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Riverside Oaks Golf Club’s Cody Harper has topped a field of 63 PGA Professionals to book his place at the PGA Professional Championship National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club in October.
More than 80 NSW/ACT PGA Members attended the NSW/ACT Annual State Members Forum at Concord Golf Club where 50-Year Members Chris Gaffney, Brian Parkins, 60-Year Members Ted Stirling and Les O’Keefe and 70-Year Member Ian Alexander were in attendance.
With Life Members Geoff Scott and Kyle Francis also present, there was close to 400 years of PGA Membership in the room, CEO Gavin Kirkman and General Manager of Membership and Education, Geoff Stewart, sharing the vision for what the PGA hopes to achieve in the future.
Following the meeting, players took to a Concord Golf Club layout presented remarkably well given the course had been closed just 48 hours earlier due to rain.
Harper’s round of 4-under 67 was the best of the day, one clear of Bryce Hohnen (68) and Larry Austin (68).
It was an impressive performance given the Director of Golf at Riverside Oaks was operating on very little sleep following the birth of his second child just days earlier.
The top 15 qualifiers will all contest the National Final, Bree Arthur was the leading female qualifier and Leigh McKechnie booked a spot in the Australian PGA Senior Championship as the leading player over the age of 50.
PGA Professionals Championship National Final qualifiers
Queenslander Michael Wright is in contention for a life-changing senior major title after playing so well in Round 3 of the Kaulig Companies Championship that he “blacked out”.
At a course made famous by the deeds of Tiger Woods, Wright shot the round of the day at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, the clubhouse leader at 6-under par when he signed for a 7-under 63.
He would end the day in a tie for fourth as Steve Stricker (67), Ernie Els (64) and Robert Karlsson (66) all edged in front and will begin the final round three strokes off the lead held by Stricker.
With 18-year-old son Noah on the bag, Wright began day three in a tie for 23rd but rocketed up the leaderboard with eight birdies between the third and 13th hole.
Such was the zone the 50-year-old was in, he forgot to write down his scores as he picked off birdie after birdie.
“I had a section through the middle of the round where I actually blacked out,” Wright said.
“I didn’t even put any scores down on my scorecard. I had forgotten to write the scores, so just had a real just zone experience through that middle of the round.
“I think I was on about the 14th tee maybe and I said to Noah, my son, I pulled that scorecard and I was blank from three onwards.
“I was writing scores down and I said, ‘I don’t even know what I had.’
“Just totally oblivious to what I was meant to be doing other than hitting the ball, target, hole, target.
“It’s the greatest feeling. I wish we could do it more.”
Michael Wright was the last player in the field as an alternate.
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 13, 2024
After the best round of his PGA TOUR Champions career, the rookie is T4 @KauligChamp! pic.twitter.com/MkuFRqBHxc
Wright’s run began with five straight birdies from the third hole, his ‘zone’ experience so immersive that he struggled to recall how he even did it.
A 15-foot putt for par on eight was his longest of the day, carrying his momentum into the back nine with three more birdies on the trot from the 11th hole.
A dropped shot on 17 after finding the fairway bunker made Wright’s Sunday assignment slightly more challenging yet after his late call-up into the field, the Brisbane native wants to maximise his good fortune.
First alternate, Wright was only added when Harrison Frazar withdrew with a neck injury and is savouring every moment of the experience that he is sharing with his son.
“This is his third week on (the bag) and he’s done a great job so far,” Wright said.
“It’s been really cool to have him on the bag and someone I can trust and just share that experience with him is cool.
“Really looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and doing a bit of the same.”
Wright is not the only Australian name prominent on the leaderboard through three rounds with fellow Champions Tour rookie Cameron Percy (69) and Mark Hensby (68) in a share of 12th at 2-under par and Stuart Appleby tied for 16th after a 66 in Round 3.
Photo: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
Round 3 Australasian scores
T4 Michael Wright 70-71-63—204
T10 Steven Alker (NZ) 68-65-74—207
T12 Mark Hensby 69-71-68—208
T12 Cameron Percy 69-70-69—208
T16 Stuart Appleby 72-71-66—209
T23 Richard Green 67-73-72—212
T42 Steve Allan 72-71-72—215
T42 John Senden 75-69-71—215
T59 Greg Chalmers 73-75-70—218
T71 Rod Pampling 72-74-77—223
Playing his 200th round on the PGA TOUR Champions, New Zealander Steven Alker fired the low round of the day to lead the Kaulig Companies Championship, where Cameron Percy is tied 11th and the best of the Australians.
An eight-time winner since turning 50, Alker sits at 7-under and one clear of defending champion Steve Stricker after a second round 65 that included seven birdies and a double-bogey at the fourth.
Alker’s scrambling from the tree-lined fairways on the back nine of Firestone Country Club keeping him clear at the top as he chases a second senior major championship win.
“I felt it early on, I was in the groove hitting my irons well, making a few putts,” Alker said.
“Very sloppy double on four … but eliminated that pretty quickly, made a couple of birdies coming back on the back nine.
“Then just got a bit loose on the back nine, but that happens around here. You get four rounds, you’re going to have one of those rounds where it’s just not quite there, you’ve got to work your butt off to make pars and I did that.”
Signing for an even par 70 to be 1-under and just outside the top-10, Percy is one of just 16 players under par for the tournament having made his senior debut at the recent KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship following his qualifying school victory before his 50th birthday in May.
Sitting one back of the lead after Round 1, Percy’s fellow Victorian Richard Green birdied the last on Friday to sign for a 3-over round and a share of 17th with compatriot Mark Hensby on even par.
Queenslander Michael Wright is another shot back at 1-over and sharing 22nd after a second round 71 that included a hole-out eagle at the 418 yard par-4 11th, with Australasian trio Vijay Singh, Stuart Appleby and Steven Allan two shots further in arrears on 3-over.
Despite sitting well back of Alker’s lead, with no cut in the limited field event, John Senden on 4-over will hope to continue his climb up the leaderboard after a second round of 1-under 69 that included an eagle of his own at the par-5 second.
Rod Pampling hoping to emulate his fellow Queenslanders’ eagle making over the weekend to improve on his 6-over total, so too Greg Chalmers, who sits 8-over par through 36 holes.
The Kaulig Companies Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Australasian Scores
1st Steven Alker -7
T11 Cameron Percy -1
T17 Mark Hensby EV
T11 Richard Green EV
T22 Michael Wright +1
T34 Vijay Singh +3
T34 Stuart Appleby +3
T34 Steven Allan +3
T40 John Senden +4
T56 Rod Pampling +6
T69 Greg Chalmers +8
Even though he hates sleeping on a lead, Christopher Wood completed a wire-to-wire victory in the $60,000 Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am by shooting a final round of 67 today.
A tournament best 65 on day one gave Wood control of the three-day event, but he had to hold off a challenge from fellow Queenslander Brett Rankin before emerging as a three-shot winner at 17-under-par.
“I hate it. I’d much rather go into a final round behind than leading,” said Wood who led by a single stroke overnight before being victorious for the second time this year in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
“I’m a bit of a scoreboard watcher. I like to know what guys are doing and sometimes that can distract me as well.
“Bretto put some pressure on me late in round with three birdies in a row. The nerves were there with four or five holes to go so I’m happy to come out on top.”
Anthony Choat (NSW) and Dylan Gardner (Qld) shared third place on 12-under.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
A consistent winner of adidas Pro-Am Series events since 2013, Wood’s 67 was the equal best round of Friday.
He had four birdies on his front nine with a dropped shot on the par-5 seventh hole and another three birdies on the back, including on the 17th and 18th to finally see off Rankin, who bogeyed the par-five finishing hole after surging with three consecutive birdies.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was a really good week. I felt like my game was really nice all week,” Wood said.
“I had a good idea where the ball was going and the putter was listening from time to time.
“For some reason, I saw the lines on the greens really clearly this week, just trusted my stroke and all the practice that I’ve done.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-17: Christopher Wood (Qld) 65-67-67
-14: Brett Rankin (Qld) 67-66-69
-13: Anthony Choat (NSW) 67-68-68; Dylan Gardner (Qld) 68-67-68
-12: Andrew Campbell (NSW) 70-67-67; Kyle Michel (Vic) 66-67-71
-11: William Bruyeres (Qld) 67-70-68
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads down the Bruce Highway to the Maryborough Golf Club Pro-Am on Monday.
For the third consecutive senior major championship, Australian Richard Green sits inside the top-3 after the first round, with the left hander opening the Kaulig Companies Championship with a 3-under round of 67.
Part of an 11-strong Australasian contingent teeing it up in the formerly titled Senior Players Championship, Green continued his recent habit of starting well at the biggest events to sit one back of leading pair Duffy Waldorf and defending champion Steve Stricker.
“It’s probably one of the tougher courses that we play on Tour and it’s really, really rewarding to have shot a good score. I’m still playing pretty well, so very happy,” Green said.
“Same old stuff, just trying to hit good golf shots. Golf’s an ongoing test and got to ride the ups and downs a little bit sometimes.
“It’s been up for a bit for me, so I’m just going to just go with it as long as I can and keep working.”
Sharing third with Kenny Perry, Green sits one ahead of ahead of Kiwi senior major winner Steve Alker, who opened with 2-under, with Mark Hensby, Cam Percy and Fijian Vijay Singh another shot back and in a share in 10th.
Michael Wright also sitting inside the top-20 on even par and sharing 17th following round one at Firestone Country Club.
Chasing his first win on the PGA TOUR Champions having made 42 of 43 cuts in his career since turning 50, with 10 top-10s, Green made bogey early in his round at the 12th after starting on the 10th tee.
That was the lone dropped shot of the day for the Victorian, who got back to level par with birdie at the par-4 14th.
Runner-up at the KitchenAid Senior PGA and third at the US Senior Open in his last two major starts, Green climbed the leaderboard during his back nine on a day when only 16 players broke par.
Birdies at the first and second followed by another at the sixth.
“I love these events, I love all the Champions Tour events that we play. The majors are a highlight obviously. It’s a great place to test your game out and test out who you are as a golfer,” Green said.
“For me, like I said before, to come off and play – and have played well on this golf course, which I rate as a difficult one, it’s rewarding, very rewarding.”
Of the other Australians, Steve Allan, Rod Pampling and Stuart Appleby sit in a tie for 36th at 2-over-par and still in the mix with three rounds to play and only four shots out of the lead.
Greg Chalmers another shot further back after opening with a 3-over 73 and John Senden rounding out the contingent at 5-over-par.
The Aussies perhaps seeking out Green for some additional help on how to approach the Ohio course where he was tied 35th last year.
“I think it’s the accuracy that’s required off the tee. You’ve got to be so, so accurate. I call a lot of these trees around here overhead bunkers,” he said.
“They sort of come into play, they overhang the fairways a little bit, so it tightens the fairways even more. You’ve got to be in the right part of the fairway to have a go at the pin on some holes.
“I think the more you play Firestone, the more you understand it. I haven’t played it as much as some of the guys, but I’ve played enough.”
The Kaulig Companies Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Australasian Scores
T3 Richard Green -3
T5 Steven Alker -2
T10 Mark Hensby -1
T10 Cameron Percy -1
T10 Vijay Singh -1
T17 Michael Wright EV
T36 Steven Allan +2
T36 Rod Pampling +2
T36 Stuart Appleby +2
T47 Greg Chalmers +3
T67 John Senden +5
“The Chase Is On” for the professionals on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia with a busy schedule of tournaments for the first half of the upcoming 2024/25 season released today.
Starting from the PNG Open in August, 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 first Australian events on the 2024/25 calendar will be the Western Australia double in October, beginning in Kalgoorlie at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics (October 10-13).
It’s then on to the Mandurah Country Club, the new home for the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open which will celebrate its 100th anniversary when it is played on October 17-20.
The ground-breaking Webex Players Series, featuring its format of men and women on the same course, vying for the same title, will have one event prior to the New Year with the McLaren Vale wine region once again the home of Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett from October 24-27.
Another five Webex events will come in 2025, including the debut of Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee at Royal Fremantle GC in January.
The Tour then heads east to the Queensland PGA Championship played once again at Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane from October 31 to November 3.
The NSW Open, offering a boosted purse of $800,000, returns to the schedule with the 2024 edition to be hosted for the first time by the Murray Downs Golf Resort on November 14-17 as the lead-in to the majors.
The BMW Australian PGA Championship will make its fourth consecutive appearance at Royal Queensland in Brisbane (November 21-24) while the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at two of Melbourne’s world renowned Sandbelt gems, Kingston Heath GC and Victoria GC, on November 28-December 1.
The schedule also features a date shift for the Victorian PGA Championship and Gippsland Super 6 which will now be played following the Australian Open in December.
“The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is gaining in momentum, mirroring what is occurring with the game of golf in all metrics across Australia,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.
“When the Chase resumes in August, our next generation of stars will have their sights on the great opportunities and pathways that exist by being one of the leading players on our Tour.
“We experienced a fantastic 2023/24 season highlighted by Kazuma Kobori’s three victories which led him to our Order of Merit title, the return of some established names to the winner’s circle and the emergence of first-time tournament winners.
“The new season is sure to bring more spectacular golf when we kick off in PNG and then travel into five states including the return of NSW Open with a significant prizemoney boost at a new Tour venue we’re excited to visit.”
Building on the success of its tournament broadcast, which has brought the Tour and its new era of stars onto screens across the country and overseas, Fox Sports and Kayo will be home of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. The two majors, the PGA and Open, will also be simulcast on Nine and 9Now. The NSW Open will appear on 7plus.
Challenger Chief Executive, Customer Mandy Mannix said: “We’re excited to begin our second year as naming rights sponsor with the PGA Tour of Australasia.
“Over the past year, in partnership with PGA, we’ve elevated professional golf’s profile and supported a beloved sport that brings joy to older Australians.
“As we embark on another thrilling golf season, we wish all players the best of luck, from seasoned professionals to rising stars, ensuring every swing and every round is a hole-in-one.”
The post-Christmas/New Year schedule of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events will be announced in coming weeks.
2024
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 Advisernet WA Open at Mandurah Country Club ($175,000 min)
October 24-27: Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett in McLaren Vale wine region. Course TBC ($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 21-24: 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)
An opening eagle and birdie at the last has helped to maintain Chris Wood’s one-stroke advantage through two rounds of the Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am at Rockhampton Golf Club.
A Tour-quality field will contend for the $60,000 in prize money on Friday with Wood’s 12-under total one clear of both Brett Rankin (66) and Kyle Michel (67).
Backing up from a 7-under 65 on day one, Wood was 9-under after just one hole on Thursday thanks to an eagle at the par-5 first.
A string of six pars was followed with a birdie on eight and bogey on nine, birdies at 12, 14 and 18 giving him a round of 5-under 67 and the narrowest of leads going into the final round.
“Obviously it’s nice to be on top,” said Wood, the 2020 Victorian PGA champion.
“To be honest, I haven’t been playing a lot of golf lately. I didn’t go out west and play, so I sort of just had a bit of time off, which I felt I needed after such a busy season last year.
“To be up the top of the leaderboard with not much competitive golf under my belt is nice.”
Rankin made his move up the leaderboard early in Round 2, picking up five birdies in the space of seven holes to turn in 5-under 31.
After a bogey on 11 he hit back with birdies at 13 and 14 to play his way into the final group with Wood.
Conceding he was not at his best, Wood said it was his patient approach that enabled him to keep his nose in front.
“I didn’t really feel like I had my A game today, but I just knew that there was plenty of birdies out there,” he added.
“I just tried to give myself as many chances as possible and managed to sneak in a few more coming home.
“Eagle on the first was nice and then to be honest, it was pretty boring after that.
“I had about probably six or seven pars in a row. Had a lot of opportunities, didn’t really convert and then made a birdie on eight, which was nice but then gave it back the very next hole.
“Then really just tried to stay patient out there.”
Australia’s highest-ranked golfer, Hannah Green, expects Nelly Korda to break free of a dramatic form slump and be one of the players to beat at this week’s Amundi Evian Championship in France.
The year’s fourth women’s major has taken on an additional level of intrigue as the world No.1 and six-time winner on the LPGA Tour this season tees it up on the back of three missed cuts and the highest score of her professional career.
Green, who finished second to Korda at the Mizuho Americas Open, played alongside Korda for the first two rounds of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club.
She could only watch on as Korda wiped away tears after hitting her approach shot to the par-4 15th just beyond the out-of-bounds stakes, the American with “no words” after signing for an 81 having been one shot off the lead at the start of the day.
“Seeing Nelly unravel, I guess you could say, was tough to watch,” admitted world No.7 Green during a recent return home to Perth.
“She’s played so well this year and she’s always going to be under the spotlight because she’s Nelly Korda and she’s the one that brings the crowds in.
“It is a shame she’s obviously not had the success that she’s wanted the last few weeks and I think that will make her even more hungry, especially for the Olympics and the Evian Championship.
“I wouldn’t think that that will be the storyline for the rest of the year. I think she’ll be back up there and like her usual self.”
It’s a rare double-major week in world golf with Green among the seven Aussies at Evian and eight Australians in action at the Kaulig Companies Championship, formerly known as the Senior Players Championship.
This week also marks the build-up in earnest to The Open Championship next week, the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open drawing the best players from both the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour to The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
Runner-up at the BMW International Open, David Micheluzzi returns to America to play the PGA TOUR’s ISCO Championship where West Australian Haydn Barron will make his debut in a PGA TOUR event on US soil.
The 2022 Open Champion, Cameron Smith, will finalise his preparations for Royal Troon by leading the Ripper GC team at LIV Golf Andalucia and Karl Vilips will make his Korn Ferry Tour debut at The Ascendant in Colorado.
Photo: Darren Carroll/PGA of America
Round 1 tee times AEST
DP World Tour/PGA TOUR
Genesis Scottish Open
The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
5:06pm* Adam Scott
5:50pm Jason Scrivener
5:50pm* Min Woo Lee
9:37pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
9:48pm Cam Davis
10:32pm Ryan Fox (NZ)
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1973), Craig Parry (1991), Peter O’Malley (1992), Wayne Riley (1995), Min Woo Lee (2021)
Prize money: $US9 million
TV times: Live 5:30pm-4am Thursday, Friday; Live 11:30pm-5am Saturday; Live 7:30pm-5am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
The Amundi Evian Championship
Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
3pm* Stephanie Kyriacou
3:12pm Hira Naveed
3:48pm* Lydia Ko (NZ)
4:12pm Grace Kim
4:36pm Sarah Kemp
8:36pm Minjee Lee
9pm Hannah Green
9:48pm Gabriela Ruffels
Defending champion: Celine Boutier
Past Aussie winners: Rachel Hetherington (2001), Wendy Doolan (2004), Karrie Webb (2006), Minjee Lee (2021)
Prize money: $US9 million
TV times: Live 8am-2pm Thursday, Friday; Live 9:15pm-12am Saturday; Live 6:30pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR
ISCO Championship
Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Cse), Nicholasville, Kentucky
8:45pm* Aaron Baddeley
10:24pm Haydn Barron, Sam Jones (NZ)
4:11am David Micheluzzi
4:22am Harrison Endycott
Defending champion: Vincent Norrman
Past Aussie winners: Aaron Baddeley (2016)
Prize money: $US4 million
TV times: Live 6:30am-9:30am Friday, Saturday; Live 6am-9am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
Kaulig Companies Championship
Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio
12:20am* Richard Green
12:31am* Steven Alker (NZ)
12:52am John Senden
12:52am* Mark Hensby
1:13am Steve Allan
1:13am* Greg Chalmers
1:44am* Rod Pampling
1:55am* Stuart Appleby
2:16am* Cameron Percy
Defending champion: Steve Stricker
Past Aussie winners: Stewart Ginn (2002)
Prize money: $US3.5 million
TV times: Live 4am-6:30am Friday, Saturday; 9am-11am Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 2am-6am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Andalucia
Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Lucas Herbert, Danny Lee (NZ)
Defending champion: Talor Gooch
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US20 million
TV times: Live from 9:15pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday on 7 Plus.
Japan Golf Tour
Shigeo Nagashima Sega Sammy Cup
The North Country Golf Club, Hokkaido
8:55am* Michael Hendry (NZ)
9:15am* Anthony Quayle
1:50pm Brad Kennedy
Defending champion: Jbe Kruger
Past Aussie winners: Brad Kennedy (2018)
Prize money: ¥100 million
Korn Ferry Tour
The Ascendant presented by Blue
TPC Colorado, Berthoud, Colorado
10:30pm Curtis Luck
4:11am* Brett Drewitt
5:06am* Rhein Gibson
6:12am Karl Vilips
Defending champion: Nicholas Lindheim
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1 million
Epson Tour
Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship
Great River Golf Club, Milford, Connecticut
Australasians in the field: Amelia Garvey (NZ), Cassie Porter, Fiona Xu (NZ), Su Oh, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard.
Defending champion: Jenny Bae
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US262,500
Korean PGA Tour
Gunsan CC Open
Gunsan CC, Korea
8:10am* Junseok Lee
9:10am Sungjin Yeo (NZ)
9:20am* Wonjoon Lee
9:30am* Kevin Chun (NZ)
2:20pm Changgi Lee (NZ)
Defending champion: Jang Yu-bin
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: KRW700 million
PGA TOUR Americas
Explore NB Open
Mactaquac Golf Course, Mactaquac, New Brunswick
8:40pm Grant Booth
10:20pm Harry Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000
A mindset of playing “aggressively smart” and a birdie from the fringe on his final hole has earned Queenslander Chris Wood a one-shot lead after day one of the Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am.
With $60,000 in prize money on offer a Tour-quality field took to the Rockhampton Golf Club layout on Wednesday, Wood edging one clear with a brilliant round of 7-under 65.
Victorian Kyle Michel (66) is Wood’s closest challenger, the pair both taking full advantage of ideal scoring conditions in the morning wave to set the early tone.
Wood began with a birdie on his opening hole – the par-4 10th – only to give it straight back with bogey at the tough par-3 11th.
It would be his only step backward all day, making five birdies in the space of seven holes around the turn before moving to the top of the leaderboard with a final birdie at the par-3 ninth.
“The birdie on nine was a bit of a bonus,” Wood conceded.
“I holed a putt from about 17 feet just off the right-hand side of the green there, putting up the hill.
“The goal was honestly just to two-putt and get out of there, but to see that drop was quite nice.”
A regular at Rockhampton, the 2020 Victorian PGA champion said he has adopted a different strategy to avoid making some of the same mistakes of the past.
“I’ll just go out there with the same mindset of playing aggressively smart,” he added.
“I’ve kept driver in the bag a little bit this week on a few holes just from previous history.
“I always find I hit it in the same trouble spots as previous years so just trying to eliminate some of the mistakes.
“I know there’s plenty of birdies out there, so just to try and stay patient and add them up at the end.”
There is just two shots separating the top 10 on the leaderboard after Round 1 with Matt Millar, Brett Rankin and James Marchesani among the eight players in a tie for third at 5-under par.
Round 2 begins at 6:50am Thursday morning.
The major season continues this week, with the seniors contesting the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club in Ohio.
While the tournament name changed last year, this remains known to most as the Senior Players Championship, which has a long history as one of the five majors on the senior circuit.
While Americans Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly have been fighting over the trophy the last four years, a couple of Australasians have triumphed here. Fijian Vijay Singh took home the trophy in 2018, and Australian Stewart Ginn was victorious back in 2002.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Steve Stricker (USA)
PRIZEMONEY: US$3.5 million
LIVE SCORES: www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions
TV COVERAGE: The Kaulig Companies Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEST.
Round One: Friday 4am–6:30am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Two: Saturday 4am–6:30am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Three: Sunday 9am–11am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Monday 2am–6am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
STEVEN ALKER
Age: 52
The lowdown: With eight PGA TOUR Champions victories, including this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship, Alker will be a favourite coming into this week.
The New Zealander sits second on the season long Charles Schwab Cup thanks to five top-five finishes, with his worst results for 2024 astonishingly being a pair of T15 finishes.
Alker was a notable absentee at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, but was in contention at the US Senior Open, eventually finishing T12.
STEVE ALLAN
Age: 50
The lowdown: The 2002 Australian Open winner, Allan has made a positive start to his PGA TOUR Champions career after earning his card at qualifying school in December.
Allan has had two top-10 finishes in 12 start this season, his best finish a solo fifth at the Invited Celebrity Classic.
He did not play in the US Senior Open, and missed the cut at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, so will be looking to turn things around this time around.
STUART APPLEBY
Age: 56
The lowdown: A nine-time PGA TOUR winner, Appleby made his living with an incredibly high standard of ball striking and a putter that could catch fire at any moment.
Appelby has had a mixed season so far, but a T14 finish at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and a T38 at the US Senior Open have shown that he is thereabouts.
GREG CHALMERS
Age: 50
The lowdown: In the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, Chalmers showed he can still produce the form that earned him a pair each of Australian Opens and Australian PGA Championships.
Sharing the lead at various points, Chalmers eventually finished in solo third after four rounds in the 60s.
After struggling to go low at the US Senior Open with rounds of 72-70-70-70, the rookie senior hoping the Firestone layout will fit his eye slightly better.
RICHARD GREEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: One of the players to truly thrive post turning 50, Green is a regular presence on the PGA TOUR Champions, although the Victorian is still chasing a first victory on the biggest stage for over-50 golfers.
Green finished runner-up at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and third at the US Senior Open, Green has been agonisingly close in this year’s majors.
Despite a not having a win, Green sits fifth on the season-long Charles Schwab Cup.
MARK HENSBY
Age: 52
The lowdown: Providing one of the highlights of 2023 when he claimed the Invited Celebrity Classic after his rollercoaster career, Hensby has yet again been a consistent performer so far in 2024.
Hensby had a disappointing finish to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship after a lacklustre weekend, but bounced back with two top-10s.
It was a rollercoaster week for Hensby at the US Senior Open, with scores of 75-63-74-68, the New South Welshman hoping for more consistency at Firestone.
ROD PAMPLING
Age: 54
The lowdown: A two-time winner on the PGA TOUR Champions, including last year’s SAS Championship, Pampling has long held a reputation as a high quality ball striker with a capability to go very low.
Pampling bounced back quickly from his missed cut at the KitchenAid Senior PGA with a top-five finish at the Principal Charity Classic, but also missed the cut at the US Senior Open.
The 2024 majors have been disappointing for Pampling, so he will be looking to turn that trend around this week.
CAMERON PERCY
Age: 50
The lowdown: Percy made his senior debut at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship after winning Q-school at 49 but having to wait until his 50th birthday to compete.
Having played four events now, including a third-place finish at the American Family Insurance Championship, Percy is quickly establishing himself on the over-50s tour.
A T12 finish at the US Senior Open was an encouraging sign that Percy has the game for major golf in his seniors career.
JOHN SENDEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: Another past Australian Open winner, Senden has had a somewhat disappointing year on the PGA TOUR Champions.
The sole highlight coming at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, where he finished T6.
Senden recently revealed he is battling Parkinson’s disease, but says while he is still able to get out and play, he is still enjoying it.
VIJAY SINGH
Age: 61
The lowdown: Despite being more than 10 years into his senior golf career, the World Golf Hall of Fame member continues to outwork the vast majority of professionals of any age.
A five-time winner on the PGA TOUR Champions, Singh has had two T6 finishes this year, however had an average finish after making the cut at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
The Fijian major winner shook off that result to finish in solo seventh at the US Senior Open, a closing 66 the highlight.
THE COURSE
Firestone Country Club took over as host in 2019, with the famed South Course providing a strong test for the seniors over the last five years.
Having hosted three PGA Championships, and multiple World Golf Championship events, Firestone is no stranger to world-class golf, with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus noth notching important wins at the venue.
Originally designed by Bert Way and opened in 1929, the South Course at Firestone underwent a redesign by Robert Trent Jones in 1960, and now plays as a 7400-yard par-70 course.
Playing long, the South Course advantages the bigger hitters, the ‘younger’ players on tour the ones to look out for this week.
