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Australians Min Woo Lee and Rod Pampling have fired in round one and continued the momentum to take home trophies at the SJM Macao Open on the Asian Tour and the SAS Championship on the PGA Tour Champions.
Lee smashed the tournament scoring record of 20-under set by fellow Aussie Scott Hend in 2015 but his 30-under total would only just prove to be enough, triumphing over Thailand’s Poom Saksansin.
Two strokes clear heading into the final round, Lee carded an 8-under par 63, a score matched by Saksansin in an absorbing Sunday afternoon duel.
After a string of top-10s against high quality fields including at the US Open and Players Championship, it was Lee’s first win since the 2021 Scottish Open.
“Poom played unbelievable today, he’s a bad mofo!” said Lee in his inimitable style.
“I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes. There was only a few holes that I could really look back on.
“I’m really proud of the way I handled myself.”
On the PGA Tour Champions, Pampling was able to edge out Kiwi Steven Alker by two shots, finishing at 15-under in North Carolina to claim his second title in the over-50s.
Pampling never looked back after an opening round 66, on his way to a US$315,000 payday.
“We’ve been working hard and it’s finally – got rid of our bad stuff about a month and a half ago and it’s just been getting closer and closer, and this week was just great,” Pampling said
“Great ball-striking day – week I should say and putting as well. Everything was just nice. Yeah, it’s a great feeling to win again, that’s for sure.”
On the LPGA Tour, Karis Davidson had a strong week in China, finishing in a season’s best T8 at the Buick LPGA Shanghai after being in a share for the lead on a tight leaderboard for most of the back nine.
It was a huge result for the Queenslander who moved from 97th to 88th on the season-long Race to the CME Globe to just about ensure her full playing rights inside the top 100 for 2024.
On the PGA TOUR, Cam Davis made it five top-tens in his last six starts, finishing T7 at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile Brad Kennedy finished T3 – his best result for 2023 – at the Japan Open Golf Championship on the Japan Golf Tour to bank around A$100,000.
PGA TOUR
Shriners Children’s Open
TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada
1 Tom Kim (USA) 68-68-62-66—264 US$1,512,000
T7 Cam Davis 67-67-67-66—267 US$238,000
T56 Harrison Endycott 70-68-71-69—278 US$19,236
MC Lucas Herbert 71-70
MC Craig Hocknull 75-77
DP World Tour
acciona Open de España
Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
1 Matthieu Pavon (FRA) 63-68-66-64—261 €523,823.04
T9 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 71-67-66-66—270 €53,229.66
T20 Jason Scrivener 69-71-66-67—273 €33,470.75
LPGA Tour
LPGA Buick Shanghai
Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
1 Angel Yin (USA) 70-69-65-70—274 US$315,000
T8 Karis Davidson 71-69-68-68—276 US$43,644
T13 Minjee Lee 70-69-69-69—277 US$32,539
T36 Grace Kim 73-74-69-67—283 US$11,933
T50 Lydia Ko (NZ) 74-69-73-70—286 US$7,063
Asian Tour
SJM Macao Open
Macau Golf and Country Club, Macau
1 Min Woo Lee 62-64-65-63—254 US$180,000
T9 Ben Campbell (NZ) 63-68-68-69—268 US$20,250
T11 Andrew Dodt 65-67-72-65—269 US$15,066.67
T11 Nick Voke 72-65-65-67—269 US$15,066.67
T17 Zach Murray 70-65-65-70—270 US$12,083.33
T23 Jack Thompson 65-69-72-66—272 US$9,700
T28 Sam Brazel 67-68-69-69—273 US$8,166.67
T34 Kevin Yuan 68-68-69-69—274 US$7,200
T34 Tom Power-Horan 70-65-69-70—274 US$7,200
T40 Josh Younger 69-68-68-71—276 US$6,033.33
MC Todd Sinnott 67-72
MC Scott Hend 70-69
MC Harrison Gilbert-Wong 67-73
MC Douglas Klein 73-68
MC Terry Pilkadaris 70-72
MC Marcus Fraser 71-72
MC John Lyras 72-71
MC David Gleeson 71-76
Japan Golf Tour
Japan Open Golf Championship
Ibaraki Country Club (West Cse)
1 Aguri Iwasaki 68-72-67-65—272 ¥42,000,000
T3 Brad Kennedy 68-69-69-68—274 ¥9,828,000
T36 Anthony Quayle 71-70-69-74—284 ¥1,260,000
MC Adam Scott 73-73
MC Jeffery Yu Guan 76-71
MC Adam Bland 77-73
PGA TOUR Champions
SAS Championship
Prestonwood CC, Cary, North Carolina
1 Rod Pampling 66-68-67—201 US$315,000
2 Steven Alker (NZ) 67-68-68—203 US$184,800
T11 Richard Green 70-67-71—208
T20 Stuart Appleby 72-69-70—211
T35 David McKenzie 70-72-72—214
T60 Mark Hensby 73-69-78—220
T68 John Senden 71-74-77—222
Photos: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images | Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
Australian Min Woo Lee had to stave off a determined final-round fight from Thailand’s Poom Saksansin to complete a wire-to-wire win at the $US1 million SJM Macao Open in Macau.
The 25-year-old smashed the tournament scoring record of 20-under set by fellow Aussie Scott Hend in 2015 but his 30-under total would only just prove to be enough.
Two strokes clear heading into the final round, Lee carded an 8-under par 63, a score matched by Saksansin in an absorbing Sunday afternoon duel.
Lee’s two-shot lead remained intact as the pair both made the turn in 4-under par but the turning point would come just four holes later.
For the second straight day, Lee made eagle at the par-5 13th. When Saksansin had to settle for just a par, the West Australian had a four-stroke lead with five holes to play.
Despite a wild drive on 15, Lee recovered to make par but Saksansin refused to yield, drawing to within two again with birdies at 16 and 17 to set up a thrilling finish.
Such was the quality of play on display all day, both players made birdie on the 72nd hole for Lee to clinch his first win since the 2021 Scottish Open.
“Poom played unbelievable today, he’s a bad mofo!” said Lee in his inimitable style.
“He never left, he just stayed around.
“I tried my best and ended up on top, but he was giving it to me for the whole time.
“I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes. There was only a few holes that I could really look back on.
“I’m really proud of the way I handled myself.”
Lee’s 30-under total was just two shy of the Asian Tour scoring record set by Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat at the SAIL Open in 2009, although preferred lies were in play for the first two rounds in Macau.
Photo: Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
Ben Eccles didn’t dare look at the leaderboard once as he endured “the most uncomfortable” round of his life to win the CKB WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie Golf Course.
A six-shot leader through 54-holes, Eccles’ 23-under total and five-stroke victory masks the turmoil of a restless night’s sleep, two chats with coach Grant Field between rounds and a host of challengers who bridged the gap to just three before the final group made the turn.
If he’d cared to look, Eccles would have known that Haydn Barron (65), Lachlan Barker (70), Kit Bittle (70), James Gibellini (67) and James Marchesani (69) fancied their chances of reeling in the runaway leader at various times in the final round.
Par putts at seven and eight would prove crucial in Eccles holding his nerve, but it was a holed bunker shot on nine that he called the “best shot I’ve ever hit” and a duffed approach that went to a foot to set up birdie on 10 that would ultimately keep the pack at bay.
Barron loomed as the greatest threat had Eccles lost his nerve, but birdies at 16 and 17 ensured the 28-year-old would play the final hole five strokes clear.
Not that he knew that.
“I had no idea,” Eccles said of the leaderboard that changed furiously below his name.
“I knew I had to keep pushing. There are so many good players in there… I haven’t even looked at the leaderboard. Who came second? When you’ve got someone like that (Barron) in contention, you know he’s going to shoot a good score.
“You know he’s made for that moment so I said to myself on the 10th tee, ‘Stick to what you’ve been doing, keep applying yourself the way you want, keep trying to play the game the way that you want to play it.’”
Although it is Eccles’ second win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, it is his first as a professional.
He won the 2015 NSW Open as a 20-year-old amateur and seemingly had the golf world at his feet.
As he contemplated what that 20-year-old expected life to be like, the enormity of what he had achieved and how far he has had to go to achieve it came flooding to the surface.
“At that age I thought everything was to come,” said Eccles.
“I thought things would be pretty easy, to be honest. And it’s been absolutely far from that.
“It’s been a tough road.
“It’s such an uncomfortable feeling, being in contention and leading, constantly backing yourself.
“It’s really, really hard to do, particularly not having been there for a while.
“I’m pretty lost for words.”
Barron’s 65 for outright second at 18-under was a remarkable result for a player who only arrived from Scotland on the morning of the tournament.
He credited that 72 on day one for providing the foundation for a strong week that was suggested he would be better off missing.
“I spoke to a few people that were close to me coming back from Scotland and they said maybe skip it. But I said I wanted to play,” said Barron, who will tee it up next week at the inaugural Webex Players Series South Australia.
“I needed to come and try and get some points and we’ll get a few points this week so that’s a good start.
“Probably makes the remainder of the year less stressful.”
It’s been a whirlwind week, too, for Lachlan Wood, winner of the WA PGA All Abilities Championship.
Victorious in the WA All Abilities Open at Joondalup last Sunday, Wood flew back to Brisbane to play the 72-hole Queensland PGA Associate Championship where he finished fourth.
He then made the mad dash back to Perth and flew out to Kalgoorlie the day before the first round.
He led Cameron Pollard by one heading into the final round but had to fight back late to earn a seven-shot win.
Pollard played the front nine in 1-under on Sunday to take the lead but a 2-under back nine sparked by an eagle at the par-5 11th saw Wood complete the WA quinella for the first time.
“He was definitely putting up a good challenge and took the lead pretty early on,” Wood said of Pollard’s early salvo.
“On the back nine I managed to regroup, flicked the switch and rolled a really nice putt in.
“I’m definitely beyond tired. I’m looking forward to a good rest that’s for sure.”
Photo: Jarrod Lucas/PGA of Australia
A change to his putting grip and a new strategy on the greens proved a winning combination for Nicholas Robb at the Mollymook NSW Senior Masters.
Trailing by two at the start of Round 2, Robb’s putter proved pivotal in his second round of 1-under 71, the second-best of the day at Mollymook Golf Club’s Hilltop Course.
His 36-hole total of even par 144 was just enough to edge defending champion Chris Taylor (72) by a single shot with Adam Henwood (74) and Mark Boulton (75) sharing third.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Playing the second round with Steven Conran and Roland Baglin, Robb turned in 2-under thanks to birdies on two, six and nine, his birdie at the par-3 ninth a mere formality after hitting his tee shot to just two feet.
Bogeys at 11 and 12 brought a host of players into the mix but a birdie on 14 and another brilliant tee shot at the par-3 17th secured a one-shot win.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I’m really happy with how I played. The game-plan going in was to try and minimise three-putts. I walked off scratching my head last year when I had three-putts and four-putts but this year I had one three-putt both rounds this time so I was pretty happy with that.
“I changed my putting grip recently which made a big difference. I felt much more solid over the short ones and my driver behaved. Hit the driver straight, make a few putts, you’re probably going to end up with a good score.
“I hit a really good shot into the ninth. I just held a 6-iron off on the wind and it ended up about two feet away. And then on 17 I hit an 8-iron and it just held up perfectly to about a foot behind the hole.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Nicholas Robb 73-71—144
2 Chris Taylor 73-72—145
T3 Adam Henwood 72-74—146
T3 Mark Boulton 71-75—146
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour stays on the New South Wales South Coast for the inaugural Links Shell Cove Legends Pro-Am at Links Shell Cove on Monday.
Jak Carter’s hopes for a ‘good swing’ has delivered a new Subaru Crosstrek worth $50,000 thanks to a hole-in-one at the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Steaming after walking off the 16th green with a double-bogey six, Carter was hoping for little more than a well-executed shot that found the green to get his third round at Kalgoorlie back on track.
Instead, his 8-iron from 178 metres just covered the front edge of the green and then rolled up and dropped straight into the hole.
A PGA of Australia Associate at The Stirling Golf Club south of Adelaide, Carter knew by the reaction of officials behind the green that the fourth hole-in-one of his career came with a significant reward.
“The only thing left was to make sure I was the first one to get it. But we had the reaction on 17 so it was like, It’s mine,” said Carter.
“It’s definitely mine, because the ladies went nuts behind the green. There it is, I’ve won it.”
It was an extraordinary response to a double-bogey that threatened to drop him out of the WA PGA top-10.
“I hit probably the worst wedge shot I’ve hit in a while,” Carter said of his approach shot into the previous hole.
“Had absolutely no idea what to do from there and made a quick six.
“I walked up to the next hole, the par-3 17th and was standing there thinking, Just swing this good here. Let’s just see what we can do.
“Stepped up and hit an 8-iron that I thought was short. I hit it and was like, It’s a bit short. Go, please go. Then I’ve seen it land and thought, This thing is on target.
“Rolled straight up, bang, straight in the hole. Then everyone’s just gone mental. It was absolutely crazy.”
His new Crosstrek courtesy of Subaru Australia is a significant step up from the previous prizes he has won for a hole-in-one.
“Probably a $10 voucher at home. Whatever they give out for the nearest-the-pin,” he said of his previous hole-in-one hauls.
“It’s a huge upgrade.”
Carter’s ace enabled him to shoot 2-under 70 in Saturday’s third round to be in a tie for 10th, 10 shots back of runaway leader Ben Eccles.
Victorian Ben Eccles will draw on the belief of his 20-year-old self to complete a second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory at the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
On a day in which South Australian Jak Carter was the big winner courtesy of a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th that netted him a $50,000 Subaru Cross-Trek, Eccles holed out for eagle at the par-4 16th to highlight his round of 6-under 66 and 19-under total.
Kiwi Kit Bittle flirted with the course record before signing for an 8-under 64 to share second with South Australian Lachlan Barker (65) at 13-under par.
Victorian Charlie Robbins (12-under) remains in the hunt thanks to a round of 3-under 69 at Kalgoorlie Golf Course on Saturday with Haydn Barron (68), Harrison Crowe (68) and Quinn Croker (73) all tied for fifth at 11-under.
Eccles sent a shockwave through Australian golf when as a 20-year-old amateur he converted a four-shot lead into a three-shot victory at the 2015 NSW Open.
Eight years on, Eccles has experienced the highs and lows of professional golf but has returned to the PGA Tour of Australasia rejuvenated and ready to win again.
“I feel like if you don’t have the belief that you can do it, then what’s the point in competing?” said Eccles.
“Twenty-year-olds think they’re invincible and I fell into that trap.
“I’ve had a lot of experience over the last eight years so I’m just going to draw on that tomorrow and see how we go.”
A one-stroke leader through 36 holes, Eccles had to be patient early in his third round.
His only birdie in his first six holes came at the short par-4 third but he picked up shots at seven and nine to turn in 3-under.
He moved to 4-under on his round with a birdie at the par-5 11th but separated himself from the field with a special lob wedge from 70 metres that hopped twice before nestling into the cup on 16.
“I just wanted to keep it in the right section on the 16th green,” said Eccles of his hole-out eagle.
“Landed in the right spot and went in on the third bounce. You take it when it comes.”
Eccles’ closest challengers know they will need to back up Saturday’s fireworks with something similar on Sunday to rein him in.
Bittle and Barker both sparked their rounds with long-range birdie putts at the par-3 fourth, Bittle just missing a chance to match the Kalgoorlie low of 9-under 63 on his final hole.
Given he’ll start the final round six shots adrift, Bittle knows he needs to at least match his effort on Saturday to be a chance.
“It was all the putter really,” Bittle said of his 64. “I hit 16 greens today and hit 11 in two and managed to roll that in for eagle from 16 feet.
“I’m going to try and see if I can hit more greens tomorrow – I’ll see if I can hit 17 – and if the putter works, I might have a chance.”
Winner of the season-opening PNG Open in May, Barker is already playing with house money and is not afraid to take an aggressive approach into Sunday’s final round.
“It’s the kind of golf course where if you’re not on you can have 5, 6-over any day of the week. But when the conditions are nice like today, there’s someone going low,” said Barker, who is currently third on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
“Why not me? Why not tomorrow?”
Saturday ‘s third round also marked the first round of the Road to the Outback Challenge for 34 amateurs and Round 1 of the CKB WA PGA All Abilities Championship.
Victorious last week at the WA Open and ninth at the Queensland PGA Associate Championship in Brisbane mid-week, Lachlan Wood will take a one-shot lead into the final round following a 1-over 73.
Cameron Pollard trailed by as many as seven shots late on the front nine but played the back nine in 3-under to draw within one by day’s end.
WA PGA Championship Round 3 scores
WA PGA Championship Round 4 draw
Four years after having victory stolen away by wet weather, Jack Wilson has triumphed in another rain-affected PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club.
Players were called from the course in Round 1 due to heavy rain and were unable to complete their rounds until the morning of Round 2.
Holing out for eagle at the par-4 ninth was the highlight of Wilson’s opening round of 2-under 70, putting him two strokes back of Bryce Hohnen and Brad Kivimets.
Starting Round 2 from the second hole, Wilson picked up birdies at three, four and six but it was his birdies on 16 and 17 that would prove the difference in his round of 4-under 68 and two-stroke win.
Ten years after making history as the first trainee to win a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tour event at the 2013 Goldfields WA PGA Championship, Wilson is now a real estate agent based in Canberra.
He looked destined to win the 2019 Wagga Wagga Pro-Am until the entire second round had to be cancelled just a few holes from the finish and Round 1 leader Andrew Kelly was declared the winner.
In what would prove a prophetic text, he even sent a message to Kelly who is playing the WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie on his way from Canberra to Wagga.
“I sent Andrew Kelly a message when I was driving over here and said, ‘Geez I’m glad to see you’re in WA. It’s time this year for me to claim that one you stole from me’,” said Wilson.
“I love this place so much, it means a lot to me. They’ve supported me, they’ve taken me in as one of their own and to be able to give back, put a show on and to come back and support the sponsors who have put so much money into this event over the years, it’s a real privilege to get my name on that trophy.
“Of all the pro-ams I’ve played, there’s no event that’s done like this. There’s no event, I think, that the sponsors get around with the hospitality and how they look after the pros from start to finish.
“It is special to get a win here and I’m super proud to get my name on that cup.”
Now a restricted tournament member of the PGA, Wilson is limited to just three tournaments a year.
He made the most of a rare appearance on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with some clutch putts down the stretch under pressure.
“I hit some great shots today but the highlights were the two putts I made on my third-last hole and my second-last hole,” said Wilson.
“Eight-footers up the hill, middle of the cup for birdie and for par.
“They’re the ones that mean the most.
“The easiest thing is that I don’t have any expectations now. There’s not as much consequence and it makes it a little bit easier to put those numbers up.”
Wilson finished two strokes clear of Patrick Joseph (70) and Darren Bowman (70) at 4-under with former Tour winners Matt Stieger (71) and Ashley Hall (70) tied for fourth with Daniel Gill (70) and Brad Kivimets (73) at 3-under par.
A more content Ben Eccles matched the course record set by Cameron John 12 months ago to take the 36-hole lead at the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Coached by Cameron Smith’s mentor, Grant Field, the 28-year-old Victorian was brilliant on day two, compiling a 9-under 63 to reach 13-under through two rounds to be one stroke clear of Queensland amateur Quinn Croker (66).
Victorian rookie Charlie Robbins had four birdies and three bogeys on his front nine but played the back in 3-under for a round of 4-under 68 and 9-under total, making an up-and-down from the back of the ninth green to stay outright third.
West Australian Josh Greer and Sydney’s Jason Hong were among six players to shoot 65 in Round 2 and will start the third round five strokes off the lead, tied for fourth at 8-under.
Haydn Barron, Jak Carter and Sam Slater also shot 65 on Friday to be in a share of sixth with New South Welshman Harrison Crowe (69) at 7-under par.
Starting his second round on the front nine, Eccles birdied the par-4 third and then holed a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 fourth. He picked up shots at six and seven and then made three birdies on the trot to start his back nine to be 7-under through 12 holes.
John’s record was there for the taking but after three straight pars, Eccles had to settle for a share of the low score at Kalgoorlie Golf Course, holing a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet at the par-5 18th to go with his birdie on 16.
“I just kept telling myself to keep giving myself chances,” said Eccles.
“The greens are in really good shape so I thought if I could give myself some chances I’d be able to roll in a few at least.
“It’s just all coming together today; it was good.”
Twelve months ago, Eccles was questioning whether he had a future in the game.
After three years in Europe playing predominantly on the secondary Challenge Tour, Eccles split his time in 2022 between the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour.
Neither was particularly fruitful so he returned to Qualifying School in April and set his sights on the Australian Summer of Golf.
“Financially I was in a really poor position, so I felt a lot of stress away from the course,” admitted Eccles, who has begun the PGA of Australia’s Tour Professional Articulation to become an accredited PGA Professional.
“I went back to Q School and after Q School I put the clubs away for about six weeks, didn’t play at all. It was probably the best break I’ve ever had away from the game.
“I felt if I could have all my ducks in a row away from the course, get my body right, get my mind in the right place then my game can come through. That’s what’s showing.”
Croker continues to impress as he nears a move into the pro ranks.
A member of the Australian contingent that will contest the Asia-Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne in two weeks’ time, Croker already boasts two top-10 finishes this season.
He is positioned to better that heading into the weekend.
After a sloppy tee shot on one, the 21-year-old quickly refocused to make a par save that set the tone for the remainder of his round.
“That was a kickstart,” Croker said of making par at the par-4 first.
“I was probably mentally a little lazy on the first tee. Didn’t really turn on for the first shot and hit a bad tee shot.
“Got it to the green, got it out of the bunker and made the putt. I said to myself, ‘It’s not often you get away with pars like that, so make the most of it.’
“I birdied the next and then got a bit more comfortable.”
Croker made up-and-downs from 35 metres twice after finding the desert from the tee and holed a 30-footer from the fringe for eagle at the par-5 11th.
A total of 58 players made the cut at even par and will be joined for the final two rounds by amateurs taking part in the Road to the Outback Challenge.
The only place to see the final two rounds of the CKB WA PGA Championship is on Fox Sports through either Foxtel or Kayo Sports.
Coverage begins at 5pm AEDT on Saturday and 2.30pm Sunday.
Australian Deyen Lawson chipped in at the first playoff hole to claim his maiden victory on the Asian Development Tour.
Lawson’s best-of-the-day 65 saw him end the final round of the Second Indo Masters Golf Invitational at 13-under and tied with Thailand’s Charng-Tai Sudsom.
It would take just one extra hole for the Victorian to claim victory and move to the top of the ADT Order of Merit.
Lawson had just two pars in his outward nine, turning in 3-under thanks to five birdies against two bogeys that came in his opening three holes.
Three birdies in succession from the 11th hole brought him firmly into the mix, a final birdie at the par-4 17th completing a round of 7-under.
From there he had a short wait before confirmation that he and Sudsom would need extra holes to determine the winner.
Runner-up to fellow Aussie Aaron Wilkin at the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang last month, Lawson is now in the box seat to claim one of the 2024 Asian Tour cards given to the top-10 finishers on the Order of Merit at season’s end.
“It’s been close for the last few weeks and I’ve been playing solid, so it’s really good to get over the line,” said Lawson, the 2022 WA Open champion.
“It was good to chip in to win.
“You practice that shot all the time on the chipping green but you never really expect it to happen in a playoff so that was pretty fortunate.
“Obviously I want to finish in the top 10 to get an Asian Tour card but you never get sick of winning, no matter where it is, so I’m really excited.”
Wilkin is in fourth spot on the Order of Merit on the back of a tie for 13th, forging his way up the leaderboard after a 4-over 76 in Round 1.
His body clock is stuck somewhere between St Andrews and Kalgoorlie yet Haydn Barron used a 7-under 65 on Friday morning to join the hunt for the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Barron was one of three players who flew into Kalgoorlie just hours before their Round 1 tee times on Thursday, the West Australian making birdie at two of his final three holes to open with even par 72.
After starting his round with a bogey for the second straight day on Friday, Barron played the next 17 holes in 8-under to sit in a tie for fourth at 7-under through two rounds.
He shot 65 in the final round to finish tied for 25th at the Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland that went into a Monday finish and then embarked on a marathon journey home to make it to Kalgoorlie on time.
After his first leg from Edinburgh to Doha, he was “getting some weird looks” as he spent much of a three-hour layover stretching his long legs up a wall to reduce the swelling in his ankles.
The 27-year-old had just a few hours sleep at home in Perth on Wednesday night before flying out to Kalgoorlie on Thursday morning.
He endured another restless night’s sleep on Thursday and barely ate on Friday morning yet compiled a superb 7-under 65 to enter the hunt for a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title.
“I woke up at midnight last night and I was ready to go,” said Barron. “I had to figure out how to get back to sleep.
“Body started to shut down last night. Started to get a few shakes and almost like I was going to be sick.
“I wasn’t over there for a long time, but your body gets used to when you’re eating. I struggled to even eat some toast this morning and then got to the third hole I was starving.
“I didn’t eat anything and by the time I got through nine I wasn’t even hungry.”
Before he left Scotland on Monday evening, Barron received a piece of advice from fellow West Australian Jason Scrivener, advice that would prove prescient on Thursday.
“Golf was easier today,” said Barron.
“I was walking up the fairways yesterday with my eyes closed after each tee shot, just to try and get a bit of relaxation time in.
“I was 2-over with a couple to go and birdied two of my last three to come into the house square.
“That was my goal. I spent a bit of time with Jason Scrivener last week and he said to me, ‘Just get in there and shoot square first round.’
“We can say that I just took his advice.”
As the afternoon groups began their second rounds, Victorian Ben Eccles had moved into the outright lead by equalling the course record of 9-under 63.
Eccles leads the way 13-under par, one clear of Queensland amateur Quinn Croker who shot a second consecutive 6-under 66. West Australian rookie Josh Greer (65) is the next best at 8-under.
