated it. I played terrible.”
In Ohio, Luck climbed from 13th after the third round to a share of second place with a closing 67 to be four shots behind the winner, American Norman Xiong,
Luck’s next stop will be the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship on October 5-8 where PGA TOUR cards will be awarded to the top 30 finishers on the end-of-season points list.
He has climbed to 47th position in the Korn Ferry standings, while fellow Aussie Rhein Gibson missed the cut in Ohio and dropped from 29th place to 36th. Brett Drewitt, who failed to qualify for the weekend play by a single shot, will come into the finale in 39th.
Robyn Choi’s runner-up finish in Arkansas lifted her to 16th place on the Epson Tour points standings, in sight of the top 10 who gain LPGA Tour cards at the end of the season, with two tournaments remaining.
In the LIV Golf event in Chicago, former Australian PGA champion Jed Morgan had a share of the lead after the first round of 5-under but fell away to a tie for 37th place.
Leishman, who shot 66, took second-place points via a better final-round score than Anirban Lahiri, who shot 69.
“Just really enjoying the golf at the moment,” Leishman said. “Happy with the week.”
DP World Tour
Cazoo Open de France
Le Golf National, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
1 Ryo Hisatsune (JPN) 66-69-69-66—270 €518,780.37
T64 Min Woo Lee 69-69-78-75—291 €7781.71
MC Ryan Fox (NZ) 75-68
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 72-71
MC Blake Windred 74-76
Asian Tour
Yeangder TPC
Linkou International Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei
1 Poom Saksansin (THA) 68-66-64-66—264 $US135,000
2 Travis Smyth 65-67-68-67—267 $82,500
T9 Douglas Klein 69-68-67-68—272 $14,487.50
T27 Jack Thompson 67-66-70-75—278 $6600
T43 Terry Pilkadaris 71-70-72-68—281 $4181.25
T47 Josh Younger 66-71-74-71—282 $3675
65 Tom Power-Horan 68-71-76-73—288 $2100
MC Kevin Yuan 73-69
MC Jack Murdoch 72-71
WD Nick Voke (NZ) 73
Japan Golf Tour
Panasonic Open Golf Championship
Onotoyo Golf Club, Hyogo
1 Tomoharu Otsuki 69-66-67-66—268 ¥20,000,000
T34 Adam Bland 68-72-70-71—281 ¥540,000
MC Dylan Perry 69-74
MC Andrew Evans 72-72
MC Brad Kennedy 74-70
MC Brendan Jones 74-72
Korean LPGA Tour
Hana Financial Group Championship
Bear’s Best Cheongna, Incheon
1 Lee Da-yeon (KOR) 280
T2 Minjee Lee 280
Korn Ferry Tour
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
Ohio State University Golf Club (Scarlet Cse), Columbus, Ohio
1 Norman Xiong (USA) 69-67-71-67—274 $US270,000
T2 Curtis Luck 72-70-70-65—278
MC Brett Drewitt 74-72
MC Rhein Gibson 74-76
MC Dimi Papadatos 77-75
Epson Tour
Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
Mystic Creek Golf Club, El Dorado, Arkansas
1 Natasha Andrea Oon (MYS) 67-70-69—206
T2 Robyn Choi 67-73-69—209
T47 Hira Naveed 75-73-74—222
MC Cassie Porter 73-77
DQ Amelia Garvey 72-81
Champions Tour
PURE Insurance Championship
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California
1 Thongchai Jaidee (THA)70-65-67—202 US$345,000
T5 Steven Alker 68-69-70—207
T11 Rod Pampling 70-70-70—210
T35 Mark Hensby 72-73-71—216
T41 John Senden 70-71-76—217
T41 Richard Green 68-78-71—217
MC Stuart Appleby 76-72
MC David McKenzie 76-76
Victorian pair Tim Elliott and Euan Walters held their nerve longest to earn a share of victory at the inaugural LDC Moree Legends Pro-Am at Moree Golf Club.
Only one player broke 70 across the two days of competition, the firm greens not only making the putts slick but punishing any player who ventured through the back edge.
Elliott, four-time PGA Legends Tour winner Mark Boulton, Simon Tooman and Andy Rogers entered day two with a share of the lead after rounds of 2-under 70 on Thursday.
Elliott began his second round with a dropped shot at the par-5 18th as Yamba Legends Pro-Am champion Andre Stolz made his move.
Two back at the start of Round 2, Stolz found himself with a one-shot lead after two early birdies.
He would remain with at least a share of the lead through the next four holes before a triple bogey at the par-4 14th sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.
He responded with a birdie at the very next hole but despite an eagle and a birdie late, a bogey at his final hole would ultimately leave Stolz one shot shy.
Birdies at three, eight and nine ensured Elliott would stay near the top of the leaderboard, a bogey at his third-last hole seeing him sign for an even par 72 and 2-under total.
“I found the course very difficult. The greens were very firm,” said Elliott.
“I went over a couple of greens early on in my round and learnt that you don’t go over the back unless you want to take bogey.
“I just kept playing. I don’t let too much worry me. I made three or four more birdies and then of course made a bogey on my third-last hole on the par 5 which wasn’t much chop.”
Starting the day two shots adrift, Walters’ hopes looked to have taken a dive when he made a double-bogey six on the third hole of his second round.
But that would be his only miss-step, showing wonderful control of his ball to birdie 10, 11, 14 and 17 and match Elliott’s score of 2-under.
Stolz and Murray Lott (70) shared third spot with Tooman (74) and Roland Baglin (72) tied for fifth at even par.
Many of Australia’s leading golfers, including Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Marc Leishman and Gabi Ruffels, will be on full display to the Victorian golfing public this December, with the second edition of the Cathedral Invitational announced today.
Golf fans can once again enjoy one of Australia’s most prestigious and exclusive golfing experiences, with the tournament to be held at the Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club in Thornton from December 5-6.
Several leading and emerging Australian golfing names have already committed to participate in the 2023 Cathedral Invitational. Alongside Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Marc Leishman and Gabi Ruffels will be inaugural 2022 Cathedral Invitational champion Nick Flanagan and Webex Players Series Murray River winner Sarah Jane Smith.
The Cathedral Invitational will be played as a 36-hole event over two days, competing over scaled tees with one overall winner walking away with the $100,000 first prize.
The tournament offers an inclusive fan opportunity, with an inside the ropes experience not usually available with the calibre of players participating in the event.
It is the only opportunity to witness the skill of Australia’s best golfers in Victoria for the remainder of the year, with the Australian Open, and the Australian PGA Championship held in Sydney and Brisbane.
Additionally, it will provide a rare opportunity for the general public to attend the Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club and enjoy its prestigious surroundings.
Adam Scott said:
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to Victoria for the 2023 Cathedral Invitational. It was such a great experience last year and a fun environment to play in. Cathedral Lodge is a remarkable venue, and I can’t wait to compete there again.”
Marc Leishman said:
“I can’t wait to come back to play in the 2023 Cathedral Invitational after a great experience last year. It is always exciting to get back to Victoria, and a great opportunity for golf fans to soak up the atmosphere of a magnificent course and see the game up close.”
Gabi Ruffels said:
“I’m excited to return to Victoria and be a part of the 2023 Cathedral Invitational, The event is a unique opportunity for fans to get up close with the best male and female golfers in Australia. Last year was a real thrill for me to play alongside Adam Scott, and I look forward to doing it all again and competing against some of Australia’s best players.”
David Evans (Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club Founder) said:
“We believe the Cathedral Invitational is a unique opportunity to showcase some of Australia’s greatest golfing talent in an up close and relaxed environment. Having someone of Cam’s ability commit to play demonstrates the growth of this tournament, alongside the return of Adam, Marc and Gabi. We look forward to hosting this unique tournament, welcoming fans to the Cathedral Lodge and Golf Club, and providing a golfing experience not to be forgotten, in addition to raising money for the Adam Scott Foundation supporting education for disadvantaged youth in regional Victoria.”
Tickets for the 2023 edition of the Cathedral Invitational are available from Ticketek.
Further information on the tournament is available at www.cathedralinvitational.com.au.
Australia has completed an undefeated final day to claim the Four Nations Cup for the first time at Moonah Links on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Trailing the PGA of South Africa team by just half a point through the opening two days, PGA of Australia captain Scott Laycock rallied his troops with a simple message on the eve of the final fourball matches: Win both and we can’t lose.
Facing the PGA of Australia International team for the third day of competition, TJ King and Jayden Cripps both recorded convincing wins in their singles matches as Laycock and Brad McLellan each grabbed half a point with halved matches.
With South Africa securing only 1.5 points in their morning singles against the PGA of New Zealand, that gave Australia a one-point lead moving into the afternoon fourballs.
Sticking with the same combinations that yielded two wins against New Zealand the day prior, Laycock and McLellan wrapped up a full point with a dominant 6&5 win over Lee Owens and Mostyn Farmer.
That put Australia two points ahead with three matches still on course, King and Cripps closing out a win for the home nation with a 2&1 win over David Tapping and Gavin Coyle.
The only member of the team who played 12 months ago in South Africa, King finished the week with five points from six matches and is now undefeated in six singles matches across both stagings of the Four Nations Cup.
“It’s hard to say but it feels pretty cool. Bloody cool,” said King, who sealed the win with a par putt on the 17th hole.
“Especially after last year and coming up one short… but to do it with these boys, this week is just unreal.
“We knew we had to come out and win convincingly and to not lose a match on the last day is pretty special.”
After completing their victory, Laycock and McLellan joined King and Cripps on the 12th hole to lend moral support for the final stretch.
Two holes earlier, it was Cripps who delivered the putt that turned momentum the way of the home side.
“We were square through nine holes and on 10 Jayden holed a 10-foot par putt to keep it square,” said King.
“We really rode off the back of that. Won 12 and then a couple more holes straight after that so that was definitely the change in momentum right there.
“You can build just as much momentum from halving a hole as you can from winning a hole with a birdie.
“That definitely worked for us.”
With the see-sawing nature of the match ahead, South Africa held out hope heading into the back nine of their matches against New Zealand that they could draw level on the points tally with two wins of their own.
They needed King and Cripps to win only half a point to be a chance but ultimately lost both of their matches to finish third, New Zealand surging into second spot with a 4.5-point haul on the final day.
The focus now for King turns to the PGA Professionals National Championship at The Heritage Golf and Country Club from October 17-19 and a top-two finish that would earn a third Four Nations Cup berth.
Final standings Total W H L
Australia 12.5 11 3 4
New Zealand 11.0 10 2 6
South Africa 9.5 9 1 8
Australia International 3.0 2 2 14
Caption: The victorious PGA of Australia team of Jayden Cripps, TJ King, Scott Laycock and Brad McLellan. Photo: Monica Marchesani
Aussie pair Rhein Gibson and Brett Drewitt have two weeks to lock up 2024 PGA TOUR cards as the race for the Korn Ferry Tour’s top 30 approaches its climax.
Gibson, Drewitt, Curtis Luck and Dimi Papadatos are all in the field for this week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Ohio, a tournament that Luck won three years ago.
The third of four Korn Ferry Tour Finals events, there are implications for every player in the field.
The top 30 at the completion of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in two weeks’ time earn PGA TOUR status for next year, an increase on 25 from past years.
With two events left to play, Gibson is in 29th position while Drewitt is 32nd on 746.624 points, less than eight points behind 30th-placed Wilson Furr.
When he was victorious at the Astara Golf Championship in Colombia in February, Gibson moved to third on the season-long points list.
He solidified that position with a tie for 10th two months later at the Astara Chile Classic but has had just two top-10 finishes since, the most recent a tie for 10th at the NV5 Invitational in July.
Drewitt’s position has also slid since his blistering start to the season.
The New South Welshman had four top-four finishes in his first six starts of the year, his best a second-place finish at the Veritex Bank Championship in April.
He has missed 15 of 17 cuts since, however, with a best finish in that time a tie for 47th at the Visit Knoxville Open.
For Luck and Papadatos, the immediate concern is to lock in their status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024.
The top 75 at the end of this week advance to the Tour Championship and secure full status for 2024, Luck (61st) and Papadatos (64th) seemingly comfortably inside that number.
Elsewhere this week, Travis Smyth defends his Yeangder TPC title on the Asian Tour, Minjee Lee is chasing a maiden win on the Korean LPGA Tour at the Hana Financial Group Championship and six Aussies are teeing it up at Pebble Beach for the PURE Insurance Championship on the Champions Tour.
For Smyth, the return to Linkou International Golf and Country Club sees fond memories accompany a strong season to date.
The 28-year-old Sydneysider has six top-20s with a best finish third at the World City Championship in Hong Kong, a result that earned him a maiden start at The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
“All the memories of the win have come flooding back this week,” said Smyth.
“I played nine holes and remembered every shot I hit on the back nine in the final round last year.
“It’s really good to be back and have no lock down situation like last year. We are free to roam the city and go out to restaurants, so I am really looking forward to this week.
“It was a great boost to my confidence,” he said of his win last year.
“It did me a world of good. I have had a solid season; got off to good start in Saudi; I have played solid in The International Series; I played my first Major this year, thanks to the Hong Kong event; had a bunch of top 10s and a lot of solid play. I am happy with where the game is at.”
Runner-up in 2021, Lee is out to make amends after missing the cut at the Hana Financial Group Championship a year ago.
It is the fourth time she has played the event which comes with the added pressure of being sponsored by one of her personal sponsors.
“There’s going to be extra pressure as you always want to win a tournament where your sponsor is involved,” said Lee, who won her ninth LPGA Tour title a fortnight ago at the Kroger Queen City Championship.
“As a LPGA player, we do not have too many opportunities to play and have a chance to win here in Korea.
“But having said that, the level of competition on the KLPGA is indeed very strong and it certainly measures up to the LPGA.
“As for myself, I’m coming in with a lot more confidence and I hope to show that winning form again this week.”
Round 1 tee times AEST
DP World Tour
Cazoo Open de France
Le Golf National, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
4.20pm* Tom Kim, Ryan Fox (NZ), Guido Migliozzi
9.10pm Rasmus Hojgaard, Jorge Campillo, Daniel Hillier (NZ)
9.20pm Robert MacIntyre, Min Woo Lee, Victor Perez
9.20pm* Gunner Wiebe, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia, Blake Windred
Defending champion: Guido Migliozzi
Past Aussie winners: Greg Norman (1980), Robert Allenby (1996)
TV times: 9.30pm-2.30am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 9.30pm-2.30am Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 9.30pm-2am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 9pm-2am Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo Sport.
Asian Tour
Yeangder TPC
Linkou International Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei
9.10am Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Alex Ching, Kevin Yuan
9.20am Jeev Milkha Singh, Terry Pilkadaris, Pawin Ingkhapradit
9.30am* Travis Smyth, Chan Shih-chang, Gaganjeet Bhullar
9.40am Natipong Srithong, Chen Yi-tong, Jack Thompson
10am Harrison Gilbert-Wong, Rahil Gangjee, Jaewoong Eom
10.20am KP Lin, Tom Power-Horan, Wang Wei-hsuan
1.45pm* Mardan Mamat, Huang Chi, Jack Murdoch
1.55pm* Josh Younger, Ben Leong, Kao Teng
2.25pm* Ajeetesh Sandhu, Chapchai Nirat, Ben Campbell (NZ)
2.45pm* Settee Prakongvech, Douglas Klein, Lin Yung-lung
2.55pm Dodge Kemmer, Lien Lu-sen, Nick Voke (NZ)
Defending champion: Travis Smyth
Aussie winners: Travis Smyth (2022)
Japan Golf Tour
Panasonic Open Golf Championship
Onotoyo Golf Club, Hyogo
8.35am Taiki Yoshida, Akio Sadakata, Brendan Jones
9.05am Shintaro Kobayashi, Yosuke Tsukada, Brad Kennedy
12.20pm* Aoki Takano, Shinji Tomimura, Andrew Evans
12.30pm Kota Kaneko, Ren Yonezawa, Adam Bland
1.40pm Dylan Perry, Kazuya Koura, Shiso Go
Defending champion: Taiga Semikawa
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Korean LPGA Tour
Hana Financial Group Championship
Bear’s Best Cheongna, Incheon
12pm Ye Won Lee, Ji Young Park, Lydia Ko (NZ)
12.10pm Su Ji Kim, Da Som Ma, Minjee Lee
Defending champion: Su Ji Kim
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 3pm-6pm Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 3pm-6pm Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 2pm-5pm Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 2pm-5.30pm Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo Sport.
Korn Ferry Tour
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
Ohio State University Golf Club (Scarlet Cse), Columbus, Ohio
9.40pm* Roger Sloan, Nicholas Lindheim, Brett Drewitt
10.02pm* Rhein Gibson, Taylor Dickson, Chris Gotterup
2.20am* Chan Kim, Spencer Levin, Dimi Papadatos
2.42am Norman Xiong, Jared Wolfe, Curtis Luck
Defending champion: David Lingmerth
Past Aussie winners: Curtis Luck (2020)
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 5am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sport.
Epson Tour
Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
Mystic Creek Golf Club, El Dorado, Arkansas
10.52pm* Katherine Smith, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Nataliya Guseva
3.33am Cassie Porter, Minji Kang, Alana Uriell
3.44am Yue Ren, Kristen Gillman, Robyn Choi
3.44am* Hira Naveed, Natasha Andrea Oon, Pinyada Kuvanun
Defending champion: Britney Yada
Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017)
Champions Tour
PURE Insurance Championship
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California
12.32am Mark Hensby, Wes Short Jr
12.54am* Ernie Els, John Senden
1.16am Richard Green, KJ Choi
1.49am* Steven Alker (NZ), Dan Forsman
5.06am Notah Begay III, Stuart Appleby
5.06am* Rod Pampling, David McKenzie
Defending champion: Steve Flesch
Past Aussie winners: Nil TV times: Live 8am-11am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503; 1pm-2.30pm Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sport.
