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In his later years, Norman von Nida could tell you the flight of a golf ball simply by the sound that was made at impact. Peter Thomson would warm up for a round at Victoria Golf Club by hitting a half-dozen balls on the range to ascertain his shot shape that particular day.
Neither man could possibly have imagined that the future of golf instruction would be found indoors, hitting off mats into a simulated golf course.
The proliferation of indoor golf centres is growing at a rapid rate.
Some are designed as entertainment options with food and beverage, some are the modern equivalent of a golf club but with hundreds of courses to choose from while others have a primary focus on game improvement.
Established in 2021 by PGA Professional Adrian Lawson, Golf24 now has centres in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Melbourne and is helping golfers to lower their handicaps at a rapid rate.
“I’ve seen people halve their handicaps in no time, where they may well have beat their head against the wall forever,” says Lawson, General Manager of Golf24 Australia.
“I’ve got some people that have fully transitioned to the point where all the golf they play is now indoors.
“We run Australia’s largest tournament golf network on Trackman and provide our members with a vast range of tournaments to play in.
“They’re getting their golf competition and they’re doing it at time convenient to them and at a cost that suits them.”
Integral to maximising the experience of each golfer at each centre is the onboarding process delivered by PGA Professionals at each Golf24 location.
After a basic introduction to the facility, members are given a crash-course in Trackman and how to best interpret the data.
With members enjoying access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Lawson says that this understanding is crucial in working on the right things in the swing.
“They’re getting accurate data feedback, which they get nowhere else,” Lawson explains.
“They get an understanding of what face-to-path relationships are to the ball direction and its spin. Getting more of an understanding of what dictates the ball going left or right in a controlled environment.
“We have video cameras in every bay so even while you’re playing virtual golf, when you hit a bad shot, you can look up and see why.
“You learn how it feels to hit the different shots and feels become real.
“That kind of data and that kind of learning of the swing, learning how to play better in a controlled environment, that’s why people are improving so much.”
With further Golf24 centres planned for Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Sydney, Lawson is looking for new and innovative ways in which to bring the simulator experience to more and more golfers, including potential partnerships with green-grass facilities that will enable golfers to take their improved swings directly onto the golf course.
Yet as far as technology advances in the years to come, Lawson is adamant that nothing will replace the sensation of a golf club onto the back of a ball.
“Golf’s one of the few sports where you need to be hitting the ball itself with a real club,” Lawson adds.
“If you’ve played the Oculus or whatever, waving that wand like a Nintendo, do that for a week and then try and hit a golf ball afterwards. It’s impossible.
“That’s the great thing about golf. You can’t do it with a pretend club.
“In time we might move into a holographic environment but you will still be hitting a golf ball with a golf club.”
Twelve months ago, Sarah-Jane Smith was lauded for beating the boys. This year, the greatest threat to her Webex Players Series Murray River mantle may come from an expanded women’s presence.
The second in five Webex Players Series events on the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule, this year’s Murray River tournament is the third in succession at the Old Course at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
To this point it has been a tournament dominated by the women, Hannah Green’s world-first triumph in 2022 followed up by Smith in 2023.
But if the boys hope to end that trend in 2024, they will first have to contend with a larger and deeper field of players from the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
Last year’s field featured 34 women professionals and four amateurs. Smith is thrilled to see that number grow to 60 this week with players from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Scotland, South Africa, Northern Ireland and England adding an international flavour.
“The rest of the world has been really desperate to come back here,” said Smith.
“Once they opened up Q School to everybody, that made a lot of people very happy. To be able to come down and do Q School and get into the Aussie summer of golf… a lot of people have missed it from their schedule.
“The Thai girls that come out onto the LPGA Tour are teeny-tiny but hit it a million miles and shoot low every time they go out.
“I think we’re going to see a lot of really good finishes from a lot of girls this season.”
Live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo
This year’s event is also rich in family ties.
Confined to dad duties with son Theo last year, Smith’s husband Duane is back on the bag this week while newlyweds Darcy Boyd and Danni Vasquez Boyd will play their first tournament as husband and wife.
The three Kiwi Keh sisters, Wenyung, Munchin and Siyi, are all in the field, siblings Momoka and Kazuma Kobori and Kevin and Celina Yuan will face off as will Thai sisters Peerada and Tunrada Piddon.
Rounding out the family affair is Barooga local Steffanie Vogel and her father Terry, the Cobram Barooga course superintendent hoping to use intimate knowledge of the layout to claim bragging rights in the Vogel household.
For Duane Smith, the opportunity to contribute to a successful defence would only add to their happy memories at Cobram Barooga.
“It was so strange dropping her off on the Sunday,” recalled Duane, who only arrived back at the course when Sarah Jane had three holes left to play in the final round.
“It was a very strange day, but a great day.
“We had family organised every week to come and help with Theo, except for this week.
“This was the only one. We spent a lot of time at the local playgrounds.
“That last day, Theo fell asleep in the back seat so I just drove around for a couple of hours. I was getting updates from everyone back home.”
Given her playing career was at something of a crossroads, Smith hopes to draw on the memories of that week and go back-to-back, with a little help from hubby.
“This week I get to ditch the buggy and I get my caddie back,” joked Smith.
“The year didn’t end up being great but it couldn’t have been a more satisfying way to start the year. It proved that we were on the right track with what we were doing with Grant (coach Grant Field) and we needed it in so many ways.
“It definitely feels nice to be back, and I love this golf course.
“Sometimes you go to a course and remember all the bad places you might have hit shots but I have a lot of good memories here.
“Being back here, there are a lot of nice memories from that week.”
Entry is free all four days for spectators and coverage on Fox Sports and Kayo is 4pm-7pm Saturday and 2pm-7pm Sunday.
Three of New Zealand’s leading players have confirmed they will return to play the 103rd edition of the New Zealand Open at the Millbrook Resort in Queenstown.
Daniel Hillier, Steven Alker and Ben Campbell have confirmed they will be teeing it up from February 29-March 3 after outstanding 2023 seasons on their respective tours.
Finishing second overall in the 2023 Charles Schwab Championship standings for the PGA TOUR Champions, in which he picked up another two victories, Alker will return home for the 2024 New Zealand Open.
Having played in many New Zealand Opens since the start of his career, Alker is hoping to claim the one victory that would mean the most to him, his national crown.
“The reception and support the fans gave me when I played at Millbrook last year was unreal. It was quite unexpected, and really amazing to have so much support, something I won’t forget,” said Alker.
“It’s the one tournament we all want to win. Of course there are the Majors and the big titles internationally, but there’s something special about having your name on your national title.
“It’s one of my goals for 2024.”
Another player making his mark on the world stage is Hillier.
He has just completed his first year on the DP World Tour, racking up four top-10 finishes including a memorable win at the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry. Hillier finished 30th on the overall DP World Tour Order of Merit for 2023, and earned the prestigious Challenge Tour ‘Graduate of the Year’ crown.
“I’m really looking forward to coming home and seeing not only the family, but some friendly faces in the crowd. It’s quite a buzz when you rock up to the first tee and recognise all of the home support,” said Hillier.
“The New Zealand Open is always a great event in Queenstown, and I know there are lots of talented Kiwi golfers trying to get their hands on the title. Hopefully I can peak at the right time.”
After his maiden Asian Tour victory at the Hong Kong Open, Queenstown’s Ben Campbell will return to his hometown to have another ‘run’ at the New Zealand Open.
Campbell’s victory late last year saw him take on 2022 Open champion Cam Smith, winning by just one shot with the last putt of the tournament.
“We’re thrilled to have Ben return to Queenstown. He’s always been a great supporter of the tournament and we were delighted to see him pick up a well-deserved victory at the Hong Kong Open,” said Tournament Director Michael Glading.
“Ben has always had the goods to make it on the world stage, and we’re now seeing the fruits of his labour. He finished runner-up at the 2023 New Zealand Open, and let’s not forget his fantastic performance leading into the playoff back in 2017 when Michael Hendry won.”
Speaking about his love affair with the New Zealand Open, Campbell has always wanted to have his
name on the Brodie Breeze Trophy. Having come close twice, he’s hoping it’s third time lucky.
“Since I started playing golf and made it my career, I’ve always had the goal of winning the New Zealand Open. To have my name alongside some of the greats of golf in this country would be the highlight of my career,” he said.
“Absolutely I am coming back to Queenstown. I got close in 2017, and again last year, so here’s hoping I can lift the trophy in March.”
New Zealand’s No.1-ranked player Ryan Fox, is still finalising his 2024 playing schedule, which means his entry cannot be confirmed at this time.
“This year is my big chance in terms of attempting to retain my PGA TOUR card, and that could compromise my ability to play in this year’s New Zealand Open,” said Fox.
“Notwithstanding this, I will do all that I can to play in the New Zealand Open, as it is one of my favourite tournaments of the year.
“I admire how the organisers have grown such a quality event on our own shores.”
Golf enthusiasts can watch the 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport between February
29 and March 3 at Millbrook Resort or via the live broadcast on Sky Sport 6 in New Zealand and on Fox Sports and Kayo in Australia.
Men and women go head-to-head for the second time this season with the third edition of the Webex Players Series Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Bordering the banks of the mighty Murray River, the Old Course at Cobram Barooga is in pristine condition and ready to once again bring the best out of a field sprinkled with international flavour.
An expanded WPGA Tour of Australasia season has enticed players from all around the world to our shores with a total of 61 women eager to add to the wins by Hannah Green and Sarah Jane Smith the past two years.
Smith has returned to defend her title with 2023 Women’s NSW Open Momoka Kobori, 2023 Melbourne International winner Cassie Porter and Q School medallist Mizuki Oide of Japan expected to be prominent on the leaderboard.
It also shapes as a crucial week for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit aspirants.
With David Micheluzzi not in the field, the likes of Ben Eccles, Jak Carter, Kerry Mountcastle and Austin Bautista can all press their claims for one of three DP World Tour cards at season’s end.
Players will be competing for a $250,000 prize fund with strong winds expected to greet players for Round 1 on Thursday.
Those winds will ease as the tournament progresses with hot temperatures predicted for Sunday’s final round.
As is the case for all Webex Players Series events, the professionals will be joined on the weekend by respective fields for the Webex All Abilities Players Series and Webex Junior Players Series events, juniors to be paired with the leading pros in the final 16 groups.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For live scoring and the latest news visit www.pga.org.au. Exclusive content and tournament updates will also be posted regularly on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s social media channels.
Instagram: @pgatouraus
Twitter: @PGAofAustralia
Facebook: @PGAofAustralia, @PGATourAus
Official hashtag: #WebexPlayersSeries
HOW TO WATCH
Round 3: Saturday 4pm-7pm AEDT
Round 4: Sunday 2pm-7pm AEDT
FORMER CHAMPIONS
2022: Hannah Green
2023: Sarah Jane Smith
COURSE RECORD
62, Tom Power Horan (Round 2, 2023)
COURSE DESIGNER
Vern Morcom
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Matthew Griffin, 2024 Heritage Classic winner
Momoka Kobori, 2023 Women’s NSW Open winner
Ben Eccles, 2023 WA PGA Championship winner
Sarah Jane Smith, defending champion
Kerry Mountcastle, 2023 Gippsland Super 6 winner
Cassie Porter, 2023 Melbourne International winner
Daniel Gale, 2023 Sandbelt Invitational winner
Felicity Johnson, two-time Ladies European Tour winner
Photo: Candice High
Reigning champion David Micheluzzi can achieve a slice of history not seen in more than 30 years after taking over as interim No.1 on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
With a minimum of four tournaments necessary to be eligible for the Order of Merit, Micheluzzi is effectively leading the way, Fortinet Australian PGA champion Min Woo Lee unlikely to add to his two tournaments to date.
Thanks to his tie for fifth at the Heritage Classic on Sunday, Micheluzzi has moved past Ben Eccles into second on the standings to earn a shot at a rare slice of history.
The last person to win consecutive Order of Merit crowns was Rodger Davis in 1990-1991, Micheluzzi putting himself in the mix thanks to stellar performances in four of five starts this season.
Starting with a runner-up finish to Phoenix Campbell at the Queensland PGA Championship followed by victory at the Victorian PGA, Micheluzzi now has three top-five finishes in limited starts.
As the 2022/2023 champion, Micheluzzi will soon embark on his maiden season on the DP World Tour so will have limited opportunities to add to his points tally.
A three-time winner on Tour last season, Micheluzzi is entered into the $1.9 million New Zealand Open, which may be his final shot at defending his title.
With a tie for second at The Heritage Golf and Country Club, South Australian Jak Carter has moved into interim third behind Micheluzzi and Eccles and in the frame for one of the three DP World Tour cards.
Those currently inside the top 10 who are playing this week at Webex Players Series Murray River are Eccles, Carter, Heritage Classic winner Matthew Griffin, Austin Bautista and Kerry Mountcastle.
Order of Merit (after Heritage Classic)
1. Min Woo Lee 1,044 (2)
2. David Micheluzzi 359.40 (5)
3. Ben Eccles 353.30 (10)
4. Adam Scott 326.67 (2)
5. Marc Leishman 314.93 (2)
6. Jak Carter 298.11 (10)
7. Lachlan Barker 273.94 (11)
8. Austin Bautista 273.73 (10)
9. Kerry Mountcastle 267.28 (11)
10. Matthew Griffin 249.46 (8)
New South Welshman Jordan Zunic has become the 17th Australian to qualify for this week’s Final Stage of Asian Tour Qualifying School after advancing at First Stage in Thailand.
Zunic and New Zealand’s Nick Voke were the only Australasian players to move on from the two sites that hosted First Stage last week and will now play the five-round Final Stage in Thailand starting Tuesday.
Zunic shot 66 in the final round at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok to finish in a tie for 15th to qualify for Final Stage on the number.
A total of 19 players advanced from Grand Prix Golf Club, Voke comfortably inside the number all week, shooting rounds of 67-67-66-68 to finish tied for sixth.
After a brilliant start, Cam Davis finished in a tie for 30th at the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
His career-best round of 8-under 62 gave him the lead after Round 1 but couldn’t sustain it, closing with a 1-under 69.
The first event of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season is underway in the Bahamas with mixed results for the Aussies in the field.
Rhein Gibson is one stroke off the lead after a 7-under 65 in Round 1 but John Lyras had an unfortunate start to his Korn Ferry Tour career, disqualified after a rules infraction on his first hole.
Believing his approach shot to the 10th green had found a penalty area, Lyras dropped a second ball. Before he could play that ball, his playing partners found his original ball in play.
He then picked up his second ball and proceeded to play the original when his second was now the ball in play.
“Amazing what happens when you’re super excited and anxious all together,” Lyras said in an Instagram post.
“You make stupid and quick decisions that can cost you so much, everything you worked for.”
Asian Tour
Qualifying School (Final Stage)
Round 1 draw
Springfield Royal Country Club, Thailand
11:20am* Harrison Crowe, Liu Yanwei, Jesper Kennegard
11:40am Nathan Barbieri, Jose Toledo, Rikard Karlberg
3:20pm Julius Kreutzer, Shae Wools-Cobb, Mahbubul Islam
3:40pm Jin Cheng, Lachlan Barker, Xuewen Luo
3:50pm* Rakhyun Cho, Natipong Srithong, James Mee
4pm* Sam Brazel, Harshjeet Singh Sethie, Yuta Sugiura
4:10pm Hanmil Jung, Filip Lundell, Max Charles
Lake View Resort and Golf Club, Thailand
11am Toyokazu Fujishima, Gaurav Singh, Andre Lautee
11am* Wooyoung Cho, Nick Voke (NZ), Tomoharu Otsuki
11:10am Cao Senshou, Joshua Wirawan, Jake Hughes
11:10am* Ye Wocheng, Evan Peterson, William Bruyeres
11:20am Jeff Guan, Sungyeol Kwon, Lin Chuan-tai (a)
11:40am* Yubin Jang, Douglas Klein, Stefano Mazzoli
12pm Jakkanat Inmee, Denzel Ieremia (NZ), Minhyeok Yang
3:10pm Akshay Sharma, Jordan Zunic, Sam Broadhurst
3:10pm* Christofer Rahm, Liu Enhua, Peter Wilson
3:30pm* Lawry Flynn, K.P. Lin, Faisal Salhab
3:40pm* Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, Maverick Antcliff, Mikiya Akutsu
3:50pm Justin Warren, Bai Zhengkai, Moojin Cho
Results
Qualifying School Section E
Grand Prix Golf Club (Composite Cse), Kanchanaburi, Thailand
1 Sungjin Noh 68-64-70-64—266
T6 Nick Voke (NZ) 67-67-68-66—268
T20 Will Florimo 72-70-67-64—273
T20 Kevin Chun (NZ) 68-67-70-68—273
T42 Jake McLeod 69-72-66-70—277
T62 Sam Howse (a) 71-69-73—213
T69 Brian Lee (NZ) 72-67-76—215
T80 Stefan Tuionetoa 70-75-73—218
T83 Daniel Park 77-72-70—219
94 Scott Adams (NZ) 75-74-77—226
97 Darshan Shivalkar (a) 80-81-73—234
WD Grant Lewis (a) 76-73—149
Qualifying School Section F
Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok (South & West Cse), Bangkok, Thailand
1 Kento Yamawaki 69-66-69-62—266
T15 Jordan Zunic 66-72-71-66—275
T26 Josh Younger 70-68-72-67—277
T36 Doeun An 67-73-72-70—282
WD Zach Maxwell 76-71-69—216
PGA TOUR
Sony Open
Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
1 Grayson Murray 69-63-64-67—263 $US1.494 million
T30 Cam Davis 62-70-70-69—271 $44,750.83
DP World Tour
Dubai Invitational
Dubai Creek Resort, Dubai, UAE
1 Tommy Fleetwood 66-69-63-67—265 €387,213.68
T14 Ryan Fox (NZ) 70-70-68-68—276 €33,254.82
T36 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 72-69-73-70—284 €16,399.64
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay
Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Club, Great Exuma, Bahamas
Round 1 scores
T3 Rhein Gibson 65
T31 Charlie Hillier (NZ) 70
T52 Brett Drewitt 71
T124 Curtis Luck 77
129 Dimi Papadatos 80
DQ John Lyras
It was all about Matt Griffin this week, as the Victorian opened with an incredible 11-under 61, and never looked back on his way to hoisting the trophy at this year’s Heritage Classic.
Starting his final round five shots clear of nearest challenger Jak Carter, Griffin had shots to work with, but made sure of the win with a clinical final round 3-under 69, to finish at an unbelievable 24-under par.
Griffin’s day started with a bogey on the first, and as Carter birdied the second, and eagled the fourth, it looked like the trophy could be in the balance.
As Carter’s tee-shot found the water on nine though, and subsequent birdie chances slid by, his chances of catching Griffin were all but gone.
Seven shots back at the beginning of Sunday’s conclusion, Queensland amateur Quinn Croker made a late charge, making three birdies on his back nine, his efforts good enough to grab a share of second with Carter at 18-under.
There was simply no catching Griffin though, with birdies at 11, 12 and 14, the Victorian stretched his lead as the amount of holes left in the day became smaller.
As he walked down the final fairway with kangaroos bounding along ahead of him, Griffin had a six shot lead, and could comfortably soak up the atmosphere as the sun set on a magical week in the Yarra Valley.
“It was nice to play really well through that middle stretch of the round, and those birdies on the early part of the back nine kind of took it away from everyone else,” said Griffin.
The win this week marks Griffin’s first since his triumph at the 2016 New Zealand Open, where a then younger player surely didn’t think his next trophy would be an eight years away.
“I’d had a number of wins in a short period of time, so I think that was win number probably five in about six years,” he said of his 2016 win.
“It’s funny, they kind of happen and then you have the big break.
“I’ve had two runs of missing seven cuts and five cuts in a row, you’re only human so you start to doubt whether you’ve still got it and you’re getting a bit older.
“It’s a big confidence boost that I can still beat these guys, and to do it comfortably as well is even better.”
After Griffin’s final putt dropped, and he’d shaken hands, the first person he looked for was his young son Jack.
“Since I was a young kid watching golfers win tournaments and their kids run out, it’s a dream that you have, so to have Jack be able to be here is super, super special,” he said.
Carter’s 2-under 70, and Croker’s 4-under 68, were both strong closing rounds in their own right, but completely overshadowed by their playing partner.
“No, because I was marking his scorecard,” Croker laughed when asked if he thought he was a chance to catch Griffin today.
Tied second marks amateur Croker’s fifth top-15s, four of them top-10s, on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season, the professional setting seeming to bring out the best in the young Queenslander.
Carter’s strong week at the Heritage moves him into sixth position on the Order of Merit (OOM), but with Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman ahead of him unlikely to play the required amount of events to qualify, he essentially sits third.
“I’m coming for ’em,” Carter warned to those ahead of him on the season long points race.
“Really, really happy with that, obviously.
“Looking forward to the rest of the season.”
The return of the Heritage Classic to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia was a resounding success, and players will now doubt be looking forward to a return to The Heritage Golf and Country Club in 2025 and 2026.
A clinical 3-under 69 in tougher conditions than had been seen over the first two days of the Heritage Classic, sees Victorian Matt Griffin maintain his commanding position at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final day.
It’s not often that golfers welcome overcast conditions, but after the searing heat in the afternoon play yesterday, the lower temperatures were a pleasant surprise.
Beginning the day five shots clear, Griffin birdied his first hole, before reminding everyone that he can in fact make a mistake, recording his first bogey of the tournament on the par-3 third.
He was even on his day after 11-holes, still with a comfortable lead, but three consecutive birdies on holes 12 through 14 demonstrated that he wasn’t going to let anyone get any closer to him.
“It was a tougher day today with the conditions, it makes this course play more like it normally does,” he said.
Griffin sits at an astonishing 21-under after 54-holes, five shots ahead of Jak Carter at 16-under, and seven shots ahead of amateur Quinn Croker.
“The way Jak (Carter) played today, he played some great golf, so there’s obviously a low score that he’s got there,” said Griffin ahead of his final day grouping with Carter.
“Probably even par (tomorrow) is not good enough, so if I can make a lot of birdies I can take it out of everyone else’s hands.”
A win tomorrow would see Griffin re-enter the winners’ circle after a significant hiatus, his last professional win coming at the 2016 New Zealand Open.
“2018 and 19 were probably my two best years, and I had a couple of chances to win in Japan but there was some really good golf that took it away from me,” he said.
“Whilst I haven’t had a win, I feel like I’ve been close.
“I guess it’s in my hands tomorrow.”
Griffin’s closest chaser is South Australian Carter, who is hungry for his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia win after a number of close finishes this year.
“I’m absolutely loving this place, it’s real good, it’s flush out there,” Carter beamed after his third round 69.
“I was not thinking after three rounds being this low and that I would be still five shots back.”
Carter will be playing with Griffin in the final group tomorrow along with Croker, so will be able to assess where he sits based on Griffin’s play and scoring.
“Whatever happens, happens you know, I will always just play my game,” said Carter.
Queensland amateur Croker is the closest challenger behind Carter at 14-under, with Kazuma Kobori, Nevan Basic and Josh Greer all a further two shots back at 12-under.
Outside of Griffin, arguably the most impressive performance of the day came from West Australian Braden Becker, who climbed 45-spots on the leaderboard after posting the equal low round of the day, a six under 66 alongside Alex Edge.
Matthew Griffin has followed up his heroic course record-breaking opening round at the Heritage Classic, with an impressive 7-under 65 on day two.
Matthew Griffin has followed up his heroic course record-breaking opening round at the Heritage Classic, with an impressive 7-under 65 on day two.
It was certainly favourable to be out in the morning today, with the afternoon temperatures in the Yarra Valley reaching well into the 30s, and Griffin took advantage of his early tee time.
The Victorian sits at an incredible 18-under-par heading into the weekend and leads by a comfortable five-shots over Josh Greer and Jak Carter.
Following up yesterday’s effort was always going to be a tough ask, and with four holes to play on day two, Griffin was 3-under on his day.
Starting on the back nine, Griffin didn’t have the same closing holes to score on as he did yesterday, but that didn’t stop him his finishing with four birdies, finding a bit of leftover magic from round one.
“Starting after having such a low round is traditionally hard,” said Griffin.
“I felt the pins were a little bit tougher today, and whereas yesterday on the back nine I holed everything I looked at, today I had a run of holes there where I didn’t hole a putt.
“I kind of knew that you’re going to have to be something in the twenties (under par) to probably win.
“Today was just about trying to shoot as low a number as I can to, I guess get me close to that number that I want to be at over the weekend.”
It was a busy night for Griffin after his incredible 11-under 61 yesterday, with plenty of love and support coming through from friends and family.
“You get a lot more texts after a good round than you do bad … I’ll be very happy if my phone keeps blowing up over the weekend,” he said.
Photo: the spectators were out on day two at the Heritage Classic.
West Australian Greer, who recorded a 10-under 62 on day one, was also out to go low again in the morning on Friday.
In opposite fashion to Griffin however, Greer dropped three-shots on his closing holes, but still sits in a share for second at 13-under with South Australian Carter.
Playing consistent golf across the opening two days, with scores of 65 and 66, Carter has only dropped a solitary shot at the halfway mark.
The round of the day went to New South Welshman Corey Lamb, who fired a remarkable 9-under 63, to head into the weekend in a tie for fourth with amateur Quinn Croker.
Lamb, who only just made it through the pre-qualifying play-off on Monday and Tuesday (due to the earlier rain), was 8-under for his round at the turn and is certainly making the most of being in the field this week.
“Yeah it was weird, I was playing good, holed a lot of putts obviously, it was just so easy,” Lamb laughed.
“It was just like a golfer’s dream pretty much; everything just went in.”
The cut fell at 3-under par, with the top-50 and ties making it to the weekend.
Victorian Matt Griffin has had an afternoon to remember at the Heritage Golf and Country Club, firing a new course record 11-under 61 on the St John course to lead the Heritage Classic after day one.
The 40-year-old made sure of the course record too, bettering David Bransdon’s long-standing record of 8-under 64 from the 2013 Heritage Classic by three shots.
Griffin made the turn at a respectable 3-under but was evidently only just warming up.
He proceeded to make an astonishing eight birdies in a row on the back nine, his hot streak only coming to an end when his beautifully executed shot from the greenside bunker on 18 pulled up a foot short of the hole.
Had it gone in, Griffin would have matched the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia record for most consecutive birdies of nine, set by James Nitties at the 2019 Vic Open.
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks,” Griffin said.
“My wife and I bought a house a couple of weeks ago, we’re getting the old house ready for sale, doing a whole heap of stuff.
“My wife always says I play well when there’s chaos going on around me and today proved that.”
Not only a course record, 11-under is Griffin’s personal best, also by quite a margin.
“I’ve always had this thing where I’ve shot eight (under) a number of times,” he added.
“I’ve never been able to go beyond eight and I did by three today.
“I’ve played here a lot; I played the tournaments when they used to be here.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a course record so it’s nice to do it at a great club.”
Many players took advantage of the relatively benign conditions on Thursday, with 16 players at 5-under or better heading into Round 2.
One of those players, West Australian Josh Greer who’s sits solo second behind Griffin, might be the only player ever to feel unlucky after shooting 10-under.
Had Greer finished half an hour earlier, that course record would have been his, if only briefly.
“I had a one-foot putt on the last for 10-under,” Greer shared.
“Jack Buchanan came up to me and goes, ‘You’re going to hole that and you’re still going to be one behind the lead’.”
Similarly to Griffin, time away from golf over the break has been the secret ingredient to Greer’s low scoring upon the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s return.
“I took three weeks off; I needed it,” he said.
“I was pretty stressed after those last few events. I wasn’t playing too good.”
Six players sit in a tie for third at 7-under, including recent Australian Senior PGA champion Jason Norris.
The fine weather is set to continue on Friday, with warm weather forecast for day two of the Heritage Classic. The morning players look likely to have the most favourable conditions.
