Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
An 11-shot turnaround between rounds has delivered childhood friends Cody Davis and Josh Edgar victory in the coveted Queensland PGA Foursomes Championship at Kooralbyn Valley Resort.
It is the 11th time that Kooralbyn Valley has hosted the Queensland Foursomes and the fourth year in succession, the Desmond Muirhead layout giving competitors all they could handle in the morning.
Three pairings went into the afternoon round tied for the lead at 3-over par, the team of Davis and Edgar a further five strokes back after 8-over 80 in Round 1.
But countless weekends playing together at Surfers Paradise Golf Club as kids came to the fore in Round 2, Davis and Edgar posting 3-under 69 to finish one stroke clear of New South Wales pair Dylan Stollery and Andrew Brennan (71).
“We hit the ball really well in the afternoon and we even had three three-putts in our round of 69,” said Davis, the Assistant Professional at Surfers Paradise Golf Club.
“It was great to spend some time together because it has been few and far between over recent years,” Edgar added.
“No doubt that enjoyment showed in the way we played.”
Davis and Edgar now join an honour board of winners that includes Ian Baker-Finch and Jeff Woodland, Terry and John Price, Scott Hend and Luke Arnott and Jeff Senior and Peter McWhinney.
The Queensland PGA Associate Foursomes Championship was also played in conjunction where four teams who finished tied for the win at 9-over. Joint winners were Adam Jansz and Jack Jones, Minami Inoue and Wade Edwards, Drew Herbert andJayke Merrell and defending champions Jack Wright and Reilly Wunderlich.
It’s a text message almost no one on the planet would be expecting. It was an invitation Min Woo Lee says was too unfathomable to reject.
Celebrity status doesn’t get much bigger than being invited to a listening party for a new Justin Bieber album, yet that is where Lee finds himself after just two seasons on the PGA TOUR.
It will be two years this November when Lee returns to Royal Queensland Golf Club chasing a second BMW Australian PGA Championship and a repeat of the week that launched his global fame.
Chef hats and chants of ‘Let him cook!’ have now become synonymous wherever the 27-year-old plays in the world and he credits the boisterous enthusiasm of the Brisbane crowds in 2023 for accelerating a social media profile now among the most popular in world golf.
“I had, I don’t know, probably half the followers I had from now to then,” Lee said of his Queensland coming out party.
“That was a big, I guess, moment of my career and my social media career, the cooking and stuff.
“It did start there and I owe that to the supporters that came out and watched me. It was a lot of dedication to wearing chef hats. I know it’s not ideal to wear a chef’s hat when you’re watching, but it is very cool to have that support.
“It’s quite cool to come back to where the chef’s hat started and the ‘Let him cook’ went viral.
“I love playing there. I play well there and I can’t wait to be back.”
Lee’s star was unquestionably on the rise when he electrified the Royal Queensland galleries at the 2023 BMW Australian PGA Championship, a chip-in for eagle at the par-5 ninth instantly among the iconic moments in Australian tournament history.
He has since transitioned to the PGA TOUR, set up camp in Las Vegas and finds himself giving chipping lessons to Hailey Bieber surrounded by A-list celebs.
“I still don’t believe it,” Lee said of the circles he now mixes in.
“I talk to (Justin) now and then over the phone and text, but it’s nothing. It is very cool to just be around him.
“It was my first time really being close and meeting up with him and yeah, it is a very pinch me moment.
“I’m still speechless of it. I’m just me and ‘JB’ is one of the biggest artists and celebrities in the world.
“A lot of respect for what he does and it’s very cool that he loves golf and I just managed to get in between them.”
Deep down, Lee knows his celebrity status is dependent on performance on the golf course.
A maiden PGA TOUR title at the Texas Children’s Houston Open was a major career milestone in a year in which he admits the results that followed fell short.
He will play the BMW PGA Championship in London and Open de France next month before setting sights on another showstopper at RQ.
“At the beginning of the week, it is already hyped up that you’re going to play,” Lee added.
“One of the top names being at a tournament, you’re going to get a crowd and then the Australian crowd is just enormous.
“It’s very cool. It’s awesome to have that feeling of playing in front of thousands of fans early on a Thursday morning.
“I always say that Australian crowds are the best and they always want sporting events down here.
“It is very, very cool to try and play good golf for them. Hopefully I can keep it going.”
Tickets for the BMW Australian PGA Championship and men’s Australian Open are on sale now at www.ticketek.com.au
With no Aussies left in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs and the LIV Golf individual season now at an end, attention turns to the culmination to the LPGA Tour season and a run of big events on the DP World Tour.
Thankfully for Australian golf fans, we have live chances on both sides of the Atlantic.
Grace Kim showed that she will continue to put herself in position to win tournaments with a fifth-place finish at The Standard Portland Classic as our incumbent No.1 Minjee Lee makes her return at this week’s CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.
The Betfred British Masters signals the start of the DP World’s run towards the DP World Tour Championship, Elvis Smylie’s tie for sixth at the Danish Golf Championship enhancing his chances of progressing to the very end of the DP World Tour Playoffs.
There’s still much to play for, including a place within the Australian Golf Power Rankings.
10. Cassie Porter (New)
Continues to build an impressive list of results in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour. A fourth-place finish early in the year set a good foundation which she has recently backed up with a tie for 21st at the Women’s Scottish Open and tie for 11th at last week’s The Standard Portland Classic. Sits 57th in the Race to CME Globe ranking and 10th in the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year standings.
9. Karis Davidson (8)
A 3-over 75 in Round 1 left Davidson with too much ground to make up to make the cut at The Standard Portland Classic. At 72nd on the Race to CME Globe ranking is well placed to turn this year’s medical exemption into full status in 2026.
8. Elvis Smylie (New)
Striking form at the right time of the year in his rookie campaign on the DP World Tour. Tie for sixth at the Danish Golf Championship was Smylie’s fourth made cut from his past five starts and his best result since his tie for fifth at the Australian Open late last year.
7. Lucas Herbert (6)
Has cooled considerably since starting the LIV Golf season with three top-five finishes in the first six events along with a victory on the Asian Tour in Japan. Ended the individual season in 15th place with Ripper GC sitting sixth entering the Team Championship final.
6. Adam Scott (5)
Sticks are in cotton wool after a PGA TOUR season highlighted by spirited showings at both the US PGA Championship at the US Open. Next outing will be the BMW Championship at Wentworth in London next month.
5. Stephanie Kyriacou (4)
After a strong major championship campaign that featured a tie for 14th at the Amundi Evian Championship and tie for eighth at the AIG Women’s Open, the world No.35 returns to action this week for the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.
4. Jason Day (7)
The last remaining Aussie in the FedExCup Playoffs, Day began brightly at the BMW Championship but ultimately fell short of advancing to the Tour Championship. Had a share of the lead late in Round 1 but dropped to a share of 23rd by week’s end to finish 41st in the FedExCup standings.
3. Marc Leishman (3)
The only member of Ripper GC with an individual title to his name in 2025, the LIV Golf Miami champion was tied 51st at LIV Golf Indianapolis. At 13th, finished the season as the highest member of the Ripper GC team on the individual standings.
2. Grace Kim (2)
Was on track to challenge Minjee Lee for the No.1 spot late in The Standard Portland Classic. Within one of the lead early in the final round, Kim ultimately couldn’t keep pace with Akie Iwai, finishing fifth to put the top 20 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking within reach.
1. Minjee Lee (1)
Second to world No.1 Jeeno Thitikul in the Race to CME Globe standings, Lee resumes her season at this week’s CPKC Women’s Open in Canada. The KPMG Women’s PGA champion has not finished worse than a tie for 35th in 14 starts this season.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Photos: Getty Images
Already a winner of the BMW Australian PGA Championship, and one of the most popular players in world golf, Min Woo Lee will set his sights on claiming a second Joe Kirkwood Cup at Royal Queensland Golf Club later this year, it was confirmed today.
Claiming the title in 2023 with memorable scenes including his chip-in at the ninth hole, Lee won for the first time on the PGA TOUR in 2025 when the now 27-year-old triumphed over world No.1 Scottie Scheffler at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March.
A victory the vocal Queensland crowds will no doubt be excited to celebrate with the West Australian when he tees it up at Royal Queensland from November 27-30 alongside the already confirmed local challenge of Adam Scott and defending champion Elvis Smylie.
Tickets and hospitality packages for the BMW Australian PGA Championship are on sale now via www.ticketek.com.au
“Ending the year at home in front of the amazing Aussie fans is always a fantastic experience, and I’m hoping to add some more success after winning in the US earlier this year,” Lee said.
“The BMW Australian PGA is one my favourite events of the year,” Lee said.
“Winning the Aussie PGA was such a special moment in my career and clearly Royal Queensland suits my game,” Lee said.
“The atmosphere in Queensland is always amazing to be a part of, especially at the party hole.”
Now a five-time winner as a professional, and like Scott and Smylie chasing another Kirkwood Cup to their trophy collection ahead of a Presidents Cup year, Lee was tied for 15th at the BMW Australian PGA in 2024.
The tournament is once again co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour, with Lee, now ranked 46th in the world qualifying for this year’s FedExCup Playoffs, headlining the next generation of Australian players taking on a truly international field in Brisbane.
“Min Woo is obviously a champion golfer, but he is so much more than that with his personality, play, social media and more meaning he is fast becoming a fan favourite with golfers and non-golfers, which we love to see,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.
“Min’s win at Royal Queensland two years ago is one of the most memorable in recent history, and his chip-in at the ninth was truly electric to witness and showcased the ‘X-Factor’ he has that only a special few in professional sport can rival.
“I’m sure my excitement as a fan to have him back playing at home will be shared by everyone who plans to head to Royal Queensland and witness him in full flight chasing another chance to lift a truly historic trophy in golf.”
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said Min Woo Lee’s return to Royal Queensland was a thrilling moment for the state and for golf fans across Australia.
“We’re proud to support an event that showcases such exceptional talent,” Minister Powell said.
“Last year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship injected more than $15 million into the local economy, reinforcing its value not just as a world-class sporting event, but as a driver of tourism and economic growth.
“We’re delighted to see it continue to attract globally known stars and passionate fans to Brisbane.”
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said fans would be thrilled to see the returning champion back on the iconic Royal Queensland fairways.
“Min Woo Lee’s pursuit of a second title in Brisbane this November is a huge win for the tournament,” Cr Schrinner said.
“Brisbane is Australia’s lifestyle capital and our incredible major events calendar creates more to see and do for residents and visitors alike.
“The battle for the Kirkwood Cup will once again draw fans from across Australia and beyond, filling our hotels, restaurants, and precincts while showcasing everything Brisbane has to offer.”
The PGA Institute and Golf Australia have combined to launch a new Careers in Golf Scholarship to assist those in regional areas already working in golf and those looking to enter the industry.
It is specially designed for regional golf clubs or venues looking to upskill staff, as well as supporting recent Year 12 graduates who are interested in pursuing a rewarding career in the golf industry.
Applications are open now with the successful scholarship holders receiving their choice of:
Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said GA was proud to be supportive of a program aimed at nurturing a more skilled, accessible and sustainable golf industry.
“This scholarship program is a fantastic initiative,” Sutherland said.
“There has never been a better time to be working in Golf – our sport is thriving and continues to grow. Furthermore, the global nature of the game means that a career in Golf is filled with limitless opportunities. We are proud to be supporting those already working in the sport and encouraging those taking their first steps into the industry.
“These scholarships will offer great support to our regional clubs helping them with resources to serve their communities and grow golf as a sport for all.”
The PGA Institute is the only Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in Australia dedicated to delivering world-class education and professional development specifically for the golf industry.
PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman is excited more worthy students will benefit from the world-class education that meets the modern game formats, technology and innovative programs.
“The PGA Institute is not only a wonderful place to begin a career in golf, but it has also helped countless current golf industry professionals upskill and build on their career development,” said Kirkman.
“We look forward to welcoming our successful applicants and building towards a brighter future for the Australian golf industry workforce.”
Who can apply?
Applications are open now: CLICK HERE to apply.
For more information on eligibility and course options, visit PGAI.edu.au/scholarships
After six heart-breaking defeats over the past two seasons, Victorian Richard Green produced the birdie when he needed it most to win his first PGA TOUR Champions title, the Rogers Charity Classic in Canada.
Coming on the back of fellow Aussie Steve Allan’s third win this season, Green shot 5-under 65 in the final round at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club to finish one stroke clear of Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez.
Gonzalez looked as though he might be the latest to deny Green after the Aussie left-hander had earlier surged to a three-stroke lead.
A double-bogey by Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and Green’s birdie at the par-3 12th was a three-shot swing that put Green in position for a breakthrough win.
Gonzalez would close with four birdies in his final five holes – including one that fortuitously bounced off the grandstand down to just a few feet from the hole on 17 – and set the clubhouse mark at 17-under.
After five straight pars, Green came to the par-5 finisher level with Gonzalez at 17-under, hitting the green in two before leaving his first putt to just a couple of feet for what would be the winning birdie.
A playoff defeat at the Sanford International was one of five runner-up finishes for Green last season, shedding those near misses to become just the ninth Australian to win on the PGA TOUR Champions.
“It’s a great feeling to finally win… it’s one I’ll never forget,” Green said post-round.
“You know … it’s relief and elation and joy, and my family at home and everybody is just going to be so happy.
“Miguel actually said, ‘You deserve it.’ Obviously, he’s been watching my career over the last few years and seen me up there in contention a few times, and that was very, very kind of him.”
While fellow over-50 Brad Kennedy was tied sixth on the Japan Golf Tour, there were notable performances from the younger generation this past week also with top 10s by both Grace Kim and Elvis Smylie.
Kim entered the final round of The Standard Portland Classic two strokes off the lead before finishing in outright fifth, Cassie Porter (T11) and Robyn Choi (T13) also with important results for their Race to CME Globe standings.
Winner of the first event of the DP World Tour season, the BMW Australian PGA Championship, Elvis Smylie improved his position in the Race to Dubai Ranking with a tie for sixth at the Danish Golf Championship.
Smylie shot 3-under 68 in the final round to climb four spots on the leaderboard and move up to 22nd in the season-long points race that culminates with the DP World Tour Championship in November.
Photo: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
BMW Championship
Caves Valley Golf Club, Owings Mills, Maryland
1 Scottie Scheffler 66-65-67-67—265 $US3.6m
T23 Jason Day 68-71-69-73—281 $213,000
LPGA Tour
The Standard Portland Classic
Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Portland, Oregon
1 Akie Iwai 67-67-64-66—264 $US300,000
5 Grace Kim 68-65-67-70—270 $85,211
T11 Cassie Porter 70-70-66-67—273 $40,281
T13 Robyn Choi 72-70-67-65—274 $33,946
T35 Gabriela Ruffels 67-70-73-70—280 $13,220
MC Hira Naveed 72-72—144
MC Karis Davidson 75-70—145
MC Hannah Green 73-73—146
MC Su Oh 76-71—147
MC Sarah Kemp 74-73—147
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 78-77—155
DP World Tour
Danish Golf Championship
Furesø Golf Klub, Copenhagen, Denmark
1 Marco Penge 64-68-69-67—268 €402,610.06
T6 Elvis Smylie 68-71-68-68—275 €76,969.57
T12 Jason Scrivener 70-67-70-71—278 €39,432.10
MC Brett Coletta 71-73—144
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 70-74—144
MC Danny List 72-74—146
MC Daniel Gale 73-75—148
MC David Micheluzzi 78-71—149
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Indianapolis
The Club at Chatham Hills, Westfield, Indianapolis
1 Sebastián Muñoz 59-67-65—191 $US4m
Won in sudden-death playoff
T14 Cameron Smith 64-69-67—200 $301,667
T22 Ben Campbell (NZ) 67-69-66—202 $203,000
T40 Danny Lee (NZ) 68-74-65—207 $130,800
T45 Lucas Herbert 72-70-67—209 $125,000
T47 Matt Jones 75-68-67—210 $101,000
T51 Marc Leishman 65-77-73—215 $53,333
PGA TOUR Champions
Rogers Charity Classic
Canyon Meadows G&CC, Calgary, Canada
1 Richard Green 65-62-65—192 $US375,000
T5 Mark Hensby 66-64-67—197 $97,500
T5 Steven Alker (NZ) 63-65-69—197 $97,500
T13 Stuart Appleby 68-68-64—200 $45,000
T18 Cameron Percy 67-67-67—201 $32,208
T18 Michael Wright 69-64-68—201 $32,208
T24 Greg Chalmers 69-68-65—202 $25,000
T38 Brendan Jones 68-68-70—206 $13,000
T42 Scott Hend 72-65-70—207 $10,500
T48 David Bransdon 74-64-70—208 $7,500
74 John Senden 71-72-73—216 $1,650
Japan Golf Tour
ISPS HANDA Explosion in the Summer
Gozensui Golf Club, Hokkaido
1 Kazuki Higa 65-62-66-65—258 ¥12m
T6 Brad Kennedy 64-66-65-68—263 ¥1,915,500
T51 Denzel Ieremia 63-72-68-69—272 ¥151,200
MC Michael Hendry 70-68—138
Korn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron
Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho
1 Emilio González 68-68-65-61—262 $US180,000
MC Rhein Gibson 72-68—140
WD Harry Hillier (NZ) 76
Epson Tour
Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
Wildhorse Golf Course, Pendleton, Oregon
1 Erika Hara 67-67-64—198 $US37,500
T19 Jess Whitting 69-69-69—207 $3,106
MC Soo Jin Lee 72-76—148
MC Sarah Yamaki Branch 75-76—151
HotelPlanner Tour
Vierumäki Finnish Challenge supported by Finnish Golf Union
Cooke Course, Vierumäki, Finland
1 David Law 65-68-70-68—271 €48,000
T63 Tom Power Horan 69-71-72-74—286 €810
T66 Sam Jones (NZ) 70-71-74-73—288 €735
MC Hayden Hopewell 76-75—151
LET Access Series
Ladies Slovak Golf Open
TALE Ski Golf & Hotel Resort, Slovakia
1 Anna Backman 69-71-72—212 €8,000
T37 Abbie Teasdale 77-75-74—226 €437.50
T41 Belinda Ji 78-73-76—227 €330
MC Justice Bosio 75-78—153
Queenslander Cory Crawford has delivered one of the rounds of the day to surge to a second Kumul Minerals PNG Open title at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club.
The site of Crawford’s first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory in 2017, Royal Port Moresby was again kind to the 32-year-old who produced a bogey-free 7-under 65 to finish at 11-under par for a four-stroke win.
“It’s funny, I had a conversation with my billet on the drive to the golf course and I said, ‘If I can shoot 8 (under) today I’m a really good chance,” said Crawford.
“And my mindset was really aggressive. I put a lot of pressure on myself, a lot of expectations on myself to be able to shoot a good number and try and win this thing.
“That’s all I was thinking for the whole day. So really excited to be able to pull that off with that much pressure on myself.”
Teeing off more than an hour before the final group and five strokes adrift, Crawford clawed his way up the leaderboard with birdies at three, four and six before cashing in on the three consecutive par 5s around the turn.
Round 4 takeaways
Six-under through 10 holes and with the likes of overnight leader Lincoln Tighe losing ground, Crawford was soon the outright leader. He made a seventh and final birdie at the par-3 13th followed by five nerveless pars to become the first two-time winner in tournament history.
“First time, I had no idea what I was doing,” Crawford said of his breakthrough win eight years ago.
“This time, it was really structured and means a lot more because so much has gone into it.
“It feels really good to win a golf tournament so hard, as everyone knows. To be able to win this, it’s really special.
Tighe (74) was one of five players to finish in a tie for second at 7-under along with 36-hole joint leader Will Florimo (73), Queenslander Jake McLeod (71), 2024 Gippsland Super 6 champion Ben Henkel (72) and recent PGA Membership Pathway Program graduate Zach Ion (67).
While Crawford’s final winning margin was decisive, the tournament was in the balance as the final groups entered the back nine.
With McLeod making four straight birdies in the middle of his round and Henkel (72) turning in 3-under, just one shot separated the top five.
Neither Tighe nor Henkel were able to birdie the par-5 10th at which point the Royal Port Moresby back nine applied its squeeze, drawing three bogeys from both players over the closing holes.
Crawford didn’t put a foot wrong in the final round, citing his birdie at the par-3 13th as crucial.
“The birdie on 13 was probably the special one,” he added. “It’s a hole you typically wouldn’t birdie.
“Around the front nine, you can make a lot of birdies, which I did, which was nice. But the one on 13 was unexpected. To get that one was really, really nice.”
A semi-finalist at the Gippsland Super 6 last season, Victorian Andre Lautee earned the third top-10 finish of his career courtesy of the day’s best round, an 8-under 64 highlighted by birdies at eight and nine and an eagle at the par-5 10th.
With the local crowd in full support, Papua New Guinea amateur Morgan Annato recorded his best finish in his national open, a tie for 34th.
Sunday also saw the completion of the inaugural PNG Women’s Open with Coffs Harbour’s Amelia Mehmet-Grohn (73) finishing two strokes clear of Kathryn Norris (74) with Kristalle Blum third (72).
Lincoln Tighe is in position to erase the pain of a decade of near misses after assuming the outright lead through three rounds of the Kumul Minerals PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club.
The 36-hole lead of 9-under was not advanced on moving day, overnight co-leaders Corey Lamb and Will Florimo both posting 1-over 73 to drop back to 8-under and open the door for Tighe to move clear.
Three-under on his round after back-to-back birdies at nine and 10, Tighe made two bogeys of his own at 11 and 13 but finished with five straight pars for a round of 1-under 71 and a one-stroke advantage.
Round 3 takeaways
Lamb and Florimo will start Round 4 in a five-way tie for second, Brisbane’s Gavin Fairfax (68) and Round 1 leader Joel Mitchell (68) drawing to within one of the lead with two of the better rounds in hot conditions on Saturday.
It has been 11 years since Tighe claimed the NSW PGA Championship at Riverside Oaks in north-west Sydney, the 35-year-old eager to make the most of his latest opportunity.
“It would mean a lot at the moment,” said Tighe, who was top three three times during the 2022-2023 season.
“Last year, I sort of had new things in my life. I had my little boy come along. It’s been great to have him and support my wife, and she supports me when I’m away so a win would be great.
“I’ve been in this position a fair few times. Learning from those things and sort of channelling back to my win at New South Wales PGA.
“If I can do that, I’ll be around the mark.”
While renowned as one of the longest hitters on tour, it was Tighe’s putter that played a critical role both early and late in his round.
He rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 second and then holed a putt from just outside 20 feet for par after finding the narrow hazard with his tee shot at the par-4 18th.
“I hit a really good drive down there. I hit one 15 metres out yesterday, and I thought that was the exact same drive,” said Tighe.
“If you don’t get the bounce – which I didn’t – obviously it went in the half-a-foot hazard, which was a bit tough. But to get up-and-down, that was great.
“I didn’t know where I was coming. I just sort of tried to keep my head down and keep going. So to make that putt was great.”
The trio of consecutive par 5s from the eighth hole again played an important role in reshaping the leaderboard on Saturday.
Tighe birdied two of the three, Fairfax birdied all three as part of a five-hole birdie blitz while Mitchell bounced back from back-to-back bogeys at six and seven with consecutive eagles at eight and nine.
Playing in his seventh national championship, Morgan Annato will have the support of the PNG crowd on Sunday as he seeks to better his previous best finish, a tie for 38th in 2023.
Winners on tour last season, Jordan Doull (68) and Ben Henkel (69) will start the final round just two strokes off the lead alongside Andrew Campbell in a tie for sixth, Jack Munro (71) and Jake McLeod (69) tied for ninth at 6-under.
Saturday also saw the historic first round of the inaugural PNG Women’s Open, Coffs Harbour’s Amelia Mehmet-Grohn (73) one stroke clear of Western Australian Kathryn Norris with Kristalle Blum, Elmay Viking and PNG amateur Margaret Lavaki tied for third.
Hunter Valley cult hero Corey Lamb came within one stroke of the front nine scoring record at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club to earn a share of the lead at the halfway mark of the Kumul Minerals PNG Open.
While the routing of the golf course has changed slightly this year, Lamb’s outward nine of 7-under 30 was one shy of the tournament record of 29 set by Daniel Gale in Round 3 of his 2018 victory.
Lamb added a solitary birdie on the back nine for a round of 8-under 64, joining Queenslander Will Florimo (65) at 9-under par, one shot clear of experienced New South Welshman Lincoln Tighe (68) with Kiwi rookie Mako Thompson (69) a shot further back in fourth.
Round 2 takeaways
Lamb and Florimo both spent time near the pointy ends of leaderboards last summer, Lamb playing in the final group of the Ford NSW Open alongside Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert while Florimo was the 36-hole leader at the Heritage Classic in March.
Affectionately known as ‘Chops’, Lamb also had the Round 1 lead at the Victorian PGA Championship and is poised to start the new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season in winning fashion.
“I was in this spot a few times last year, end of last season,” said Lamb. “Just try and get over the line this time.
“Just do the same thing, fairways and greens, and see what happens.”
It was a formula that has worked to stunning effect over the past 25 holes at Royal Port Moresby.
Three-over through 11 holes of Round 1 on Thursday, Lamb clawed his way back to 1-under by day’s end with four birdies in his final seven holes.
Starting Round 2 on the same stretch of holes, by the time Lamb headed to the 10th tee he had played his previous 16 holes in 11-under par to launch into contention.
“You’ve just really got to hit good tee shots and you can sort of get up-and-down for birdies on most of the holes,” he explained of a front nine playing almost two shots easier than the back.
“And then the two par 5s, obviously you can get to both of them in two. They’re a really good chance of making eagle, which I did on the ninth.”
In contrast, Florimo did the bulk of his best work on the back nine, making the turn in 4-under after starting from the 10th tee.
A bogey when his approach into the par-5 ninth copped a wild bounce was a sour way to finish yet he remained content with his day’s work.
“I think I hit Mars on the way through and it jumped about six foot in the air and didn’t even get to the green,” Florimo said of his bad break.
“That put a bit of a blunt on a good day, but I’ll take it. I’m more than happy with that round.”
Like Lamb, Florimo intends to draw on his near misses from last season in pursuit of a maiden win over the weekend.
“Me and my coach have been working really hard on just trying to stay a little bit more present,” said Florimo.
“I’m someone that, unlike others, if I start hitting good shots, I can switch off a little bit.
“Obviously I was hitting it good at Heritage last year and we’re really just trying to stay really present with what I’m trying to do and hopefully we can just plod along.
“There’s 36 more holes to go so there’s plenty of golf left.”
The champion in Moresby in 2019, Peter Cooke (70) is four shots back in a tie for fifth along with Gold Coast’s Jack Munro (66) with Round 1 leader Joel Mitchell (73) one of four players in a tie for seventh at 4-under.
Photo: Joel Isbister/PGA of Australia
Two late birdies in Friday’s second round of the Kumul Minerals PNG Open have the potential to change the trajectory of Morgan Annato’s life and establish a pathway between Papua New Guinea and professional golf.
Playing in his national Open for the seventh time, Annato shot 2-under 70 in Round 2 at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club to make the cut in the largest field ever assembled for the PNG Open.
It will be the fifth time Annato plays the weekend against the leading players from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, but potentially the most important thanks to a lure from a personal sponsor.
“I got a dream. I think some of my sponsors want to send me down to Aussie to do a Q School,” Annato said after his round.
“They told me that as soon as you made the cut, we would send you down there, but I’ll just wait for them. I’ll fix my visa and all sort of things and then they’ll send me down there.”
It is a potentially historic opportunity for a country that has never had a player earn status to play the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
Nelson Gabriel and the late August Peni are acknowledged as PNG’s greatest male professional players, but neither played tournaments in Australia.
Annato hopes to change that, all thanks to birdies on the seventh and ninth holes on Friday that will see him enter the weekend in a tie for 39th at 2-over par.
It is the third straight year that Annato has made the cut, a feat he attributes to putting on greens that can confound visiting players.
“Some of them are missing those short putts. And then for me, I just come and bang it in,” he added.
“It’s my own culture here. I get more advantage.”
Advancing golf in Papua New Guinea has been a growing focus with each staging of the PNG Open since 2016.
Junior players were given the opportunity to learn from the professionals in Wednesday’s Junior Pro-Am, 20 leading amateurs were granted exemptions into the field this week and this weekend will see the first staging of the PNG Women’s Open.
Each represents an important step down the path of a Papua New Guinean golfer one day joining the world stage.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape.
“Sport does sell our country’s image. Sport does inform the world who we are. And here you have professional golfers coming from right across the world to come in to play in Port Moresby.
“This is also a stepping stone for some of them into future professional careers. You never know, we wish each player who’s come here all the very best in their own golfing careers.
“Hopefully some of them down the line, we will make it through the entire professional golf rankings, become established professional golfers themselves and they can take the memory of their time and the weekend in PNG.”
As the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia embarks on its new season, long-time Tournament Director Graeme Scott expressed the hopes of the PGA of Australia that players from PNG will become regulars on Tour sooner rather than later.
“It’s very much our goal to have your aspiring professionals and young players coming to play on our Tour,” Scott said.
“It’s the closest professional Tour to them and so we would very, very much like in the future to see young players coming forward.
“That, of course, is the reason we have 20 elite amateurs playing this week because it’s not just playing in a tournament. This is a chance for them to play in a professional environment and it’s a step up in all aspects of the game. Not just how they play but how they conduct themselves and how they see other professionals conduct themselves.
“They are now able to benchmark themselves to see where their game’s at and where they need to get to take that next step.”
A step Annato is now closer to making.
