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Matt Millar has made it two wins in three starts and four regional titles, with a come-from-behind victory in the $50,000 NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifier at Teven Valley Golf Club.
Millar sizzled around the Teven Valley layout in an incredible 7-under par 51 to finish at 8-under-par from fast-finishing Queenslander Gavin Fairfax (-6). Jack McLeod (NSW) and William Bruyeres (QLD) finished in a tie for third at 5-under.
In a sign of how competitive play was at Teven, nine players tied for fourth at 4-under. The group included Blake Proverbs, Tim Hart, James Mee, Max Ford (a), Jayden Cripps, Nathan Barbieri, Austin Bautista, Andrew Evans and Jay Mackenzie.
Overnight leaders Daniel Gale and Aaron Townsend were in the mix for most of the day. However, both stumbled and never recovered, Townsend with a horror stretch of five holes where he dropped four shots midway through his round. After turning for home in the lead at 7-under, Gale couldn’t get going on the back nine, dropping four shots to finish at minus three.
Millar, though, was sublime. Starting on the fifth, he rolled in birdies on the seventh and 10th to get to 3-under. The fireworks started when the Canberran peeled off five straight birdies from the 14th to the 18th to grab a share of the lead for the first time.
It looked like Millar was set to steamroll the field from there. But, he almost saw it disappear with a near disaster at the par-four second (his 15th): a double-bogey out of nowhere.
It was his only mistake, and in a true sign of his professionalism, Millar immediately birdied his next two holes to erase the snafu just as quickly as he made it.
“It was a misjudgment from me. I hit that club the last two days and got nowhere near the water, but I can’t be too upset,” he said.
“I gave myself a bit of an uppercut on the next tee and made a birdie, then made another at the short par-4 (fourth)
“I think I shot 21 on the nine par-3s today; I played really well and was thrilled with the way I bounced back,” Miller said post-round.
The win was the record fourth NSW Regional Open/Regional Qualifying tournament since the series’ inception in 2021.
Miller admitted that he could not have imagined that he would walk away with two wins from three starts this week, especially following his recent back surgery.
“If I’m honest, no way.
“Did I think the courses suited me? Of course. But with the quality of the field and the amount of tournament golf I have played, I would’ve been over the moon if I had won one. But two? It feels amazing.”
Locking up the Regional Qualifying Positions were Gavin Fairfax, Jack McLeod and William Bruyeres.
It will be a first NSW Open after a well-credentialed amateur career in Sydney circles for McLeod.
LEADERBOARD
-8: Matt Millar (ACT) 57-51
-6: Gavin Fairfax (Qld) 57-53
-5: Jack McLeod (NSW) 56-55; William Bruyeres (QL) 56-55
NEXT UP
The next event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is The Powers Lager Kooralbyn Valley Pro-Am on Tuesday following the Queensland PGA Foursomes Championship at the same venue on Tuesday.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season gets underway with the PNG Open, starting on Thursday
Victorians David McKenzie and Roland Baglin shared top spot at the Centenary Legends Pro-Am today after the final seven holes at Gailes Golf Club played a crucial role in determining the final leaderboard.
Trailing McKenzie by three shots after the opening round at neighbouring Wolston Park, Baglin played holes 12 to 18 at the 1955 Australian Open venue in an impressive 5-under-par to haul in the leader who could only manage +1 over the same stretch.
Baglin (64-70) and McKenzie (61-73) finished on 6-under-par for the 36 holes, two clear of a group of four players – Queensland’s Andre Stolz and Nigel Lane, Victoria’s Euan Walters and NSW’s David Crawford.
McKenzie’s share of first was his first title on the PGA Legends Tour since 2022, although his starts have limited by the time he spends on the PGA TOUR Champions where he’s had six starts this year to take his career total to 131.
Baglin now has seven PGA Legends Tour wins on his resume.
HOW THE WINNERS’ SCORES UNFOLDED
McKenzie led by a shot after shooting a 6-under-par 61, which featured five birdies and an eagle, at Wolston Park on Thursday.
With the help of two birdies on his first nine holes at Gailes, he maintained the lead for the majority of the second round, only handing over a share to Baglin when he bogeyed the par-4 17th.
Coming off a 3-under 64 at Wolston Park, Baglin picked up a shot on his first hole of day two, the par-4 18th and moved to 6-under overall with birdies at the first and second.
Bogeys on the third and fifth, plus a double-bogey on the eighth, threatened to end his challenge before he reeled off birdies on 12, 14, 15 and 16.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
McKenzie: “I hit it a lot more crooked today so I didn’t have a lot of clear shots at greens. The golf course today was fantastic as was Wolston Park yesterday. You can tell they’ve been working hard to produce golf courses that are top quality.”
Baglin: “It was a funny sort of day. Got out of the blocks early and was 3-under after three so I thought ‘okay we could be on here’. I then handed a few back quickly but managed to birdie a few at the end. I holed a kilometre of putts today. It was one of those days when the putter kept working.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-6: Roland Baglin (Vic) 64-70; David McKenzie (Vic) 61-73
-4: Andre Stolz (Qld) 65-71; Nigel Lane (Qld) 65-71; David Crawford (NSW) 67-69; Euan Walters (Vic) 63-73
-3: Scott Ford (NSW) 62-75; David Diaz (Vic) 63-74; Adam Henwood (65-72)
-2: Stephen Woodhead (Qld) 66-74; Brendan Chant (WA) 66-74; Craig Goodall (Qld) 63-77
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour has a Townsville double next week at Rowes Bay (August 12-13) and Tropics (August 15-16).
Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett is returning to Willunga Golf Course as part of a busy schedule of tournaments for the first half of the upcoming 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
Starting from the PNG Open (August 15-18), 10 tournaments will be contested through to the end of the year, highlighted by the two Australian major championships co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
The ground-breaking Webex Players Series, featuring its format of men and women on the same course, vying for the same title, will kick off at Willunga on October 24-27.
Two of South Australia’s best touring professionals, Lachlan Barker and Kristalle Blum, are looking forward to taking on a quality field at home.
Blum, the No.1 South Australian in the women’s world rankings, will be playing in the event for the first time, while reigning PNG Open champion Barker, who grew up near the Willunga course, will be looking to improve on his T36 placing from last year.
Another five Webex Players Series events will be held in the New Year, including the debut of Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee at Royal Fremantle GC in January.
Austin Bautista will return as the defending champion in South Australia after producing a storming finish to win the inaugural event in the picturesque McLaren Vale region.
PGA of Australia’s General Manager of Tournaments & Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said the second Webex Players Series South Australia would build on the success of its debut year.
“We’re delighted to be returning to Willunga in October and having Greg Blewett once again as our host,” he said.
“We had a great tournament in 2023, with a finish that came down to the 72nd hole, and fantastic feedback from everyone involved.
“Our players not only loved the course, they really enjoyed being able to explore the McLaren Vale wine region and the Fleurieu Peninsula when they weren’t competing.”
SA Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said: “It is terrific to see this tournament return to the world-class McLaren Vale wine region, bringing professional golfers to South Australia and the Fleurieu Peninsula, while spotlighting the region to a national audience.
“We heard wonderful feedback about the Willunga Golf Club and its proximity to some of our state’s best tourism offerings following last year’s inaugural event, and I look forward to seeing professional golf return to the region this October.”
Member for Mawson Leon Bignell said: “Our region has so much on offer including world class wineries, restaurants and beaches and I look forward to welcoming the PGA, golfers and fans back to Willunga to experience it all again in October.
“We saw a really successful tournament last year when the Webex Players Series made its way to South Australia for the first time and we can’t wait for it to be repeated in year two.”
Webex Players Series South Australia will be broadcast on Fox Sports on Foxtel and Kayo.
Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia 2024 schedule
August 15-18: PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club ($200,000).
October 10-13: CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics at Kalgoorlie Golf Course ($250,000)
October 17-20: Bowra & Odea Nexus AdvisernetWA Open at Mandurah Country Club ($175,000 min)
October 24-27: Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett at Willunga Golf Course ($200,000)
October 31-November 3: Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club ($250,000)
November 14-17: NSW Open at Murray Downs Golf Resort ($800,000)
November 23-26: BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club ($2 million)
November 28-December 1: ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club and Victoria Golf Club ($1.7 million)
December 5-8: Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links Resort ($250,000)
December 12-15: Gippsland Super 6 at Warragul Country Club ($200,000)
Photo: Kristalle Blum and Lachlan Barker at Coriole Vineyards
In just his second start on the PGA Legends Tour, Brad Kennedy has had his first victory, securing the Golf Car Parts & Repairs Brookwater Legends Pro-Am.
The winner of 13 tournaments worldwide became eligible for seniors tour golf when he turned 50 in June and he almost triumphed on debut, finishing in equal second at the Paul King Memorial at Wynnum.
Today, he shot a 5-under-par 67 at Brookwater Golf and Country Club to finish one ahead of Andre Stolz (Qld) and Euan Walters (Vic).
The Gold Coast professional, once ranked as high as No.101 on the Official World Golf Ranking, is about to head back to the Japan Golf Tour where he hopes to add to his three career titles.
He’s currently ranked 51st on the Japanese money list for 2024.
HOW THE WINNER’S ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Kennedy set up his round with a run of four birdies in five holes on his opening nine, the back nine at Brookwater.
He moved to 5-under for the day on the par-4 second before handing back his first shot of the day at the par-3 fifth.
With Stolz and Walters, playing on the other side of the course, closing to within a shot, the two-time New Zealand Open champion made a crucial birdie at the par-5 eighth.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I hadn’t played here for about 15 years so I was just trying to find my way around. There were a couple of tee shots that I wasn’t sure about so I was having to laser from tees to the corners.
“I played great today, only missed one green so it was a good day.
“This will be my last pro-am for a while. It’s back to Japan where the focus is on getting another win and hopefully I can stay on that tour next year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: Brad Kennedy (Qld)
68: Andre Stolz (Qld), Euan Walters (Vic)
70: David Crawford (NSW), Scott Ford (NSW)
71: Nigel Lane (Qld), Tony Collier (Vic)
NEXT UP
The Legends will tackle the 36-hole Centenary Legends Pro-Am at neighbouring Wolston Park Golf Club and Gailes Golf Club will on Thursday and Friday before a Townsville double next week at Rowes Bay (August 12-13) and Tropics (August 15-16).
A sublime eagle-par finish to force a playoff, followed by a clutch birdie on the first extra hole has sealed the 2024 North Coast Open crown for Brett Rankin.
On a thrilling final day at Coffs Harbour Golf Club, where the lead changed hands several times, the Queenslander held his nerve when he needed it at the end, rifling a 7-iron from 168 metres to about 14 feet on the par-5 17th before binning the eagle putt to draw level at 9-under-par with clubhouse leader Cameron John with a hole to play.
“It was pretty close coming down the stretch,” a delighted Rankin (65-66) said.
“Walking off the 16th (green) I knew nine-under was in the clubhouse, so I knew birdie-birdie finish, or potentially an eagle, and who knows what was going to happen.”
“Luckily, I hit two quality shots into 17 and made a good 14-footer for eagle.”
After Rankin parred the last, the duo headed back down the 18th to decide the champion. John had earlier birdied the finale as the last of five straight birdies to finish with a second round 64.
Rankin only needed one hole in the end, making birdie to seal the tournament and the lion’s share of the $50,000 purse.
“You never know what could happen in a playoff,” Rankin added.
After playing peerless golf all day, John made it difficult to win from the outset of the playoff. Missing the fairway left from the tee, he was forced to hit a creative bump and run to get onto the front edge of the green.
Rankin, meanwhile, had put himself into the perfect position to attack from the tee. Thankfully for Rankin, John’s predicament meant the more conservative path home was all that was required.
“I knew where (John) was. There was no guarantee of a two-putt, so I thought the smartest play was to hit a wedge and skipping it in.
“I played it perfectly, and as soon as I hit it, I was like, ‘if that’s not good, then I’m not good enough.'”
And good enough it was, nestling just short of the flag, leaving Rankin almost the same putt he had in regulation for the win.
After John lagged his long-range birdie effort to about a metre, Rankin made no mistake with his 7-footer to claim victory.
Along with the win, Rankin, who had to return to Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School earlier this year, also sealed his place in the $800,000 NSW Open at Murray Downs Golf and Country Club from November 14-17.
A two-time winner on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series last week, Rankin said locking his spot up in the NSW Open this early in the Australian season would be a blessing, saying it would allow him to take some time off and rest up before the big events towards the end of the year.
“I can take a few weeks off now and rest up and get ready for the PNG Open,” he said.
“I plan to go to Asian Q School, so I’m looking forward to a big end of the year.
“My game’s in a good spot right now, so looking forward to it.”
Qualifying for the NSW Open alongside Rankin were Bathurst’s Dylan Thompson and Queenslander Sam Slater.
The NSW Regional Open Golf Qualifying Series is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
NEXT UP
The next event in the NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series will begin at Teven Valley Golf Course on August 9, with three more spots up for grabs in this year’s championship.
LEADERBOARD
-9: Brett Rankin (Qld)*, Cameron John (Vic)
-8: Kyle Michel (Vic), Andrew Kelly (Vic)
-7: Austin Bautista (NSW), Matias Sanchez (Vic), Blake Proverbs (Qld)
-6: Sam Slater (Qld), Dylan Thompson (NSW)
-5: Daniel Gale (NSW), Christopher Wood (Qld), John Lyras (NSW), Gavin Fairfax (Qld)
Rising Australian star Karl Vilips is in discussions with local golf authorities about a homecoming for the two major events of the summer.
Rookie professional Vilips, 22, said today he was keen to play the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne if he can fit them into his schedule.
By then, he might well be a PGA Tour player, such is the speed of his elevation.
And he will expect to hear the usual chants from the bleachers, the same ones he heard when he was walking up to the 18th green at Oakridge Country Club last Sunday as he secured his first professional win on the Korn Ferry Tour.
That’s the Koala Karl chant, which channels the nickname applied to Vilips since he emerged as a phenomenal child talent in Australia, and more recently his Instagram handle.
“I don’t see that changing anytime soon,” he said of the label. “It’s kind of who I’ve been my whole life. Walking up the 18th last week they’re announcing your name and I heard the Koala Karl chants. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. It also helps that I could make a bogey and win!”
Vilips has lived in the US for some years having shifted there for high school, and his last competitive start in his home country was five years ago at the Junior Presidents Cup in Melbourne. But he hopes to change all that over the next few months.
“I’ve been looking into playing the Australian Open and the PGA, speaking with the Golf Australia team about that and I should have spots in those,” he said today. “I don’t know how a schedule looks for the PGA Tour. I hope that I have time to come back home.”
The BMW Australian PGA Championship is from 21-24 November this year in Brisbane, with Min Woo Lee one of the first big names to commit. It is followed from 28 November-1 December by the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath and Victoria golf clubs in Melbourne.
Vilips, a golfing prodigy who grew up in Melbourne and Perth, is back on the Korn Ferry Tour this weekend having secured his first win at just his sixth start as a professional.
Having finished runner-up on the KFT the week before, he is now primed to pick up a PGA Tour card for 2025 by finishing inside the top 30 on the points list for that tour.
His Australian coach for the past four years is Col Swatton, for so long Jason Day’s mentor.
“He’s been able to teach me so much about the game and what it takes to improve on your own because obviously I don’t get to see him too much,” said Vilips.
He’s playing again this week on the Korn Ferry Tour, having won at his fourth start on the tour and just his sixth as a pro. He’s 15th on the points list, with the top 30 at season’s end in October picking up PGA Tour cards.
“The last two weeks have been a little bit surprising, being able to win so quickly,” he said.
PHOTO: Karl Vilips is a star of the future … and the now. Image: Getty
This week’s Wyndham Championship marks the final event on the PGA TOUR regular season, with the top-70 players on the FedEx Cup standings making it through to the playoffs.
Min Woo Lee enters the week at No.62, with his position in the playoffs likely, but not guaranteed, the West Australian would not be playing the week after the Olympics if he didn’t have to.
Another number likely on Lee’s mind is the top-50, with players inside that number after the next two weeks advancing to the BMW Championship, and, more importantly, qualifying for next season’s Signature Events. The latter a status Lee did not have this season.
Jason Day (23rd) heads the Australians on the FedEx Cup standings followed by Cam Davis (41) and Adam Scott (42).
Further down the list are Aaron Baddeley (151) and Harrison Endycott (193).
Elsewhere, Lee’s sister Minjee and Hannah Green have their turn at Olympic glory as the women take on Le Golf National at the Paris Games.
“We all know what we need to do to get a podium finish,” Green said.
“I felt a little bit unlucky in a sense in Tokyo because of the weather delay we had and it kind of killed my momentum.
“I had to make birdie (on the final hole) to have any sort of chance, and I perhaps chose a more aggressive approach and didn’t pull it off and made bogey.”
Both Green and Lee have scored early round one tee times, so be sure to tune in over dinner tonight and cheer our Aussies on!
An incredible 18 Australians are in the field for the International Series England event on the Asian Tour, and Karl Vilips looks to continue his incredible run on the Korn Ferry Tour.
All times AEST*
Olympic Women’s Golf
Le Golf National, France
5:44pm Hannah Green
7:44pm Minjee Lee
8:06pm Lydia Ko (NZ)
Defending champion: Nelly Korda (USA)
Past Aussie winners: nil.
TV times: Wednesday-Saturday from 5pm (Nine, 9Now, Stan)
PGA TOUR
Wyndham Championship
Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina
9:56pm* Cam Davis
10:40pm Aaron Baddeley
10:40pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)
2:32am Min Woo Lee
Defending champion: Lucas Glover (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Steve Elkington (1990)
Prizemoney: US$7,900,000
TV times: Thursday and Friday 8:30pm-5am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 2am-8am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 9:30pm-8am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Asian Tour
International Series England
Foxhills Country Club (Longcross Course), Chertsey, UK
3:40pm* Travis Smyth
4pm* Ben Campbell (NZ)
4:15pm Maverick Antcliff, Nick Voke (NZ)
4:20pm* Scott Hend
4:30pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
4:45pm Jordan Zunic
4:55pm Jed Morgan
5pm* Todd Sinnott
5:05pm Andrew Dodt
5:15pm Jack Thompson
5:20pm* Douglas Klein (NZ)
8:35pm* Justin Warren
8:55pm* Aaron Wilkin
9:05pm* Jeff Guan
9:10pm Wade Ormsby
9:25pm* Sam Brazel
9:50pm Kevin Yuan
9:55pm* Harrison Crowe
10:05pm* Zach Murray
10:20pm Deyen Lawson
10:35pm* Lachlan Barker
Defending champion: Andy Ogletree
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: US$2,000,000
TV times: Thursday 10pm-2am Fox Sports 505 and Kayo. Friday 10pm-2am Fox Sports 506 and Kayo. Saturday 10:30pm-2am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 10pm-2am Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
PGA Tour Champions
Boeing Classic
The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, Washington, USA
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Vijay Singh (FIJI), Michael Wright
Defending champion: Stephen Ames (CAN)
Past Aussie winners: Rod Pampling (2021)
Prizemoney: US$2,200,000
TV times: Saturday, Sunday and Monday 8am-10am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse
The Club at Indian Creek, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
10:18pm Brett Drewitt
10:18pm* Dimi Papadatos
3:32am Rhein Gibson
3:43am Karl Vilips
Defending champion: Alejandro Tosti (ARG)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: US$1,000,000
Challenge Tour
Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by the R&A
Newmachar Golf Club, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Australasians in the field: Elvis Smylie, Sam Jones (NZ), Hayden Hopewell, Connor McKinney.
Defending champion: Sam Bairstow (ENG)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: €230,000
Japan Golf Tour
Yokohama Minato Championship
Fujiki Centennial, Japan
8:50am* Anthony Quayle
Defending champion: Keita Nakajima (JPN)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: ¥120,000,000
LET Access Series
Ahlsell Nordic Golf Tour
Ahlsell Trophy by Destination Jonkoping
Gränna Golfklubb, Gränna, Sweden
5pm Kelsey Bennett
5:10pm Stephanie Bunque
5:40pm Kristalle Blum
7:20pm Munchin Keh (NZ)
Defending champion: Sara Kouskova (Czech)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: €40,000
The Chase Is On when a new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season starts in Port Moresby next week at the PNG Open.
Last year, it was Lachlan Barker who got his season started right with a win, while it was rookie Kiwi professional Kazuma Kobori who shone brightest, winning three times on the way to securing the Order of Merit title and all the benefits being the Australasian No.1 brings.
As the chase to follow Kobori’s stellar example begins, here’s eight “next gen” professionals aged 25 and under we think you should keep a close eye on as the season unfolds over 10 tournaments over the second half of 2024, with more to come at the start of 2025.
Cameron John
He just slips into this age group for one last season, but as the winner of the final event last season, The National Tournament presented by BMW, he is a worthy inclusion. Turning pro at 19 after an impressive amateur career, it was an up-and-down start in the pro game for the Victorian, however, last season, on the comeback from wrist surgery, he got into a groove. John’s win was one of six top-25s, and after a winter at home he will chomping at the bit to get going.
Jeffrey Guan
Another of the highly successful amateurs now in the early stages of their pro career, Guan looks set for a big season after spending the winter months playing the European Challenge Tour, where he recorded a top-10 in France. Finishing T18 and T21 at the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open respectively, Guan isn’t afraid of the big stage and is growing as a pro with each start.
Harrison Crowe
After winning the 2022 NSW Open as an amateur, and earning major starts via winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Crowe produced a mixed bag in his first season as a professional in 2023/24. Last season was highlighted by a T2 at the Queensland PGA for the New South Welshman who has been plying his trade on the Asian Tour in the winter months and is a proven winner at every level.
Elvis Smylie
Making his major championship debut at The Open Championship at Royal Troon this year, it is easy to think Smylie has been around for a long time given he was a fixture on leaderboards straight after turning pro. Learning a great deal over the past few years when results haven’t come as easily, Smylie is now part of the Ritchie Smith camp that has produced some of our best players. Now has experience at almost every venue on the schedule this season, which the lefthander will hope to take advantage of as he looks to return to the DP World Tour.
Josh Greer
Another of the Ritchie Smith stable, Greer will be better after his first full season as a professional at home, where his best result came in the form of a runner-up at the Webex Players Series South Australia. Settling well into Tour life, Greer will look to make his mark early in his home state of Western Australia, with the Scottish-born Greer very comfortable at the WA Open that he has been playing since the age of 14 and in Kalgoorlie where he was T9 last season.
Hayden Hopewell
Yet another of the promising crop of players coming from the West, Hopewell is already a Tour winner after claiming the WA Open as an amateur back in 2020. Playing a full schedule on the Challenge Tour in Europe this year, Hopewell hasn’t quite produced what he would have liked, but once back home he is one of the players to watch. A renowned hard worker, Hopewell is another who will look to make some noise early in the WA swing.
Max Charles
Turning pro after finishing in a tied fourth at last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Charles’ opportunities to show what he can do as a pro have been limited to date. Losing in a play-off at the final stage of Qualifying School this year, gaining starts won’t be such an issue for the Victorian who enjoyed a strong amateur career that included a five-year stint at Boise State University in America. A member of Kingston Heath, Charles will be keen to start well and perhaps secure Australian PGA and Australian Open starts via the mini Order of Merit in the first half of the season.
Victorian Adam Henwood defied a “twitchy” putting stroke to shoot a 6-under-par 64 and grab a two-shot win in the Pine Rivers Legends Pro-Am today.
So good was Henwood striking the ball tee to green, he thinks a round in the 50s – only the second in PGA Legends Tour history – had been there for the taking had his putting been up to standard.
Queenslander Andre Stolz (66) took outright second, while Victorian Michael Isherwood recorded the best of the morning rounds, a 2-under-par 68, to share third with Brad Burns (Qld).
It’s Henwood’s second win, and 17th top-10 finish, for year on the PGA Legends Tour.
HOW THE WINNER’S ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Starting his round from the 10th tee, Henwood quickly jumped to 3-under with birdies at 12, 13 and 15. His only bogey for the afternoon came at the 270m par-4 17th.
But he was soon back on track, picking up a shot at the first before an eagle on the par-5 sixth and then a birdie on Pine Rivers’ longest par-3, the 195m eighth where he hit a seven-wood off the tee and then holed a speedy downhiller.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I played great, really great but threw a couple of short misses in. Coming down the stretch I made an 18-footer and a 20-footer and they were probably the two hardest putts I had all day,” Henwood said.
“It was one of those days when I could have had round I’d never forget, something like 13 or 14-under.
“It was a tough day with the putter. I was a bit twitchy out there believe or not.
“This is a great little golf course. It’s tight, it’s tricky and it’s fun.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
64: Adam Henwood (Vic)
66: Andre Stolz (Qld)
68: Michael Isherwood (Vic), Brad Burns (Qld)
69: Michael Graham (Qld), Scott Barr (WA), Mark Boulton (Vic)
70: Simon Tooman (Qld), Murray Lott (Qld), Roland Baglin (Vic)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour heads to the challenging Brookwater Golf and Country Club for the Golf Car Parts & Repairs Brookwater Legends Pro-Am on Wednesday followed by the 36-hole Centenary Legends Pro-Am at neighbouring Wolston Park Golf Club and Gailes Golf Club on Thursday/Friday.
Photo: Adam Henwood (right) with Pine Rivers president Morris Smith
Hannah Green and Minjee Lee spent Sunday at Le Golf National in green and gold and supporting Jason Day and Min Woo Lee on the final day of men’s competition.
But they move into the bigger spotlight from today as they prepare their own quest for a piece of history in the Olympic Games women’s strokeplay starting Wednesday at the same venue.
Both Green and Lee are experienced Olympians – Green came close to winning a medal in Tokyo in 2021 finishing tied-fourth, a shot out of a playoff for third, and Lee has previously represented Australia at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo where she was tied-29th.
Both women prioritise the Olympics and have openly said this is their major focus of 2024.
With world rankings of No. 6 for Green and No. 11 for Lee, and with both being major championship winners, Australia’s chances theoretically are better on the women’s side.
No Australian has ever won a medal in golf at the Olympics, with the sport having been reincluded after a break of more than a century at the 2016 Rio Games.
The field at Le Golf National is white hot, headed by world No. 1 and reigning champion Nellie Korda of the USA, and all of the top-ranked players.
The tournament begins at 5pm Wednesday AEST.
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
HANNAH GREEN
Age: 27
The Perth star is having her best year on the LPGA Tour with two wins. Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, she is No. 3 on the tour rankings and hellbent on going a step farther than her Tokyo campaign when she finished a single shot out of a playoff for bronze. One of four Australian women to win a major championship having secured the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship.
MINJEE LEE
Age: 28
Already a three-time Olympian at just 28, Lee has had a quieter year and was overtaken in the world rankings by her compatriot Green, but she is still just outside the top 10 in the world, has won two major championships and has set herself the goal of making the LPGA Hall of Fame. A win in France would help her cause markedly, and she could be dangerous this week. Two majors – the 2022 US Women’s Open and the 2021 Evian Championship – already have her as an all-time great of the sport.
LYDIA KO (NZ)
Age: 27
Still chasing a coveted gold medal after she won silver in Rio de Janeiro and bronze in Tokyo, the remarkable Kiwi is still playing superb golf and will most likely be a strong challenger in France. Has had one win and a string of top-10s in 2024 to show that she is still highly competitive.
THE COURSE
The women’s course will play one shot higher to par at par-72 this week and 700 metres shorter than it was for the men. The 18th hole, a par-4 for the men, becomes a par-5 for the women. The course plays to 5828 metres overall.
Le Golf National’s L’Albatros Course is built on unremarkable land a clay base almost an hour out of Paris, near Versailles. There is dispute over its designer – the original architect was Hubert Chesneau but his routing for the two 18-hole courses was scrapped by consultant Robert van Hagge – and they had to work hard for their money, moving 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt to shape the course because of the flatness of the terrain.
The federation wanted a TPC-style course, and it’s said to have touches of Florida – looking in parts like Sawgrass with nine holes having water in play – plus a sprinkling of Ireland, too with a linksy feel. It is far from the best course in France, but it does cater for up to 80,000 spectators and its 18th hole has a spectacular amphitheatre.
Le Golf National’s biggest moment was in hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup, won in memorable fashion by Europe, but it has also hosted 29 playings of the men’s Open de France on the DP World Tour since opening in 1990.
TV COVERAGE
*All times AEST.
Rounds One-Four: Wednesday-Sunday from 5pm (Nine, 9Now, Stan)
Link to 9Now: https://www.9now.com.au/shows/2024-olympic-games
DEFENDING CHAMPION:
Nelly Korda (USA)
LIVE SCORES:
https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/golf/men-s-individual-stroke-play/fnl
