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The past two winners of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit are on top after Round 1 on both the DP World Tour and Asian Tour.
A birdie-birdie finish catapulted 2023 Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi to the top of the leaderboard at the BMW International Open in Germany while 2024 champ Kazuma Kobori is tied for the lead with American John Catlin at the International Series Morocco in Morocco.
Both Micheluzzi and Kobori won three times to claim the Order of Merit crown, opening the pathway to international tours and major championships.
Micheluzzi is using the DP World Tour card that was one of his Order of Merit rewards while Kobori has received sponsor’s invitations to play on both the DP World Tour and Asian Tour ahead of his full status kicking in at the start of the 2025 season.
After a frustrating start to his DP World Tour rookie campaign in which he made just five cuts in his first 11 starts, Micheluzzi showed signs of life with a tie for 10th at last week’s Italian Open.
He carried that form into Golfclub München Eichenried where he once again turned to his stellar short game and white-hot putter to shoot 6-under 66 and lead by one from Scot Ewen Ferguson, South African Casey Jarvis, England’s Frank Kennedy and American Patrick Reed.
“I think last week was my fifth cut made this season so I’m just trying to find my feet out here a little bit,” said the 27-year-old Victorian.
“Now everything is starting to feel a little bit more comfortable and I’ve just got to do what I do best and that’s play good golf.
“I got here from playing good golf in Australia and I’ve just got to keep doing that.”
How it stands after the opening day in Germany 📊#BMWInternationalOpen
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 4, 2024
Kobori finds himself in Morocco thanks to his good golf in Australia, too.
Battling illness earlier in the week, the 22-year-old Kiwi had just one practice round at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat but showed an instant affinity for the layout, matching Catlin’s 7-under 66 in his International Series debut.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed it because I didn’t even touch a club Tuesday,” said Kobori.
“You should have seen the shots I was hitting on the range this morning.
“That being said, and once I got underway, I started to hit it quite nicely.
“I don’t know it all just came together when I needed it to.”
How it stands after Round 1 of the 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗼 ⛳https://t.co/QQChqRqIrM #InternationalSeries #ThisISEverything #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/ldu4cOT2po
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) July 4, 2024
I was a strong start in both tournaments for the Australasian players in the fields.
Order of Merit runner-up in 2023, Tom Power Horan, is just two shots behind Micheluzzi while 2019 Order of Merit winner Ryan Fox and fellow Kiwi Sam Jones are in a tie for 12th at 3-under par.
Fellow New Zealander Ben Campbell (68) trails Kobori by two shots after Round 1, Travis Smyth the best of the 19 Aussies in Morocco in a tie for 11th at 4-under par.
Photos: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images (Micheluzzi); Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour (Kobori)
Australian veteran Sam Brazel has turned to a former baseball great to build a body that can withstand the rigours of professional golf late into his 40s.
Brazel is among the 19-strong Aussie contingent teeing it up at the Asian Tour’s International Series Morocco this week, the first time the event has been held since Jazz Janewattananond triumphed two years ago.
Including the co-sanctioned New Zealand Open, it is Brazel’s fourth start on the Asian Tour in 2024 having regained his card by finishing 16th at Final Stage of Q School in January.
That performance was a continuation of good form on home soil that yielded a top-10 finish at the ISPHS HANDA Australian Open in Sydney and gave the 45-year-old the belief that he can still compete at the highest level.
Battling the same groin injury that has sidelined Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster, Brazel turned to 2000 Olympian Matt Buckley earlier this year to not only aid injury prevention, but add the speed that’s needed to keep up in the modern game.
“I’ve never really been one to go to the gym or look after my body that well so enlisted a guy that I’ve known for 25 years,” said Brazel of Buckley, an exercise physiologist and co-owner of Pure Fitness Alstonville in northern New South Wales.
“I’ve only been doing it the last three months or so and I’m just starting to see some benefits of it.
“We generally do a morning session and then I go and practice in the afternoon. I can definitely see a correlation between having that dynamic warmup prior to practice and how that makes a huge difference to the way I swing the club and the pace at which the club moves.
“It’s that mental side of it too, just a different health aspect to it, feeling better within myself for actually doing it.”
The 2016 Hong Kong Open remains Brazel’s lone victory on a major tour yet he has been a perennial contender both on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour.
He has top-10 finishes in both marquee Australian events the past two years and was tied for ninth at the World City Championship in Hong Kong in March last year.
It’s been enough to convince him that, when fit, his best remains good enough.
“The end of the Aussie summer last year was probably a fair indication of where I’m at with my golf,” said Brazel.
“I put a fair bit of effort into trying to have a good summer here in Australia and I really enjoyed that.
“I didn’t play so well at the Aussie PGA on the final day, but the Aussie Open was solid enough.
“Golf game’s good, mentally I’m good. I still feel like I can compete, so I’m going to keep plodding along while ever I feel like I can be competitive.”
On the back of a top-10 finish at the Italian Open 2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi leads the five-strong Aussie charge at the BMW International Open in Germany and LPGA Tour player Stephanie Kyriacou joins Kirsten Rudgeley and Whitney Hillier at the Aramco Team Series event in London.
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
John Deere Classic
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
11:46pm* Harrison Endycott
3:49am Jason Day
Defending champion: Sepp Straka
Past Aussie winners: Mark Hensby (2004), John Senden (2006)
Prize money: $US8 million
TV times: Live 2am-9am Friday, Saturday; Live 2am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
BMW International Open
Golfclub München Eichenried, Munich, Germany
4pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)=
4:30pm Jason Scrivener
4:30pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
4:40pm Sam Jones (NZ)
5:10pm Haydn Barron
5:10pm* Tom Power Horan
5:20pm* David Micheluzzi
5:30pm Andrew Martin
Defending champion: Thriston Lawrence
Past Aussie winners: Peter Fowler (1993)
Prize money: $US2.5 million
TV times: Live 8:30pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 11pm-2am Saturday; Live 9pm-2am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Asian Tour
International Series Morocco
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), Morocco
4:20pm* Brendan Jones
4:30pm* Travis Smyth
4:50pm* Ben Campbell (NZ)
5:10pm Kevin Yuan
5:20pm Jed Morgan
5:30pm Maverick Antcliff
5:40pm Deyen Lawson
6pm Justin Warren
9:20pm Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
9:30pm* Aaron Wilkin
9:40pm Wade Ormsby
10pm Scott Hend
10pm* Harrison Crowe
10:10pm Jack Thompson
10:20pm Todd Sinnott
10:20pm* Andrew Dodt
10:30pm* Zach Murray
10:40pm Sam Brazel
10:40pm* Marcus Fraser
11:10pm* Lachlan Barker
11:20pm Doug Klein
Defending champion: Jazz Janewattananond (2022)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2 million
TV times: Live 11pm-3am Thursday; Live 12:10am-3am Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 11pm-1am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; 8am-10am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series – London
Centurion Club, London
4:51pm Kirsten Rudgeley
9:39pm Stephanie Kyriacou, Momoka Kobori (NZ)
10:27pm Whitney Hillier
Defending champion: Nelly Korda
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US500,000
TV times: Live 12:30am-4:30am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 12:30am-4.30am Friday; Live 9:30pm-1:30am Friday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
Japan Golf Tour
Japan Professional Golf Championship
Fuji Country Kani Club (Shino Cse), Gifu
8:55am Brad Kennedy
9:05am Michael Hendry (NZ)
Defending champion: Kensei Hirata
Past Aussie winners: Adam Bland (2015)
Prize money: ¥150 million
LET Access Series
PGA Championship Gothenburg
Albatross GolfKlubb, Sweden
4:44pm Kelsey Bennett
5:17pm Munchin Keh (NZ)
5:28pm Wenyung Keh (NZ)
9:12pm Hanee Song (NZ)
Defending champion: Chiara Tamburlini
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €40,000
The ISPS HANDA Australian Open will return to the famed Melbourne Sandbelt in 2024, Golf Australia announced today.
To be played from November 28 to December 1, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will again feature its unique combined format with players in the men’s, women’s and all abilities tournaments over two courses, showcasing the best of Australian golf.
Kingston Heath Golf Club will host all four rounds, while The Victoria Golf Club will share the hosting duties for rounds one and two.
The Sandbelt region hosted the inaugural combined event in 2022, when The Victoria Golf Club was the primary host club with Kingston Heath in support. It was the first time in 20 years that the Sandbelt had hosted the men’s national Open.
The men’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open will again be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, and will follow the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Queensland, providing two weeks of premium golf in Australia.
Meanwhile, the women’s Australian Open will be sanctioned by the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the 2024 event will include the fifth Australian All Abilities Championship (AAAC) featuring the top-12 ranked Golfers with a disability as part of the G4D Tour, with the event supported in its entirety by Visit Victoria.
“The Victorian Government have been tremendous supporters of golf, and after working with us to bring the inaugural men’s and women’s Australian open to Melbourne, we look forward to continuing that partnership with this return to Melbourne,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
“The Melbourne Sandbelt is a unique treasure in world golf, with a long history of hosting tournaments and producing worthy champions.
“We are delighted that this year’s ISPS Handa Australian Open will showcase not only our best men’s and women’s players but two of the country’s finest courses in Kingston Heath Golf Club and The Victoria Golf Club.”
In 2024, the champions will emerge from fields of 156 men and 84 women, competing for prize money of $3,400,000 AUD.
As was the case in 2023, there will be one cut made to both the men’s and women’s fields after 36 holes of play. All players making the cut will earn a cheque, with male and female professionals earning the equivalent figure per finishing position, while the Australian All Abilities Championship is set to conclude on Saturday with the Stonehaven Cup and Patricia Bridges Bowl decided on Sunday.
“Returning to Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Clubs for the Australian Open will deliver a fascinating test for our players, both men and women, and offer a tremendous opportunity to welcome Australian and international players after successful campaigns around the world,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.
“Steeped in history and the sites for many great Australian golf moments, both courses will no doubt create interest at home and overseas, as will our fortnight of DP World Tour co-sanctioned events for our men where the best players from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia can test their games against some of the world’s best.”
Broadcast on Foxtel, Kayo, Nine and 9Now, where record numbers were achieved during last year’s Australian Open, the 2024 tournament will also provide a preview for the 2028 Presidents Cup that will be held at Kingston Heath Golf Club.
This year’s tournament also marks the 120th anniversary of the first men’s event played and the 50th anniversary of the first women’s tournament held at Victoria, with a long list of some of the best players in the game and Australian legends on both honour rolls.
“It has been a magnificent year so far for our players competing both at home and overseas, and the Melbourne Sandbelt is a fitting location to celebrate the Women’s Australian Open’s 50th anniversary,” WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said.
“Maintaining the joint format allows great visibility for our players, while the field size ensures high quality competition for our historic national Open as we continue to grow the depth of players, with the hope of expanding the women’s field in years to come.”
Acting Minister for Tourism Sport and Major Events in Victoria Ros Spence said: “We’re proud to bring some of the world’s best golfing talent – and fans of this iconic tournament – back to Melbourne for the 2024 Australian Open – boosting businesses, jobs and our state’s economy.”
Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said: “Golf is a major driver of activity in our sector with its capacity to drive year-round visitation, delivering approximately $1 billion with golfers from around the world wanting to experience Melbourne’s Sandbelt courses.
“Victoria is pleased to welcome the 2024 Australian Open and we look forward to seeing the tournament contribute to our visitor economy.”
Part of a two-week swing of DP World Tour events in Australia, following the BMW Australian PGA Championship, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will help launch the new season for the Tour for the third straight year.
“We are delighted the DP World Tour will return to the world-renowned Melbourne Sandbelt for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at the start of our 2025 Race to Dubai,” Chief Tournament & Operations Officer at the DP World Tour Ben Cowen said.
“My thanks go to ISPS HANDA for their continued commitment to Australia’s national open and to Golf Australia for their work in showcasing golf as a sport for everyone with the staging of the men’s, women’s and All Abilities events across the same week.
“Our Strategic Alliance with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia helps to provide important global pathways for our memberships, allowing players to reach the highest levels of the game, and the co-sanctioning of events like these is an important aspect of that partnership.”
Captain of Kingston Heath Golf Stephen Montfort said: “Kingston Heath Golf Club has a rich and proud history of hosting internationally recognised events and we are honoured to be hosting the 2024 Australian Open.
“After being a part of the historic first joint-event in 2022, there is a great deal of excitement around the club with this year’s role as primary host venue. From an Australian Open in 2024, to the Presidents Cup in 2028, showcasing Kingston Heath Golf Club to golf fans around the world will be a tremendously proud moment for all our members and staff. We look forward to celebrating our three champion golfers at the conclusion of this great event.”
Limited first release tickets available now – save 20% on tournament day passes: https://bit.ly/4co8WZa
An emotional Jack Wright has paid tribute to his late uncle after taking out the Brisbane MG Royal Queensland PGA Associate Pro-Am at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Monday.
With prize money in excess of $27,000, the tournament broke the record for the richest one-day Associate Pro-Am in the history of the PGA of Australia, Wright winning close to $5,000 with a superb round of 6-under 66.
Starting his round from the fifth tee alongside Zach Ion and Tiger Boontang, Wright stumbled out of the blocks with an opening bogey.
A run of four straight birdies from the ninth hole to the 12th quickly turned momentum his way, the second-year Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club Associate’s bogey on 13 the only other dropped shot for a one-stroke win.
Campbell Jones had just the one bogey in his round of 5-under 67 to snare second, Ion taking third spot with 4-under 68.
For Wright, not only did the win ease some of the pain his family had felt just days earlier but provides a much-needed financial boost ahead of the defence of his NSW/ACT PGA Associate Championship at Tura Beach Country Club next month.
“I would like to dedicate the win to my uncle who passed away over recent days,” said Wright. “Today will certainly help our family who have been saddened for our loss.
“Being the winner of the biggest one-day prize purse in the history of PGA Associate Pro-Ams is really special to me and I am grateful to be able to hold such title.
“Myself and all of the PGA Associates are really thankful for the support Paul Norris as well as the Royal Queensland Golf Club has provided, not only us as a PGA Associates but for everything they do of professional golf.
“It costs a fair amount to travel to both the NSW and National PGA Associates Championships coming up later this year so this money will go a long way to taking the pressure off me to cover expenses in travelling down for them.”
History-making siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee plan to immerse themselves completely in the Olympic experience as they prepare to represent their family and their country at the Paris 2024 Games.
It is now just four weeks until Min Woo will tee it up in his maiden Olympic golf competition while Minjee while participate in her third Games just six days later.
Although their paths may cross only briefly during the two weeks of competition – Minjee hopes to arrive in time to see Min Woo play his final round – both have indicated their desire to absorb everything an Olympic Games has to offer.
Just 20 years of age when golf made its Olympic return in 2016, Minjee was unable to visit the Olympic Village due to Covid restrictions when she represented her country for a second time at Tokyo 2020.
It is why she is so excited for the Paris 2024 Games and all they will have to offer.
“It was a little bit different in Rio because it was the inaugural year and then Tokyo was a Covid edition,” said Minjee in a call with Australian media on Wednesday.
“Paris will be a proper experience of how an Olympics should be.
“I’m really looking forward to going and seeing the Olympic village. I read some things on the Olympic information and it seems like there’s a great set-up there and I’m especially excited to see the gym. The gym is just always such a great set-up; it’s a gym person’s dream.”
While he has one experience playing at the host venue, Le Golf National, Min Woo is also looking beyond the golf course to enhance his Olympic experience, including participating in the Opening Ceremony that will be held on the River Seine.
“I’m going to be going to the Opening Ceremony as it’s just before our practice rounds,” said Min Woo.
“Very excited to see fellow Australians and other countries and we’re on a boat going around the river.
“That’ll be very cool to get to experience that and stay at the Olympic Village, which is awesome.”
Australia's Olympic golf team has been announced, with Jason Day and Min Woo Lee to represent the men, and Hannah Green and Minjee Lee in the women | @McJoshmclean pic.twitter.com/AbfI2xXnVY
— 10 News First Queensland (@10NewsFirstQLD) June 28, 2024
Little more than two years apart in age, Minjee and Min Woo become the 16th Australian siblings to represent Australia in the same sport at the same Olympic Games.
It is an illustrious list that dates back to Lillian and Frank Beaurepaire who competed in the swimming at the 1920 Games in Antwerp and why this particular tournament hits different.
“You’re playing for something bigger than just yourself, you’re playing for your country,” said Minjee, currently ranked No.11 in the women’s world rankings.
“I know every week in, week out we do represent Australia but we’re not playing for Australia.
“I feel like it’s just a little bit different and the atmosphere is just a little different.
“You’ve just got to be there to experience it. Min won’t quite understand right now, but once he goes there he’ll really be able to feel it.”
“There’s not many tournaments where you represent Australia and in a team environment, too,” added Min Woo, who moved up to 31st in the men’s world golf rankings after his runner-up finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
“We play for ourselves and our country of course in big tournaments, but especially coming every four years, it’s pretty special to rep Australia and try to do our best.”
One of Australia’s best young talents, Elvis Smylie, has grabbed a cherished berth in the Open Championship at Royal Troon later this month.
The 22-year-old Queenslander played his way into the field via qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports in the UK overnight.
Needing to finish top-four, he carded 67-74 to finish tied-second and secure his place in what will be his first Open, and his first major championship.
“Just saying that I’ve qualified for The Open gives me goosebumps,” he said afterward. “The last time I went to The Open was at Royal Troon in 2016, when I was 14-years-old. Going there as a spectator eight years ago and now going back as a competitor – I don’t know what to say. I just can’t wait for the experience.
“I’ve already FaceTimed my dad (Peter) ho’s back in Australia and he said he’s going to book a flight over. My mum (Liz) is already over here commentating on Wimbledon so everyone’s going to come and watch me at Troon. I’m very excited.”
Twelve Australians played across four venues of qualifying but Smylie was the only one to pass through.
The left-hander is a former Australian Boys Amateur champion and has had some good results on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia since turning pro in 2021, despite not managing his first professional victory.
There are now six Australians in the field for Royal Troon from 18 July – Smylie, Cam Smith, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Jasper Stubbs and Jason Day. There are four New Zealanders – Mike Hendry, Kazuma Kobori and Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier.
PHOTO: Elvis Smylie celebrates at Royal Cinque Ports. Image: Getty
Globally renowned premium automotive leader BMW will become the title partner of the Australian PGA Championship.
The collaboration will see the BMW Australian PGA Championship, one of Australian golf’s two majors, join BMW’s suite of premium global tour tournaments alongside the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, BMW International Open in Munich, the PGA TOUR’s penultimate playoff tournament – the BMW Championship – as well as the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA Tour.
Locked in for Royal Queensland Golf Club on November 21-24 this year, the BMW Australian PGA Championship stands as one of the premier tournaments on the Australian sporting calendar with its vibrant party hole and spectacular golf, attracting record crowds as Min Woo Lee won the 2023 title in his unique style.
Thanks to the co-sanctioning agreement between the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour, this year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship will again feature a world-class field, pitting the best of Australia’s professionals against an international contingent of contenders.
Same tournament, new title partner 😎@bmwau | #AusPGA pic.twitter.com/qnOLsYOa2e
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) July 1, 2024
It will once again be the opening tournament of the DP World Tour season and enjoy its fourth consecutive year at Royal Queensland, the host venue of the 2032 Olympic Games golf competition.
Min Woo Lee, one of the rising superstars in world golf, has already confirmed he will return to defend his title.
PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said that with BMW’s commitment to excellence and innovation, the partnership promises to elevate the championship to a new level.
“We are delighted to welcome BMW as the title partner of the Australian PGA Championship,” Kirkman said.
“BMW has had a wonderful influence on Australian golf and our PGA Championship for many years and this title partnership takes its commitment to the next level.
“The company’s commitment to excellence and innovation perfectly aligns with our values, and we are confident that this partnership will contribute to the continued success and growth of the championship.”
BMW Australia CEO Wolfgang Buechel said: “BMW has had a longstanding involvement in golf around the world for more than 40 years, and we are excited to extend our partnership with the Australian PGA for such a prestigious Australian tournament, welcoming incredible Australian talent home for the season’s first major event.
“From the US via Europe to Asia and Australasia, you will find BMW wherever golf is played and enjoyed through all major markets worldwide.
“This is BMW’s first golf title partnership in the Southern Hemisphere and builds on our existing relationship as the official automotive partner of the PGA, Golf Australia and the WPGA.
“In partnership with the PGA, BMW will create captivating experiences across Australia, where future-defining innovation meets a sustainable society and a shared ambition to grow and create unforgettable memories and moments.
“The BMW Australian PGA Championship will be a great platform to promote our electric future via our range of BMW fully electric vehicles that will be on course at Royal Queensland.”
Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, added: “We are delighted BMW have joined as title partner of the Australian PGA Championship. Over the past 35 years, the DP World Tour have developed an extremely close working relationship that continues to drive strong value to BMW’s global engagement in sport.
“With this partnership in Australia, it brings together a truly iconic brand and iconic golf tournament, popular with golf fans and players alike across the world. The BMW brand stands for luxury, innovation, and sportiness – all values that closely match our own, with both the DP World Tour and PGA of Australia benefitting significantly from partnering with such a respected partner of the game of golf.”
As well as being title partner of the BMW Australian PGA Championship, BMW is committed to supporting the future of Australian professional golf with its existing Australian golf partnership with the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia covering the broader Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, WPGA Tour of Australasia and the Australian Open.
The company also currently has partnerships with LPGA Tour star Grace Kim and DP World Tour player Elvis Smylie.
Tickets for the BMW Australian PGA Championship are available now via Ticketek
A bounce-back birdie on the final hole was double cause for celebration as Jay Mackenzie took out the Blackwater Pro-Am and the 2024 Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series at Blackwater Country Club.
Without a win on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series since victory on his home course in Ballina almost 12 months ago, Mackenzie had been consistent throughout the Mining Towns Series without notching a win.
He was top five at both Tieri and Emerald but put it all together at Blackwater, his second round of 8-under 64 and two-round total of 12-under enough to edge Darcy Boyd (67) and Ben Henkel (67) by a shot.
With a total score of 37-under par, it was also enough to finish one clear of Henkel in the 10-round accumulative Mining Towns Series, Mackenzie breaking 70 in each of his final nine rounds.
“Probably the first guy in 15 years to beat Tim Hart,” said the laconic Mackenzie of the five-time reigning champion who had to settle for third in 2024.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Mackenzie began the second round trailing both Boyd and Henkel by two shots but a run of four straight birdies from the fourth hole elevated his presence on the leaderboard.
Four birdies in the space of six holes on the back nine gave Mackenzie a comfortable two-shot cushion but victory would not come easily.
His first and only bogey of the tournament came at his penultimate hole – the par-4 18th – which sent Mackenzie to the first hole needing birdie to win.
A good drive at the 355-metre par 4 gave the New South Welshman sand wedge in, dialling it in to set up the birdie putt that he duly converted to win by one.
Playing together in the final group, Boyd and Henkel could both have matched Mackenzie’s 12-under total but had to settle for a pair of pars in their final two holes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I haven’t played like that for a while,” said Mackenzie.
“Just didn’t make many mistakes. One bogey and I guess 13 birdies.
“I think I had maybe a two-shot lead at some point and then I was like, Oh yeah, just make another birdie and that should be enough.
“I was a bit dirty after the bogey but I knew what was going on.
“I was pretty comfortable (playing the last). I felt pretty good. I don’t really get that nervous. I almost fell asleep, actually.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Jay Mackenzie 68-64—132
T2 Darcy Boyd 66-67—133
T2 Ben Henkel 66-67—133
T4 Brendan Smith 67-69—136
T4 Nathan Page 70-66—136
T6 William Bruyeres 69-69—138
T6 Dylan Gardner 70-68—138
T6 James Conran 71-67—138
NEXT UP
The Queensland swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads coastal on Wednesday for the two-day JRT Group Emu Park Pro-Am which will be followed by a new event in 2024, the Biloela Pro-Am at Biloela Golf Course.
The tournament had a new name but the winner was the same as Andre Stolz claimed the first Australian PGA Senior 9-Hole Championship at Town of 1770 Golf Course just north of Bundaberg.
The picturesque locale has become a popular stop on the PGA Legends Tour, the tight, tree-lined nine-hole layout presenting an exacting test in shot-making.
Expanded to a three-round championship for the first time this year, Stolz employed the same strategy that carried him to a one-stroke win over two rounds 12 months ago.
Tied with Victorian Mark Boulton heading into the final round, Stolz closed with a round of 2-under 32 for a 7-under total and one-shot win from Brad Burns (32) and Murray Lott (32).
“This course will give you some nightmares but it’s an amazing course,” said Stolz.
“It’s just extremely tight and I can get a little wayward, so it’s pretty nerve-wracking on a few tee shots out there.
“I’ve sort of played this course with handcuffs on and it’s worked for me the last couple of years.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Both 36-hole leaders began their third rounds with a bogey at the par-3 first but it would be Stolz who rebounded best.
He birdied the par-5 second and picked up another at the par-4 fourth as Burns and Lott both made their moves.
Stolz took advantage of the short par-4 eighth to keep his head in front, providing enough of a cushion for par to be enough at the par-5 ninth.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s an extremely tricky hole,” Stolz said of the closer.
“It’s a tough green to go at in two. You’ve got to hit two amazing shots and if you miss the green to the side, it runs down the rough there and you can have a chip there where you can barely get it on the green.
“I hit a great second shot down there but unfortunately didn’t make my birdie putt.
“I thought that might cost me, but lucky enough to still finish one in front.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Andre Stolz 31-32-32—95
T2 Brad Burns 31-33-32—96
T2 Murray Lott 33-31-32—96
T4 Euan Walters 36-31-30—97
T4 Jason Norris 32-34-31—97
T6 Nigel Weldon 33-31-34—98
T6 Adam Henwood 33-31-34—98
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour moves further north in its winter swing in Queensland, Andre Stolz and Nigel Lane the defending champions at the two-day JRT Yeppoon Legends Pro-Am at Yeppoon Golf Course starting Thursday.
An emotional Cam Davis has credited two weeks of hypnotherapy for the sudden form reversal that has yielded a second win at the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Three years after holing a bunker shot on the 71st hole and emerging victorious from a three-man playoff for his breakthrough win, Davis could not hide the enormity of his second victory at Detroit Golf Club, the first player with multiple wins at the event.
With putts repeatedly burning the edge of the hole and a lasered second shot into the par-5 14th that somehow dribbled into the water, it looked as though the golf gods would conspire against Davis.
Fellow Australian Min Woo Lee (69) made a back-nine charge to earn a share of the lead at 18-under but made bogey on the final hole when his approach shot finished in the rough behind the green and he was unable to get up-and-down for par.
Davis, too, needed to scramble from the rough on 18 for a 2-under 70 to claim the clubhouse lead at 18-under.
He did that with a superb chip from right of the green and then looked on in shock from the range as American Akshay Bhatia (72) three-putted for the first time all week on the 72nd hole to hand the Aussie a one-shot win.
Ranked 77th in the FedEx Cup standings entering the week and without a top-10 finish all season, Davis was at a loss to explain a form reversal that resulted in victory.
“From where I was a couple of weeks ago to today, just completely different person,” said the 29-year-old from Sydney.
“This is a little emotional actually. I wouldn’t wish what happened to Akshay on anyone, but I’ve done a lot of grinding to kind of get myself out of a hole and just all of a sudden to do that, it’s pretty good.”
Dub (again) in Detroit 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/RW37jg41tG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 30, 2024
While he described his playoff win over countryman Adam Scott at US Open qualifying as a “little shining moment”, Davis revealed that it has been his recent visits to a hypnotherapist that has unlocked his love for the game again.
At the urging of his wife, Jonika, Davis began seeing a hypnotherapist two weeks ago and is adamant in the role that it has played in earning a long-awaited second win.
“My career trajectory was not where I wanted it,” added Davis, who has been working with Canadian-based coach Ralph Bauer for the past year.
“It’d been a long time since I’d won and I felt like I wasn’t playing anywhere near good enough golf to keep up with the best players in the game.
“We’ve only been working together for a couple of weeks and I’ve gone from almost disliking the game to feeling like I’ve got a bit of that magic back, so it’s made a huge difference.
“I can entirely put it down to fact that my team’s had my back through every dark day I’ve had over the last couple of couple of months to Grace, who’s helped me through it all and got me back on a really good path.
“I’ve got a lot of people to thank, but definitely the biggest turnaround has happened with the hypnotherapy.”
In addition to the 1-2 finish in Detroit, there were Aussies in contention across the globe this past week.
Richard Green remains in the hunt as the US Senior Open was forced into a Monday finish due to dangerous weather while Grace Kim paired with American Auston Kim for a tie for fifth at the LPGA Tour Dow Championship.
David Micheluzzi rebounded from some indifferent form of late for a top-10 finish at the Italian Open, Rhein Gibson shot 63 in rounds two and four to be tied for eighth on the Korn Ferry Tour and Cassie Porter is projected to move to second on the Epson Tour Race For The Card after a tie for seventh at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic.
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan
1 Cam Davis 68-66-66-70—270 $US1.656m
T2 Min Woo Lee 68-68-66-69—271 $616,400
T67 Ryan Fox (NZ) 71-67-76-71—285 $19,412
T72 Aaron Baddeley 68-70-72-76—286 $18,768
MC Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 74-70—144
MC Harrison Endycott 74-71—145
PGA TOUR Champions
US Senior Open
Newport Country Club, Newport, Rhode Island
Round 4 to be completed Monday due to dangerous weather
1 Hiroyuki Fujita 63-66-67—196
3 Richard Green 63-67-69—199
T8 Steven Alker (NZ) 71-67-67—205
T14 Cameron Percy 70-65-70—205
T25 Mark Hensby 75-63-74—212
T25 Michael Long (NZ) 72-69-70-68—279
T40 Greg Chalmers 72-70-70—212
T45 Stuart Appleby 67-74-71—212
T57 Michael Wright 68-72-73—213
T60 Mathew Goggin 66-73-77—216
MC Rod Pampling 67-78—145
MC Richard Lee (NZ) 73-73—146
LPGA Tour
Dow Championship
Midland Country Club, Midland, Michigan
1 Atthaya Thitikul/Ruoning Yin 64-66-66-62—258 $US364,572 ea
T5 Grace Kim/Auston Kim 67-61-69-65—262 $60,177
T17 Hira Naveed/Sofia Garcia 69-64-70-62—265 $19,206
T27 Lydia Ko (NZ)/Danielle Kang 71-62-72-63—268 $9,322
MC Gabriela Ruffels/Esther Henseleit 69-65—134
MC Stephanie Kyriacou/Olivia Cowan 68-66—134
MC Robyn Choi/Minji Kang 71-64—135
MC Sarah Kemp/Alena Sharp 74-65—139
DP World Tour
Italian Open
Adriatic Golf Club Cervia, Milano Marittima, Italy
1 Marcel Siem 69-68-66-71—274 €516,774.24
Won in sudden-death playoff
T10 David Micheluzzi 70-68-69-70—277 €45,141.75
T10 Sam Jones (NZ) 72-68-68-69—277 €45,141.75
MC Haydn Barron 70-73—143
MC Jason Scrivener 74-71—145
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 70-77—147
Ladies European Tour
VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open
Golfpark Holzhausern, Switzerland
1 Alice Hewson 68-69-65—202 €45,000
Won in sudden-death playoff
T19 Kelsey Bennett 71-68-69—208 €4,230
T34 Kirsten Rudgeley 66-72-72—210 €2,385
T43 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 72-72-68—212 €1,656
T56 Whitney Hillier 69-73-75—217 €1,110
MC Amy Walsh 77-80—157
Korn Ferry Tour
Memorial Health Championship
Panther Creek Country Club, Springfield, Illinois
1 Max McGreevy 63-66-62-69—260
T8 Rhein Gibson 69-63-69-63—264
MC Brett Drewitt 69-72—141
Challenge Tour
Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge
Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil, Le Vaudreuil, France
1 Joel Moscatel 71-67-66-70—274 €43,200
Won in sudden-death playoff
T10 Jeff Guan 69-65-72-73—279 €5,670
T29 Andrew Martin 74-68-73-68—283 €2,160
T50 Hayden Hopewell 71-71-76-68—286 €1,096.20
MC Tom Power Horan 74-76—150
MC Connor McKinney 78-73—151
Epson Tour
Dream First Bank Charity Classic
Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, Garden City, Kansas
T7 Cassie Porter 69-73-68—210
T14 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 69-71-71—211
T22 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 70-72-71—213
MC Amy Chu 69-78—147
MC Soo Jin Lee 71-78—149
Korean PGA Tour
Biz Play-Wonder Club Open
Club 72 Country Club (Sky Cse), Korea
1 Heo In-hoe 66-68-68-65—267
T7 Junseok Lee 67-67-67-71—272
T52 Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 64-71-72-74—281
T69 Kevin Chun (NZ) 70-70-76-69—285
PGA TOUR Americas
ATB Classic
Northern Bear Golf Club, Strathcona County, Alberta
1 Frederik Kjettrup 68-68-67-69—272 $US40,500
T8 Grant Booth 70-68-72-68—278
T33 Karl Vilips 65-73-74-72—284
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 72-74—146
LET Access Series
MoreGolf Mastercard Open
Varbergs Golf Klubb, Sweden
1 Kajsa Arwefjall 70-69-67—206 €6,400
T10 Belinda Ji (a) 70-69-77—216 ——-
T32 Hanee Song (NZ) 73-75-74—222 €484
MC Wenyung Keh (NZ) 76-75—151
MC Munchin Keh (NZ) 76-76—152
