Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Twenty-four hours after his place in the tournament was in jeopardy, New Zealand’s Kerry Mountcastle broke through for his first win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia at the 2023 Gippsland Super 6 at Warragul Country Club.
It has been a strong debut Tour season so far for the Kiwi, with top-10s at the PNG Open (T10), and the WA Open (T4), but this victory takes his professional career to new heights.
As well as securing Mountcastle a spot in both the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in the coming weeks, he has now taken over No.1 spot in this season’s Order of Merit standings.
But there was a chance on Saturday that he would not even make it through to the final day with the former New Zealand amateur representative having to survive a 10-man playoff to reach the last 24 who contested the sudden-death medal match-play rounds.
He finished the 54 holes of strokeplay in a tie for 17th at 6-under-par, and then had to get through five opponents on Sunday (a total of 30 holes) on his way to the trophy.
Jye Pickin, Lawry Flynn, Michael Wright, and Jak Carter were Mountcastle’s final-day victims before he faced the formidable Jake McLeod in the final.
“I only just snuck in today through the playoff yesterday, so I kind of came into today just trying to finish as high as I could for the Order of Merit… and all of a sudden I was in the final,” he laughed.
“I was probably more nervous in that (Saturday) playoff than I was at any point today.
“To get into those (the Australian PGA and Open) is massive, because obviously they’re worth the most money and points. It means a lot. I can now plan what I want to do.”
Mountcastle is coached by Dom Azzopardi, coach of Lucas Herbert and Mouncastle’s partner Momoka Kobori, and said the work they’ve put in has changed his game dramatically.
“The major changes happened end of last year, beginning of this year and then I was able to work on them through winter,” he said.
“It’s made my game a lot more consistent what I’ve done with Dom. I don’t have the massive miss off the tee that I used to have and putting and chipping has got a lot better.”
Mountcastle will be heading to Moonah Links for the Victorian PGA Championship next week, but is happy he doesn’t have to worry about qualifying for the week after.
Runner-up Jake McLeod (Qld) played near-flawless golf until the final, and took down the No.1 seed Jarryd Felton (WA) in the quarter-finals.
The McLeod versus Felton match was the pick of the day, with both players finishing at three-under after the six-hole match. Two knockout holes were required, with McLeod eventually making birdie on the second.
A previous PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner on the back of his 2018 NSW Open win, McLeod’s finish this week marks a strong return to form, and the pointy end of the leaderboard.
WA amateur Joseph Owen, who made an ace on the 15th hole in round one, made it all the way to the semi-finals before being knocked out by McLeod.
The Lake Karrinyup member, a previous Victorian Amateur champion, battled Jak Carter in the match for third but the South Australian was too strong.
Carter’s third marks his best finish this season, and adds to top-10s at the WA Open, and WA PGA Championship to move him to ninth on the Order of Merit.
The South Australian had a local Warragul member on his bag this weekend, and praised him for his green-reading skills.
Other strong finishes came from Victorian Darcy Brereton, and South Australia’s Jack Buchanan, who both made it to the quarter finals.
In just his second event as a professional, Buchanan shot an incredible 63 in round 3 to start in a strong position on Sunday. He was able to triumph over Andrew Martin (Vic) in his first match, after sitting out round one, but was eventually knocked out by the amateur Owen.
For Brereton. this week marks his best finish as a professional and backs up a tied-12th finish at last week’s Queensland PGA.
Having finished outside the top-eight from the first three rounds, Brereton was victorious over James Grierson (NSW), and the No.2 seed Cameron John (Vic) on his way to the semi-finals. A long Jak Carter putt from off the green on the knockout hole led Brereton’s eventual demise.
Jason Norris used some distraction techniques and an aggressive mindset to triumph at the Nova Employment Australian Senior PGA Championship on Sunday at Richmond Golf Club.
Firing a second straight round of 6-under-par 64 to reach 14-under-par for the week, Norris secured a five-shot win over Peter Lonard and Stephen Allan to join the likes of Lee Trevino, Orville Moody, Peter Fowler, Rodger Davis and Peter Senior on the trophy.
“What an event to win … I’m so excited,” Norris said clutching the trophy and looking at the names to come before him.
“I just saw a name that I was lucky enough to have a lunch with, Billy Dunk. He’s on it a couple of times.
“What an event, anything with ‘Australian’ in front of it is awesome.”
Out in the last group of the day as the joint overnight leader with Lonard, things fell favourably for Norris early when he birdied the par-4 3rd immediately after Lonard made just his second bogey of the week at the short par-3 2nd.
Continuing to press ahead and put some space between himself and the chasing pack, Norris added birdies at the 6th and 7th despite admitting his usually stellar iron play was well below its typical standard.
As the South Australian-born, now Queensland-based Norris was moving deeper into red figures, the man who appeared to be his main challenger was stuck on a 10-hole par streak as Lonard burned the edge of the cup with regularity after finding almost every green with his exemplary ball striking.
The very recently turned 50 Allan, back home from the United States, started to make his move in the group ahead when Norris finally gave some hope to the rest of the field that he was indeed human after all.
A surprising three-putt bogey, also his second for the week, at the 11th offered the slightest glimmer that nerves would get the better of him on the back nine.
Getting the shot back on the next with a mid-range putt, Norris looked relieved before Lonard finally made a birdie at 13 to produce a passionate cheer from the crowd and slight concern for Norris.
“It was very tough, and he started playing really well on the back nine, the normal Pete that we know, he can just sling birdies on every hole coming home,” Norris said of Lonard.
“So I just tried to stick to one shot at a time and just enjoy the day.”
Enjoy he did as Norris pulled away with a hat-trick of birdies starting at the 15th, the former Fiji International winner reaching the 18th tee with a four-shot lead. An advantage that would become five after Allan dropped a shot following a miscue trying to drive the final green and apply some pressure.
Norris stuck with his aggressive approach by taking driver on the 54th and final hole as he continued to distract himself with thoughts of other events to help temper nerves.
“I think a good thing for me is last night I decided to, in the back of my mind, think about the Australian PGA and the Australian Open, just a chance to get into there, this might help my chance,” he said.
“That was a good way to take my mind off this event.”
A brilliant shot to the front edge of the green and a straightforward par was the result, with Lonard resigned to finishing runner-up at the Australian PGA Senior Championship for a third time while Norris was presented with the trophy by past champion and PGA of Australia Chairman Rodger Davis.
“He’s the king isn’t he? What a legend,” Norris said.
“He’s also on the trophy as well. Nice of him to come and celebrate with us. “
Scores: https://pga.org.au/report/?tourn=2223&report=tmresult~season=2023~result=PF~&class=snr
FORMER CHAMPIONS
2022: Richard Green
2021: Guy Wall
2020: Andre Stolz
2019: Peter Senior
Photo: New champion Jason Norris with PGA of Australian chairman Rodger Davis and Nova Employment’s Kerry Spindler
It took low scores, heartache and a 10-man playoff to determine the final 24 players who will battle it out in the medal match-play on Sunday at the Gippsland Super 6.
Many players knew before they teed it up on Saturday that they required something special to avoid the second cut, and that is precisely what rookie professional Jack Buchanan produced.
In just his second event since turning pro following the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), the young South Australian fired a near-perfect 63 to not only get himself into the top 24, but into the all-important top-eight.
Buchanan now has an extra advantage, with the top eight, headed by top qualifier Jarryd Felton (WA), getting to sit out the first round of medal match-play tomorrow.
“I knew I needed at least three or four (under) today to make top 24, and then had seven. Just no bogeys, hit it perfectly,” he said.
Buchanan has had a whirlwind few weeks, winning a silver medal as part of the Australian team at the Eisenhower Cup in Dubai before returning home for the AAC a few days later at Royal Melbourne in his last events as an amateur, before turning professional and making his debut at last week’s Queensland PGA Championship.
“It’s been a busy three weeks. But just finding some form now so hopefully can continue that,” he said.
With 10 players for tied 17th at 6-under after 54 holes, a playoff was required to determine who would claim the final eight Sunday spots.
The tough par-3 18th was the decider, with a bustling marquee of spectators behind the green.
Four players made par or better on the first playing to secure their place on Sunday, while six players had to return to the tee.
In the second playing, four players again made par, and agonisingly, two players – Matt Griffin (Vic) and Tyler Hodge (NZ) – bogeyed to miss out by the barest of margins.
The best escape came from veteran Michael Wright whose tee shot the second time around bounced 20 metres off a sprinkler head into a very testing position for an up-and-down. A delicate chip and a fine par-putt kept his chances alive.
Overnight leader Cam John, and Western Australia’s Jarryd Felton tied for the top spot at 13-under after 54-holes, with Felton locking away the No.1 seed for Sunday’s medal match-play on a countback of their Saturday scores.
It was a bogey-free 65 which saw Felton take top spot. Past winner of the New Zealand PGA Championship, the WA PGA Championship, and TPS Sydney, Felton knows how to get it done on a Sunday.
Meanwhile, John, chasing his first Tour win, shot a stress-free 68 to maintain his position inside the top eight.
“It was tricky early, it was quite windy… I felt like it was a typical Melbourne day. It changed probably four or five times,” said John.
“It’s something that I’ve thought about a lot. I’d like to have a 36-hole lead, a 54-hole lead. It just gives me confidence going forward for the rest of the season.
“I feel like I’ve played the holes pretty well that we’ll be playing on (tomorrow), but you never know what you’re gonna get.”
The six-hole medal match-play matches will start with the bottom 16 qualifiers before the top eight join in for round two.
All the action will be broadcast live again on Fox, Kayo and Kayo Freebies with the action kicking off at 2pm.
The top-24:
There was plenty of jockeying for position on Saturday during the second round of the Nova Employment Australian PGA Seniors Championship.
The day ended with Peter Lonard and Jason Norris tied at the top on 8-under in front of a well-credentialed and congested leaderboard.
Starting the day looking to reel in overnight leader Martin Doyle, the chasing pack got some early help from the Victorian when he made double bogey at the 11th having started on the 10th.
Lonard was one of the first to make a move with birdie at the par-3 second, while Jason Norris and Tim Elliot were feeding off some positive energy two groups ahead.
Elliot made back-to-back birdies to start his day before Norris joined in at the third and was quickly the man to watch on course when he rolled in a hat-trick of birdies starting at the fifth to make the turn in 4-under 32.
It was around the turn where Elliot momentarily fell back with four bogeys. However the PGA Legends Tour fixture did bounce back with his own hat-trick of birdies at 15, 16 and 17 to finish on 5-under and three shots off the lead alongside Anthony Summers.
Norris’ finish was a little more subdued, with two back nine birdies leading to a bogey-free 64, his birdie at the last showcasing the advantage of the younger set on the over-50s circuit with his driver at the short par-4 reaching pin high and a subsequent routine up-and-down.
“It started off well, was playing well on the front nine then the breeze got up and hit a few bad shots but got away with it,” Norris said.
“Especially here because it’s all kikuyu, they’ve had a bit of rain, I think it’s a big advantage, you’ve still got to play well,” he added of his length off the tee.
Meanwhile Lonard was playing the steady golf he knows is key to success at Richmond Golf Club after twice finishing runner-up here, his first bogey of the week coming at the 12th. The dropped shot was offset by two birdies over the closing holes for a second straight 66.
“Pretty happy with the day, I hit a couple of shonky shots and got away with one, but not so much the other,” Lonard said.
“I suppose I would give it a, played okay and got away with it and shot a score and hopefully tomorrow I’ll hit them a little straighter and a little closer to the hole and make a few putts.”
Despite adding two more bogeys to his early double, Doyle was fighting hard in the heat, which topped out at 36°.
Feeling the nerves in his third PGA Legends Tour event and making a return to competitive golf after 12 years away, he signed for a 1-under 69 to sit at 7-under and one back of Norris and Lonard.
“I’ve had nothing to eat today, because I couldn’t keep anything down,” he said of the nerves.
“It’s seems really stupid when you’re 50 that you get nervous, but when you haven’t done this sort of thing for a long long time, you sort of wonder whether you can still do it. That’s why it was pleasing to finish it off today and shoot under par.”
A further shot back are two of the pre-tournament favourites in Stephen Allan, who shot a second round 69, and John Senden, who provided the highlight of the day.
Playing over the trees from the right side of the 18th fairway as Lonard and a crowd watched on, the Queenslander’s wedge went beyond the pin before spinning back into the cup for an eagle two and a 4-under 66.
The hole-out perhaps a sign of things to come on Saturday when another player will add their name to the trophy that includes iconic names like Lee Trevino, Billy Dunk and Peter Senior, with past champions Peter Fowler and Andre Stolz not out of the equation on Sunday on 4-under.
Catch the action of the final round on Sunday, broadcast live, on Foxtel (Channel 503) and Kayo Sports.
Round 4: Sunday, 11am-2pm AEDT
FORMER CHAMPIONS
2022: Richard Green
2021: Guy Wall
2020: Andre Stolz
2019: Peter Senior
On the comeback from wrist surgery which curtailed his golf in the first half of 2023, Cameron John fired a second round 64 today to jump into the 36-hole lead at the Gippsland Super 6.
The Victorian, who honed his craft on the famous Melbourne Sandbelt, had only one bogey at Warragul Country Club to take a huge step to guaranteeing his place in the top 24 players who will advance to Sunday’s sudden-death six-hole matches.
At 11-under, he leads a trio of players by one shot heading into the final round of strokeplay, with Queenslanders Jake McLeod and Lawry Flynn matching John’s 64 on day two, while last season’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australia Order No.3, Victorian Andrew Martin, shot a steady 66.
First-round leader Braden Becker (69) and Victoria’s Kyle Michel (66) share fifth place at 9-under.
John, who is chasing his first win on Tour since joining in 2018, is getting back to his best form after the surgery earlier this year.
This is his fifth tournament back after not being able to play any Tour events at the start of 2023.
“Yeah it’s been challenging, but also I think a good thing,” he said.
“I had a bit of time to rest my back… I’ll take all the positives I can out of it but yeah it’s good to be back.”
John’s first 36 holes at Warragul could have been better but for the long par-4 13th that he has bogeyed on both days.
“The course has been as good as I’ve seen it. It’s a little bit softer than previous years which is nice,” he said.
“I felt like there were a couple of holes where you could get caught out with the wind if you weren’t thinking about it… that made me use my brain a little bit more.”
Both McLeod and Martin shot to the top of the leaderboard early on day two, taking advantage of the still morning conditions.
After making use of the overseas exemptions he received thanks to his top-three finish in last season’s Order of Merit, Martin is making just his second appearance on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s 2023/24 schedule.
He looks like he’s finding his game ahead of the two Australian majors which double as the first two tournaments on his 23/24 DP World Tour schedule, another reward from last season’s strong performances at home.
“It’s been pretty quiet for me, couple of pro-ams in Vic, at then I went over to the Dunhill (Links Championship) and that was my last one,” he said
“I’ve just got the itch since the tournaments have come back on. Being a bit older now I know how busy my schedule going forward, 2024, could be.”
The top-50 and ties progress to round three tomorrow, with the cut coming at one-under.
Players will have the eyes squarely on the pointy end of the leaderboard tomorrow, as only the top-24 progress to the six-hole medal matchplay shootouts on Sunday.
The final two rounds of the Gippsland Super 6 will be broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo from 4pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday AEDT. The Gippsland Super 6 coverage is also included in Kayo Freebies.
Like some of the pre-tournament favourites, Martin Doyle is part of the “young crowd” on the PGA Legends Tour.
However, where the Victorian differs from the likes of John Senden, Stephan Allan and David Bransdon is how much golf he has played of late which makes his position as first-round leader of the Nova Employment Australian PGA Seniors Championship something of a surprise, perhaps even for Doyle.
Recording an opening six-under 64 at Richmond Golf Club on Friday, Doyle was once a fixture on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia before putting the clubs away around 10 years ago.
Now working at the Sandhurst Club, both as a PGA professional and personal trainer, the 2003 Vic PGA winner had only played the odd professional event and occasional social golf before turning 50 in September and being convinced by friends to make a comeback.
“I’ve probably played as much this year as the rest of these guys have played in the last month,” Doyle said Friday.
Finishing 16th at Mollymook in October and 41st at the NSW Senior Open, Friday’s bogey-free round marked Doyle’s first score in the 60s in his senior Tour career, with Allan his nearest pursuer after fighting back to a 65 following a bogey-par-bogey start.
“This is only the third one (Legends Tour event) I’ve played, so it’s been a long time, so nice to actually finish bogey-free,” Doyle said.
“I three-putted 16. That was the only mistake today, but to walk off mistake-free almost is very satisfying.”
After walking away from competitive golf around 10 ago after starting a family, the 50-year-old’s seemingly biggest concern this week, aside from the impressive field, might be competitive rust.
“I am very very happy. I played great in practice all week and just kept hitting the right shots today and made a couple of mistakes, but holed some putts. It was great,” he said.
“I managed to escape, I holed a couple of nice ones for par around 14, 15 which was good.”
https://x.com/PGAofAustralia/status/1722792884842442855?s=20
Also just a handful of starts into his over-50s career, Allan has been enjoying a return home from his base in Arizona, including a T3 at the recent NSW Senior Open, with the 2002 Australian Open champion proud of his grinding after starting on the back nine.
“I probably picked the wrong club on 10 and went in the bunker, then I hit a terrible iron on 12. So two par-3s early, it’s weird starting on a par-3,” Allan said.
“I made a good par putt on 13, otherwise I would have been out to three-over, and then I started to hit the ball a bit more solid and gave myself chances. Thankfully I was putting well today.”
Next in the chasing pack behind Allan is two-time Australian PGA Seniors runner-up Peter Lonard, who opened his account with a four-under 66 and “a couple of chip-ins”, while six players are tied on three-under, including 2022 PGA Professionals champion Scott Laycock and Legends Tour fixture Tim Elliot.
Nine players are a shot further in arrears at two-under, with NSW Senior Open winner Adam Henwood, 2020 champion Andre Stolz and Senden among that group hoping to find more birdies as temperatures heat up in Western Sydney, with highs in excess of 35 predicted for both Saturday and Sunday.
The weather another element that might play into the hands of some of senior golf’s new guys, including Doyle.
“I might have an advantage then, what is it 36° tomorrow? It is what it is, you drink plenty of water and keep trudging along.”
Catch the action of the second and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday, broadcast live, on Foxtel (Channel 503) and Kayo Sports.
Round 3: Saturday, 1pm-4pm AEDT
Round 4: Sunday, 11am-2pm AEDT
Full scores here: https://t.co/C4K2HSqvz4
Western Australia’s Braden Becker burst out of the gates at the Gippsland Super 6 with an opening round eight-under-par 62 today as he continued his strong start to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
With the wind down and overnight rain softening the course at Warragul Country Club, some great scoring was had on day one.
A total of 18 players posted rounds of 66 or better in the first of three strokeplay rounds to determine the qualifiers for Sunday’s six-hole knockout matchplay tussles.
Yet to finish outside the top 20 so far on Tour in 2023/24, Becker leads three players at six-under – Chris Wood (Qld), Josh Greer (WA), and Andrew Martin (Vic).
Last season’s Order of Merit No.3 Martin and rookie pro Greer traded blows in the same afternoon group with Kiwi Michael Hendry whose 65 gave the trio an impressive tally of -17.
Becker had a string of three birdies coming into the short par-4 ninth (his 18th) and needed just one more to equal the course record at Warragul, held by Chris Wood who was in the group behind.
With a near-perfect pitch, Becker left himself with a three-metre putt to tie Wood’s 61 from 2021, but the attempt just slid by.
The former WA Open champion had no complaints after tapping in for a 62.
“It was a quick start, four (birdies) through four… that settled me for the rest of the day, where a lot of the things that can niggle and get annoying just don’t mind, don’t care,” Becker said.
Becker had no idea he had a putt to equal the course record.
“Nup didn’t know that, I wish I gave it a little bit more break. I think in the back of my head I knew I needed to give it a bit more and as soon as I saw it dying it was missing.
“There was very little wind, obviously it was quiet dewy this morning and wet on the ground so that made pitching and chipping around not easy.
“I actually took a few days off (after the Queensland PGA) … took this week a little bit easier and it’s seemed to have paid off.”
Wood was also unaware his course record was in danger as he worked on his own good start to the event.
“I didn’t realise he’d shot 8-under until I spoke to Lachie (Barker) afterwards, but yeah it’s a great round by him this morning,” he said.
“The big difference for me was I just holed a few more putts around the turn.
“I started off pretty well, I think I was three-under through four… I was looking for maybe one more to finish but pretty happy with that.”
Amazingly two hole-in-ones were recorded in round one, both coming at the 172m 15th hole. First was a perfectly struck five-iron from amateur Joseph Owen (65), before Michael Wright (70) joined in the party with six-iron not two hours later.
Photo: Becker on his way to an opening 62.
When you look at Peter Lonard’s resume, there are very few holes in the wins category around Australia.
A three-time winner of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, two-time ISPS HANDA Australian Open winner and twice the champion of the Australian Masters, the New South Welshman has nine total Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia titles.
Also a winner on the PGA TOUR in America for good measure, many would have assumed when he joined the over-50s crowd of the PGA Legends Tour, Lonard would regularly have his name up in lights.
Lonard has certainly been no slouch, winning 10times on the PGA Legends Tour after finishing T3 in the 2017 Senior Open Championship immediately after turning 50.
However, one title has alluded him to date, the Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship, the marquee event on the senior circuit in this country.
Played at Richmond Golf Club in north-west Sydney once again this year, the eighth time the club will host the event, Lonard has gone close in recent years including as runner-up in both 2019 and 2020.
“I suppose I’m near the end of my career, it would be nice just to win one of the big ones in the seniors,” said 56-year-old ahead of Friday’s first round.
“I was probably more competitive early on when I turned 50. I put a lot more effort into this year, the last three months I’ve actually practiced and done a lot of work.”
That work, and the hope of winning, coming via a different motivation than when he was winning with regularity on the main Tour and overseas.
“It would be great for my little girl to actually see me win something, rather than think I’m the garbage man,” he joked. “But other than that, at the end of the day it’s not going to kill me if I don’t, but I would love to.”
To do that he will need to overcome an impressive field that includes the likes of Peter O’Malley, Peter Fowler, John Senden, Stephan Allan and Andre Stolz to name just a few.
Lonard believes his experience growing up on Sydney courses similar in tree-lined style and across similar playing surfaces will deliver an edge this week.
“It’s kikuyu, I grew up on kikuyu so that’s a bit of an advantage. I think, if there is an advantage here, you have to hit pretty straight and I am reasonably straight,” he said.
“That’s my thing. Last year I hit it sideways, and it was no good. This place really penalises you if you don’t hit it straight.”
Whether or not Lonard is able to join the honour roll that includes Rodger Davis, Peter Senior, Ian Stanley, Bill Dunk and American major winners Orville Moody and Lee Trevino, won’t be the end of the world for the one-time world No.23.
But in his in words “it would be a nice bonus”, and produce a slightly different Sunday night than a similar result would have in his heyday.
“Well I suppose you get home from six o’clock in the morning for starters. Outside of that, it will be a much quieter finish to the week if I manage to get up in any tournament in any way, I’m sure I would probably be in bed by 7:30, 8pm. I might stretch it out.”
The PGA Legends Tour has arrived in Sydney for its marquee event on a schedule that traverses the country, with the Richmond Golf Club hosting the Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship starting on Friday.
By Jimmy Emanuel
Hosting the jewel in the over-50s Tour crown for the eighth time, Richmond will welcome some very well-known names in Australian golf, with the likes of Peter Lonard, Peter O’Malley, John Senden and Peter Fowler teeing it up in the $150,000 event.
Joining those players are some of the “newbies” to senior golf in 2002 ISPS HANDA Australian Open champion Stephen Allan and David Bransdon, who will be hoping for a hot start to his PGA Legends Tour like last year’s winner at Richmond, Richard Green.
The Victorian is not in town to defend his Australian PGA Senior title, but instead will be teeing it up at the final event of the lucrative PGA Tour Champions season in the United States.
“It’s a good bunch of guys, exciting again,” Bransdon said of joining the Legends Tour.
“It’s almost like a kid in the candy store. The last six months, it has just been ‘Let me at’.
“It’s been fun playing Tour events, but I am a competitive beast, and not being near the pointy end of leaderboards, I’m making cuts and stuff, the juices don’t get flowing.”
Those competitive juices were on immediate display when the Victorian-based Bransdon made his first start at the Cowra Lamb Legends Pro-Am and finished in a tie for a second, a result he followed up with a share of third at Moss Vale this week.
Given his birthday fell during the second round of the NSW Senior Open at Thurgoona, Bransdon wasn’t able to contest one of the PGA Legends Tour’s other big events, one that Adam Henwood claimed in impressive fashion and where Allan made his own senior debut with a T3 finish.
Henwood will be hoping his form has travelled north, as he seeks to follow Green’s example of winning both the NSW Senior Open and Australian PGA Seniors titles in succession.
Bransdon is also looking to emulate his fellow revhead Green overseas later this month.
“I’m heading to the U.S. Senior Q School at the end of this month. The immediate plan is to do the next few weeks here, a couple of weeks here in Sydney, including the PGA here at Richmond,” Bransdon said.
Already enjoying the comaraderie that leads Legends Tour players to call the circuit a “family”, Bransdon is like the members at Richmond playing in the pre-tournament pro-am and coming out to watch the three rounds of action that kick off on Friday, November 10.
“Some of these guys I idolised growing up, they were winning the Aussie Opens, the Aussie PGAs, the Aussie Masters back in the day. You talk about all the Peters. The Lonards, Seniors, O’Malleys,” he said.
“They’re legends of our sport in Australia and it’s still exciting to play with those guys.”
Believing his length off the tee will be an advantage as one of the “young guys”, Bransdon is also thankful that he set a plan for when he did reach golf’s magic number for career rejuvenation. Not that he believed he had any other career options after a life in golf.
“Anytime I have thought about quitting, I realised I couldn’t do anything else,” the 2015 Queensland Open champion joked.
“I’ve been doing this as a full-time pro since I was 21, and I played full time amateur golf from 18 to 21. So I’ve known nothing else. Every time I thought about it scared the crap out of me, so I went to practice.”
Photo: David Bransdon in action at the WA PGA Championship last month.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For live scoring and the latest news visit www.pga.org.au Exclusive content and tournament updates will also be posted regularly on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s social media channels.
Instagram: @pgaofaustralia
Twitter: @PGAofAustralia
Facebook: @PGAofAustralia
Official hashtag: #AusPGASeniors
HOW TO WATCH
Catch the action of the second and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday, broadcast live, on Foxtel (Channel 503) and Kayo Sports.
Round 3: Saturday, 1pm-4pm AEDT
Round 4: Sunday, 11am-2pm AEDT
FORMER CHAMPIONS
2022: Richard Green
2021: Guy Wall
2020: Andre Stolz
2019: Peter Senior
COURSE RECORD
63 Michael Harwood (Round 1, 2018)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Adam Henwood, 2023 NSW Senior Open champion
Guy Wall, 2021 Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior champion
Andre Stolz, 2022 Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior runner-up & 2020 champion
Peter Lonard, Three-time Australian PGA champion, two-time Australian Open winner
Jason Norris, 2023 WA Open runner-up
Peter O’Malley, Three-time DP World Tour winner
John Senden, PGA TOUR winner
Adam Scott has returned to Bermuda for the first time in a decade hoping to recapture form that he can pack in his carry-on for the upcoming ‘Summer of Golf’ in Australia.
Scott is the headline act at this week’s PGA TOUR Butterfield Bermuda Championship at the Port Royal Golf Course, the site of his 2013 PGA Grand Slam victory following his history-making win at The Masters.
On the American east coast for the launch of the Boston Common TGL franchise of which he is a member, Scott decided to head south to Bermuda for a number of reasons.
There is a FedEx Cup Fall Series ranking that he needs to improve to play his way into 2024’s Signature Events, he has two tournaments of which he is a former champion on home soil to prepare for but, most importantly, there is work he has put in that he believes deserves better results.
“I feel like I’ve played fairly solid all year and not got results,” said the 43-year-old.
“I’m not going to get results being on the couch at home.
“It would be nice to get a result going on the PGA TOUR before next season starts and try and improve my standings and get a position in a couple of these signature events.”
Adding to his success at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in two weeks’ time and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open a week later is also front of mind.
Scott secured the Joe Kirkwood Cup in both 2013 and 2019 and won the Stonehaven Cup in 2009. He wants to reclaim some of that silverware before embarking on some R&R.
“After a fairly quiet period at the back end of the year, it’s a good time to get going again,” Scott said of his Bermuda appearance.
“Not only try and play well this week but get ready to be going in Australia.
“I’m playing the Australian PGA and the Australian Open in a couple weeks’ time and then I get to stay home for about five weeks after that before heading out early in the new year to play and settle back in Europe and then come out and play on the Tour.
“It’s always nice, especially after long stretches like this year to be away all year and get to go home and enjoy six or seven weeks at home.”
The venue this week is even giving Scott familiar vibes to the courses he grew up playing on the Gold Coast.
“I’ve played a lot of this resort-style golf as a kid growing up on the Gold Coast,” he added.
“The grass is similar to home in Queensland.
“It’s helpful around here if you strike the ball well because it’s hard scrambling a lot out of the rough, and with the wind blowing, I think that feels like home a bit as well.
“Certainly, enjoy playing this kind of resort-style, tropical weather that feels a bit more like home to me.”
Fellow summer headliner, Cameron Smith, is in action this week at the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour where two-time champion Wade Ormsby will make an emotional return just days after the funeral for his father, Peter Ormsby, in Adelaide.
Ormsby and Smith are among the 17 Aussies seeking to add their name to an impressive list of Australian champions of the Hong Kong Open that boasts Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Frank Phillips and Greg Norman.
Like Scott, Smith is hoping to rekindle memories of his rookie season on the Asian Tour in 2014 on his way back to Australia.
“The difference in nine years is a lot. I’ve had nine more years of professional golf which is one thing,” said Smith of his return to Hong Kong.
“I remember that week was a pressure week for me as I needed to play well to get into the CIMB Classic (co-sanctioned PGA Tour event in Kuala Lumpur).
“I managed to have an OK week, and I learned a lot about myself and my game that week.
“I had to grind, and that’s something it is good to go through as a young professional.
“It is good to be back in a place that I feel comfortable – it is a golf course I really love and we don’t get to play that style much anymore. It is a style of course I grew up with being Australian, so I can’t wait to get out there.”
There are nine Aussies in the field for the Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain, there are three Australians to have qualified for the PGA TOUR Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona while Stephanie Kyriacou (71st) will seek to join Hannah Green (27th), Grace Kim (29th) and Sarah Kemp (55th) inside the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe standings at The ANNIKA in Florida.
Photo: Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
11:07pm* Greg Chalmers, Ben Crane, Derek Ernst
3:03am Brian Gay, Adam Scott, Ben Griffin
3:14am Nico Echavarria, Lucas Herbert, Brendon Todd
3:19am* Russell Knox, Ricky Barnes, Harrison Endycott
3:41am* DA Points, Cameron Percy, Paul Haley II
Defending champion: Seamus Power
Past Aussie winners: Lucas Herbert (2021)
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-6am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sport.
LPGA Tour
The ANNIKA
Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Florida
11:10pm Yan Liu, Lauren Coughlin, Gabriela Ruffels
11.21pm* Pavarisa Yoktuan, Stephanie Kyriacou, Muni He
12:05am* Elizabeth Szokol, Grace Kim, Chanettee Wannasaen
12:49am* Su Oh, Jennifer Song, Aline Krauter
3:57am* Bianca Pagdanganan, Albane Valenzuela, Sarah Kemp
4:08am* Celine Boutier, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko (NZ)
Defending champion: Nelly Korda
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 2am-5am Friday, Saturday; Live 6am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sport.
DP World Tour
Nedbank Golf Challenge
Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa
6:42pm Pablo Larrazabal, Daniel Hillier (NZ), Yannik Paul
7:48pm* Matthew Jordan, Maximilian Kieffer, Jason Scrivener
7:59pm Victor Perez, Justin Thomas, Ryan Fox
Defending champion: Tommy Fleetwood
Past Aussie winners: Marc Leishman (2016)
TV times: Live 8pm-1:30am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 8pm-1:30am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 7pm-12:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sport.
DP World Tour
Qualifying School – Final Stage
Infinitum Golf, Tarragona, Spain
Australasians in the field: Elvis Smylie, Justin Warren, Connor McKinney, James Marchesani, Matias Sanchez, Andre Lautee, Haydn Barron, Hayden Hopewell, Sam Jones (NZ), Blake Windred
Asian Tour
Hong Kong Open
Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong
9:35am* Jazz Janewattananond, Travis Smyth, Bio Kim
9:55am Ben Campbell (NZ), Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, Ye Wocheng
10:05am Kevin Yuan, Taehee Lee, Rattanon Wannasrichan
10.15am Matt Killen, Andrew Dodt, Shen Wang Ngai (a)
10:25am* Sam Brazel, Trevor Simsby, Richard T. Lee
11:05am* Jediah Morgan, Pawin Ingkhapradit, Honey Baisoya
1:55pm Miguel Tabuena, Wade Ormsby, Sadom Kaewkanjana
2:05pm Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed, Taichi Kho
2:05pm* Brian O’Donovan, Seungtaek Lee, Jack Thompson
2.15pm* Marcus Fraser, Othman Almulla, Nicholas Fung
2:35pm Sihwan Kim, Tomoharu Otsuki, Scott Hend
2:35pm* Kosuke Hamamoto, Taylor Dickson, Zach Murray
2:55pm Nitithorn Thippong, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Harrison Crowe
3:05pm* Mardan Mamat, Todd Sinnott, Atiruj Winaicharoenchai
3:15pm Yonggu Shin, Settee Prakongvech, Tom Power Horan
3:25pm* Turk Pettit, Terry Pilkadaris, Jaewoong Eom
3:35pm Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, Douglas Klein, Jeremy Gandon
3:35pm* John Lyras, Dominic Foos, Ma Bingwen (a)
Defending champion: Wade Ormsby (2020)
Past Aussie winners: Peter Thomson (1960, 1965, 1967), Kel Nagle (1961), Frank Phillips (1966, 1973), Randall Vines (1968), Walter Godfrey (1972), Greg Norman (1979, 1983), Scott Hend (2014), Sam Brazel (2016), Wade Ormsby (2017, 2020).
TV times: Live 3:30pm-7:30pm Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 3pm-7pm Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo Sport.
Japan Golf Tour
Sumitomo Mitsui VISA Pacific Masters
Pacific Club (Gotemba Cse), Shizuoka
11:45am Shintaro Kobayashi, Yasumasa Nagano, Brendan Jones
11:55am Yuta Uetake, Yang Ji-ho, Anthony Quayle
12:05pm Ohira Sato, Brad Kennedy, Akio Sadakata
Defending champion: Ryo Ishikawa
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1997), Roger Mackay (1991), Greg Norman (1993), Brendan Jones (2007)
PGA TOUR Champions
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling
Defending champion: Padraig Harrington
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 8am-10:30am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sport.
