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Queenslander Elvis Smylie has a one-stroke advantage after John Lyras broke the course record on a day of low scores at the Lexus Townsville Classic at Townsville Golf Club.
Playing in the same group as Round 1 leader Andrew Campbell, Smylie began the day three back but had drawn level by the time the pair walked off the fifth green.
The talented left-hander edged one clear with a birdie on six, had Campbell draw level on seven before he took a one-stroke lead into the back nine with a birdie at the par-4 ninth.
He and Campbell both made birdie at the short par-4 10th before Smylie built a handy buffer with an eagle at the par-5 14th.
A final birdie at the par-5 16th saw Smylie sign for a round of 6-under 65 and two-round total of 10-under, one clear of Lyras (61) with Campbell (70) a shot further back in outright third at 8-under.
Now in his third year as a professional, Smylie is still chasing that elusive first win but knows he need not veer from the game-plan on Saturday to break through.
“I felt like I gave myself a lot of looks at birdies and a couple of greens are just tricky and hard to read,” said Smylie, who will shortly head to Europe to play on the secondary Challenge Tour.
“I felt like if I just keep knocking them close and giving myself chances, I’ll have a good shot tomorrow.
“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
In what may be a good omen as he seeks to close out a maiden win on Saturday, it was late in the round where Smylie made his move.
An aggressive tee shot set up an eagle from 12 feet on the par-5 14th and a monster drive on 16 left Smylie with just a 46-degree wedge into the final par 5 on the golf course.
“I felt like you have a really good chance at making some shots up against the field, especially 16,” Smylie said of the finish at Townsville.
“The wind was playing straight down fan today, so I was hitting a 46-degree wedge into there. I feel like if you are not making four, you’re losing shots against the field.
“My game-plan tomorrow is just go and attack the par 5s I have been and then leaving myself on the right side of the holes with the shorter holes.
“I feel like I’m driving it well so if I can give myself nice little chips from the right areas around the short par 4s, I think I’ll do a good job tomorrow.”
Lyras’s hopes of contending looked slim when he played his first four holes in 5-over par in Round 1.
The New South Welshman fought back to end day one at 1-over and then went on a tear on Friday.
He had 10 birdies and no bogeys to set a new benchmark of 10-under at Townsville, making birdie at each of his final four holes to keep the heat on Smylie.
“Very different round of golf, very different start,” Lyras said post-round.
“Hit two beautiful shots into number one and that kind of kick-started the round.
“It was still tough to make putts but I was fortunate to give myself a lot of really short birdie putts today.
“That was very important out there given the wind and how difficult it was to make putts from length.”
As a teaser to the large crowd that gathered on Friday afternoon, Lyras lit up the par-3 18th with a lasered 4-iron to close with a birdie and set a new course record.
“That birdie on 18 was phenomenal,” he added.
“I was tossing and turning between 4 and 5-iron and I just committed to hitting like a punchy, cutty 4-iron that held up against the wind.
“It couldn’t have come out any better and rolled in a really nice seven-foot putt for birdie.
“That was a cherry on top of a really good day out there.”
The final round will begin at 7:15am on Saturday with the Smylie and Lyras to tee off on the first hole at 12:15pm.
Australia’s Richard Green took full advantage of some strong lead-in form and an early tee time to share the lead at the conclusion of the first round of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores.
Tied with Englishman Richard Bland on 7-under, the pair leads the second over-50 major championship of the year by two shots from a five-strong group that includes Mike Weir (Canada), Steve Stricker (US) and K.J. Choi (Korea).
“It was an exceptionally good day. You know, it’s a very challenging golf course, and one that can really bite you at times,” Green said.
“The start of the day it was to go out there and treat it with as much respect as possible and play good golf shots, and I was doing that, which was nice. Got off to a great start.”
One of 14 Aussies in the field in Michigan, Green’s “great start” came in the second group of the day with immediate success following a birdie at the par-4 first with another at the third before switching to another gear two holes later.
Taking on the par-5 fifth in two, the Victorian nearly didn’t need his putter as the ball took a look going past the hole before the left-hander rolled in his eagle putt to reach 4-under.
“Hit a great drive down five and left myself about 250 yards to the flag I think I had, something like that. I knew my hybrid carries around the high 220s,” he said.
“Hit it just perfect and just shaped it in there nicely and it was tracking towards the hole. I think it ran across the edge of the hole and finished about maybe seven feet past the hole; then hit a really nice putt and made it.
“So that was obviously one of those exceptional holes at the right time and get the round going really well.”
Green would drop a shot at the next, before finding more joy on the par-5s when birdieing the ninth and 10th holes, as well as the par-3 11th to sit alone on top of the leaderboard on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course that is hosting the tournament for a sixth, and final time, this week.
His opening 64, which follows four top-15 finishes in PGA Champions events already this year, was only matched by Bland in the fifth last group of Thursday.
Vijay Singh is the next best of the Australasian contingent in a share of eighth on 4-under, while Scott Hend and Mark Hensby are another shot back in a tie for 13th.
Making his first start on the PGA TOUR Champions after topping the qualifying school but needing to wait for his 50th birthday earlier this month, Cameron Percy is in joint 20th on 2-under alongside compatriots Greg Chalmers and Michael Wright.
The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Australasian Scores
T1 Richard Green -7
T8 Vijay Singh -4
T13 Scott Hend -3
T13 Mark Hensby -3
T19 Cameron Percy -2
T19 Greg Chalmers -2
T19 Michael Wright -2
T38 Stuart Appleby -1
T38 Rod Pampling
T65 David McKenzie +1
T65 Michael Long +1
T65 Mick Smith +1
T65 Brad Burns +1
T85 Steve Allan +2
T107 John Senden +4
T122 David Bransdon +5
WD Michael Campbell
A new driver and a hot putter proved a potent mix as Andrew Campbell took a two-stroke lead after Round 1 of the Lexus Townsville Classic at Townsville Golf Club.
The reigning adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit winner, Campbell opened with a round of 7-under 64 on Thursday morning, a score that held up as the day’s best at the completion of Round 1.
Queensland’s Dylan Gardner (66) is Campbell’s closest challenger with Elvis Smylie in a four-way tie for third with newly-minted professional Jye Pickin, Brock Gillard and Jack Pountney at 4-under 67.
Playing with Smylie, Campbell found himself two shots back of his playing partner when he made bogey at the par-4 12th but responded with birdies at 14, 16 and 18 to turn in 2-under.
He still trailed Smylie by a shot but there was a two-shot swing at the par-5 first when Smylie made bogey and Campbell made birdie.
It was the second in a run of five in the space of six holes, the highlight of which was a 35-footer that rolled in dead centre at the par-3 third.
“It was playing 180, I hit 7-iron pin high to about 35 feet left of it just on the green,” said Campbell.
“I took relief from a bare patch and obviously put it in the right spot. Aimed it just outside the left and it just motored straight in the middle of the hole.
“It’s a nice feeling to hole a long putt any time then I just kicked on from there, making two birdies after that.”
Campbell made a switch from a Titleist to a Callaway driver on the eve of the tournament, a move that created opportunities for the flatstick to do its thing on the green.
“For me, it’s a deadly combination when I can drive it good and putt it well,” Campbell added.
“I’ve been playing Titleist for the last couple of years and had a chat to Dan Cooper, the tour rep for Callaway. I’m at a position where I can test a few different things and I just brought it up with me and had a practice round yesterday.
“Didn’t miss a shot so it kind of spoke for itself and had to go in the bag.
“I just trusted it and it’s working well so I’m just going to keep rolling with it.”
A recent graduate of the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program based at Pelican Waters Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast, Gardner was quick out of the blocks.
He began with a birdie at the par-5 first and birdied four, six, seven and nine to play the front nine in 5-under 30.
Six straight pars followed into the back nine before a birdie on 16 and bogey on 18 saw him end the day two back.
A birdie at the par-4 eighth had Smylie in line to also finish Round 1 at 5-under par only to drop a shot on his final hole.
Veteran Sam Brazel made a late charge with four straight birdies on the back nine to reach 3-under par as defending champion Brett Rankin struggled to a 2-over 73 to be tied for 31st.
Adam Scott hopes that a win as world No.1 a decade ago can be the catalyst to a drought-breaking win at this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas.
Scott, Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis make up the Aussie contingent at a tournament that has been kind to their countrymen dating back to Bruce Crampton’s win in 1965.
The only player on the PGA TOUR with victories at all four annual tournaments in Texas, Scott’s win in 2014 only came after a last-minute decision to tee it up having been crowned the No.1 player in the world only a week earlier.
Headed by his 2013 Masters triumph, Scott’s Colonial victory 10 years ago was his third in the space of 13 months as he scaled professional golf’s highest peak.
It’s now been more than four years since Scott’s most recent win but in his first start at Colonial since 2018 the Queenslander is excited to tap into some former glories.
“It was a really special week,” Scott reflected. “It was a great time in my career.
“I had just moved to world No.1 the week prior and I hadn’t planned on playing the event.
“I was world No.1 by the smallest of margins and I felt like if I didn’t play I could lose the position.
“I decided to enter fairly last minute, and actually came in and got off to a pretty bad start that week. I shot 4-over my first nine and ended up winning the tournament.
“It was a great week to play as world No.1 and I managed to hang on to that spot, at least that week anyway.”
Home away from home 🤠
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 22, 2024
Adam Scott is the only player to win all four of the annual PGA TOUR stops in Texas. pic.twitter.com/vXQxwR9nXz
Impressed by the “refresh” undertaken by course designer Gil Hanse, Scott insists his own form is not indicative of recent results.
Disappointed not to play the weekend at last week’s US PGA Championship at Valhalla, Scott’s last top-10 finish came at the WM Phoenix Open in early February but believes he just needs a turn of fortune to feature on the leaderboard.
“I think my game is in better shape than results are showing,” said the world No.62.
“I know pretty much everyone who is not in the top 10 in the world is probably saying that, but that’s how I feel.
“I hope that some good karma from this golf course kind of inspires a few better things for me on the golf course this week.”
There are 14 Aussies and two Kiwis teeing it up at the second senior major of the year, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Michigan.
Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers will make their senior major championship debut while four-time PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit winner Brad Burns is taking the rare opportunity to play in the US.
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
Charles Schwab Challenge
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
10:22pm* Cam Davis
10:55pm* Adam Scott
11:28pm Min Woo Lee
4:40am Ryan Fox (NZ)
Defending champion: Emiliano Grillo
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Crampton (1965), Bruce Devlin (1966), Ian Baker-Finch (1989), Adam Scott (2014)
Prize money: $US9.1 million
TV times: Live 10pm-3am Thursday, Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 11:20pm-3am Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
Golf Club at Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Michigan
9:15pm* Scott Hend
9:26pm Richard Green
9:48pm Cameron Percy
9:59pm* Stuart Appleby
10:21pm* Rod Pampling
10:32pm* David McKenzie, Mark Hensby
10:43pm* John Senden
11:16pm* Michael Long (NZ)
11:27pm* David Bransdon
2:40am Mick Smith, Greg Chalmers
3:02am Brad Burns
3:35am Michael Campbell (NZ)
4:41am Michael Wright
4:52am Steve Allan
Defending champion: Steve Stricker
Past Aussie winners: Peter Thomson (1984)
Prize money: $US9.1 million
TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Soudal Open
Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
5pm David Micheluzzi
5:20pm Sam Jones (NZ)
9:10pm* Jason Scrivener
9:20pm Daniel Hillier (NZ)
10pm* Haydn Barron
Defending champion: Simon Forsstrom
Past Aussie winners: Noel Ratcliffe (1978)
Prize money: $US2.5 million
TV times: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 9:30pm-2am Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 9pm-2am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Jabra Ladies Open
Evian Resort Golf Club, France
5:06pm Kirsten Rudgeley
8:13pm Amy Walsh
8:40pm Momoka Kobori (NZ)
Defending champion: Linn Grant
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
Japan Golf Tour
Road to the British Open Mizuno Open
JFE Seto Inland Sea Golf Club, Okayama
9am Anthony Quayle
9:10am Brad Kennedy
1:35pm Michael Hendry (NZ)
Defending champion: Kensei Hirata
Past Aussie winners: Brian Jones (1990), Roger Mackay (1991), Brendan Jones (2004, 2013), Chris Campbell (2005), Brad Kennedy (2012)
Prize money: ¥100 million
Korn Ferry Tour
Visit Knoxville Open
Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville, Tennessee
9pm Brett Drewitt
10:50pm Jimmy Zheng (NZ)
1:55am Rhein Gibson
2:45am* Dimi Papadatos
Defending champion: Rico Hoey
Past Aussie winners: Kim Felton (2005), Jarrod Lyle (2008)
Prize money: $US1 million
Challenge Tour
Danish Golf Challenge
Odense Eventyr Golf, Odense, Denmark
6:10pm Connor McKinney
6:20pm Hayden Hopewell
10:10pm Andrew Martin
10:20pm Tom Power Horan
Defending champion: Matteo Manassero
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €270,000
Korean PGA Tour
KB Financial Liiv Championship
Blackstone Golf Club, Icheon, Korea
8:35am* Wonjoon Lee
12:50pm Junseok Lee
1:05pm* Kevin Chun (NZ)
2:05pm* Sungjin Yeo (NZ)
Defending champion: Kim Dong-min
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: KRW700 million
Sunshine Tour
KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-am
Irene Country Club, Centurion
3pm* Austin Bautista
Defending champion: Louis Albertse
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: R2 million
The run of major championship golf continues, this time with the over-50s getting their turn. Here is all you need to know about the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship where 14 Australians, a trio of Kiwis and a Fijian will be among those teeing it up in Michigan.
The great Peter Thomson was a winner of this title back in 1988.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Steve Stricker (US)
PRIZEMONEY: US$3.5 million
LIVE SCORES: www.srpgachampionship.com
TV COVERAGE: The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEST.
Round One: Friday 3am–6am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Two: Saturday 3am–6am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Three: Sunday 3am–9am (Fox Sports 507/Kayo)
Final Round: Monday 5am–8am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
STEVE ALLAN
Age: 50
The lowdown: One of the new crop of Aussies on the PGA TOUR Champions this year, Allan has experienced some mixed results since turning 50, with the Victorian first trying his hand at senior golf at home in Australia before earning his card in America at Q School.
Fifth at the Invited Celebrity Classic, which was one of four top-25 finishes in 2024, the 2002 Australian Open winner still works incredibly hard at his game and his ball striking and fitness should help with the increased test of a major.
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.
Finishing in the top-25 four times this season, Appleby’s lead-in form bodes well for his chances this week, with the Cohuna native finishing tied 11th last start at the most recent senior major (Regions Tradition) and joint runner-up at the Insperity Invitational in his previous appearance.
DAVID BRANSDON
Age: 50
The lowdown: Earning his card at the qualifying school earlier this year and gaining instant success on the PGA Legends Tour at home, Bransdon makes his senior major debut this week in Michigan.
Already with a top-10 on his record from seven starts, and two more inside the top-25, Bransdon is a well-travelled professional who continues to compete on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and is in the upper echelon for driving distance on the PGA TOUR Champions.
BRAD BURNS
Age: 57
The lowdown: A prolific winner at home on the PGA Legends Tour, and four-time Order of Merit champion, Burns is a much loved fixture of Australian golf who relishes the rare chances he gets to ply his trade overseas.
Played this event in 2021 and missed the weekend action, but his form over the summer would suggest a better showing for Burns and his dart like iron play.
MICHAEL CAMPBELL
Age: 55
The lowdown: The winner of the 2005 U.S. Open doesn’t play much in America these days, but remains a joy to watch in every facet of the game that made him one of the purest strikers of the golf ball when he first emerged and nearly claimed The Open at St Andrews.
Campbell played all four rounds at Harbor Shores two years ago, and while he hasn’t shown much in the States this year, the Kiwi has always been a mercurial player who can catch lightning in a bottle for a week as he did at Pinehurst nearly 20 years ago.
GREG CHALMERS
Age: 50
The lowdown: After falling just short of a full card at qualifying, everyone’s favourite Twitter follow has earned a number of starts at pre-qualifying, including this week at Harbor Shores.
From his four starts this year, Chalmers has recorded three top-15 finishes and while known throughout his career as one of the finest putters in the game, Chalmers competing regularly on the PGA TOUR until turning 50 and working hard on his body means his distance is a distinct advantage.
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.
Already this year Green has amassed six top-25s from nine starts, while he is one of the Aussie contingent with previous experience at Harbor Shores from his missed cut back in 2022.
SCOTT HEND
Age: 50
The lowdown: Arguably the golfer to have travelled more miles to conduct his profession than any other, although Gary Player would like a word, Hend has remained active, and more importantly competitive, on the Asian Tour into his fifth decade.
Hend is a proven winner around the world and as the first non-American to lead the PGA TOUR distance statistic will be having plenty of short clubs into the greens this week. A genuine smoky who could get himself some status with a win.
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.
Third twice this year, Hensby was T18 at the Regions Tradition and the last time the Senior PGA was held at Harbor Shores, the PGA TOUR winner shared eighth after back-to-back rounds of 67 to close.
MICHAEL LONG
Age: 55
The lowdown: The tall New Zealander who makes his home in Western Australia headed for Europe upon turning 50, before the pandemic altered his plans after winning the Legends Tour qualifying school.
Four times a winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Long is no stranger to success in America, with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour and his mid-field result last start in Europe suggests he could be a factor here this week.
DAVID MCKENZIE
Age: 56
The lowdown: Highly experienced on the PGA TOUR Champions, with more than 100 starts to his name, McKenzie has been solid if not spectacular from his limited opportunities so far in 2024.
A long-time player on the Korn Ferry Tour, and one-time winner, McKenzie has plenty of experience at Harbor Shores having played two Senior PGAs there previously and it is with the putter where the Victorian can be dangerous.
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.
Already has two top-10s this year, including earlier this month at the Insperity Invitational, the Queenslander is another of the Australasian contingent with previous experience at Harbor Shores that should help his cause this week.
CAMERON PERCY
Age: 50
The lowdown: Percy makes not only his senior major debut this week, but also his PGA TOUR Champions maiden appearance this week after winning the Q School but only turning 50 earlier this month.
Having picked the brain of close friend Greg Chalmers, and similarly competing on the PGA TOUR until last season, Percy knows his distance will be an advantage on the over 50s circuit and will hope his birthday luck continues after backing the winner of the Kentucky Derby at his celebrations.
JOHN SENDEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: A two-time winner on the regular PGA TOUR, Senden has plenty of experience already in the senior game and showed what he is capable of at the end of last month when finishing joint sixth at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
A straight driving and green hitting machine in his prime, the Harbor Shores layout should fit the eye of the Queenslander if he can find close to his best.
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’s best finish so far this year was a share of sixth last month, and despite being eligible multiple times has only teed it up at Harbor Shores once, limiting his course knowledge.
The Fijian still ranks highly for driving distance among the over 50s and that will be a significant advantage this week, however, as always for Vijay, a good result is dependent on the putter.
MICK SMITH
Age: 51
The lowdown: The first results of a Google search of Mick Smith will bring about details of his impressive credentials as a teaching professional, however, make no mistake the Wisconsin-based Aussie can seriously play.
A regular winner in his local PGA section, think Michael Block in the west coast, Smith makes his second PGA TOUR Champions start this week and will no doubt be keen to show what he can do on a big stage.
MICHAEL WRIGHT
Age: 50
The lowdown: A journeyman who epitomises never giving up, Wright’s big moment came with a hole out at Q School to earn his way onto the PGA TOUR Champions, but bigger yet could come this week.
As one of the fresh 50 year olds, Wright is one of the longest drivers on Tour so far this year and performs well in the birdie categories that could bode well if this week offers up some low scores. A very consistent putter, Wright’s competitiveness and resilience are arguably his greatest attributes at the senior majors.
THE COURSE
For the sixth time, The Golf Club at Harbor Shores welcomes the best players over the age of 50 in the game, with the Jack Nicklaus designed layout last hosting the event in 2022 when Kiwi Steve Alker triumphed.
Offering a mix of vegetation lined inland holes and more open parts with vistas of Lake Michigan, the course stands out for its rugged bunkering and dunes that mean players are really greeted with a flat lie or uninterrupted view of the putting surface.
He insists the swing needs some tweaks but Nathan Barbieri’s putter proved the difference at the Total Tree Services Perth Sun City CC Pro-Am at Sun City Country Club.
Winner of Q School in April and with a maiden adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory at the Cottesloe Open, the New South Welshman is riding high on confidence and with a flatstick to match.
Barbieri’s round of 7-under 65 was enough to edge West Australian Ben Ferguson by a shot with left-hander Ryan Peake third at 5-under 67.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After starting his round from the par-4 12th hole it took Barbieri just two holes to record his first birdie of the day at the par-3 14th.
He backed that up with a second at the par-5 15th and then closed out Sun City’s back nine with three straight pars.
Three birdies in the first four holes to start the front nine helped to separate Barbieri from the field, two further birdies at seven and nine enough to build the buffer he needed for a second win in the WA swing.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I started well. I was a couple under through four or five holes and then picked up a couple after the turn,” said Barbieri.
“I then had the easiest stretch with the short par-4 and the short par-5s and then just played steady from there.
“I made some really nice putts all day. Didn’t have any three-putts and the greens were quick, so the putting definitely took over today.
“I’ve been rolling it really nice pretty much since I got here. I’ve still got to fix the swing a little bit before the season starts but it’s been good.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Nathan Barbieri 65
2 Ben Ferguson 66
3 Ryan Peake 67
T4 Brady Watt 68
T4 Jordan Doull 68
6 Daniel Hoeve 69
NEXT UP
The $50,000 Lexus Townsville Classic begins on Thursday at Townsville Golf Club while the WA swing continues on Friday with the Urban Quarter Dunsborough Lakes Pro-Am at Dunsborough Lakes Golf Course near Busselton.
He knows little of the golf course and has played one competitive round this year, yet Cameron Percy believes he can make an immediate impression on the over-50s circuit at this week’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Medallist at PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying School last December – where fellow Aussies Steve Allan, David Bransdon and Michael Wright claimed three of the other four cards on offer – Percy is one of 14 Aussies teeing it up at Harbor Shores in Michigan.
Only the United States has a greater representation in a field where four-time PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit winner, Brad Burns, and Wisconsin-based PGA Professional, Mick Smith, join Stuart Appleby, Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Scott Hend and others in flying the Australian flag.
Percy now also joins them having celebrated his 50th birthday on May 5 with a first-time visit to the Kentucky Derby.
And, just like his fortunes at Churchill Downs – “Mystik Dan won at 20-1 and we backed it like we owned it” – Percy hopes to make it first time lucky in senior company.
Although he has been denied starts in PGA TOUR events since the RSM Classic last November, Percy has already seen where the most recent addition to the senior ranks can take his advantage.
“I basically got everything out of my body that I could, but the young guys just hit it so far now. I’m just so far behind,” Percy admitted of his final year playing the PGA TOUR.
“I played in a US Senior Open qualifier a week ago and I was 60, 70 yards ahead of my playing partners most times.
“That’s a huge advantage to me.
“I’ve watched the Champions Tour a bit on TV and the par 5s are 500-520 yards long; that’s a par 4 now on the PGA TOUR.
“Hopefully I’m going to be the one hitting it a bit further than some other guys and have shorter clubs in.
“That’s going to help me for sure once I get out there.”
We'll be at beautiful @HarborShores next week! 😍#SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Y9TKqUnpum
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 17, 2024
Percy is an alternate for the US Senior Open after shooting 69 in the one-round qualifier and missing out in a playoff to Mario Tiziani.
It’s an insight to the standard of his play with very limited practice and next to no strength work in the gym since contracting Long COVID four years ago.
His practice regime has been structured around the coaching he does at Wakefield High School where his son is a member of the golf team.
The Victorian who now calls Raleigh, North Carolina home, knows his short game needs to be sharpened and his regimen needs greater intensity. There is also a familiarity with life on tour that needs to be re-established.
He has already leant on close friend Greg Chalmers to gauge the standard of competition he can expect but knows that there is a learning curve he must expedite if he is to be one of the 36 Champions Tour players to keep their card at season’s end.
“I speak to Greg Chalmers a lot. We’re very close and he qualified for a few events and finished top 10,” said Percy.
“I said, ‘Oh, how did you play? Did you play unbelievable?’ He goes, ‘Cameron, I actually didn’t play that good but I’m so far ahead of everyone with distance off the tee that you’ve just got to play decent. If you play great, you’re going to be contending to win.’
“To be honest, I still haven’t gotten onto everything. I don’t know where everything is and which airport to fly into.
“It’s pretty weird. I’m still trying to get my head around everything.”
But, given he has missed the first 10 events and the 36th-ranked player on the monsylist has already banked close to $US200,000, time is of the essence.
As Q School medallist, Percy is exempt for all tournaments except the majors, and he knows the simplest way to start moving up the Order of Merit.
“Winning is definitely something I’m looking at doing,” said Percy, who has made 220 starts on the PGA TOUR.
“Unfortunately there was a big event, the Insperity Invitational, I got in because I won Q School but it was the week before I turned 50 so I never got to play it.
“I just think if I play well enough, I should be up there and give myself a chance to win.”
The full list of Australians teeing it up this week is Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, David Bransdon, Brad Burns, Richard Green, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Mick Smith and Michael Wright. Kiwis Michael Campbell and Michael Long are also in the field.
Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
In a sense, Declan McCollam’s career working at golf facilities around the world was the result of a gap year gone wrong.
After completing his PGA Traineeship (now Membership Pathway Program) in Perth under Graham Johnson and spending a couple of years playing on tour in Asia and Australia, Declan decided to join a number of his countrymen and teach golf in Germany.
There was a growing enclave of Aussie PGA Professionals within Germany and Declan saw it as a way to see a new part of the world, experience a new culture and return home to Australia to resume his playing career.
“I really went with the idea of going for a year to see what it was like, save some money and go play again,” Declan says.
“I ended up staying 12 years in Germany.”
Thirty years on from that initial exploration, Declan was named the 2023 PGA International Member of the Year at the PGA of Australia Awards in Brisbane last November.
His current role as General Manager of the Prestige Golfshire Club in Bangalore in India prevented Declan from attending in person, his career now serving as a blueprint for just how widely PGA qualifications can take you.
Through his association with Troon Golf that is coming up on 24 years, Declan has worked in Portugal, Russia, Italy, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Dubai and Switzerland as well as a stint back on home soil managing Troon properties such as Brookwater, Golf Club Kennedy Bay, Pelican Waters, Peregian Springs and The Cut.
He is adamant that his experiences in different countries among different cultures have armed him with the skills to be able to work anywhere and urges other PGA Professionals to invest time working internationally.
“I would recommend to all young graduates to go overseas for at least a period of time and experience what it’s like overseas,” Declan says.
“Even if it’s for one year or two years because it’s great to see what’s happening somewhere else and how different it is to the Australian system.
“If you go to a private club in Singapore, for example, seeing first-hand how they operate at such a high level is an invaluable experience.
“Any young Professional that gets that experience and has the opportunity to work in that environment, comes back with such a better understanding of how to work in the service and hospitality industry and deliver to your members.
“It’s a big feather in their cap and, when they come back, they will be highly desirable to Tier 1 clubs around the country.”
Although Graham Johnson’s acronym for FIFO may not be fit for publication, Declan insists that the principle remains the same for those who wish to work worldwide.
“You have to have the ability to adapt,” Declan says.
“I first went to Dubai not long after September 11 so there was lot of cautiousness about being in that part of the world.
“My thought was that if I make the decision to go there, it’s their country, I have to live by their rules.
“If you’re going to go somewhere, you need to fit in and you need to assimilate and behave in a professional manner.
“I think this is why Australians do so well overseas. We have the ability to adapt to any culture or race of people whereas other people perhaps don’t have that ability.”
Thirty years in, Declan continues to supplement his in-workplace development with continuing education through the PGA ACE Program.
Wherever he is in the world, Declan believes that continued learning is critical to success.
“It’s important to me, and it should be important to all Members because knowledge is everything,” he says.
“You cannot stop learning. If you stop learning, it’s like applying the brake to everything. It then gets to the point where everyone’s passed you by so far that it’s hard to catch up.
“The guys that have been really successful have never stopped learning and knowing how to adapt and grow their business.
“That’s very important. And the PGA has now realised that and are giving us the tools to be very knowledgeable, very well-rounded and understanding of what’s happening outside of the golf industry.
“That can only benefit us within our own industry.”
Reigning champion Brett Rankin is vowing to bring a Tour mentality to the defence of his Lexus Townsville Golf Classic at Townsville Golf Club starting Thursday.
The $50,000 54-hole event marks the start of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series North Queensland swing and boasts a field littered with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia players.
The week of golf begins with a free junior clinic from 4pm on Tuesday which will be followed by a junior shootout competition and junior pizza party.
The Sponsors Day will be held in conjunction with a club competition on Wednesday with PGA Professionals to be involved in a Q&A and Calcutta at the club on Wednesday evening.
Round 1 of the Lexus Townsville Golf Classic tees off at 6:45am Thursday morning with the champion to be crowned on Saturday afternoon followed by a Shootout on the 18th hole
Rankin, who got up-and-down at the par-3 18th in regulation and then again at the first playoff hole to edge Shae Wools-Cobb 12 months ago, won the NT PGA Championship in 2019 and has been a dominant figure on the Pro-Am circuit for a decade.
With an 18-month-old daughter now at home in Brisbane, Rankin is more judicious with his scheduling and is treating his Townsville defence with the same mindset he takes into a 72-hole Tour event.
“For a one-day event, you try and make as many birdies as you can,” said Rankin, the 2019 NT PGA champion.
“You’re being super aggressive with the attitude of, well, if I don’t pull it off, I’ve got a new event tomorrow.
“With three days it’s more like a Tour event. It’s more like Tour golf. It’s a bit more like a chess match instead of a Big Bash event.
“I enjoy playing the two, three and four-day events more. You can play a bit smarter and play a bit more consistent.”
Four shots back at the start of the final round, Rankin believes it was that patient approach that proved so effective last year, coming home strong with a round of 6-under 65.
“There are a few guys that are quite good at making a lot of birdies, but they’re super aggressive,” he added.
“Sometimes you can just be a bit more patient and eventually they might slip up and consistency will come through at the end, which it did for me last year.
“I enjoy playing multiple days and I still love playing golf, too. You’re playing three or four days in a row, it’s quite exciting. It’s just fun to do.”
Not only does Rankin believe that the patient approach is effective in a three-day event, he says that the Townsville Golf Club layout also plays into the hands of those prepared to plot their way around.
“It’s a course that really bites you in the arse,” Rankin said.
“If you’re going with the aggressive play and you don’t pull it off, you can get into a lot of trouble.
“Just be a bit more cautious off the tee and get it in play and then try and score from that 100-120-metre mark instead of driving some greens and bringing out-of-bounds or water hazards into play.
“I’ve found that the more patient and safer you are off the tee, it normally plays to my advantage.
“Last year the greens were quite good, so you can just play smart off the tee, give yourself looks at birdies and eventually hole a few.”.
Given the growth of the Webex Players Series in recent years, the presence of Kelsey Bennett, Jordan O’Brien, Danni Vasquez, Sarah Yamaki Branch and Rhianna Lewis adds another element to the event.
Other players of note are 2016 Hong Kong Open champion Sam Brazel, rising stars Elvis Smylie and John Lyras and new additions to the pro ranks, Jye Pickin and Connor McDade.
Today marks the first day of National Volunteer Week, and Golf Australia, the PGA of Australia and the WPGA of Australasia would like to say “Three Cheers for Volunteers!”.
Like many sports, volunteers are at the heart of golf. From ball spotters, to first tee starters, to the board members who make Australian clubs tick, golf could not be enjoyed without the crucial role volunteers play.
Across the summer of golf in Australia, 1600 volunteers made sure that the Australian touring professionals and elite amateurs had a well-run tournament at each and every stop around the country.
Also assisting at professional and elite amateur events were more than 50 Tournament Support Officials, helping with refereeing, registration, course setup, and more.
At clubs across Australia, there are 1732 registered Community Instructors, dedicated to helping more Australians play more golf, and almost 14,000 board members facilitating welcoming and inclusive golf facilities.
Golf Australia’s Head of Workforce Engagement, Claudia Marazita, thanked Australian volunteers for their contributions on and off the course to help make Australian golf even bigger and is excited for the relationships that have been built going forward.
“To have a total number of volunteers in Australian golf that exceeds 30,000 is both extremely reassuring and exciting,” she said.
“Without volunteers, our events, tournaments, and day-to-day golf at grassroots level would simply not be possible, so thank you to everyone who has made their contribution to our game.
“Volunteers are the backbone of Australian golf, and the success and growth of our sport would not be possible without their passion and dedication.
“Introduction of online volunteer management system Rosterfy has allowed us to streamline our volunteer process, and has helped us build an ongoing relationship with those who wish to continue volunteering into the future.
“We are committed to ensuring that every volunteer feels appreciated, recognised and supported by the industry in the process of working towards our vision that those wanting to volunteer choose golf.
“We cannot say thank you enough, so again, three cheers for volunteers!”
