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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
A patient Richard Green admits he may need some assistance to rein in tournament leader Hiroyuki Fujita heading into the final round of the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club.
Green bounced back from back-to-back birdies early in Round 3 to shoot 1-under 69 on Saturday in Rhode Island, his 54-hole total of 11-under putting him three strokes back of Fujita (67) and one behind American Steve Stricker (66).
A birdie at the opening hole was the ideal start to moving day for the Victorian left-hander but two poor iron shots at the par-3 fifth and par-4 sixth led to consecutive bogeys.
Five back of Fujita standing on the 14th tee, a perfect tee shot followed by a wedge to four feet got Green back to even par on his round. He hit a fairway wood to the back edge of the par-5 16th to set up an eagle chance with eight feet of break from left to right.
That putt finished four feet under the hole, Green converting to keep his hopes of a maiden senior major alive.
But he knows, given that Fujita has made just one bogey through 54 holes, that the pressure of a major championship will need to play its role in the final round.
“He’s going to take some beating if he plays like that tomorrow,” said Green, who played in the final group with Fujita in Round 3.
“It’s going to take a good round from the guys coming from behind to catch him.
“You never know in the pressure of a US Open at the end of the week what might happen, but I’ll just play my game and see where it ends up.”
Green sees red! 🐥
— USGA (@USGA) June 29, 2024
A sweet approach on No. 14 by lefty Richard Green 🇦🇺 sets up a birdie that moves him into a tie for second place. pic.twitter.com/bWoIgyXykz
Top 10 in both fairways hit (13/14) and greens in regulation (14/18) in Round 3, it was a more challenging day on the greens for the 53-year-old, who had 32 putts on day three.
Fellow Australian Cameron Percy didn’t need the putter at all to start his third round, holing a bunker shot for eagle at the par-5 first.
He would sign for an even-par 70 by day’s end to sit in a tie for eighth, the Victorian left to rue a number of careless mistakes through his round.
“I threw away a lot of shots today, which is annoying,” admitted Percy, now nine shots off the lead.
“I don’t know how long it took us, but just took us a long time and a lot of concentration.
“When you’re 50 and have to concentrate, it’s frustrating.
“It’s the sort of course where I feel like if you shoot 7 or 8-under, then you can maybe win if the other guy can drop back a little bit.
“It’s going to be hard to win. I’m a long way back now.”
Photo: Jonathan Ernst/USGA
Australasian scores
3 Richard Green 63-67-69—199
T8 Cameron Percy 70-65-70—205
T8 Steven Alker (NZ) 71-67-67—205
T36 Michael Long (NZ) 72-69-70—211
T42 Mark Hensby 75-63-74—212
T42 Stuart Appleby 67-74-71—212
T42 Greg Chalmers 72-70-70—212
T51 Michael Wright 68-72-73—213
70 Mathew Goggin 66-73-77—216
MC Rod Pampling 67-78—145
MC Richard Lee (NZ) 73-73—146
The windswept nature of his home course held Richard Green in good stead as the Australian stayed just one shot back at the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club.
Co-leader after Round 1, Green faced much sterner conditions at the historic layout on Rhode Island but three birdies around the turn were key in a 3-under 67 and 10-under total.
That puts Green just one back of Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita (66) as Steve Stricker (66) and Richard Bland (64) moved into a share of third.
One of the best rounds of the day saw Green’s fellow Victorian Cameron Percy (65) climb into a tie for ninth at 5-under, the pair calling on all of their vast experience playing in windy conditions in Melbourne.
Green’s home course is 13th Beach Golf Links on the Bellarine Peninsula and the left-hander used that grounding and a hot putter to enter the weekend outright second.
“It was much tougher conditions today with the wind,” said Green, who described his 63 in Round 1 as one of the best rounds of his distinguished career.
“Something we faced in the last couple of holes yesterday, but not for the whole round.
“There was some really testing shots out there today coming through 4, 5, 6 and early holes on the back nine, 10, 11, 12, 13. Some really, really tough, demanding shots.
“I was able to hit some good ones when I needed to and hang in there when I needed to. It was a much tougher feeling out there today.”
On to the weekend 💪
— USGA (@USGA) June 28, 2024
Here’s where things stand through two rounds at Newport Country Club 👇
Starting from the 10th tee, Green dropped to 6-under with a bogey at his opening hole but responded with birdies at 11 and 12 to get to 8-under.
A bogey on 15 saw Green fall back to even par for his round but three consecutive birdies from the 18th hole got him back to within one of the lead.
“Putting saved me at times and kept the momentum going,” said Green, who had 27 putts and ranked first in driving distance on day two.
“Golf’s difficult when you’re challenged and you’re under pressure all the time and you’re a little bit out of position in spots.
“If you can be steady and having good momentum going your way, it just sets you in a good frame of mind for the rest of the day.”
Percy charged up the leaderboard with seven birdies through 15 holes but was left to rue two bogeys on his final two holes to be six shots off the lead heading into Round 3.
“Going to go and find out what my irons are doing because my putting is really good,” said Percy.
“Just got to get my irons a bit sharper.
“The pins here are really nasty. If you’re just a little bit off, it’s not much fun.
“You’ve got to be really precise with your irons so got to work on that this afternoon.”
Seven Australians made the cut including Mark Hensby, who bounced back from a 75 in Round 1 with 7-under 63 in Round 2 thanks to a run of four birdies and an eagle in the space of six holes on the back nine.
Photo: Jonathan Ernst/USGA
Australasian scores
2 Richard Green 63-67—130
T9 Cameron Percy 70-65—135
T24 Steven Alker (NZ) 71-67—138
T24 Mark Hensby 75-63—138
T31 Mathew Goggin 66-73—139
T38 Michael Wright 68-72—140
T47 Michael Long (NZ) 72-69—141
T47 Stuart Appleby 67-74—141
T60 Greg Chalmers 72-70—142
MC Rod Pampling 67-78—145
MC Richard Lee (NZ) 73-73—146
Richard Green finds himself with a share of the lead at the close of play on day one of the US Senior Open Championship at Newport Country Club.
The Victorian, who finished runner-up at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship just weeks ago, went bogey-free on day one, carding seven birdies to shoot 63 and grab a share of the lead with Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita at 7-under.
“Started off very nicely. Felt the preparation this week has been set up really well to play on this golf course,” Green said.
“Today’s round, you know, proved itself. Hit the ball very, very well. A lot of work has been put in and it’s just nice to see to come to fruition.”
Senior golf debutant Mat Goggin is the next best Australian in a tie for fifth after an opening 4-under 66, the Tasmanian carding five birdies on his day and limiting the damage to a single bogey.
Stuart Appleby and Rod Pampling find themselves together in a share of 15th, both recording matching 3-under 67s on day one.
Starting the day with birdies on his two opening holes, Green really got going after the turn, making three birdies on the bounce holes 10 through 12, before almost holing his second on 18, setting up one final birdie.
“Got a good drive down there. Able to get a wedge into the green,” he said of his closing hole.
“Had a good yardage to land it 135 yards in one bounce. The way the crowd reacted, it sounded like it hit the flag. Lucky enough to stop three feet away.”
Green revealed that the Newport layout and conditions play into his favour very well this week, drawing similarities to the Victorian courses he knows so well.
“Where I live in Melbourne, Australia, our conditions are very much the same. There’s not a day in the year where it’s not the blowing 25km/h. Same sort of surface, the coastal environment,” he said.
“I’m actually used to playing in those conditions. I practiced prior to starting my golf on the Champions Tour over here, practicing every day in these sort of conditions, so I’m used to it, I like it. The course suits my eye.
“I’ve had lower scores in my time, but from a feeling of how I feel on this golf course and the way I prepared and practiced and got my game into this shape, as good a round as I’ve ever had.
“Can’t ask for more.”
Photo: Kathryn Riley/USGA
Sarka Seifertova has never been one to shy away from a challenge. The Czech native and now Australian citizen has made a habit of testing her limits to get the most out of herself, both personally and professionally.
Born into a golfing family, Sarka’s father – himself a PGA Professional – owned and ran a driving range facility in the Czech Republic.
“I spent every day there from the age of five,” she recalls. “I got quite good and spent a couple of years in the national squad as a junior.”
A prodigious talent, Sarka fell out of love with the game when matters of performance began to take precedence over enjoyment. So, after a phone call to the national squad, she put the clubs down for a decade, and began the hunt for a different challenge.
“I wanted to move away from home; to go somewhere I would need to learn the language and test myself,” she says. “I came to Australia because it is so far away, and I couldn’t just go home when I got uncomfortable.”
After completing a Cert III in Fitness and working in restaurants Down Under, Sarka found her way back to golf, this time with a renewed perspective as a 25-year-old.
“I was working at Barnwell Park Golf Club in Sydney, and they encouraged me to join the Membership Pathway Program (to become a PGA Professional),” she recalls.
“I always had a dream to be a good player, but often in that early time in Australia, I felt a bit of an outsider – that I didn’t belong.
“That changed once I started teaching golf. I found that I really enjoyed it and found it very fulfilling.”
Since graduating as a qualified PGA Professional in 2023, Sarka has been dedicated to sharing the joys of golf with more women than ever before.
Having worked at the innovative GolfSpace facility in Sydney – where she was responsible for boosting female engagement – Sarka wanted to challenge herself further; accepting a role as Teaching Professional at Education City Golf Club in Qatar.
Home to three golf courses and a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence that includes a 3D Gears system, Trackman technology and a SAM Balance Puttlab, Sarka feels at home.
“I fell in love with the facility immediately,” she says.
“There is so much practice space and even a fully private studio to allow for Muslim women to have lessons in privacy.”
It is an environment that allows Sarka to pursue what she describes as “a mission to help women feel more empowered through sport”.
The busiest of the teaching professionals in just her third month, Sarka ran a campaign targeted at women and girls in February, which reached more than 200,000 people.
“The main thing for me here is to get more local Qatari women through the door,” she says.
“We want to build a community of women golfers.
“Helping people to feel like they can belong, create connections and motivate each other, that is what it is all about.
“And if they want to go a step further and take the game more seriously, we have the resources here to help them do that, too.”
A noble mission, Sarka understands how it can feel on the other side and wants to ensure more people get a rewarding experience within golf.
“I remember how it felt when I was new to the game,” she adds.
“It can be intimidating, and I want to help people through that experience and instead let them dream on about what is possible in golf.
“At the moment, this makes my heart full, and it is my absolute priority.”
Applications for the next intake for the Membership Pathway Program open on Monday, July 1. For more information or to apply, click here.
A history-making quartet of Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day and Hannah Green will represent Australia in Paris, with the four golfers selected by the Australian Olympic Committee today.
Minjee Lee will become the first Australian golfer to compete at three Olympics, Green returns for her second Games while Min Woo Lee and Day will both make their Olympic debut.
Minjee and Min Woo Lee also make history as the first siblings to compete in Olympic golf for Australia. The pair become the sixteenth Australian sister and brother pair to compete in the same sport at the same Games, a record which stretches back to 1920 with swimmers Lillian and Frank Beaurepaire.
The four players all qualified by virtue of their International Golf Federation Olympic ranking at the end of a two-year ranking period. Green and Minjee Lee finished the period ranked seventh and 11th respectively, while Day and Min Woo are Australia’s highest ranked male golfers at 27th and 36th respectively.
Green matched Australia’s best ever Olympic golf finish with a tie for fifth at Tokyo 2020, and has won two LPGA Tour events already this year. Minjee Lee has 10 career LPGA wins, Day 13 career PGA Tour wins, while Min Woo is the reigning Australian PGA champion and achieved a career-best world ranking of 31st in 2024.
Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, welcomed the four athletes to the Team.
“Congratulations to Hannah, Minjee, Jason and Min Woo on earning your spot in the Australian Olympic Team for Paris,” Ms Meares said.
“This group has proven they can perform at a world class level on the international stage and I know they will represent Australia proudly in Paris.
“Minjee will make history twice, as the first Australian golfer to contest three Games and with her brother Min Woo as the first Australian siblings to compete in Olympic golf.
“Congratulations to each of the athletes, Golf Australia and everyone who has helped these athletes book their place on the Australian Olympic Team for Paris.”
The only brother-sister duo to win USGA championships – Minjee won the 2012 US Girls’ Junior and Min Woo the 2016 US Junior Amateur – the Lees will now join Australia’s rich history of Olympic siblings.
“Representing Australia at a third consecutive Olympic Games is truly an honour,” said Minjee.
“The past two Olympics have been among the greatest experiences of my career, and I have no doubt Paris 2024 will only add to that.
“Having my brother in Paris as part of the team will make it a fortnight that our family will treasure forever.”
“Now that it is starting to sink in, representing the Australian Olympic Team alongside my sister at Paris 2024 is actually crazy,” said Min Woo.
“Playing at the Olympics has been a goal of mine ever since Minjee qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Now that it is here, I want to do the green and gold proud and will be doing everything I can to come home with a gold medal.”
Australia’s best performer in the Olympic golf competition in Tokyo three years ago, Green has accumulated two LPGA Tour wins this season and is currently Australia’s highest-ranked golfer at No.7 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking.
“I am so thrilled to be once again representing the Australian Olympic Team at Paris 2024,” said Green.
“Growing up in Perth, I never imagined that I could possibly win an Olympic medal but finishing fifth in Tokyo has been a major motivator the past three years.
“I can’t wait to get to Paris and do the green and gold proud.”
Paris will also mark the Olympic debut for Jason Day, a former world No.1 and the 2015 US PGA Championship winner.
At 36, Day is the veteran member of the squad and thrilled to be representing his country in the Olympic arena.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to represent the Australian Olympic Team in Paris,” said Day.
“Throughout my career – whether on the PGA TOUR, in President Cups and World Cups – I have tried to represent Australia in the best way possible.
“I will wear the green and gold with pride in Paris and would love nothing more than to win a gold medal for Australia.”
Golf Australia CEO, James Sutherland, believes all four athletes will serve as wonderful ambassadors for Australian golf during their Paris 2024 campaigns.
“Golf Australia could not be more proud to put these four athletes forward to represent Australia at the Paris Olympic Games,” said Mr Sutherland.
“In Jason, Hannah and Minjee we have three major champions and, in Min Woo, our reigning Australian PGA champion and a likely major winner of the future.
“We are proud of golf’s place within the Olympic movement and I have no doubt that our Paris 2024 representatives will live up to the Olympic ideals during the two weeks of competition.”
The Golf competition will be held from Thursday 1 August to Saturday 10 August at Le Golf National venue in Guyancourt.
Tiger Woods’ former caddie, Steve Williams, headlines the next wave of speakers announced for this year’s Golf Summit in Melbourne.
Many Australians will remember Williams being on the bag for Adam Scott when he broke through at the 2013 Masters, forever etching Scott and Williams into Australian sporting history.
Williams, whose journey in golf began in 1976 with Australian icon Peter Thomson, will share his vast knowledge and experiences on the Tour. He will be joined by an impressive roster of industry heavyweights such as Dr Paul Wood and Will Robbins, sporting success stories in Elle Steele and Bachar Houli, along with the CEOs of the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia. Together, they will equip attendees with innovative strategies and insights to lead, grow, and transform the golf industry.
Scheduled for October 16-17, the Golf Summit is an event by Australian Golf’s peak bodies – the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia – to bring the industry together to engage and influence key decision makers to lead, grow and innovate Australian golf.
Attendees will have the chance to network, share ideas, strategies and best practices to take back to their business to help drive growth and success.
A highlight of the Summit will be the diverse range of panel sessions addressing critical business outcomes within the industry. There will be a panel tackling championing change for women and girls in golf, along with the impact of technology on golf coaching.
The two-day conference will also feature sessions on promoting diversity and inclusion, talent retention and management, biodiversity and sustainability in golf, and leveraging social media for commercial success.
Confirmed speakers for the 2024 Golf Summit:
READ MORE ABOUT THE SESSIONS
The Asia-Pacific region’s premier event welcoming the entire golf industry, tickets for the 2024 Golf Summit are on sale now.
Find tickets HERE.
The Golf Summit is proudly supported by the Melbourne Convention Bureau and the State Government’s National Business Event Program.
The Mining Town series continued this week, with the JET Group Clermont Pro-Am providing three first-time winners on an incredibly wet day in outback Queensland.
Victorians Ben Henkel and Connor McDade were joined by Queenslander Bailey Arnott atop the leaderboard after all carded 6-under 65 on the par-71 regional layout.
Henkel was part of the group of players who gained a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia card at qualifying school earlier this year, and believes this win will give him a lot of confidence moving forward in his young professional career.
“It’s great to get it done, and prove that I can do it,” he said.
“Just knowing that I can knock it around with these pretty talented golfers out here.”
Thanks to a 3-under 68, Queenslander Blaike Perkins managed to leapfrog Tim Hart on the overall Mining Town Series leaderboard. Perkins is at 33-under, with Hart two strokes back at 31-under and a chasing pack five and six shots further adrift.
HOW THE WINNING SCORES UNFOLDED
McDade got off to a rough start, with a double-bogey on the first, but quickly shook that off and preceded to have eight birdies in ten holes. From there it was just about holding on, which McDade managed well.
Beginning on a similar note, Arnott also started his day with a double-bogey, but bounced back incredibly too, the early blunder seeming to spark something in both players.
Arnott managed to add a flurry of birdies together quickly, but his round was highlighted by an eagle mid-round which sparked a strong birdie-birdie finish.
Unlike his competitors, Henkel got off to a positive start, and in his words “stayed very level-headed” the entire round.
An uncharacteristic raking draw when he needed it which led to a birdie and Henkel’s shot-of-the-day, and gave him huge confidence knowing he could pull the shot off under pressure.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Ben Henkel:
“It was one of the days where you just stay really level-headed because it was pretty ordinary weather.”
“Few birdies early to get me in a groove, and then just didn’t really chase it, I knew a score would be out there I just stayed very level-headed and didn’t let the weather affect me.”
Bailey Arnott:
“It was an interesting one. Started with a double, obviously there was some rain in the morning so we expected a bit of a battle in the arfternoon.”
“It’s definitely a monkey off the back. I think everyone feels if you knock on the door for long enough, this is probably four years out here playing Pro-Ams, so to get the monkey off the back and play some good golf is nice.”
Connor McDade:
“I’m over the moon, I’m super stoked. A lot of hard work has gone into this but it’s nice to get one away this early into my professional career.”
“I hit one to two inches on my second hole of the day, so that was a good bounce back after the double. I nearly had a hole-in-one and I’ve haven’t had a hole-in-one before so I’ve been robbed there a little bit.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Ben Henkel 65
1 Bailey Arnott 65
1 Connor McDade 65
4 Danni Vasquez 66
T5 *Seven players tied
NEXT UP
The final tilt of The Mining Towns Swing is up next, with the two-day Blackwater Pro-Am kicking off this Saturday 29 June.
He has played his way onto the Australian Olympic Team yet Min Woo Lee remains motivated to play his way into the lucrative Signature Events in the final weeks of the PGA TOUR season.
Just days after qualifying to represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Games in August, Lee is on debut in Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Currently ranked No.64 in the FedEx Cup points list, Lee needs to play his way inside the top 50 by the time of the Tour Championship to be guaranteed a spot in the $US20 million Signature Events in season 2025.
He played his way into the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year by virtue of a runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic but has missed out on all seven of the other Signature Events played this season.
It’s a situation he intends to change in the coming weeks.
“I’m not the one to moan about it, but I guess I played every major, which is awesome and amazing. I played into them,” said Lee, who is in his first year as a full member of the PGA TOUR.
“To not like play most of the Signature Events, it was kind of hard to take a little bit.
“I know I’ve got to play better and make the cut-off line at the end of the year and get to play next year.
“Obviously it’s a new thing and all of us are trying to get into those events.”
Adding to Lee’s motivation with just six events left in the before the FedEx Cup Playoffs is a maiden Presidents Cup appearance in Canada in September.
The 25-year-old is currently one spot out of the top six automatic qualifiers for the International Team and is desperate to be part of a team he narrowly missed out on in 2022.
“I felt like I missed out last time by a small margin,” said Lee.
“I’ve been playing a lot better since not making that team two years ago.
“I know the American team is very strong and we’ve got to play very well to beat them but I’m really excited, especially the team aspect.
“I really love playing match play; being with a partner is cool.”
Another Aussie making a debut of sorts this week is Mathew Goggin.
Mat Goggin will put green building and grass coverage at @7milegolf aside this week as he makes his senior golf debut at the @USGA Senior Open.
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) June 26, 2024
Hear his thoughts on his game, and potential opening date in Tassie, via @JimmyEmanuel4 below.https://t.co/TftL91vfRH
The Tasmanian recently celebrated his 50th birthday by qualifying for the US Senior Open, joining a burgeoning group of Aussies in the senior ranks.
Goggin is among eight Aussies at Newport Country Club this week along with the Kiwi trio of Steven Alker, Michael Long and Richard Lee.
Top-10 a year ago, Sarah Kemp teams up again with Canadian Alena Sharp at the LPGA Tour’s Dow Championship, one of six Aussies in the field with teammates from a wide array of other countries.
Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan
8:56pm Aaron Baddeley
9:51pm Tim Wilkinson (NZ)
2:32am Ryan Fox (NZ)
2:43am Min Woo Lee
3:05am Cam Davis
4:22am Harrison Endycott
Defending champion: Rickie Fowler
Past Aussie winners: Cam Davis (2021)
Prize money: $US9.2 million
TV times: Live 10pm-8am Thursday; Live 2am-8am Saturday, Sunday; Live 1:30am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
US Senior Open
Newport Country Club, Newport, Rhode Island
9:31pm* Michael Long (NZ)
9:52pm* Mark Hensby
10:03pm* Stuart Appleby
10:34pm Richard Green
10:55pm Richard Lee (NZ)
2:51am* Greg Chalmers, Michael Wright
3:22am Rod Pampling
3:33am* Vijay Singh (FI)
3:43am* Cameron Percy
4:04am* Steven Alker (NZ)
4:15am* Mathew Goggin
Defending champion: Bernhard Langer
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1997)
Prize money: $US4 million
TV times: Live 2am-7am Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 505; Live 2:30am-7:30am Monday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
Dow Championship
Midland Country Club, Midland, Michigan
9:15pm Robyn Choi/Minji Kang
10:10pm Gabriela Ruffels/Esther Henseleit
10:32pm Lydia Ko (NZ)/Danielle Kang
1:52am Stephanie Kyriacou/Olivia Cowan
2:14am Hira Naveed/Sofia Garcia
2:14am* Grace Kim/Auston Kim
2:25am Sarah Kemp/Alena Sharp
Defending champion: Elizabeth Szokol/Cheyenne Knight
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US3 million
TV times: 12:30pm-2pm Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 7am-9am Sunday; Live 2am-5am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Italian Open
Adriatic Golf Club Cervia, Milano Marittima, Italy
5pm Daniel Hillier (NZ)
8:50pm* Jason Scrivener
9:50pm* Haydn Barron
10:10pm David Micheluzzi
10:30pm* Sam Jones (NZ)
Defending champion: Adrian Meronk
Past Aussie winners: Greg Norman (1988), Craig Parry (1991)
Prize money: $US3.25 million
TV times: Live 9pm-2am Thursday on Fox Sports 505; Live 9pm-2am Friday; Live 10:30pm-2am Saturday; Live 8:30pm-1:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open
Golfpark Holzhausern, Switzerland
Australasians in the field: Whitney Hillier, Kirsten Rudgeley, Momoka Kobori (NZ), Kelsey Bennett, Amy Walsh
Defending champion: Alexandra Forsterling
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
TV times: 10am-12pm Saturday; 9am-11am Sunday on Fox Sports 505; 8am-10am Monday on Fox Sports 503.
Korn Ferry Tour
Memorial Health Championship
Panther Creek Country Club, Springfield, Illinois
3:22am Rhein Gibson
3:44am Brett Drewitt
Defending champion: Paul Barjon
Past Aussie winners: Brett Drewitt (2020)
Prize money: $US1 million
Korean PGA Tour
Biz Play-Wonder Club Open
Club 72 Country Club (Sky Cse), Korea
1pm* Kevin Chun (NZ)
1:30pm Sungjin Yeo (NZ)
2pm Junseok Lee
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: KRW700 million
Challenge Tour
Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge
Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil, Le Vaudreuil, France
4pm Jeff Guan
9pm* Andrew Martin
9:10pm Tom Power Horan
10:30pm Hayden Hopewell
10:40pm* Connor McKinney
Defending champion: Darren Fichardt
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €270,000
Epson Tour
Dream First Bank Charity Classic
Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, Garden City, Kansas
Australasians in the field: Amelia Garvey (NZ), Cassie Porter, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Amy Chu, Soo Jin Lee
Defending champion: Gabriela Ruffels
Past Aussie winners: Gabriela Ruffels (2023)
Prize money: $US237,500
PGA TOUR Americas
ATB Classic
Northern Bear Golf Club, Strathcona County, Alberta
12:50am Karl Vilips
1:30am* Charlie Hillier (NZ)
5:10am* Grant Booth
5:50am* Harry Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000
LET Access Series
MoreGolf Mastercard Open
Varbergs Golf Klubb, Sweden
5:17pm Belinda Ji (a)
9:41pm Hanee Song (NZ)
11:09pm Munchin Keh (NZ)
11:31pm Wenyung Keh (NZ)
Defending champion: Emily Price
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €40,000
When Mat Goggin’s name is mentioned in golf circles these days, it often relates to the Seven Mile Beach golf course the former PGA TOUR regular is building near Hobart.
However, this week the Tasmanian local will be back to his “real job”, with Goggin turning 50 on June 13 and successfully pre-qualifying for the US Senior Open at historic Newport Country Club.
One of eight Australians in the field, Goggin’s chances are buoyed by his recent play at home on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, including a third behind Order of Merit champion Kazuma Kobori at the Webex Players Series Victoria.
His place as one of the “young guys” on the over-50s PGA TOUR Champions circuit also makes him one of the longer players in Rhode Island this week.
“Most of the guys are still hanging in there pretty well but I’ve always been relatively long so I’m still up there. I wouldn’t say I’m one of the shorter guys that’s for sure,” Goggin told Australian media on Wednesday.
Believing his multiple injuries that curtailed regular appearances in the latter part of his regular Tour career has him refreshed and ready to go, Goggin is thriving in the familiarity of the names and faces playing the senior game.
Experiencing the question of “What are you doing here?” from the likes of Ernie Els this week that are common place for each over-50s debutant, Goggin is joined in the field by Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy and Michael Wright.
It is a cohort of Australians he is far more familiar with than those at home when making his occasional competitive appearances to sharpen his game for the second career of senior golf.
“It’s kind of funny. I’ve been playing a few events down in Australia, I literally don’t know anyone. Everyone’s like 21, 22, 23, there’s no old guys,” he said.
“It’s kind of funny to come out here… it feels like a time capsule.
“I played a practice round with ‘Apples’ (Stuart Appleby) today, I think I’m going to play with ‘Wrighty’ (Michael Wright) tomorrow and then I’ve seen (Greg) Chalmers and Richard Green. I saw a whole bunch of the guys, so it’s good to see them again.”
Reflecting on playing with the “kids” of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Goggin noted his third at Rosebud as “what we love and what we hate” as a professional golfer.
The one-time world No.48 instantly admits that near misses never fade completely from memory, including playing in the final group at The Open alongside Tom Watson in 2009 where he finished fifth.
“The British Open, I think about that all the time still because it would’ve had such a huge impact on my career,” he said.
“It’s the great opportunities that you lose that keep you up at night and do forever.”
Excited at the prospect of competing once again at a level where he might have the advantage of relative youth, Goggin knows like that week, that a win at Newport would greatly change his future plans.
However, even when preparing for a senior major, the future of his other work is never far from mind.
Goggin revealed the hope to open a loop of holes at Seven Mile Beach in November this year, while is also in the final stages of a council application to build a second golf course on the site.
“When I go to Hobart, it’s basically just flat-out meetings after meetings for Seven Mile Beach and then I’m always waking up to a few emails,” Goggin said of his time spent at his US base in North Carolina.
“Actually, the most stressful part of my day is about 5am when I first check the phone, just waiting to see all the flood of emails from Hobart. Then there’s a quick panic about stuff I’ve got to do, but then realising there’s not much I can do about it now because it’s 10 o’clock at night in Hobart.”
Switching off that course builder part of his brain and focusing only on competing will be a unique challenge for Goggin amongst a stacked field of Hall of Famers this week.
Yet his intimidate knowledge of course design could help around one of the original five USGA member clubs where Goggin’s links golf career highlight and power could be significant assets.
“It’s very much like UK golf. It’s not really a links golf course, but it has the same feeling across the land,” he said of Newport. “It’s not dissimilar to the Mornington Peninsula in a lot of respects in the way that the hills sort of flow.
“There’s a lot of 430, 420-metre par-4s. We played a couple yesterday into the westerly breeze and it was four straight 4-irons – and I’m one of the longer players – into four holes.
“There were guys hitting woods into a lot of holes, which is pretty crazy.
“I’m sure they might adjust that coming into the tournament, but if it gets windy it’s going to be tricky.”
The US Senior Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
