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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.
Another professional claiming the first win of his career featured in a three-way tie for top spot at The Middle of Everywhere Yarram Pro-Am today.
A day after Ed Donoghue broke through for his maiden success on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series at Traralgon, this time it was Zinyo Garcia (NSW) earning his first title, shooting a 4-under-par to sit alongside Matt Millar (ACT) and Alex Edge (NSW).
The trio was two shots clear of their nearest rivals.
While it was victory No.1 for Garcia, Millar’s pro-am win count now sits in excess of 50 in the past 10 years alone.
Edge’s victory added to his Tasmanian Open title in April.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Garcia came into the event a bit under-prepared after making a late commitment to the final leg of the Gippsland swing.
However made a fast track with three birdies in his first four holes. He ended up with a tally of eight birdies for the day, including two to close out his round to claim a share of top spot.
Miller’s round featured five birdies, including going back-to-back twice at the third and fourth and eighth and ninth as he posted a front nine of 33. The back nine had just the one birdie at the par-4 13th.
Meanwhile Edge was 1-over through his first five holes before picking up shots on the fifth, eighth, ninth, 10th and 12th.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Garcia said: “It feels pretty good because it’s been a bit tough of late. The game feels like it’s there but the scores haven’t been really showing it. The course is on a great bit of land, the land is really good and it’s a club that’s volunteer run. It’s absolutely amazing really. If anyone is down this way, I’d recommend playing it.”
Edge said: “I kept it in play all day and that gave me some chances. It was nice to come back and play here again. There’s a bit of emphasis on where you need to hit your next shot from and I enjoy that type of golf rather than trying to bludgeon it everywhere.”
Millar said: “It’s exciting to get a win again. It’s been a bit up and down the last few weeks or so. It’s always a pleasure to come back to Yarram. They do a wonderful job here. A lot of golf courses could take note of what they do here as a group of volunteers. It’s just amazing.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
68: Matthew Millar (ACT); Zinyo Garcia (NSW); Alex Edge (NSW)
70: Jack Chrystie (Vic); Toby Walker (Vic)
71: Rick Kulacz (WA)
72: Dean Mulley (NSW); Darren Bowman (Vic); Samuel Slater (Qld); Anthony Choat (Vic); Alexander Simpson (NSW); Tom Ryan (Vic)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series welcomes a new event at Hidden Valley Golf and Country Club, north of Melbourne, on Sunday.
Victorian Ed Donoghue claimed his maiden professional title after successfully negotiating a Friday of difficult conditions at the Traralgon Latrobe City WIN Network Pro-Am Classic.
Rounds of 66-69 for a 9-under-par total at Traralgon Golf Club gave Donoghue a one-shot margin over first-round leader Andre Lautee (63-73) and Peninsula-Kingswood amateur Matthew Dahlsen (67-69).
The breakthrough victory on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is a nice confidence boost for the 27-year-old heading into the NSW Open on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, starting at Murray Downs on Thursday.
Donoghue is currently sitting in 49th place on the Order of Merit after two top-30 finishes in his opening four events.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Donoghue’s bogey-free 6-under round on day one featured a 5-under-par 32 on the front nine at Traralgon.
After starting a very windy day two at the second hole, he had five straight pars before a birdie arrived at the par-5 seventh.
His first bogey of the event came at the par-4 12th, but the fourth year pro seized the lead with consecutive birdies on 16, 17 and 18, his round of 3-under-par 69 matching the best score on Friday.
Meanwhile, Lautee was brought undone by four bogeys in the middle of his round.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I’ve had a lot of seconds so I didn’t want to come second again,” Donoghue said.
“It’s nice to finally win and getting that monkey off the back definitely helps. It will give me some confidence I think.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-9: Ed Donoghue (Vic) 66-69
-8: Andre Lautee (Vic) 63-73; Matthew Dahlsen (Vic) (a) 67-69
-7: Harry Goakes (Vic) 66-71; Matthew Stenson (Vic) 66-71; Caleb Bovalina (Vic) 66-71
-4: Kyle Michel (Vic) 69-71
-3: Samuel Slater (Qld) 72-69; Nathan Page (NSW) 68-73; Alexander Simpson (NSW) 69-72
NEXT UP
The Gippsland swing ends with The Middle of Everywhere Yarram Pro-Am on Saturday.
Moore Park Golf Collective, comprising Golf Australia, PGA of Australia, Golf NSW and Moore Park Golf Club, today announced an ambitious initiative to transform Moore Park South into a vibrant, world-class recreational and golf facility.
The alternative proposal, submitted to the NSW Government during its consultation process in April 2024, supports a growing Sydney and allows for the retention of the much-loved and always busy 18-hole golf course by maximising un-used and under-utilised open space for active and passive recreation and active transport.
The proposal, a testament to the Collective’s commitment to diversity, equality, inclusion and a vision for an innovative and sustainable future, will see several public spaces added to the area, including:
● An adventure playground
● A nature play space
● A dog park
● BBQ and picnic facilities, a fitness trail and terracing located in the best position with spectacular city views
● A football oval
● A skate park and seating
● Half courts and a futsal court
● A BMX pump track and riding zone
● An athletics precinct
● 3 kms of well-connected walking, running and cycling paths
● New environmental spaces for Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub regeneration
● A multi-level 500-space car park cleverly built into the landscape
● A reduced par-68 18-hole public golf course allowing local, state and national competitions to continue
● Mini golf course, a practice putting green and a practice chipping area
● A shortened high-tech driving range with more bays
The bold, city-shaping vision for world-class recreational and golf facilities for a growing Sydney is achieved by transforming undeveloped parkland, enhancing golf, and connecting people to destinations.
Jared Kendler, Leader of Save Moore Park Golf said: “We have been working to ensure the alternative proposal aligns with the Premier’s vision to establish Moore Park South as a vibrant recreational destination for all.”
“By enhancing existing infrastructure and revitalising un-used and under-utilised areas, the initiative aims to create a park that caters to diverse recreational interests in a financially sustainable way that solves the many challenges in the broader precinct.”
“This exciting master plan delivers a minimum of 15 hectares of quality and connected recreational space for play, exploration, relaxing, walking and sports activities for people of all ages and as such is a win/win/win for the Government, the people of Sydney and the visitor economy,” said Mr Kendler.
Damien de Bohun, General Manager of Clubs and Facilities Golf Australia, Stuart Fraser, CEO Golf NSW, and Jared Kendler, Leader of Save Moore Park Course, unveiled the proposal designed to accelerate the Premier’s vision for upgraded infrastructure and more recreational space while preserving the iconic and highly utilised Moore Park Golf Course.
Damien de Bohun, General Manager of Clubs and Facilities, Golf Australia said the proposal prioritises the preservation and enhancement of Moore Park Golf Course, positioning Moore Park South as a park for everyone and the home of public golf in NSW.
“Not only does the proposal incorporate innovative features such as protected recreational areas and well-connected walking, running and cycling tracks, it also offers a 500-space carpark to accommodate the growing influx of visitors and overflow parking for major events in the area,” Mr de Bohun said.
“With golf one of the most popular organised sports in Australia in 2024, this plan addresses the significant demand for golf facilities and ensures that Australia’s busiest 18-hole public golf course remains available and accessible to people from all walks of life, contributing to improved physical and mental health and wellbeing,” he said.
Creating significant employment opportunities in management, events, retail and hospitality, Moore Park Golf Course is also home to a thriving golf academy, where PGA of Australia professionals conduct more than 77 lessons per day, including group classes for children and new Mums and Bubs sessions.
Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW, said Moore Park Golf Club has been a key community asset for over 100 years.
“Golf NSW believes the alternate proposal provides a win-win solution for the NSW Government and a growing Sydney by offering a multitude of recreational activities, whilst continuing to service the massive demand for publicly accessible golf via an 18-hole course,” Mr Fraser said.
“The proposed recreational hub will truly be the heartbeat of the precinct, and golf industry stakeholders welcome the opportunity to maximise the recreational benefits of the site for the community,” he said.
The Collective is also working to build climate resilience and biodiversity by creating revegetation areas throughout the course for the critically endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS). Undertaken with IndigiGrow, a social enterprise from First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, sustaining people, land and culture through the propagation and growing of native plants, the initiative will promote environmental sustainability and continue conservation efforts.
The Collective encourages residents of Zetland, Waterloo, Redfern, Surry Hills, Kensington, greater Sydney and beyond to support the initiative by signing the Save Moore Park Golf Course petition at www.savemooreparkgolfcourse.com.auto establish Moore Park South as a premier sports and recreation precinct, enriching the lives of Sydneysiders for generations to come.
Many of the names at the top of the congested leaderboard after day one of the Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship were as expected. However, they all sit behind the lesser known first round leader, David Fearns.
Hailing from Queensland, but a longtime Sydney resident and owner of Golf Traders in the city’s Inner West, a hot putter saw Fearns open with a 7-under 62, with a one shot advantage over Order of Merit leader Andre Stolz and Mike Harwood, who is headed for semi-retirement.
Stolz and Harwooda shot in front of the evergreen Peter Lonard chasing his first Australian PGA Senior Championship and Andrew Welsford, with PGA TOUR Champions player David Bransdon and last week’s NSW Senior Open winner David McKenzie part of a six way tie for sixth on 4-under.
Bransdon and McKenzie’s opening 65s matched by 12-time winner this year Chris Taylor, Terry Pilkadaris, Lucien Tinkler and defending champion Jason Norris.
Teeing it up on the PGA Legends Tour more than any other player, with 62 starts in 2024, Fearns first round started with a missed birdie putt at the par-5 first, before the story changed quickly from there.
“It was sensational,” said Fearns surmising his day that included four consecutive birdies from the second.
“It was just one of those days with the putter. I haven’t putted that well for five years.”
A working putter is just part of the equation to success at Richmond, which is in its 10th year of hosting the over-50s version of the Australian PGA Championship and requires straight driving, with Fearns combining both in his eight birdie, one bogey round.
“I still enjoy playing pro-ams. I love it, but I just love playing golf,” Fearns said.
“I think for me now, over the last few years, it’s definitely been about the putter, the ball striking has still been, never changed, hasn’t changed. But today I’ll just holed a lot of putts.”
The putter will need to stay hot over the weekend given the quality of the chasing pack, especially 2020 champion Stolz, who is prepping his game to head to the final stage of PGA TOUR Champions qualifying school next month.
Without a bogey on his card, Stolz looks dangerous at course he played a role in a change of layout to a tougher finishing stretch, while also accommodating the new party hole eighth.
“I was a bit worried about the forecast with the strong westerly blowing and it was actually really weird today. The wind was sort of switching back and forwards,” Stolz said.
“So that’s sort what made it tricky, but it didn’t really start blowing hard until towards the end. I just found the greens really slow. I was a bit spooked.
“The putting green was really slow, beautiful condition, but it was slow, and my first putt today, I ran it about eight feet by and I was like, ‘Oh, they’re quick’. And then I’ve left seven putts, short in the jaws.”
For Harwood, who has decided this week at Richmond will be his last 54-hole event ahead of playing occasional one and two day Pro-Ams to “live happily ever after” it was an impressive bogey free day as the wind picked up for the afternoon field.
The Victorian’s 6-under 63 powered by his straight driving.
“I didn’t miss a fairway and I played good. Just only hit one bad shot. Bit of a surprise but happy,” Harwood said.
“This is my last three round event, so I was pretty keen to play well in it.”
Always likely to play well here, Lonard’s new short game improvement he spoke of pre-tournament didn’t show up at first but was part of a tidy 5-under 64 that included an eagle at the par-5 15th.
“Kind of … the first chip and putt I had did was the worst chip I’ve ever seen, which is the way it works I suppose. But outside of that it was pretty good,” Lonard said of his short game.
“Nice little 5-under, actually played pretty good. Probably left a few out there, but I played okay without going crazy. But 5-under is always a nice way to start.”
Catching fire in the middle of his round, Canberra’s Welsford missed a makeable chance on the par-3 eighth, before he capitalised at the next following another good short iron and got on a run that saw him tied for the lead through 15 holes, before he admitted “the neck tightened” and he bogeyed 16 and 17.
Making his over-50s debut at this event last year, before heading to Champions Tour qualifying school and keeping his card, Bransdon’s experience of playing alongside major winners has given him an extra edge he is looking to use this week.
“It’s been a bit whirlwind from this time last year,” Bransdon, who has lost weight thanks to a Keto diet and cutting out bread, said.
“I hadn’t been to Q School yet for Champions Tour, I was just sort of finding my feet with the senior golf and I played okay here and I played good in a bunch of the good stuff in the Pro-Ams.
“But it all led to Q School in a matter of weeks and then getting through and keeping my card basically.
“It is confidence. That’s what it gives me. I can compete with the best guys over-50 in the world, so if that means I’m one of the favourites here, I’m more than comfortable with that.”
Rather than worrying about favouritism, or the potential spot at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in two weeks via a new category like Bransdon, Fearns is keeping his eye firmly on what is in front of him.
“Tomorrow I’ll try and do exactly what I did today … one shot at a time.”
Rounds two and three of the Nova Employment Australia PGA Senior Championship will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports and Kayo.
Australia’s golf venues have been given a new roadmap to help maximise the benefits that golf can bring to the community.
Headlining this new report is a live dashboard, built for general managers, facility operators, and landowners, who can now enter their own data and generate their own venue’s community benefits report.
The report also includes 10 themes to help all of golf’s venues across the country become the best version of themselves, whether it be golf courses, short courses, driving ranges, indoor simulator venues, or mini golf.
Last year, the Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) unveiled a groundbreaking report that revealed golf provides $3.3 billion in total annual benefits to the Australian community, economy and environment.
In the year since, the AGIC, which comprises the key national bodies of the golf industry in Australia, including the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia, has worked hard to take the report to the next level.
The result is an in-depth new report, titled “Maximising the Community Benefits of Golf”, published today.
AGIC Chair Karen Lunn is excited for venues around the country to put the report’s findings into practice.
“This report builds what was outlined last year – that golf is making a huge contribution to Australians in a number of ways every year,” Lunn said.
“We are now focussing on helping our clubs, facilities, landowners and operators, to build that contribution to even higher levels.
“The report will help all golf venues around our country understand the benefits they contribute from their own venue and in doing so work on areas that will maximise these benefits even further to create a healthier, happier and more sustainable community.”
A key point of last year’s report is that golf is big, different from other sports in positive ways, and is changing with new venue types attracting a more diverse player demographic.
It also showed that golfers are healthier and happier than the average Australian.
Underpinning the new report are fact-finding interviews with 15 venue operators, across a variety of golf courses, short courses, driving ranges, indoor simulator venues, and mini golf.
“The 15 venues who contributed to this engaging report were invaluable. The knowledge and experience they shared is extremely important in our quest to achieve our shared goal of more Australians playing more golf,” said Lunn.
“Golf is in an extraordinary time of growth, and together we can maximise the benefits the game brings our community as a whole to build a strong and resounding future.”
The 10 themes to success presented include:
The themes to success apply to venues in varying degrees, but all have been identified as the most important factors for maximising community benefits.
To learn more about the report, and for access to the interactive dashboard CLICK HERE.
To look at the career of Peter Lonard, who perfectly embodies the over-50s circuit in Australia named the PGA Legends Tour, you would struggle to find many holes in the Sydneysider’s resumé.
Owner of two Australian Opens, a hat-trick of Australian PGA Championships, as well as winning the Australian Masters and on the PGA TOUR, when it comes to winning, one of multiple successful “Peters” of his generation has achieved a lot.
However, since continuing his career in the over-50s world, there is one title that has eluded Lonard, with this week’s Nova Employment Australian PGA Seniors Championship a trophy he admits he’d like to have his hands on.
“It’s a little different. In the old days I was playing every week. I was playing 30, 40 weeks a year,” Lonard said at host venue Richmond Golf Club today.
“All the Australian tournaments, I loved playing because normally the courses were firm and hard and bouncy and I just loved playing them.
“Obviously to add this to the PGAs that I won with the ‘flat bellies’, it’d be a nice little cherry on top moment, I suppose.
“It is not the end of the world if I don’t, but of course I’d like to. I think I’ve finished second here a couple of times, but you still feel as competitive as you did when you were a kid, you still get nerves trying to hit certain shots to win and all this sort of stuff.
“So it’s great to be able to still do it at 57 and still have that desire I suppose.”
That desire is evident to all, with Lonard constantly found on the range at The Australian Golf Club working on his game, in between teeing it up on the Legends Tour where he has three wins so far in 2024.
Known throughout his career as one of the best ball strikers in golf, it is a different area of the game that Lonard believes might prove the difference this week at Richmond, where he finished joint runner-up to Jason Norris last year.
“I think I’m playing reasonable. I’m probably not hitting it as good as I was, but my short game’s a lot better so that can hide a lot of mistakes, a lot of problems,” he said.
“I’m close to playing pretty good. Looking forward to the next couple of weeks, or the next four weeks really if counting the (ISPS HANDA Australian) Open and the (BMW Australian) PGA.”
Still dedicated to his craft, one that has led him all over the world after spending time as the head professional at Oatlands Golf Club following a bout with Ross River Fever in the early 1990s, Lonard doesn’t believe he has found a magic short game pill. Or at least not a new one.
“Practising for 15 years and finally something clicked,” he said laughing when asked what the secret to his short game success has been.
“I went back to a lot of old stuff, it’s probably not rocket science. It probably got a bit too complicated with what I was trying to do and it seems to be working okay. Whether it works under pressure, I don’t know, but we’ll see.”
The pressure will come from the usual tournament nerves, that even an experienced major championship campaigner and Presidents Cup representative admits he still feels.
It will also come from the stellar field that again has assembled for the national title for the senior Tour in this country.
Lonard joined by Norris, as well as the likes of Peter Senior, Peter O’Malley, Order of Merit leader Andre Stolz, PGA TOUR Champions player David Bransdon, John Senden, Mat Goggin and frequent winner Adam Henwood.
Many of those beaten out by another of the names familiar to Aussie and global golf fans, David McKenzie, who claimed the NSW Senior Open in front of Goggin, Lonard and Scott Barr last Sunday.
The names as recognisable as the routine of Lonard, who after claiming the pre-tournament pro-am with his team was headed for a familiar route home ahead of tomorrow’s first round when he will tee off at 9am (AEDT) alongside Terry Pilkadaris and Scott Laycock.
“I’ll probably stop at a driving range or something and hit some drivers. Not driving it great, but everything else is pretty good so try and get the driver going straight tomorrow and we’re ready to go.”
Rounds two and three of the Nova Employment Australia PGA Senior Championship will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports and Kayo.
This week it’s time for the biggest event on the PGA Legends Tour as the country’s best over-50s golfers head to Richmond Golf Club for the Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship.
A year ago it was Jason Norris who triumphed over Stephen Allan and Peter Lonard, blowing the field away in the final round to romp to a five-stroke victory.
Back at Richmond, Norris will again be another favourite as he continues to contend among the players on both the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia as well as the PGA Legends Tour.
A three-time runner-up in recent years, Lonard, who has won almost everything in Australian golf, would love to add this one to his packed cabinet.
A flurry of players at the top of the PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit in Andre Stolz, Christopher Taylor and Adam Henwood, all whom have added to their legacy in the seniors arena, will be looking to cap off already successful years.
In its seventh consecutive year as host, Richmond Golf Club will be rocking with spectators keen to see some of their childhood heroes and household names continue their long and illustrious careers.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jason Norris (Victoria)
PRIZEMONEY: $150,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The Nova Employment Australian PGA Senior Championship live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 3pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
THE COURSE
Staking claims to be the oldest club still on its original site in New South Wales, Richmond Golf Club came into existence in western Sydney in 1899.
Playing host to the Australian PGA Seniors Championship for the 10th time, and seventh consecutive year, Richmond will be a little different this year with the layout adjusted to cater to the new 4 Pines Brookvale Union Party Hole.
Formerly the 18th, the new par-3 in front of the clubhouse will play as the eighth hole with the strong par-4 18th (formerly nine) now part of a tougher finishing stretch for the eventual champion.
The greens will run true with a good covering of grass that while not lightning fast, will test the field with subtle breaks and slopes making chipping an always challenging task.
HEADLINERS
Jason Norris — Defending champion and 2017 Fiji International winner
David Bransdon — PGA TOUR Champions player, multiple Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner
Andre Stolz — Leader of this season’s Order of Merit, and past champion (2020)
Peter Lonard — Winner of the Australian Open, Australian PGA and Australian Masters, and runner-up at Richmond last year.
Adam Henwood — Six time winner on the PGA Legends Tour in 2024
Peter Senior — Another multiple winner of all Australia’s marquee events, and over 20 wins worldwide.
Matthew Goggin — Five time Korn Ferry Tour winner, former PGA TOUR player
Christopher Taylor — 12 time winner on the PGA Legends Tour this year
Peter O’Malley — Three time DP World Tour winner, including the 1992 Scottish Open
