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There’ll be a special competition within the competition when the Wilson family creates a world first at Webex Players Series Victoria, starting on Thursday.
Long-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia member Peter Wilson will play alongside, and against, his daughter Chloe, who is one of the newest members of the WPGA Tour of Australasia just four years after taking up golf.
With the Webex Players Series events offering the unique format of men and women competing on the same course for the same trophy and prize money, it’s the first time that father and daughter professionals have teed it up as rivals.
Chloe, 20, made her pro debut at last week’s Drummond Golf Melbourne International at Latrobe Golf Club, finishing tied for 26th, while Peter has played 246 Official World Golf Ranking events since in 2002, including winning the 2012 WA PGA Championship.
“It’s going to be fun,” Peter said. “I’ve never competed against my daughter before in a pro event so there’s a first time for everything in this game.”
But it’s definitely not the first time the duo has gone head-to-head on the golf course, with family matches a regular event.
Chloe has yet to win one of those but with her game quickly improving, she came very close earlier this month at Woodlands Golf Club, leading by a shot coming to the last hole only to record a bogey while her determined dad birdied to keep his streak alive.
“I don’t want her to beat me,” Peter laughed.
“And it’s tricky this week because we always play together and I’m advising her on shots, but this week I can’t because we are opponents in a professional tournament. It’s going to be really tricky in that area.
“I think it’s a two-shot penalty if I said, ‘Chloe, you need to hit a little left or right shot here’. I can’t say anything.”
Although she’s been around golf all her life, Chloe hadn’t shown much interest in following her dad’s sporting career until she was 16, preferring dancing instead.
But when she did start swinging the club there was a clear intention – turn pro inside five years.
“Ever since I was little, I was always caddying for my dad at all these pro-am events,” Chloe said.
“I guess I was somewhat learning the game without even playing, which was quite cool.”
Peter recalls: “She goes, ‘Dad, I’m going to play golf now and I’m going to be a professional in five years.’ And I’m like, ‘Chloe, you haven’t even got any golf clubs.’
“So that’s where it started back in 2020. And she did, which is amazing.”
Chloe’s goal to turn pro was achieved at the WPGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School at the end of 2024 where she finished tied 33rd.
“I have to remind her that she’s quite good,” said Peter, whose son Keefer represented Australia in skateboarding at the Paris Olympic Games.
“She’s only been playing four or five years, so some of the mistakes she makes are like, ‘Chloe, you’ve only been playing four years, so you don’t really know how to do everything.’
“I’m very proud of her. Very proud of all my kids. My son was in the Olympics and my daughter (Aaliyah) only just missed out on being in the Olympics. I’m proud of all my kids.”
Still very much in the development phase of her career, Chloe is approaching her four-round professional tournament debut with a mixture of nerves and excitement.
Having her dad alongside will help and she’ll be quickly on the phone to her mum if she does finally manage to be the “low Wilson”.
“I’m excited,” she said.
“It’s not like something everybody gets to do, get to play a professional tournament with their dad and competing against each other. I’ll just enjoy it and try to beat him.
“I’ll definitely be nervous on the first tee, that’s for sure. Very nervous. But then I think once you’ve done your first tee shot, you kind of relax and you’re like, OK, I can just play golf now.”
The Wilsons tee off in the first round at 1.35pm on Thursday with Queenslander Tim Hart completing the group.
Jason Day is closing in on the type of form that produced one of the greatest seasons by an Australian golfer as he chases a third victory at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
In an extensive pre-tournament interview Day gave his thoughts on a diverse range of topics, including:
It was 10 years ago that Day won at Torrey Pines for the first time, the first of what would be five PGA TOUR titles in 2015, including the 2015 US PGA Championship.
Not since Karrie Webb won five times on the LPGA Tour in 2006 had an Aussie enjoyed such success in a single season on a major tour, Cameron Smith’s historic three-win season in 2022 the only one to come close since.
On the back of a tie for third at The American Express – his best result since finishing tied for second at The Open in 2023 – it has given the 37-year-old cause to believe that his best is tantalisingly within reach.
“I feel like I’m preparing myself for another run,” said Day, a winner at Torrey Pines for a second time in 2018.
“I definitely think that not only is my body moving in the correct way, the correct direction, my swing’s moving in the correct direction and also my mind.
“I’ve actually struck it really nice over the last two weeks and I’ve putted poorly. If I can match those two things… but that’s just golf. When you feel like you’ve got one thing, the other thing goes missing.”
The self-confessed favourite club in his bag, the putter represents the key in Day winning on the PGA TOUR for a 14th time.
After ranking ninth in Strokes Gained: Putting in 2024, Day is currently 153rd from a small data pool.
For a player regarded as one of the greatest putters of the past 20 years, it is a statistical anomaly Day is eager to rectify.
“My putter by far because that’s the thing that I’m known for, even though I haven’t putted good the last few tournaments in a row,” said Day when asked to name the favourite club in his bag.
“It’s not the sexiest thing, you know what I mean? It’s not like hitting a drive like a Rory McIlroy or anything like that, but you hit a clutch putt down the stretch when you need to, nothing better than that because you need it.
“When all else fails and you have the putter going, it’s the thing that’s going to keep you in the game.
“That’s the reason why I love putting the most.”
Joining Day at Torrey Pines is Aaron Baddeley while on the DP World Tour the two most recent Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners, David Micheluzzi and Kazuma Kobori, and this season’s leader, Elvis Smylie, are playing the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the UAE.
There are nine Aussies teeing it up in the first Asian Tour event of the year in the Philippines and Hayden Hopewell begins his 2025 HotelPlanner Tour campaign in South Africa.
Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Cse), San Diego, California
5:07am Aaron Baddeley
5:40am Jason Day
Past champion: Matthieu Pavon
Past Aussie winners: Jason Day (2015, 2018), Marc Leishman (2020)
Prize money: $US9.3m
TV times: Live 4am-11am Thursday, Friday; Live 4am-12pm Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
2:10pm* Jason Scrivener
3:30pm* David Micheluzzi
7:05pm Elvis Smylie
7:35pm Ryan Fox (NZ), Daniel Hillier (NZ)
8:25pm Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
Past champion: Thorbjorn Olesen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.5m
TV times: Live 7:30pm-12:30am Thursday, Friday: Live 7:30pm-12am Saturday; Live 7pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Asian Tour
Smart Infinity Philippine Open
The Manila Southwoods G&CC (Masters Cse), Philippines
9:45am* Denzel Ieremia (NZ)
10:35am* Jed Morgan
10:55am Lawry Flynn
2:15pm Brett Rankin
2:35pm Todd Sinnott
2:45pm* Nick Voke (NZ)
2:55pm Travis Smyth
3:05pm* Jack Thompson
3:15pm Maverick Antcliff
3:15pm* Aaron Wilkin
3:25pm Kevin Yuan
Past champion: Clyde Mondilla (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Norman Von Nida (1938, 1939), Bruce Crampton (1959), Frank Phillips (1960), Peter Thomson (1964), Rob Whitlock (1996), Adam Le Vesconte (2005), Scott Strange (2006), Marcus Both (2014)
Prize money: $US500,000
HotelPlanner Tour
SDC Open
Zebula Golf Estate & Spa, Limpopo, South Africa
9:20pm Hayden Hopewell
9:50pm Sam Jones (NZ)
Past champion: Rhys Enoch
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US375,000
Results
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, Great Abaco, The Bahamas
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 77-65—142
MC Rhein Gibson 73-70—143
Brett Coletta is starting a “year of opportunity” at Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club on Thursday.
The reigning Vic Open champion has a potentially career-defining 11 months ahead, with playing rights on the DP World Tour for the first time after finishing third on the 2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
He comes to Rosebud having not played on Tour since the Aussie majors in November-December but he returns as one of the favourites in the third Webex Players Series event of the summer.
“It’s going to be a big year,” the 28-year-old said ahead of his 2025 debut.
“I’ve given myself plenty of opportunity just based off some good results in the last couple of years out here.
“It’s given me a good platform to move on to Europe or now the International Series (on the Asian Tour) as well.
“This will be a good test this week just to get some cobwebs off essentially.”
Just when Coletta will make his first start for 2025 on the DP World Tour is yet to be locked in. But he’s going to make sure he’s ready once confirmation comes of where he’s headed.
“You play that waiting game and see where you need to go or where you stack up,” he said.
“The hard part is we’re all the way over in Australia, so if you get the call up, you’re on a plane somewhere else in the world pretty quickly. That’s going to be a challenge for sure.”
If Coletta doesn’t get a start at the Qatar Masters, which is his next likely opportunity, he’ll be at 13th Beach next month to defend his Vic Open title.
“I might not know if I’ll be there until last minute. But if I’m there playing Vic Open, I’ll be firing on all cylinders trying to defend for sure,” he said.
But before then, the three-time Tour winner is keen to make the most of his trip to one of his favourite stops on Tour where he faces off against the best of both the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
“I love coming back down here and I think this year is the best I’ve seen the course,” Coletta said.
“I just played the front nine this morning. I was talking to a couple of the greenkeepers out there and I was just in awe of how good the conditions look. It’s just so lush and green.”
Coletta will start his first round on Thursday morning at 8am AEDT, playing alongside Kristalle Blum and Claire Shin.
The final two rounds of Webex Players Series Victoria are live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, from 3pm-6pm Saturday and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.
Director of Golf, Rodney Booth, has found the right balance of member play, visitor rounds and beginner programs for all ages to drive impressive growth at Catalina Country Club.
A favourite spot on the New South Wales South Coast for holidaymakers, retirees and young families, the 27 holes at Catalina have long been a popular playground for those who live in the area or those just in for the weekend.
That can create its own challenges in balancing member demand with the opportunity of visitor green fees yet Booth and his team have embarked on a range of initiatives that maintains member satisfaction while welcoming new golfers to the facility.
The result has been an explosion not only in membership numbers and visitor rounds but introductory programs that have proven popular for all ages.
“We have cadets from the age of eight beginning their lifelong journey all the way up to 70-year-olds that have decided to take the game up for one of many reasons,” said Booth, who was named the PGA National Club Professional of the Year at the 2024 PGA Awards.
“Within this age gap, we cater for an array of individuals and groups ranging from schools, work organisations, community groups, people with physical or mental limitations as well as those that just want to give golf a try who haven’t up until now.”
At either end of the age spectrum, newcomers to Catalina are relishing the start of their journey in golf.
In an area popular among retirees, the junior base has more than tripled while the beginner ladies programs have proved so popular there are now as many as four sessions per week.
“Our junior program’s gone from around 30 juniors up to more than 100 now,” Booth added.
“Our beginner ladies engagement programs are really kicking some goals now. We’ve got three or four clinics a week and even membership’s just grown exponentially over the last three or four years.
“We’re putting through more than 200 people a day at the moment so it’s busy but having that personal contact as much as you can goes a long way.”
Key to Catalina’s success has been a focus on making sure that each experience, no matter how frequent, is an enjoyable one.
“We’ve got a great product at Catalina – the clubhouse, the facilities, the service, the golf course – so it is then about making that day-to-day experience one that they remember,” said Booth.
“Whether it’s a member that’s frequenting two or three days a week, a visitor that comes out once a year or those participating in our various programs, making sure that their time and their experience is worthwhile and they want to come back in again.
“If they walk out of the pro shop with a smile on their face and appreciating the journey, then my job’s partly done.”
Although it seems like it began only yesterday, Webex Players Series Victoria will celebrate its fifth staging at Rosebud Country Club this week.
Another high-quality field will be back on the Peninsula contesting the unique format which sees men and women professionals go up against each other on the same golf course, vying for the one trophy and a share of the $250,000 prizemoney pool.
It’s the men who hold the advantage after the four Webex events staged so far on Rosebud’s superb par-70 composite course.
Queenslander Brad Kennedy claimed the inaugural edition in 2021 followed by Victorian Todd Sinnott in 2022. Korea’s Min A Yoon broke through for the women with a record score of 24-under-par in 2023 before New Zealander Kazuma Kobori holed a putt on the final green to make it 3-1 for the men last year.
Kennedy is back again this year, attempting to become the event’s first two-time champion.
This year’s men’s field also features five winners from the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season which is now into its second half – Ben Henkel, Cory Crawford, Phoenix Campbell, Jordan Doull and Will Bruyeres – plus a host of other big names including Brett Coletta, Matthew Griffin, Jordan Zunic, Harrison Crowe, Anthony Quayle, and Marcus Fraser.
The women’s field is highlighted by reigning Vic Open champion Ashley Lau, 2024 Athena champion Kelsey Bennett and Cassie Porter, who is bound for women’s golf’s biggest test, the LPGA Tour, in 2025.
WA’s Abbie Teasdale will be aiming for back-to-back victories after triumphing at last week’s Drummond Golf Melbourne International at Latrobe Golf Club.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPION: Kazuma Kobori
PRIZEMONEY: $250,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au; www.wpga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: Webex Players Series Victoria is 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)
HEADLINERS
Cassie Porter – 2025 LPGA Tour member
Brett Coletta – 2024 Vic Open men’s champion
Ashley Lau – 2024 Vic Open women’s champion
Brad Kennedy – Two-time NZ Open winner, 2021 Webex Players Series Vic winner
Kelsey Bennett – 2024 The Athena champion
Phoenix Campbell – 2023 and 2024 Qld PGA champion
Momoka Kobori – 2023 NSW Women’s Open champion
Matthew Griffin – 2024 Heritage Classic champion
Lydia Hall – 2012 Ladies British Masters winner
A first win for 2025 was just out of reach as the Australian flag flew proudly on international leaderboards this past week.
Starting with David Micheluzzi’s share of the lead after a round of 7-under 65 on day one of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour through to Jason Day’s spirited showing at The American Express, the Aussie influence looks like being strong again this year.
As Kiwi and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regular, Daniel Hillier, finished second in Dubai, Micheluzzi, Jason Scrivener and Min Woo Lee were all top-15 after 36 holes at the Emirates Golf Club.
Back home, ahead of this week’s Webex Players Series Victoria, West Australian Abbie Teasdale showed her credentials with a playoff win at the Drummond Golf Melbourne International in just her second start as a professional.
10. Kirsten Rudgeley
Tuned up for her quest to win a maiden Ladies European Tour title in 2025 with a wonderful first-up showing at Webex Players Series Perth. After not touching her clubs over the Christmas-New Year break, Rudgeley showed up to Royal Fremantle and led by two after 54 holes before missing the playoff by a shot.
9. Jordan Doull
Rose 560 places in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of his playoff win at Webex Players Series Perth. Runner-up at the WA PGA Championship, Doull is ninth on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and second behind Jack Buchanan in both Rookie of the Year points and Total Number of Birdies for the 2024-2025 season.
8. Anthony Quayle
Has one of three DP World Tour cards in his sights after committing to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. Comes into this week’s Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club with four top-five finishes in his past five starts.
7. Cameron Smith
Still in pre-season mode with the start of the 2025 LIV Golf season a further two weeks away. The Ripper GC captain led his squad to the team title in 2024 but will be desperate for an individual win this year to fuel his tilt at the majors.
6. David Micheluzzi
Started the year with a bang. Co-leader after Round 1 in his maiden appearance at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Micheluzzi book-ended his week with another 7-under 65 on Sunday to climb into a tie for eighth. Rose to a career high of No.192 in the Official World Golf Ranking and is growing in stature on the DP World Tour with every event.
5. Cam Davis
In typically understated fashion, Davis walked away from The American Express with a tie for 19th. Dating back to his second Rocket Mortgage Classic win last June, Davis has finished top 20 in six of his past 12 starts. Was enough to elevate Davis back into the top 50 in the world ranking.
4. Elvis Smylie
Although he dropped three spots to sixth on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Ranking, the BMW Australian PGA champ showed he is ready to take his place among the elite of world golf. Shot 68 in the second round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic to advance to the weekend in his first Rolex Series event.
3. Jason Day
Climbs to No.33 in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of his tie for third at The American Express in California. Day was in the hunt until late in the final round but dropped shots at the 14th and 18th holes to finish three back of champion Sepp Straka. It was his best finish on the PGA TOUR since he was runner-up at The Open in 2023.
2. Adam Scott
Will next tee it up in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after logging a tie for 39th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour.
1. Hannah Green
Has another week at home in Perth before the three-time winner in 2024 begins her 2025 season at the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
He’s the perennial tournament favourite yet James Marchesani has an old rival to contend with as younger brother Anthony returns to play the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club.
The Marchesani name is etched across the honour boards at Rosebud, Anthony finally adding his following victory in the club championship last year.
Having spent a number of years on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia – including the first two editions of the Webex Players Series Victoria at his home course – Anthony took up a full-time job and regained his amateur status.
His club championship victory yielded an ‘Elite Amateur’ invitation to play this week, James not expecting Anthony to jump back on the bag for him on the weekend.
“He’ll be playing the weekend. I’ve got confidence in him there,” said James, who had Anthony caddie for him at the 2024 New Zealand Open.
“He’s actually playing some good golf at the moment, too, so it’d nice to see him do well for four days.
“He won club champs, which is his first, so he was pretty pumped about that. He always had to play against me and he wasn’t happy.
“It’ll be fun. It’ll be a fun week obviously at home. It’s always a good time with friends and fam, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Anthony’s last professional tournament was the 2022 Webex Players Series Victoria where he and James were paired for the opening two rounds.
Three years on, it is a pairing James would welcome once again.
“Since he’s gone full-time work, we haven’t played heaps together so hoping for a nice pairing,” said James, who was runner-up in 2023 and has not finished outside the top 20 in four starts at Rosebud.
“It’d be nice to play with him for a couple of days. We grew up playing together, we went to college together, we’d push each other along so it’d be fun if we did.
“I’m not asking for it but, if anyone’s listening, it would be fun.”
More than the renewal of a family-friendly rivalry, James has the opportunity to convert good form and home course advantage into a maiden win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
The 34-year-old’s 8-under 64 was the equal-best of the final round at Webex Players Series Perth and earned him a tie for fifth.
It's raining birdies @RoyalFremantle 😮💨@JamesMarchesani | #WebexPlayersSeries
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 12, 2025
It is his best result since his near miss at Rosebud two years ago and cause to be confident heading back to such familiar turf.
“It’s nice to get some confidence in the game,” James added.
“Obviously I know Rosebud probably as good as anyone ever and have been close a couple of times.
“It’s nice to find a bit of form and then hopefully take that into Rosebud and just see what happens.”
Inaugural Webex Players Series Victoria champion Brad Kennedy returns to Rosebud again, joining six of the winners on tour this season.
Women seeking to replicate Min A Yoon’s triumph in 2023 include reigning Vic Open champion Ashley Lau, 2023 Women’s NSW Open winner Momoka Kobori and WPGA Tour of Australasia winners Cassie Porter, Kelsey Bennett and Lydia Hall.
The final two rounds of the Webex Players Series Victoria will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo. Coverage is from 3pm-6pm Saturday AEDT and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.
Jason Day was left to rue two late mistakes as he came up just short of a first PGA TOUR win since 2023 at The American Express in California.
Needing to make up four strokes on Austrian Sepp Straka in the final round at the Pete Dye Stadium Course at La Quinta, Day had narrowed the gap to within three early in the back nine.
With Straka on the back fringe, Day had less than 17 feet for birdie at the par-4 14th yet ran the tricky downhiller four-feet past. The return four-footer horse-shoed wickedly from the right edge and spat out on the left, the resulting bogey a setback in Day’s late chase.
A two-shot swing at the par-5 16th gave the 37-year-old Queenslander a sniff yet a self-confessed “uncommitted” swing off the par-5 18th led to a closing bogey and a share of third.
“I wish I could have had the 18th tee ball back, it was a very uncommitted shot there,” said Day after his best finish since he was runner-up at The Open in 2023.
“But overall I feel like the stats this week were very solid from tee to green. Could have done a little bit better on the greens, but I think with a lie/loft adjustment and then also some putting practice, I think that should be back on top of it.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in contention like that, so it’s nice to be able to stand there and hit some of the shots that I did knowing that, under the pump, you still got some really good stuff in there.
“Let’s just kind of build on that going forward.”
Another Aussie with plenty to build from after his first outing for 2025 is Victorian David Micheluzzi.
Embarking on his second year on the DP World Tour, Micheluzzi had a share of the lead after Round 1 of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Course in Dubai.
He, Jason Scrivener and Min Woo Lee all spent time inside the top 10 on the leaderboard through the four days, Micheluzzi shooting 65 in the final round to earn a share of eighth to climb to 13th on the Race to Dubai Ranking.
The 54-hole leader, Kiwi Daniell Hillier rose to second in the Race to Dubai Ranking courtesy of his runner-up finish, Englishman Tyrrell Hatton holding off Hillier to win by one.
Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
The American Express
Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta, California
1 Sepp Straka 65-64-64-70—263 $US1.584m
T3 Jason Day 64-66-67-69—266 $519,200
T19 Cam Davis 69-67-67-69—272 $125,400
MC Aaron Baddeley 74-68-69—211
DP World Tour
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
1 Tyrrell Hatton 71-65-68-69—273 €1,486,699.47
2 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 68-65-70-71—274 €961,982.01
T8 David Micheluzzi 65-73-75-65—278 €207,263.40
T10 Ryan Fox (NZ) 68-70-69-72—279 €156,759.34
T17 Min Woo Lee 71-66-73-72—282 €111,065.20
T21 Jason Scrivener 67-69-74-73—283 €94,886.41
T37 Adam Scott 71-71-69-75—286 €55,095.33
T58 Elvis Smylie 74-68-72-75—289 €25,361.34
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island
Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
After Round 1
T83 Rhein Gibson 73
T113 Harry Hillier (NZ) 77
The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis
The Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
1 Hank Lebioda 67-62-67-66—262 $US180,000
Won on the first hole of sudden-death playoff
T39 Rhein Gibson 65-72-66-70—273 $5,000
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 72-70—142
PGA TOUR Champions
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
Hualalai GC, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii
1 Ernie Els 67-65-66—198 $US340,000
T5 Steven Alker (NZ) 70-66-65—201 $93,000
T15 Rod Pampling 69-66-70—205 $35,000
T19 Mark Hensby 69-71-66—206 $27,200
Three chip-ins – two for eagle – have propelled Jason Day to a share of third after Round 1 of The American Express in California.
Playing the La Quinta course in the PGA TOUR event that uses a three-course rotation, Day shot 8-under 64 to sit two strokes back of JT Poston who shot 10-under 62 on the Nicklaus Tournament course.
Day’s 8-under round matches his tournament low score (Round 2, 2023) and was made possible by some sharp work with the short game.
On the back of consecutive birdies at four and five, Day chipped in for eagle from just short of the green at the par-5 sixth.
He used more loft to hole out from the rough short of the green at the par-4 10th and then chipped in for a third time to walk away from the par-5 13th with an eagle.
“Short game was nice,” said Day, who was T6 in putts per green in regulation in Round 1.
“Obviously chipped in three times – that usually helps – and two of those were for eagle.
“That’s always nice, to be able to be in position to give myself a good chance at birdieing the
par-5s here, because obviously you got to capitalise on the opportunities here.”
Since moving from five to four rounds in 2012, the average winning score at The American Express has been 25-under par.
In a similar position on the leaderboard through two rounds two years ago, Day knows he needs to maintain that pace on the Nicklaus Tournament course in Round 2.
“As long as you can stay in front of like 6-under per day, I think gives you a pretty good chance,” said Day.
“With that being said, I think the greens are firm, so I’m not sure what the scoring’s going to be like this week. It will be interesting.
“The goal was to try to stay in front of 6-under each day and go from there.
“All three golf courses can be gettable if you’re playing well, so I just got to take it a day at a time.”
Another Aussie in excellent position after Round 1 is Victorian David Micheluzzi.
Playing his first event of the year, Micheluzzi shot 7-under 65 on day one of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour.
David Micheluzzi's first time at @DubaiDCGolf and he currently shares the lead! #HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/yhAuvTGywH
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 16, 2025
Micheluzzi had seven birdies in a flawless opening round – a remarkable achievement given the 28-year-old had never played the Majlis Course before.
“Everyone is saying how tough it was and today I played great. There’s nothing more to it,” he said.
“It was nice for the first, I’d say 11, 12 holes and then the wind got up a little bit.
“Just kept hitting good shots and stumped a few shots where I probably wasn’t aiming.
“Got lucky with those, and then holed some nice putts coming in.”
Fresh from a tie for fifth at Webex Players Series Perth, West Australian Jason Scrivener shot 67 in Round to be tied for fifth, Kiwi pair Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier a further shot back in a tie for ninth.
The 2025 PGA TOUR Champions season is also now underway, Mark Hensby and Rod Pampling both tied for 10th after Round 1 of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.
Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
South African Leon Trenerry and former PGA Tour of Australasia player Neale Smith were among those to earn status on the 2025 PGA Legends Tour at Qualifying School at Murwillumbah Golf Club.
Growing up playing alongside the likes of Rory Sabbatini and Tim Clark, Trenerry spent six years on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa before embarking on a career change.
He emigrated to Australia in December 2020 and completed the Membership Pathway Program in 2023 at Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane.
Due to celebrate his 50th birthday in June, Trenerry shot rounds of 67-68 at Murwillumbah for a 7-under total to top Final Stage by four strokes. Meadowbrook Golf Club Teaching Professional Matthew Rogers took outright second at 3-under but will also have to wait until his 50th birthday in May before he can tee it up.
Victorian Derrin Morgan, New South Welshman Mark Gilson and Victoria’s David Tapping rounded out the top five who receive a higher category, those who finished 6-25 also earning status for the 2025 season that starts in New Zealand on January 30.
A regular on the Australasian Tour in the 1990s, Neale Smith played in Canada from 2000-2005 before establishing himself as one of golf’s most sought-after mental coaches, working with the likes of Jason Day, Hunter Mahan, Nick Flanagan and Nathan Green through his company, Process Performance.
Based in America for the past 20 years, Smith played both the NSW Senior Open and Australian PGA Senior Championship late last year and had rounds of 74-72 at Q School to earn a 2025 category.
Legend of the Australian golf industry, Denis Brosnan, has just bettered his age by 10 shots (!) at Legends Tour Qualifying School. pic.twitter.com/SP4TFONxPN
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 10, 2025
Arguably the most impressive performance at Q School came from PGA Life Member Denis Brosnan, the 79-year-old bettering his age by 10 strokes in Round 2 to finish tied for sixth with Douglas Gardner and Chris Hollingsworth.
The first event of the 2025 PGA Legends Tour season is the Expol Waihi Legends Pro-Am at Waihi Golf Club, the first of five tournaments in New Zealand to start the year.
