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 ?
Avondale Golf Club Associate Linus Yip has shrugged off indifferent form and rid himself of last year’s scar tissue to make a blistering start to the PGA Associate National Championship at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Yip and Third Year Virginia Golf Club Associate Zach Ion both took full advantage of perfect conditions and pure putting surfaces to post rounds of 7-under 65 on day one at Cobram Barooga’s West Course.
They sit three strokes clear of a group of seven players at 4-under-par with an additional four players just one shot further back at 3-under.
Admitting that his form in 2024 hasn’t quite matched the results he delivered in his first year of the Membership Pathway Program, Yip was thrilled to turn a brilliant start to his round into a complete performance.
“I’ve actually been struggling this year results-wise,” said Yip.
“Had a really good year last year, had a fair few wins. The only thing that was lacking was a four-day win under my belt.
“It’s good to get this kind of monkey off my back, being able to just finish off a good round.
“Last year I actually had a pretty good round going in the third round and wasn’t able to finish it off.
“Mentally, it was good just to get over that scar tissue coming in today.”
Yip began the championship with an eagle at the par-5 first and then followed it up with an approach to two feet at the par-4 second to be 3-under in no time.
He had six additional birdies to go with two bogeys but had company at the top of the leaderboard by day’s end.
Ion himself was 4-under through six holes on Tuesday but dropped a shot at the par-3 eighth.
With birdies at 10, 11, 14, 15 and 16 Ion sat one clear at 8-under but made a final bogey at the par-4 17th to sit alongside Yip at 7-under.
Playing in his third National Championship, Ion enjoyed being back on the Cobram Barooga greens but credited his driver with opening so many birdie opportunities during the round.
“Really good with driver today, leaving myself in good spots,” was Ion’s assessment.
“When I needed to lay up, I left myself a good number and with the greens as good as these are, it’s good to be able to fly behind the pin and spin it back, which is different to what I’m used to.
“Made a couple of longer putts too which really helped the score.”
Round 2 starts at 7:30am AEST on Wednesday morning with the afternoon wave to commence at 11:20am.
After a six-event qualifying series around the state, all roads lead to Swan Hill, with one of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s biggest prize purses on offer this week as the Ford NSW Open heads to Murray Downs Golf & Country Club.
Last played in March 2023, after not featuring last season on Tour due to a change in scheduling, David Micheluzzi was the most recent winner of the Kel Nagle Cup, triumphing on his way to securing that season’s Order of Merit.
With an increased prize fund of $800,000, the return of the NSW Open has seen significant player interest, with star Aussies Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert making the trip out to the Murray River region, as well as 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.
Among the other headliners in the field are all four winners from Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this year, Phoenix Campbell, Jack Buchanan, Elvis Smylie and Will Bruyeres.
Kicking off a huge three-week stretch, the NSW Open provides a sensational prelude for the BMW Australian PGA Championship and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
2023 CHAMPION: David Micheluzzi (Victoria)
PRIZEMONEY: $800,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The NSW Open will be broadcast live on 7plus and 7two.
*All times AEDT.
Round 2: Friday, 12pm (7plus)
Round 3: Saturday, 12pm (7plus)
Final Round: Sunday, 12pm (7plus and 7two)
THE COURSE
Consistently ranked inside the best 100 courses in the country, Murray Downs is a favourite among the abundance of layouts dotted along the famous Murray River that sits on the border of New South Wales and Victoria.
Once a sprawling sheep station, design duo Geoff and Ted Parslow took to transforming the former farmland in 1991 and produced a magnificent par-71 course stretching to 6,276 metres, which was updated by the brothers in 2009.
Featuring Wintergreen couch fairways, and large Penncross bentgrass greens, the immaculate conditioning at Murray Downs is often a talking point, along with the red sand that fills the large and significant bunkering.
Several forced carries are also synonymous with Murray Downs, none more so than the long par-3 fifth, which, off the tips, can be stretched out to over 200 metres.
Players are afforded plenty of width off the tee, and huge landing areas on the large greens, but with that openness also comes wind, and the abundance of water and sand come into play.
With hot weather predicted in Swan Hill this week, the Murray Downs greens will be rolling fast, just how the Parslow brothers intended the course to be played
HEADLINERS
Cameron Smith — 2022 Open Champion, captain of the 2024 season winning Ripper GC team on the LIV Golf League
Lucas Herbert — PGA TOUR and DP World Tour winner, member of the 2024 season winning Ripper GC team on the LIV Golf League
Geoff Ogilvy — 2006 US Open champion, 2008 BMW Australian PGA champion and 2010 ISPS HANDA Australian Open champion
Phoenix Campbell — 2023 and 2024 Qld PGA champion
Jack Buchanan — Winner of the 2024 CKB WA PGA presented by TX Civil & Logistics and Webex Players Series South Australia
Elvis Smylie — 2024 Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open champion
Jak Carter — Two-time runner-up this season and fourth on the Order of Merit
Curtis Luck — 2016 WA Open champion, and Korn Ferry Tour player
Golf NSW and Jack Newton Junior Golf, alongside industry partners Golf Management Australia (GMA), the PGA of Australia (NSW) and the NSW Golf Course Superintendents Association (NSWGCSA) have celebrated an incredible year of outstanding achievements across the state.
By Kass Rogan
The 2024 NSW Golf Industry Awards took centre stage at the illustrious Crown Barangaroo last night, celebrating the outstanding contributions of individuals, clubs, and professionals over the past year.
Eighteen prestigious awards were presented, spanning playing performance, volunteer service, coaching, and club management.
Among the honourees were Ella Scaysbrook and Declan O’Donovan, who were named the 2024 Golf NSW Male and Female Players of the Year, respectively, while Massey Park and Mollymook took home top honours as the Metropolitan and Country Clubs of the Year for their exceptional impact on the sport in their respective communities.
Rising Stars: Declan O’Donovan and Ella Scaysbrook, the Golf NSW Male and Female Athletes of the Year
Declan O’Donovan from Avondale Golf Club continued his impressive trajectory, earning the Male Player of the Year award after an outstanding year, including wins in the NSW and Avondale Amateurs.
O’Donovan topped his year off by representing Australia in October in the Nomura Cup in Vietnam.
Ella Scaysbrook from the Australian Golf Club lived up to her reputation as one of Australia’s brightest golf talents by picking up several victories throughout the year, including a WPGA Tour win at Bathurst, the Rene Erichsen Salver and the Bowra & O’Dea Women’s 72-hole classic in Western Australia.
A highlight of Scaysbrook’s year was being selected for the first-ever Australian Junior team to take on the USGA in Wisconsin in June
Volunteer of the Year: Bruce McMullen Of Uralla Golf Club
Bruce McMullen has been a cornerstone of Uralla Golf Club for almost 30 years.
Elected to the Board of Directors in 2001, Bruce served for 10 years, including six as Vice Captain and two as Vice President. His passion for growing the club, mainly through youth engagement, led him to launch junior coaching clinics in 2003, a program that continues to thrive today.
Bruce’s background as a teacher and his commitment to continuous learning earned him PGA Professional coaching status. His Sunday morning clinics attract both young and old, fostering a multigenerational connection within the club. His dedication to junior development has extended beyond Uralla, as he regularly takes groups to tournaments across New South Wales, often at his own expense.
Bruce’s influence is evident in the increasing number of juniors who return to the club as adults. He has inspired young and senior golfers alike, fostering a love for the game that spans generationsand ensuring the ongoing growth and sustainability of Uralla Golf Club.
Service to Golf in NSW Award: Greg Hohnen of Killara Golf Club
Greg Hohnen’s 50-year career at Killara Golf Club is a testament to his dedication and influence. Starting as an Assistant Professional in 1973, Greg became Head Professional in 1995.
Hohnen’s mentorship has shaped the careers of many aspiring PGA professionals, with his guidance extending beyond technical skills to professional ethics and personal growth. His approachable teaching style has helped countless golfers improve their game, from beginners to seasoned players, earning him a beloved reputation at Killara.
Greg’s contributions to golf in NSW have inspired future generations and left a lasting legacy on the golfing community.
Metropolitan Club of the Year- Sponsored By Australian Super: Massey Park Golf Club
Massey Park Golf Club, known for its inclusive environment and financial performance, received the 2024 Metropolitan Club of the Year award. The club reported a significant profit increase, installed a 70kW solar system to boost sustainability, and introduced a range of successful participation programs for juniors and women.
Country Club of the Year: Mollymook Golf Club
Mollymook Golf Club secured the Country Club of the Year award for its financial and membership growth. The club also completed an $8 million renovation of its Beachside Clubhouse and set a record for rounds played.
Future is Bright: Celebrating Excellence Across All Categories
Other winners on the night included the Jack Newton Junior Golf (JNJG) Junior Club of the Year, The Rock Golf Club, which was lauded for its extensive junior development programs.
For its continued success, the PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am was named PGA NSW/ACT Tournament of the Year for 2024.
David Sommerville of Bankstown Golf Club received the NSWGCSA Superintendent of the Year Award.
Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW, said the awards night was a resounding success and highlighted the level of excellence found in our sport across the entire State.
“These awards honour the very best of our golf community.
“We are deeply grateful for their contributions which ensure that golf in our state continues to grow, innovate, and inspire future generations.
“Each of these honourees has not only excelled individually but has also played a pivotal role in strengthening the fabric of our sport across NSW.
“The dedication displayed by not only the winners but all of the finalists sets a standard that others can aspire to, and we are fortunate to have such passionate people building the future of our great game,” Mr Fraser said.
The complete list of winners is:
PGA NSW Awards:
GMA NSW:
NSWGCSA:
JNJG:
Junior Club of the Year: The Rock Golf Club
A full photo gallery of all award winners is available to view here
Two late eagles transformed a day of frustration into a three-stroke win for David Bransdon at the $30,000 Pymble GC Centenary Legends Pro-Am at Pymble Golf Club.
On the back of a week at the Australian PGA Senior Championship where his putting failed to match his ball-striking, Bransdon again failed to hole putts early at Pymble on Monday.
Four-under through 14 holes, Bransdon removed the putter from the equation with a brilliant 6-iron into three feet at the par-5 seventh and then holed a gap wedge from 86 metres at the par-4 ninth for a second eagle in three holes.
“Obviously if you have an eagle with a three-footer on a par 5 and then you hole a sand iron for two on a par 4, that certainly helps your score,” said Bransdon.
“Otherwise, it was going to be a frustrating day before that.”
His round of 8-under 64 was three to the better of Adam Henwood (67) as Scott Laycock (68) and Mark Boulton (68) shared third place.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
With birdies at each of his opening two holes after starting from the short par-3 11th, Bransdon set an ominous tone.
He added a third at the par-4 16th but made his only bogey of the day at the par-4 17th.
He kept pace with the top of the leaderboard with a fourth birdie at the par-5 first and added another at the par-4 fifth before closing with two eagles in his final four holes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was pretty good ball-striking,” said Bransdon.
“I’ve done it all last week and then again today and it’s actually good. But if I do hole some putts it’ll be a bit scary. It’ll be dangerous.
“It was a good day. Very good day, actually.
“I played really good last week and didn’t make a hell of a lot with the putter. And then today I made some, but I still left a lot on the table out there.
“But anytime you shoot 8-under is pretty good.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 David Bransdon 64
2 Adam Henwood 67
T3 Scott Laycock 68
T3 Mark Boulton 68
T5 Simon Tooman 69
T5 Euan Walters 69
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour’s week in Sydney continues on Tuesday with the $60,000 The Australian Golf Club Legends Pro-Am at The Australian Golf Club before heading north to the Central Coast on Wednesday for the Kooindah Waters Legends Pro-Am.
Queensland Associate champion Jack Wright hopes to use a week in the company of Cameron Smith to push for national honours at this week’s PGA Associate National Championship at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Wright is one of six state champions in the field of 130 who will play four rounds on the West Course at Cobram Barooga, William Bayliss (NSW), Daniel Gill (VIC), Joseph Hodgson (SA), Azer-Benjiman Pehlic (WA) and Aaron Mackay (TAS) also hoping to complete the state-national double.
The NSW/ACT PGA champion in 2023, Wright’s recent victory at Windaroo Lakes Golf Club paved the way for the Coolangatta Tweed Heads second-year associate to tee it up at the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club.
He made the cut there and believes those competitive reps will hold him in good stead at Cobram Barooga.
“I feel like we’ve played a fair few big events lately,” said Wright.
“Played Queensland Associates and then PGA Champs last week coming off a tough course, tough greens.
“I played nine holes here yesterday and it’s a little bit easier, but the greens are rolling really well.”
Cobram Barooga’s Old Course has received high praise from players who have played the Webex Players Series Murray River tournament in recent years.
Course Superintendent Terry Vogel and his team have been determined to make sure that the West Course can lay claim to similar plaudits.
“We have put a lot of work into the West Course,” said Vogel.
“Both courses now paly the same condition-wise. The greens are running at 12 on the Stimpmeter this week so they should provide a good test for the players.”
Wright has begun to adapt his game to the bent greens of Cobram Barooga from the grainy surfaces Queensland is known for, an adjustment he says is easy to make.
“It’s a much easier adjustment than playing on grain,” he added.
“Lucky to be from Queensland and be used to that, but coming down here it’s pretty much where you aim and hit it, it rolls straight there.
“It’s actually a lot easier.”
It took Levi Sclater three playoff holes to claim the 2023 National Championship in his first year of the Membership Pathway Program at Rossdale Golf Club in Melbourne.
Sclater returns seeking to go back-to-back with the strategy that proved to be so effective 12 months ago.
“I reckon I’m going to stick to a similar plan from last year,” said Sclater.
“It really worked and kind of suited the course. So I’ll probably just stick to that.
“I had a practise round yesterday and hit it around pretty nicely, so it should be a good week.”
Starting Tuesday from 7:30am, the PGA Associate National Championship is played over 72 holes and boasts $60,000 in total prize money.
Other players to watch this week include Bryce Pickin (NSW), Damon Stephenson (Qld), Zach Ion (Qld) and Joel Mitchell (Vic) while George van Vuuren (South Africa) and Alister Balcombe (GB&I) have been granted spots in the field as champions of their respective PGA’s.
Brock Gillard has added to his impressive resume at Hidden Valley Golf and Country Club with a one-stroke win at the Hidden Valley Resort Pro-Am.
A product of Hidden Valley, Gillard won his home event three times before turning professional, overcoming a bout of nerves and expectation to shoot 6-under 67 and finish one clear of Toby Walker (68) and Dean Mulley (68).
It is Gillard’s second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win in the past three weeks and one that he will certainly savour.
“I don’t recall actually being so nervous playing a round of golf,” said Gillard.
“Being my old home club, learning how to play golf here, a lot of expectations, a lot of fond memories here. A lot of members I haven’t seen in a long time.
“There was definitely an added pressure and it was really nice to have a solid round with the putter finally as well and get away with the win.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Despite his extensive course knowledge, Gillard had to wait before his first birdie putt dropped.
Starting his round from the seventh tee, Gillard opened with five consecutive pars before logging back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13.
He made his only bogey of the day at the par-4 14th but responded with consecutive birdies again at 15 and 16.
Pars followed at both 17 and 18 before Gillard peeled off three birdies in four holes for his round of 6-under 67.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“You want to perform in front of people that know you,” said Gillard.
“They’ve got these expectations in your mind that you’re really good. And we all know how hard golf is and how hard it is to win.
“It was really nice to overcome all my nerves. I did spend a little bit more time before I hit every shot and every putt. Just wanted to be fully ready and not allow anything else coming into my mind before I hit that shot.
“I really focused hard today.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Brock Gillard 67
T2 Toby Walker 68
T2 Dean Mulley 68
T4 Alex Edge 69
T4 Ben Ford 69
T4 Mark Panopoulos 69
T4 Peter Vassiliadis 69
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series has a week off before resuming with the two-day 2024 Tasmanian PGA Championship from Sunday at Devonport Country Club.
A Bernhard Langer bomb on the 72nd hole has denied Richard Green a maiden PGA TOUR Champions title at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona.
One of only 10 players in the 36-player field still a mathematical chance of taking out the season-long Charles Schwab Cup, Green’s hopes looked dashed through two rounds at Phoenix Country Club.
He responded with weekend rounds of 63-65 capped by a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and a back nine of 5-under 30 to set the clubhouse mark at 17-under par.
Langer and Kiwi Steven Alker stood on the final tee both at 17-under, yet when Langer hit his tee shot left and Alker hit his approach shot long over the back of the green, Green was suddenly sitting pretty.
Richard Green is CLUTCH!
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) November 10, 2024
A huge birdie on 18 to tie the lead @SchwabCupFinale 🔥
He can win the Schwab Cup if he wins outright. pic.twitter.com/C1BGNF6Tfi
Yet, as he had done 46 times previously on the Champions Tour, Langer poured in his birdie putt from long range to claim victory and relegate Green to a second-place finish for a fifth time this season.
His tie for second was enough for Green to lift three spots to third in the final Charles Schwab Cup standings, Alker the season champion for the second time in third years.
“It was a little hard getting going early, but once I sort of got the momentum on my side the back nine, it was just a matter of making the right decisions and playing my game as good as I possibly could and trying to execute the shots needed,” said Green, who finished the year with more than $US2 million in prize money.
“We had a couple opportunities that I even felt let slip, but still really nice to finish the way I did.”
As the PGA TOUR Champions season came to a close, Queenslander Scott Hend kept alive his hopes of winning the Legends Tour Order of Merit in Europe.
With two events left in the season, Hend’s third place finish at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters in Spain saw him bridge the gap to Order of Merit leader Adilson Da Silva.
Trailing Englishman Simon Griffiths by two after a bogey-free 7-under 66 in Round 2, Hend had drawn level with four birdies in the space of six holes to close out the front nine.
Dropped shots at 10 and 12 would prove costly, an eagle at the final hole enough to secure outright third three shots back of Griffiths.
The DP World Tour season finale will feature two Australians as Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott both maintained their position inside the top 50 in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
Lee produced four sub-70 rounds to finish tied for 23rd at the Abu Dhabi Championship with Scott closing with a round of 7-under 65 to finish tied for 46th and 16th entering the DP World Tour Championship.
Grace Kim’s tie for 11th was a strong result in defence of her LOTTE Championship title in Hawaii while Danny List leads the Aussie charge at the halfway mark of Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain.
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
World Wide Technology Championship
El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Mexico
1 Austin Eckroat 68-67-66-63—264 $US1.296m
T64 Aaron Baddeley 71-68-71-75—285 $15,408
MC Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 74-75—149
DP World Tour
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, UAE
1 Paul Waring 64-61-73-66—264 €1,419,771.15
T23 Min Woo Lee 69-67-68-69—273 €88,109.33
T37 David Micheluzzi 69-68-70-69—276 €52,615.05
T46 Adam Scott 71-67-75-65—278 €38,417.34
Qualifying School – Final Stage
Infinitum Golf (Lakes & Hills Cses), Tarragona, Spain
Through three of six rounds
1 Edoardo Molinari 65-61-72—198
T4 Danny List 72-63-69—204
T22 Brett Coletta 66-74-66—206
T37 Sam Jones (NZ) 69-66-73—208
T44 Haydn Barron 77-61-71—209
T79 Hayden Hopewell 68-74-68—210
T79 Todd Sinnott 74-68-68—210
T111 Tom Power Horan 70-73-69—212
T132 Andrew Kelly 72-70-72—214
T141 Cameron John 71-71-74—216
T150 Matthew Griffin 72-77-69—218
LPGA Tour
LOTTE Championship
Hoakalei Country Club, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
1 A Lim Kim 66-69-67-68—270 $US450,000
T11 Grace Kim 72-68-68-71—279 $52,713
T35 Robyn Choi 70-72-71-72—285 $17,236
T43 Stephanie Kyriacou 70-73-70-73—286 $12,491
MC Hira Naveed 74-72—146
Japan Golf Tour
Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters
Pacific Club (Gotemba Cse), Shizuoka
1 Ryo Ishikawa 66-71-65-67—269 ¥40m
T23 Brad Kennedy 72-69-68-69—278 ¥1.86m
T69 Michael Hendry (NZ) 73-73—146
Korean PGA Tour
KPGA Tour Championship
Cypress Golf & Resort, Korea
1 Daihan Lee 67-67-66-66—266
T49 Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 71-73-70-71—285
PGA TOUR Champions
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona
1 Bernhard Langer 69-64-67-66—266 $US528,000
T2 Richard Green 71-68-63-65—267 $276,000
T2 Steven Alker (NZ) 70-68-63-66—267 $276,000
5 Rod Pampling 69-72-65-68—274 $180,000
T15 Greg Chalmers 74-69-69-66—278 $61,500
T17 Mark Hensby 70-69-73-67—279 $55,500
T26 Cameron Percy 70-68-78-68—284 $22,950
33 Stuart Appleby 75-72-71-70—288 $18,750
Legends Tour
Farmfoods European Senior Masters
La Manga Club, Murcia, Spain
1 Simon Griffiths 64-70-68—202
3 Scott Hend 70-66-69—205
T15 Michael Campbell (NZ) 73-70-67—210
T38 Michael Long (NZ) 74-69-75—218
Reigning Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion Kazuma Kobori and DP World Tour winner Daniel Hillier are locked in to head the New Zealand challenge at the upcoming Australian golf majors.
The two Kiwis will take on the best of Australian golf, including Jason Day, Cam Smith, Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman at the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland (November 21-24) and ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath and The Victoria (November 28-December 1).
Both tournaments are co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour.
Kobori will be making his first appearances as a full-time DP World Tour member, the reward he gained from a sensational Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season in 2023/24. Three tournament victories, all in Webex Players Series events, helped him to top the Order of Merit in his first year as a professional.
Since then, the 23-year-old has played in two major championships, The Open at Royal Troon and US PGA Championship at Valhalla, as well as events on the DP World Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and Asian Tour.
Kobori said: “I’m really looking forward to getting started as a full-time DP World Tour member at Royal Queensland and then heading to the Sandbelt for the Australian Open.
“Last summer in Australia was huge for me with the three wins and winning the Order of Merit to earn my DP World Tour card. There’s some great memories there.
“I can’t wait to see some of my mates I haven’t seen on Tour for a while and playing well in these two big Aussie events would give me a great start to the 2024/25 season.”
Hillier had a career highlight in 2023 when he won the British Masters and this year finished 94th on the Race to Dubai.
“Australia is close to home so the PGA and Open are always events I’m keen to play,” he said.
“The fact they’re at the start of the DP World Tour season means it’s a fresh beginning, even though they come at the end of the year.”
The 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as the NINE Network/9NOW.
For BMW Australian PGA Championship tickets, go to ticketek.com.au
The Australian PGA Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Major Events Program and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
Andre Stolz has won the Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship for a second time after a final round 64 saw him finish five shots in front of the fast finishing Mat Goggin and defending champion Jason Norris.
Entering the final day with a two shot lead over Norris, and five stroke advantage of a pack including Goggin at 7-under, Stolz did his best to fulfil his stated mission to wife Katrina to “make it boring” on Sunday.
A couple of back nine hiccups overcome to lift the trophy for the second time after Stolz triumphed in 2020.
“I think obviously these last two weeks are our biggest two events of the year. I know I’ve won a lot of events on this Tour, and I’ve won the Order of Merit the last three years and leading again this year, and winning all those events is great, but these are the ones that we all want,” Stolz, who finished at 17-under, said.
“It’s like people talk about majors for the young guys and all that sort of stuff, but these are our biggest two events. So absolutely these are the two to win. And being the senior PGA champion is pretty special.”
Stolz continued the same formula of impressive chipping and putting that had been a feature all week at Richmond Golf Club during a front nine of 31 as Norris did his best to ruin the boring plan.
Birdieing four of six holes from the third, Stolz looked to be getting in the ideal preparation for PGA TOUR Champions qualifying school next month before back-to-back bogeys at the 12th and 13th.
Hooking both tee shots at the two par-4s, Stolz could feel the pressure of the reigning champ gaining momentum as Norris emerged as the most likely challenger with birdie at the 14th after turning in 1-under-par.
Stolz finding his putting touch again at the right time when the Queenslander followed Norris in for a birdie of his own at the par-3, before he pulled away with eagle at the par-5 15th following a “drop kick” second shot to within 15 feet.
“I like this golf course,” was Stolz simple assessment of a course he helped adjust the layout of ahead of this year’s event.
“I know it’s super demanding and you’ve got to drive the ball great, and if you do, you can make a ton of birdies.
“I’ve been telling everybody I talk to about it, just got to drive it well and you’re going to have plenty of opportunities to make some birdies.”
Noting how difficult it is “to match eagles”, Norris birdied the par-5 15th before a three putt at the short par-4 16th against Stolz’s par ensured the 2020 winner a more comfortable closing stretch. Goggin’s eagle-birdie-birdie run starting at the 15th a little too late for the Tasmanian to mount a challenge.
Stolz dropped another shot at the par-3 17th after arguably his worst chip of the week, but he finished things in style with a clinical birdie at the 54th hole.
The victory and pay cheque a helpful cash injection as Stolz prepares to head stateside to try and join the large contingent of Australians on world’s premier over-50s Tour.
“It’s just really good timing,” Stolz said.
“Obviously this time of the year is pretty much peak season for us. It’s a big expense to blow for a week, but we, we’ll go and roll the dice.”
Joining Stolz in Phoenix in the hope of securing playing rights will be Goggin, who will no doubt leave his tournament debut with plenty of positives after sharing runner-up honours with Norris.
Last week’s NSW Senior Open winner David McKenzie continuing his good form with a solo fourth on 11-under, with Peter Lonard a shot further back as the PGA Legends Tour prepares for a lucrative run of event in Sydney this week before Stolz potentially tees it up at the BMW Australian PGA Championship thanks to his win this week.
“I hadn’t really even looked at the schedule. I basically just had been in the zone all this week,” he said of potentially heading to Royal Queensland.
Playing together for the first two rounds of the Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship, 36-hole leader Andre Stolz and Jason Norris look the likely main players in Sunday shootout at Richmond.
Defending his maiden PGA Legends Tour title, Norris sits at 10-under after a 6-under 63 put him two shots adrift of leader Stolz on 12-under, with a well-credentialled pack in a tie for third on 7-under.
Mat Goggin set to join Stolz and Norris in the final group after a Saturday 64 took him into the five-way tie at 7-under with Peter Lonard, overnight leader David Fearns, last week’s NSW Senior Open winner David McKenzie and 12-time winner in 2024 Chris Taylor.
Early in the day, it looked as if Stolz might run away as he seeks to win the title for a second time after triumphing in 2020 and prepares to head to the PGA TOUR Champions qualifying school next month.
Birdieing the first, Stolz made two more on the trot from the third, before another shot against par at the sixth as he prepared to make the turn.
Norris also 4-under for the day before the pair dropped shots at the tricky par-3 ninth as the win began to swirl and the greens firmed up in the afternoon sun of Sydney’s north west.
“Funny day,” was Stolz’s overall assessment.
“Trying to predict again, the wind was sort of up and down a little bit again today, so of course it blew hard on the tough holes.”
Norris managed to get his dropped shot back immediately at the next, but it was more trouble for Stolz when his tee shot clipped a branch that sent the ball left and into the penalty area at the par-4 10th.
Nearly saving par with a great chip, Stolz got moving in the right direction again at the par-3 11th when holing out from the greenside bunker.
The Queenslander birdieing the next before chipping in again for bridie at the next par-3, the 14th, as Norris, who described his swing of late as “an octopus in a phone booth”, tried to keep pace with his fellow winner at Richmond.
Matching birdies came at the par-5 15th for Norris and Stolz, with the latter benefitting from caddie, and head professional at Richmond, Nick Barnham’s local knowledge.
Preparing to hit a hybrid for his second, Stolz was talked into less club to find a gap right of the green that led to an up-and-down birdie as they headed for the new home three-hole stretch that Stolz played a role in laying out this year.
It was three straight pars for both to close, as they watched the third member of the group Adam Henwood, a close friend of Norris since junior golf, come to life and ensure he landed inside the cut line that fell at 5-over. PGA TOUR winner John Senden making the cut on the number and first off on Sunday alongside evergreen Peter Senior.
Stolz noting his improvement on the slower than expected putting surfaces as part of his run to a two shot lead with 18-holes to play.
“My speed was definitely better,” he said.
“I had a good talking to myself and I sort of did some extra putting, I thought the practise green today matched more the course, whereas yesterday morning maybe hadn’t quite got to roll it or anything yet.
“My speed felt definitely better today.”
Also trying to gauge the ball’s reaction on approach shots as the greens firmed up during the second round, Stolz knows that despite his lead, Norris and the group at 7-under, and even David Bransdon and Mike Harwood on 6-under, can make up ground early at Richmond.
Norris hoping to recreate his final round charge of 2023 on Sunday as he seeks to become the tournament’s first back-to-back winner since Orville Moody in 1986 and 1987.
“I’ll try and play aggressive, whereas I felt like I lost the aggressiveness today, I was a bit nervy with some shots,” Norris said.
“Last year I was so good in the last round where I just played aggressive the whole way, so I didn’t care about anyone else and that’ll be the goal again tomorrow.”
Stolz also only focused on tomorrow only, but still considering how victory might alter his lead up plans to his American sojourn with a new category for the winner earning them a spot at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in two weeks.
“Just see how it fits in with everything,” he said of the potential start.
“I played at RQ (Royal Queensland) there a few times. If we could play off the normal members tees, I’d be quite happy to go.”
Rounds two and three of the Nova Employment Australia PGA Senior Championship will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports and Kayo.
