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Australian pair Cam Davis and Cameron Smith remain in the hunt to become their country’s second Masters champion on a day of wild fluctuations at Augusta National Golf Club.
Davis burst out of the blocks with birdies at two of his opening three holes but dropped four shots after the turn in a third round of 1-over 73.
Smith is among just a handful of players without an over-par round through 54 holes, his second straight round of even par 72 putting him in a tie for ninth and six shots off the lead.
There are just five players between Davis and the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday’s final round, his 2-under par total enough to earn a share of sixth and five back of 2022 Masters champion and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (71).
Two inside the top 10, one round to play.
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) April 13, 2024
Our hopes of a second green jacket are very much alive.#themasters
📺 Watch it LIVE on @FOXSportsAUS and @wwos, available on @Foxtel and @kayosports: https://t.co/sRHxrsY4FY pic.twitter.com/Fa2qqYlxkT
Conceding he may have paid the price for being slightly too aggressive after making the turn, Davis vowed to give Aussie golf fans back home something to cheer for when they awake in the early hours of Monday morning.
“I’m trying my hardest. It’s hard out there, but I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” said Davis, who is making just his second start at The Masters.
“I feel like today I wasn’t laying up, and I was giving it a good crack. Tomorrow hopefully we’ll make the right decisions in the moments and come away with a round that’s as good as we can make it.
“I’m trying, but it would be awesome to have a great day tomorrow.”
Just three strokes off the lead after his early birdies, Davis made double-bogey on 10 when he lost his tee shot left and was forced to chip out to return to the fairway.
He hit a perfect tee shot on 11 but left his approach shot short and right, unable to get up-and-down to drop another shot.
Davis came up short also with his second into the par-5 13th, finding Rae’s Creek on his way to bogey to drop to 1-under but got that shot back with a birdie from 10 feet on 14.
For the second time in three holes he hit a ball in the water, his second into 15 bouncing off the front of the green and trickling back into the pond. Thankfully he was able to get up-and-down to end the day within five of the lead.
“I was trying to make it happen on a couple of the par-5s and it didn’t,” Davis admitted.
“Just a few poorly executed shots turned it into a little bit of a mess for a little while there.
“I’m still in pretty good spirits despite not having my best stuff today. It will be fine. I’m looking forward to getting back out here as trying again as soon as I can.”
Seeking to join Adam Scott (2013) as Australia’s only Masters champion, Smith had 16 pars, a birdie at three and bogey on 18 to stay inside the top 10 with one round to play.
Renowned for his proficiency with the putter, Smith cut a frustrated figure after a day in which birdie putts refused to fall.
“I don’t think I hit bad putts; I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole,” said the 2022 Open champion.
“I probably hit a bad putt there on the last to be fair. Other than that, I can’t think of one that I’d want to have again.
“Just kind of frustrating. I feel like my game’s in a really good spot and I’ve done everything right and not much has gone right.”
Despite facing a six-shot deficit, Smith knows all too well that ground can be made up quickly on Sunday at Augusta.
“I think I’m still in the golf tournament,” said Smith.
“The way that the golf course is playing, I feel really confident with my ball-striking, probably the best I’ve felt in a while.
“I feel like I’m in the golf tournament. It’s only one or two their way and one or two my way, and it’s really close.”
Only Chris Kirk (68) and Collin Morikawa (69) went lower than Adam Scott on Saturday, the Queenslander climbing into a tie for 26th with a round of 2-under 70 after making the cut on the number.
West Australian Min Woo Lee dropped into a tie for 41st with a round of 3-over 75, one stroke to the better of fellow Aussie Jason Day (76) who is tied for 45th at 8-over.
Gold Coast’s Dillon Hart has claimed the biggest win of his career with a one-stroke win at the B&C Plumbing Griffith Charity Pro-Am at Griffith Golf Club.
Third on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit in his rookie season in 2023, Hart edged fellow Queenslander William Bruyeres by a shot after the pair ended day one tied on top with rounds of 5-under 66.
After a slow start to the second round, Hart came to his final hole tied with Bruyeres, a closing birdie at the par-5 17th enough to come out on top with a round of 2-under 69 and 7-under total. Bruyeres (70) claimed outright second at 6-under, one clear of Marcus Fraser (69-68) with Aiden Didone (72-66), Mark Panopolous (70-68) and Alex Simpson (67-71) sharing fourth at 5-under.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDEDBoth Hart and Bruyeres dropped a shot at their opening hole in Round 2 – Hart at the 18th, Bruyeres at one – but it was Hart who would steady the ship best.He made birdies at one and three to get to 6-under, Bruyeres dropping four shots back at 2-under after a bogey on one and double bogey at the par-4 fourth.Back-to-back birdies at five and six saw Bruyeres claw his way back into contention, drawing level with Hart again when he made birdie at the par-5 ninth.The lead changed hands again when Hart dropped a shot at the par-3 11th but he soon regained control, making birdies at both 12 and 13 to edge ahead at 6-under.Birdies at 15 and 16 earned Bruyeres the outright lead at 7-under but a bogey at the par-5 17th would prove fatal, Hart’s birdie on his final hole securing a one-shot victory.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID“I played well last year through the pro-ams so it’s nice to come back in 2024 and kick-start the way I did last year.“Drove the ball really well and short game saved me a lot of times.“I struggled a bit with the wedges but when the short game’s on that can keep you going along.“I’ll be back up in Queensland for the Mining Towns Series so it will be nice to play again having seen the courses for the first time last year.” LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Dillon Hart 66-69—135NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series remains in the Riverina region of New South Wales for the Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am where Darcy Brereton takes a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round.
Australia’s hopes of a second green jacket are alive and well after Cameron Davis and Cameron Smith both played their way inside the top-10 in brutal conditions on day two of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
Starting his second round as others completed their first, Davis looked to take advantage of the relatively benign early conditions at Augusta National before ultimately signing for even par 72 and a 3-under total.
Tied fifth at the halfway point, the Sydneysider is the best of the Aussies, three behind the leading trio of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa who are at 6-under, Nicolai Hojgaard outright fourth at 4-under.
On a day when Tiger Woods (1-over) set a new Masters record for consecutive cuts made (24), and Adam Scott extended his cut streak to 15, Davis burnt the edge at the first for birdie in an example of what could have been for the New South Welshman.
Smith is at 1-under and in a share of eighth, with Min Woo Lee and Jason Day, both 4-over, and Scott two further back. Amateur Jasper Stubbs (12-over) fell on the wrong side of the 6-over cutline.
Making his first birdie of the day at the second, and nearly another at the next when chipping with the flag out, Davis was edging closer to first round leader Bryson DeChambeau and his 7-under total.
Converting birdie from 11 feet at the par-3 sixth, Davis was 5-under and looking comfortable before an unforced error when the 29-year-old pitched into the front bunker of the seventh and walked away with double-bogey.
Recovering the shot at the next with a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-5 eighth, Davis would bogey the ninth to turn in even par.
“It’s a good test out there right now. I feel like pars are good scores,” Davis said.
“I had a couple of stumbles, but I felt like I battled well and made some nice putts to keep the momentum.”
One of those moments came at 10 after Davis dropped his club in frustration following a pulled approach to the par-4. A world class pitch helped to start a par run that ended at the 13th, when Davis charged his birdie putt off the back of the green.
Davis nearly holed the comeback chip for par before tapping in for the second time on the day with the leading edge of his wedge.
Despite a brilliant 3-wood from 260 yards at the 15th, Davis walked away a little disappointed after missing a 15-footer for eagle. The subsequent birdie returned him to 3-under that was solidified with a 15-foot par putt at the last.
“I feel like 3-under in the conditions I played in, I feel pretty proud of,” he said.
Headed to put his feet up and spend the afternoon with the large family contingent in Augusta this week, Davis might have had a wry smile watching as winds picked up to the point of sand blowing from bunkers.
No one got more of that wind than Smith, who was out in Friday’s final group.
Bogeying the first, Smith got back the shot at the next and made the turn in even par. The 2022 Open champion got under par for the day when he birdied the par-3 12th only to immediately give the shot back at the 13th with a three putt.
Smith, like Davis, missed an opportunity to improve his score at the 15th when a birdie try from seven feet slipped past the hole. His renowned short game and recovery skills came to the fore for pars at 16 and from the pine straw at 17, before a two-putt par at the last.
“I’m pretty proud of the way I hung in there, it was tough,” Smith said.
Unlike the first round, when the front nine beat Min Woo Lee to the brink of internal embarrassment, the West Australian had a fairly straightforward Friday where bogeys at the first, 12th and 18th were the only blemishes on a card that had a lone birdie at the eighth.
The 25-year-old’s final dropped shot came after his tee shot struck a tree and required a hybrid for his second to the 18th hole.
Completing five holes with a 48-minute turnaround to return to the first tee for Round 2, Day disappointingly closed Round 1 with a double bogey at the 16th and another dropped shot at 18.
The highlight of the Queenslander’s second round 73 coming at the ninth when he rolled in an 11-foot birdie to turn in 1-under. Bogeys at 11 and 18 perhaps unsurprising due to the wind, early start and extra holes.
“It was nice to get in the house, especially after this morning, shoot 3-over with five holes left,” Day told Fox Sports.
“To kind of grind out 1-over in the second round was quite nice.”
Scott also had extra holes to play early Friday and his hopes of a second green jacket, or even playing the weekend, took an immediate hit.
Hooking his tee shot at the 15th, the former world No.1 then found the water and an eventual double-bogey seven at the par-5, where Jordan Spieth also came unstuck with a nine in the morning.
Scott bogeying the 18th for a 4-over first round, before a second round comprising four birdies, four bogeys and what at the time appeared a missed cut deciding double-bogey six at the 11th.
Scott likely spending the afternoon stewing over missing the weekend for the first time at The Masters since 2009 before the wind took its toll on the final groups and brought the 43-year-old and other 6-overs back into the fold.
Having set the cut as his target, Stubbs made the perfect start to the second round with a birdie from seven feet at the first.
A trio of bogeys from the fourth and two more at 10 and 11, however, all but ended the dream of two more rounds at Augusta for the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, who bravely fought back with birdies at the 14th and 16th before two bogeys and a 76.
“It’s been an amazing week,” Stubbs said. “It’s a pretty special place, and obviously the tournament was a bit tough itself with this wind.
“I’m still really happy with my week. It’s something I’ll remember forever for sure.”
The Masters is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, as well as 9GemHD and 9Now.
Nathan Barbieri clinched the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australia Qualifying School’s Final Stage by running down all-the-way leader Max Charles before winning a three-man sudden-death playoff at Moonah Links today.
The Sydney professional went birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle over his final five holes on the Open Course to card an 8-under-par 64 and finish the 72 holes at 16-under, level with Victorian Charles (69) and New Zealand’s Denzel Ieremia (65).
Ieremia birdied the par-5 final hole, while Charles could only manage a par.
After the first two playoff holes were squared with pars, Barbieri clinched the win by rolling in a metre-long birdie putt after a pinpoint gap wedge approach on the par-4 10th hole.
By winning Q-School, the 27-year-old from Monash earns a start in all Challenger PGA Tour of Australia tournaments next season, including the big three – the Australian Open, Australian PGA and New Zealand Open.
.@barbieri_nathan is victorious at the 2024-25 PGATA Q School following a three-hole playoff 🐤👏 pic.twitter.com/yQP2G3raAf
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) April 12, 2024
Although he has been a regular on leaderboards since turning professional in 2020, Barbieri was coming off a disappointing season on the 2023/24 campaign, falling to 54th place on the Order of Merit.
After losing his place in the top 50 on the final day of season, his Tour status for 2024/25 received a significant upgrade thanks to today’s success.
“I hadn’t been playing too good but I felt like it clicked maybe the second round in New Zealand and then I played well in the last event at The National,” Barbieri said.
“Winning here is massive.
“I can plan my schedule now which is awesome.
“I came here for one reason – to win it – and I’ve done it so that’s very good.”
Charles will consider himself very unlucky to miss out on the rewards that top spot offers after starting the day with a four-shot lead and shooting a steady 3-under 69.
He only dropped shots on three of the 75 holes he played, the majority of them as the joint or outright leader.
“Max and Denzel played great all day. It was a good battle,” Barbieri said.
“There were a few nerves on that final putt. I didn’t actually think I’d be that nervous and it almost went right on me as well. I was happy to get it.”
Thirty-six players gained Tour cards for 2024/25 – and inclusion in Category 14 – by finishing at 2-over-par or better, including amateurs Tyler Duncan (Qld), Segunda Oliva Pinto (Argentina), Siddharth Nadimpalli (Vic), Jordan Doull (WA), Ben Henkel (Vic), Jye Pickin (NSW) and Ryan Ang (Singapore).
After a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, Bryson DeChambeau leads the 88th Masters Tournament by one from Scottie Scheffler, with Cameron Davis the best of the Aussie contingent, while 27 players will complete their opening rounds on Friday.
“I’m very happy with the way I plotted my way around this place. I got the ball in the hole well, and yeah, walking off with a sub-70 round today feels like a big win,” Davis, who is 3-under and in share of sixth, said.
The rain that halted the start did not reappear, however, strong winds of 20-30 kmh whipped across Augusta National from the south-west, particularly as DeChambeau signed off on his 7-under 65.
Cameron Smith six back of the American after a 1-under 71, while Jason Day sits even after 13 holes with Adam Scott 1-overand a hole in front of his fellow Queenslander and Min Woo Lee opening with 74 (+2). Amateur Jasper Stubbs rounds out the Australians after an 80 (+8) on major debut.
Starting and finishing with three consecutive birdies, DeChambeau’s lone bogey of the day came at the 10th, while Scheffler looked ominous during a bogey-free 66.
Having made the turn in 3-under, the dogleg left 10th, like DeChambeau, was where Davis dropped his first shot of the day after a heavily struck greenside bunker shot from the 29-year-old.
Davis recording a second consecutive bogey at the 11th before he righted the ship with birdie at the par-5 13th, a feat he repeated at the 15th when a ripped long iron second shot barely hung on the front edge of the green.
Another birdie went begging at the par-3 16th for Davis when his three-metre putt slid by the right edge. The New South Welshman solidly holed two short par putts at 17 and 18 to sign for 69.
“I’m not even paying attention to the leaderboard right now,” Davis said.
“These are the sort of conditions where if you get nine holes where there’s not much and you can go and score, that’s great.
“I might not have that same opportunity, so I’m just really honestly going one shot, one hole at a time. It’s cliche, but it’s the only way to really play a golf course like this.”
Having entered the week slightly underprepared following food poisoning, Smith found himself in the top-10 early before the short par-3 12th, where the 30-year-old walked away with a double bogey five.
Clearing the water with his tee shot, Smith watched on as his ball trickled back into Rae’s Creek and with it the two shots he’d gained against par with birdies at the second and sixth.
The 2022 Open champion getting back into red figures at the par-5 15th, where he found the green in two and lagged his eagle putt to tap-in range. The Queenslander happy with the state of his game after three closing pars and 71.
“Honestly, it felt really good today,” Smith said.
“Not too much to complain about. I think like that shot on 12, obviously, is a poor one, but like I said, you’re going to get those around here. Probably a couple of putts that could have gone in.”
Playing alongside Tiger Woods, who is 1-underthrough 13 holes, Day experienced an up and down day after a promising birdie at the third had him under par early.
Finding the trees long and right of the par-3 fourth, Day took double-bogey and compounded the mistake with another dropped shot at the sixth. The Queenslander fought back with birdie at eight, before adding another at the 10th when his long putt poured in the front edge.
Day, who is tied for 32nd, nearly getting back under par before darkness stopped play when his chip from left of the 12th green came up a roll short of the centre of the cup.
Whereas Day’s front nine twisted and turned, it was a lesson in patience early for Scott.
The 2013 Masters champion made seven straight pars to start, with his wedge play and putter doing much of the work. The flatstick provided an early highlight when the Queenslander rolled in a long, curling left to right putt at the second.
A first birdie came at the par-5 8th after a long iron from the pine straw found the green, before he dropped his first shot of the day at the 11th.
Failing to find the green from the back bunker at 12, Scott lost another shot and sits at 1-over with five holesto play.
Entering the week with a broken finger from a recent gym incident, Lee proudly spoke of his fight back with birdie at eight, after four bogeys in his first six holes.
“I am actually pretty proud of the way I went out there,” Lee told Fox Sports.
“When I made those four early bogeys, I wanted to walk off the course and it felt embarrassing. I guess it caught me off guard.”
Lee coming to life at Amen Corner with a tee shot over the flag that backed up to three feet on 12 followed by a “special” eagle at the par-5 13th. The 25-year-old giving two shots to par back at the 14th and 16th.
Understandably nervous making his first major start, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Jasper Stubbs made an impressive up and down par from 90 metres to open his Masters account.
“I was pretty nervous walking on to the tee of No.1. But yeah, it wasn’t as bad as I was kind of expecting,” Stubbs said.
The Victorian banking a first birdie at the par-5 2nd and making the turn in one-over, before the 22-year-old was buffeted by the wind and Augusta’s back nine.
A slightly thinned second on the par-5 15th lead to what Stubbs called a “pretty easy seven”, which preceded a hat-trick of fives for 8-over and work to do to make the weekend.
“That’s the plan, learn something from today and try and come out tomorrow, and I’ll do my best to still make the cut, but yeah, we’ll just try and have as low a round as we can tomorrow,” Stubbs said.
Play was officially suspended 7:51pm local time (9:51am AEST) with those still to finish their first round back on course at 7:50am (9:50pm AEST) and the second round getting underway at 8am (10pm AEST).
The Masters is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, as well as 9GemHD and 9Now.
Lucas Herbert returned home to Bendigo and treated a big local following to a day to remember, equalling the course record on the way to a four-shot win in the Evolution Neangar Park Pro-Am.
The winner at Neangar Park on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series last year, Herbert’s round of 10-under-par 61 started with a bang when he holed a wedge shot for an eagle on the opening hole, a 367m par-4.
Although he only arrived back in Australia yesterday from overseas duties with LIV Golf, the 28-year-old added nine birdies, and had just a solitary bogey, to match the course record set only a few days earlier by a young club member, Morten Hafkamp.
Ironically the teenager was in Herbert’s group today.
“I’m not sure whether he was cheering for me to knock that putt in on the last. But it was nice to tie that record with him because he’s obviously played a great game of golf last weekend,” Herbert said of his younger playing partner whose 61 sealed the 2024 club championship.
“It was good to play with him today and see where his game is at.”
Fellow Victorian Josh Younger, fresh off his 2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia campaign, shot a 6-under 65 to take second spot.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
After his magical two on the first, Herbert dropped a shot on the second but that was his only setback for the day.
A trio of birdies came from the fourth to sixth and after making his way to -7 after 13, he closed off his round with another three in row, including a three-metre putt for birdie on the last.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Herbert’s availability for Neangar Park only became possible after the club changed its pro-am date to accommodate the local favourite.
“The jet lag has been hitting me pretty hard but I managed to hold it off for as long as I could to get through that round of golf,” he said.
“I’m not used to being back here this time of year. It’s odd to be here when it’s not really hot. Usually summer is our time and you’re sitting around outside, hoping for a cool breeze.
“For me, being able to give back to Australian golf, and give back to my local community as much as I can, has been something I’ve enjoyed doing over the last few years when I’ve had the chance.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-10: Lucas Herbert (Vic)
-6: Josh Younger (Vic)
-4: Wade Lowrie (Vic)
-3: Finlay Bellingham (Vic), Adam Burdett (Vic), Levi Burns (Vic)
NEXT UP
Herbert will again be the star attraction at the second leg of the Bendigo region double, the Symes Motors BMW Axedale Pro-Am, on Friday before the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series stops off in Leeton in NSW for the two-day Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am
After being the joint leader after rounds one and two, Victorian rookie professional Max Charles seized control of the Final Stage of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s Qualifying School with a 66 on day three at Moonah Links today.
Sitting at 13-under-par after 54 holes, the former Australian amateur representative will head into the final round with a four-shot lead over New Zealand’s Denzel Ieremia and on track for his biggest moment as a professional.
The 23-year-old had a best finish of T42 in his four Tour starts in the 2023/24 season, but he’s looked very comfortable in the lead this week, dropping just three shots over the opening three rounds – a double-bogey on the 12th hole of the Open Course on Wednesday and a bogey on the opening hole today.
He followed that early mis-step with birdies on the third, fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth to turn in 32 before adding in birdies on the 14th and 18th.
Meanwhile, Ieremia surged to second thanks to the low round of the tournament so far. His eight-under 64 featured eight birdies – three on the front nine and five on the back which he completed in just 31 strokes – and saw him jump 12 positions after he struggled to a 76 on day two.
Also still in contention heading into Friday are Nathan Barbieri (NSW), who is five shots back at -8, James Mee (Qld) at -7 and Brett Rankin (Qld) and Adam Brady (WA) who are sharing fifth at -6.
Round three saw some important big moves further back in the field including a 67 from Queensland amateur Tyler Duncan to move him to a share of ninth and a 67 from NSW’s Dylan Perry, despite two late bogeys, which lifted him into a share of 25th.
Argentinian amateur Segunda Oliva Pinta solidified his position with a 69 to be equal seventh at 5-under, alongside joint 36-hole leader Corey Lamb (NSW) who double-bogeyed the second hole on the way to a 74.
The top 30 finishers after the 72 holes conclude tomorrow will earn Full Tournament Membership of the PGA of Australia and be placed in a Tournament Exemption Category.
The cut line for those slots sits at +1 entering the final round.
Those players finishing beyond 30th place and ties, who complete 72 holes at Final Stage, will be eligible for Full Tournament Membership of the PGA of Australia, however, they will not hold an exemption category for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
All players who play 72 holes of the Final Stage will earn a pro-am exemption category and be eligible to enter adidas PGA Pro-Am series events.
Ulverstone Golf Club Professional Darren Spencer has booked his spot for the PGA Professionals Championship National Final with a one-stroke win at the Tasmanian PGA Professionals Championship at Claremont Golf Club.
The top three finishers earned a place in the National Final at Heritage Golf and Country Club in October, Spencer’s 1-under 68 giving him the victory from Daniel Smith (69).
The third and final spot required a playoff, with Scott Priest, two-time Dan Cullen Cup winner Scott Laycock, David Tapping and Steve Frith all finishing at 1-over 70.
Consecutive pars at the first and second playoff holes would prove to be good enough for Priest to join Spencer and Smith at The Heritage.
The next qualifying tournament is the PGA Professionals Championship of North Queensland, to be played at Townsville Golf Club on Monday, April 22.
Six All Abilities golfers will receive scholarships to pursue their golf dreams in a new funding program titled the Webex Golf Scholarship.
An expansion of the Webex Players Series All Abilities program, the scholarships have been made available due to additional funding provided by Webex in partnership with the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia.
Four players will receive full scholarships to the value of $6,000 each and two players will receive a development scholarship worth $3,000 each.
In addition to funding for coaching and tournament support, scholarship holders will receive clothing courtesy of adidas and technology support to continue to elevate their performances.
The program is the brainchild of PGA Academy Coaching Programs Manager Nick Bielawski who believes sustained support will give Australian All Abilities golfers the best chance to succeed internationally.
“The Webex All Abilities High Performance Camp that we staged last year was a great success, but we acknowledged that the support needed to be more ongoing,” Bielawski said.
“Thanks to the additional funding provided by Webex, we have been able to structure a scholarship program that provides not only coaching support but practical financial support to travel to tournaments.
“Australia has a number of players that have proven that they can compete with the best All Abilities golfers in the world.
“We hope that a program such as this will allow others to become the best golfers they can be and to pursue opportunities both in Australia and overseas.”
Glenn Smith, Regional Manager, Collaboration for Cisco-Webex, was thrilled to see the extension of the Webex All Abilities Players Series into a scholarship program that will provide further opportunities for athletes.
“Webex is excited to support the Webex Golf Scholarship program for All Abilities athletes,” said Smith.
“The addition of the All Abilities trophy during the 2022/23 Webex Players Series has seen it become the most inclusive series of tournaments in golf.
“We are very proud to be partnering with the PGA of Australia to continue supporting development initiatives and showcase the exceptional talent of these athletes to a wide audience.”
To be considered for a Team Webex scholarship, athletes must meet the following criteria:
Athletes that meet the above criteria will then be assessed on:
Applicants must complete an application form to apply for Team Webex. After applications have closed, athletes will be shortlisted with further interviews arranged to determine the final recipients of the scholarships and whether it be a full or development scholarship.
Full scholarship recipients will receive:
Development scholarship recipients will receive:
To apply for a Team Webex scholarship click here
Mark Panopolous earned his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win as Tim Hart celebrated his 100th career victory at the Orora Yenda Pro-Am at Yenda Golf Club.
Panopolous and Hart both posted rounds of 4-under 44 at the 12-hole layout to finish one clear of Marcus Fraser (45), Jayden Cripps (45) and Kyle Michel (45) in the first event of the 2024/2025 season.
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit winner in 2021 and 2022, Hart was shocked to find out post-round that it was 100th tournament win across pro-am and Associate events.
“I didn’t think I was that old,” said Hart.
“If that is the case, that’s awesome.
“That’s something good to look back on and know that my game’s in pretty good stead year in, year out.
“Just going to build off that and hopefully start doing it in bigger events.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Playing in consecutive groups, Hart set a cracking pace with birdies at his opening two holes.
He made his only bogey of the day at the par-4 third but picked up shots at six, nine and 11 to get into the clubhouse at 4-under.
Hart would soon have company as Panopolous came in with a score of 4-under in the group behind.
Like Hart, Panopolous birdied the par-5 first and then made birdies at five and six to be 3-under at the halfway mark of his round.
The Concord Golf Club Assistant Professional made bogey at the par-3 ninth but back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 enabled him to join Hart at the top of the leaderboard.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Mark Panopolous: “Playing here last year definitely helped, understanding where you can hit it and where you can’t. There are quite a few holes where you have to take on the boundary line, so just trying to be aggressively conservative.
“I was talking to a good mate John Lyras this morning and just really working on some pre-shot routine processes to try and get me more into the shot. Just got me a bit more locked into the shot I’m trying to hit, really visualising it and really just trying to be really tight with my routine, keep it repeatable.
“I wasn’t doing it very well so I was happy to listen and try and make it better and obviously it’s worked for me today.”
Tim Hart: “It was nice to go out there and shoot a score. I know it’s only 12 holes but I hit it pretty well and good signs leading into the next few pro-ams at Griffith and Leeton.
“I found something the last six months on tour, done a lot of mental work, mental side of the game just to stay calmer out there.
“I struggled a bit with injuries and stuff the last few years, so it’s good to sort of understand that a bit more and understand my body more.
“Been hitting it a lot better the last few months in the tour events and it’s good to see some results in four-rounders.
“We’ll just use the middle part of this year to play a few more pro-ams and get it all ready for the tour events later in the year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Tim Hart 44
T1 Mark Panopoulos 44
T3 Kyle Michel 45
T3 Jayden Cripps 45
T3 Marcus Fraser 45
T6 Alexander Simpson 46
T6 Toby Walker 46
T6 Dillon Hart 46
NEXT UP
Two-time DP World Tour winner Lucas Herbert is back home to defend his Neangar Park Pro-Am by Evolution Copy Print Solutions on Thursday and will also tee it up at Friday’s Symes Motors BMW Axedale Pro-Am.
