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It featured more twists and turns than a Gold Coast rollercoaster before the Maffra Community Sports Club Pro-Am finished in a four-way tie at Maffra Golf Club.
Wet weather again impacted the Gippsland swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series but four players dealt with it best.
Matt Dowling, Finlay Bellingham, Brock Gillard and Ben Paine all posted 4-under 68 to share the victory, all four doing so in a variety of different ways.
It was a breakthrough win to remember, in particular, for Dowling, who turned pro back in 2011.
“Very bizarre. Not how I pictured it,” said Dowling.
“Camping by the first tee in Gippsland, got my first win that way after being a pro for a few years and not even being close.”
It was a timely win too for Paine, who had been struggling for confidence in recent weeks.
“It’s good to be back playing some decent golf when I was pretty close to quitting three weeks ago,” Paine admitted.
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Two in the morning, two in the afternoon and none better than a 68.
Bellingham and Paine were out in the morning wave and had contrasting ends to their round, Bellingham making birdie on 18 while Paine made bogey at each of his final two holes, including a three-putt at the last.
Gillard began his round with a birdie and finished it in the same manner while Dowling was left to thank the stars he slept under the night before for a stroke of good fortune.
Playing the par-4 ninth, Dowling caught such a flyer with his second shot that it hit the Maffra Golf Club clubhouse, which is considered out of bounds.
Thankfully for Dowling, his ball bounced back in bounds into a garden bed from which he was entitled to a free drop.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Matt Dowling: “I woke up and I was floating. Definitely an interesting night. Massive thunderstorm rolled through at about 4am. Woke up dry, but not ideal.
“I hit it pretty good but got very, very lucky on the ninth hole. I got a bit of a flyer and got a nice break off the clubhouse into a garden bed and made an up-and-down for a four. That calmed me down quite a lot actually because I was getting a bit frustrated but that helped me to keep the mind quiet the rest of the day.”
Brock Gillard: “Definitely had the driver going today, which is probably the difference from my rounds lately. Got the ball in play and the putter was pretty rock solid today too.
“I changed coaches back in May and while there’s been a lot of good stuff it hasn’t shown up on the scorecard but things are moving in the right direction.
Finlay Bellingham: “I birdied the first two par 5s. I was hitting the driver pretty poor – didn’t hit many fairways – but scrapped it around. Holed a few putts and hit my irons really well.
“I made a poor double-bogey followed by a three-putt bogey but brought it home well. Hit a good shot on 16, the par 3, and finished with a birdie on 18.”
Ben Paine: “Coming off yesterday where I bogeyed my last four to have 1-under I was pretty keen to have a good round.
“I played the par 5s pretty well and hit a few close wedge shots coming in.
“Unfortunately I bogeyed my last two again and three-putted the last but all up it was a pretty solid day.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Finlay Bellingham 68
T1 Ben Paine 68
T1 Brock Gillard 68
T1 Matt Dowling 68
5 Adam McLean 69
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series breaks new ground on Tuesday with the inaugural Sporting Legends Sale Pro-Am at Sale Golf Club.
Four-time Order of Merit winner Brad Burns shook off the bridesmaid tag that has plagued him in 2023 to take out the inaugural Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club Legends Pro-Am hosted by Adam Scott and Peter Senior.
Proud members Scott and Senior were both at Sanctuary Cove on Monday to present Burns with the trophy after his round of 4-under 68 gave him a two-stroke victory from reigning Order of Merit champion Andre Stolz (70).
The leading names on the PGA Legends Tour took the opportunity to play the highly-acclaimed The Pines layout presented in spectacular condition but it was Burns who stood alongside the tournament hosts at day’s end.
“It’s good that Peter and Adam have actually got on board with the pro-am here at Sanctuary Cove and putting a lot of effort back into the game,” said Burns.
“Adam’s a fantastic bloke and everyone knows Peter and the effort that he has put into the Australian Legends Tour and continues to do so.
“I’ve had about 10 seconds this year so it’s nice not to be the bridesmaid for a change.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
With the Sanctuary Cove greens running at 13 on the Stimpmeter, putting was destined to be the deciding factor.
For Burns, an early misstep was a reminder that the flatstick had to be firing.
He three-putted his opening hole – the par-4 14th – but responded with birdies at 15 and 17 to get back into red numbers.
Birdies at the par-5 third and the short par-4 sixth maintained his momentum but it was the chip-in for birdie at the par-5 ninth that would prove the difference.
“It helped,” Burns admitted.
“I was 3-under playing nine and hit my tee shot into the bunker. I cold-nutted my next shot down the fairway, hit my 3-hybrid left and hit a great chip in the hole.
“It was very unexpected but I’ll take it for sure.”
Four birdies in the space of seven holes on the back nine provided the cornerstone of Stolz’s 2-under 70, late bogeys at 18 and two preventing him from matching Burns’s total.
Straight off the plane after earning his PGA TOUR Champions card for 2024, David Bransdon shot 71 to finish in a tie for third with Gold Coast Senior PGA champion Euan Walters, Steven Conran and David McKenzie.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Greens were fantastic. Running at 13 and very, very quick,” said Burns.
“I three-putted the first one from 20 feet, left the next one 10-feet past and three-putted it but besides that played quite nicely.
“It’s a fantastic facility. Thirty-six holes around here. It’s the first time that I’ve played here on The Pines course since the XSL tournament back in the 90s.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Brad Burns 68
2 Andre Stolz 70
T3 Steve Conran 71
T3 David Bransdon 71
T3 Euan Walters 71
T3 David McKenzie 71
NEXT UP
The 2023 PGA Legends Tour season comes to a close with the Sunshine Coast Swing, starting with the Noosa Atlas Golf Services Legends Pro-Am at Noosa Golf Course on Tuesday.
An eagle and birdie at two of his final three holes has propelled New South Welshman Alex Edge to a one-stroke win at The Big Garage Bairnsdale Golf Club Pro-Am at Bairnsdale Golf Club.
Without a start at either the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship or ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Edge was itching to get back out on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
He was tied for fourth first-up at Warragul and then fired a brilliant 6-under 65 to finish one clear of Gavin Fairfax at Bairnsdale.
“I’ve been stinging for golf the last month or so,” said Edge, whose most recent appearance on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia was at the Victorian PGA at Moonah Links.
“This is the first time I’ve got to play for a while so it hasn’t felt like it has been that far off but it’s just nice to play some rounds and, knowing I’ve got this whole week to play, I’ve been looking forward to it a lot.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
A bogey at his second hole, the par-3 fourth, was a backward step early but Edge soon responded with birdies at six, nine and 10.
A pared-back tree canopy flanking the fairways gave Edge a greater level of comfort off the tee.
A birdie on 13 was erased with a bogey on 14 but he remained patient.
The first in a run of four consecutive ‘threes’ on the card came at the par-4 16th but the highlight was his eagle on 18.
He backed that up with a birdie at the gun-barrel straight par-4 first followed by a comfortable two-putt for par to close out victory at the par-4 second.
Fairfax (66) birdied his final hole – the par-4 ninth – to finish one shy of Edge but two strokes clear of Warragul joint winner Lucas Higgins (68), Matthew Millar (68) and Cooper Geddes (68).
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“The course has been opened up a lot so it was a bit friendlier off the tee. It just felt a bit more freeing.
“I just managed to string some threes together at the right time on the tough holes and then a par 5.
“To be fair, that was the first time I’d holed an eagle putt for a long time so that was nice.
“When I saw that there was someone near me I managed to make another birdie which was good to seal it.
“(The first) is almost too straight and too short. I decided to shape a shot off the tee to be a bit more engaged in the shot and ended up in the middle. Hit a good pitch shot from a good yardage to pitch from and made a birdie.
“Just putting it in the right spot all day and my patience paid off at the end.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Alex Edge 65
2 Gavin Fairfax 66
T3 Lucas Higgins 68
T3 Matthew Millar 68
T3 Cooper Geddes 68
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series stays in regional Victoria on Tuesday for the inaugural Sporting Legends Sale Pro-Am at Sale Golf Club.
It was a minor miracle any golf was played on day one of the 2023 Sandbelt Invitational at Victoria Golf Club after the deluge of rain that hit the Melbourne Sandbelt in the early hours of Monday morning.
A delay of the tee times by more than three hours and some brilliant work from the staff at Victoria saw play get underway, however, with young Aussie pro Jack Thompson and amateur Jazy Roberts atop the leaderboard at the conclusion of play.
Out in one of the first groups of the day, Roberts showed no signs of nerves playing the mixed event that sees pros and amateurs, men and women competing side-by-side, with former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy as host.
The Bendigo product made a birdie down the first to get underway almost perfectly, with Roberts eventually signing for a 5-under 67, a score to par Thompson would match in one of the last groups off the 10th tee.
‘“I thought why not,” Roberts said of taking driver at the short par-4 opening hole.
“Obviously there is some bunker trouble down there, but you can still get up and down for birdie anyway.”
Finding the front of the putting surface before two-putting, Roberts added three more birdies in her front nine, with a lone bogey on the back countered by two more shots against par.
“I think I was pretty relaxed. I played the Australian Open a few weeks ago and slowly getting used to it … being around the pros,” she said of what some might consider a surprising lead amongst the likes of Ogilvy, Nicolas Colsaerts, Cameron Davis and more.
“Obviously this is a really exciting concept that I really enjoy playing.”
Thompson was similarly enjoying the concept, and a softer Victoria Golf Club than he is used to facing following the rain.
“A bit of everything really, just took advantage of obviously the course being pretty soft, after the rain,” Thompson said when asked to sum up his day.
“I’ve played here and it’s so firm and some of those pins you can’t get to because they are so tucked. I just took advantage of the soft conditions I guess.”
Take advantage he did, with the South Australian making eagle on the short par-4 15th before closing his opening nine with a birdie at the 18th.
Another birdie was to follow at the 1st as he made his way for the clubhouse suggesting he would continue to pass the likes of Connor McKinney, Matthew Griffin and Daniel Gale on 4-under, and perhaps even pass Roberts.
However, bogeys would come at the 4th and 8th against three more birdies, leaving Thompson content with a 65.
“Nothing really changes. I am still just going to play golf,” he said of his strategy for the coming days when the tournament heads to the Peninsula Kingswood, Yarra Yarra and Royal Melbourne.
“A few times on the Asian Tour this year I was up there, but it would be nice just play the next few rounds with that and learn from that. But I won’t do anything different, I’ll just play it as it is and see where that gets me.”
Where it got him on day one was a tie for the overall lead and men’s professional mark by one over Griffin, Gale and McKinney.
Roberts is the top women’s amateur by three from Ann Jang, while new LPGA member Robyn Choi leads the female pros on 2-under and Max Moring sits atop the men’s amateur on 3-under, one clear of Quinn Croker and Queensland PGA champion Phoenix Campbell.
Scores: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/10060479266098805240
Even-par 68 proved to be good enough as Chris Hollingsworth, Craig Goodall and Martin Peterson finished tied at the top at the inaugural Ashgrove Legends Pro-Am at Ashgrove Golf Course in Brisbane.
One of a number of new stops on the PGA Legends Tour circuit in 2023, the twisting, exacting Ashgrove layout proved to be a worthy test.
Hollingsworth set the mark of 68 in the morning field, Goodall and Peterson mastering the windier conditions best in the afternoon to match it.
Although slightly resentful of the early alarm, Hollingsworth conceded that the morning tee time was probably the pick of the draw.
“It was perfect. It was about 30 degrees when we teed off at 7:15am,” said Hollingsworth.
“Probably not feeling so sorry for them given that I got up at 4am but we probably got the best of the day.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Starting from the par-3 17th, Hollingsworth needed a birdie on his final hole – the par-4 16th – to post even par in the clubhouse.
Opening his round with a birdie at the par-4 11th, Goodall was 2-under through eight holes before dropping shots at both one and two.
Back-to-back birdies at eight and nine got him back to 2-under par but bogeys at both eight and nine once again dropped him back to level par.
Like Hollingsworth, Peterson began his round at the par-3 17th, a birdie the ideal way to start his round.
With the exception of a bogey on one it was pars until Peterson reached the 10th, trading three birdies with three bogeys over his final seven holes to finish level with Hollingsworth and Goodall.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s quite amazing, the golf course. It’s one of the very few courses we get to play that exercises all of our shot-making,” said Hollingsworth.
“There are very few standard, flat lies, a lot of thought processes need to happen off the tee to make sure you put your tee shot in the right spot and then, of course, have a chance to do what you can for pars and birdies on the greens.
“I’m new to the course but very pleasantly surprised.
“Bit of a hidden gem and already looking forward to next year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Chris Hollingsworth 68
T1 Craig Goodall 68
T1 Martin Peterson 68
T4 Stephen Woodhead 69
T4 Peter Jones 69
NEXT UP
The 2023 PGA Legends Tour season comes to a close with the Sunshine Coast Swing, starting with the Noosa Atlas Golf Services Legends Pro-Am at Noosa Golf Course on Tuesday.
Early birdies proved to be crucial as Lucas Higgins and Andrew Kelly defied heavy rain to share victory at the Gippsland BMW Warragul Country Club Pro-Am.
Host to the Gippsland Super 6 tournament last month, Warragul Country Club was again in outstanding condition, albeit affected by a deluge that fell over the course of the day.
The wet weather had little affect on both Higgins and Kelly, who each shot rounds of 7-under 64 to finish three shots clear of Victorian Peter Wilson.
Tied for 22nd at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Kelly was thrilled to turn strong recent form into another victory on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
“I was hoping to do well because I’ve been playing OK so very satisfying,” said Kelly.
“This is a big pro-am. I’ve played it every year since it’s been back, it’s a good purse and a great day so I was very satisfied.”
The win was Higgins’ ninth in the past two years and his first since the Bowen Pro-Am in June.
“I’ve had quite a few pro-am wins now so I’ve got experience when I get up near the top of the leaderboard,” said Higgins.
“Each win is special in its own right so it’s nice to notch up another one and try and keep it rolling into the next week of pro-ams.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Both Higgins and Kelly credited their scores to their strong start in challenging conditions.
After starting his round with a birdie at the par-4 ninth, Higgins followed it up with birdies on 11 and 12 to make an early impression on the leaderboard.
Also playing in the afternoon field and starting on the back nine, Kelly was 2-under through his first seven holes.
He rocketed into contention with three birdies on the trot from the sixth hole – his 15th – to match Higgins’ score of 7-under.
Wilson responded to a bogey at his opening hole – the par-4 13th – with a birdie on 14 and secured outright third ahead of a group of five players at 3-under with a final birdie on 12 and a round of 4-under 67.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
“It feels good to be back in the winner’s circle, played really well,” said Higgins.
“We were both a few clear so it just goes to show that our score out there today was really good.
“It was raining the whole day but there wasn’t too much wind, which was nice. It was just tough to keep everything dry.
“I was lucky enough to get off to a good start. Stumbled a little through the middle of the round but managed to get the putts to go in again and finished it off well.”
“The course was in great nick but obviously lots of rain. I’m not sure I’ve played in rain like that for quite a while,” Kelly added.
“I got off to a good start and so I could ignore the rain a little bit and not let it stress me out.
“That was the main thing, being able to feel comfortable in the rain.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Lucas Higgins 64
T1 Andrew Kelly 64
3 Peter Wilson 67
T4 Matt Dowling 68
T4 Cameron Kelly 68
T4 Alex Edge 68
T4 Gavin Fairfax 68
T4 Dillon Hart 68
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues its run in regional Victoria with the Sporting Legends Sale Pro-Am at Sale Golf Club on Tuesday, a new event on the schedule in 2023.
Jason Day has iced his season of resurgence in the United States with a victory alongside Lydia Ko in the Grant Thornton Invitational pairs event.
They shot 26-under par over three rounds to win the alternative format event by a shot from Canadians Brooke Henderson and Corey Connors at 25-under.
They will share the $US1 million first prize in the inaugural event sanctioned by the PGA TOUR and the LPGA Tour.
Day and Ko began the final round of four-ball at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida with the lead but they were joined at the top by Henderson and Connors late in the day.
Ko’s stunning three wood second shot close to the flag at the par-5 17th, setting up birdie, was the moment when the ANZAC duo reached the outright lead again, and they only needed Ko’s steady par at the last to complete the win.
“It was weird, because it felt like the most stress-free win because I knew that she (Ko) was going to step up in the end, which was fantastic” said Day afterward. “It was a fun week, having the two tours join this week was a fun way to finish the year and I’m hoping we can do it for a very long time.”
Day is now the top-ranked Australian in the male world rankings at No. 19, and potentially in the slot to earn a berth at the Paris Olympic Games.
His season was highlighted by a win in the Byron Nelson tournament in May.
PHOTO: Day and Ko celebrate today. Image: Getty
Led by medallist Cameron Percy, Australians have snared four of the five fully-exempt cards for the PGA TOUR Champions in 2024 at Final Stage of Qualifying School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A two-stroke leader overnight, Percy took medallist honours by five strokes with a closing round of 4-under 67 for a four-round total of 20-under par.
Percy will have to wait until he turns 50 on May 5 to join the circuit at which point three other Q School graduates from Australia will have joined the tour.
Medallist at First Stage a week ago, Queenslander Michael Wright shot 66 in the final round to finish outright second to Percy, Steve Allan’s even-par 71 was enough to earn a share of third while David Bransdon’s 4-under 67 saw him edge Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and American Wes Short for the fifth and final card.
Runner-up at First Stage last month, Percy was all set to skip Final Stage of Champions Tour Q School in favour of a return to PGA TOUR Q School.
At the urging of other players with whom he holds in high regard, Percy experienced a change of heart before this week got underway.
“I wasn’t going to come (here); I was exhausted,” Percy said.
“I was actually going to get ready for the PGA TOUR’s Q-School next week. I was told to go to Q-School here and get my card. It’s so much better than having to Monday qualify. So, I did… and it has all paid off.”
Medalist by FIVE strokes at Q-School's Final Stage.
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) December 9, 2023
That any good?
Once he turns 50 in May, @cameronpercy1 could be a force on the Champions Tour. https://t.co/xZN9ORImjF
Percy’s career-best finish on the PGA TOUR (220 total starts) was a playoff loss at the 2010 Shriners Children’s Open.
Of 12 total top-10 finishes on TOUR, three came in the 2021-22 campaign, his career-most for a single-season.
Following his 8-under 63 in Round 3, Wright stood on the tee box of the 72nd hole on Friday 4-under and 14-under overall. Seemingly, he was a lock for a top-5 spot.
“I hit what was my worst drive all week at No.18, down into the desert,” Wright said.
“I had a terrible lie on the rocks, leaving me with no option but to try and hack a 5-iron. It went, maybe, 30 yards, but stayed on the dirt on the desert.”
But then, from 122 yards, Wright was right on target, holing his third shot for a highly unlikely birdie to cap off a round of 5-under 66. As such, the 49-year-old secured solo-second at 15-under 269.
Wright looks to join full-time once he hits turns 50 on February 21, 2024.
Less than two months after turning 50, Allan followed rounds of 68-66-65 with a final-round even-par 71 to lock up the No. 4 spot among the top-5 who received fully exempt status.
Yet to make a start on PGA TOUR Champions, Allan brings with him a solid past which spans a variety of Tours worldwide.
In addition to two international titles, including the 2002 Australian Open on home turf, Allan’s best of nine PGA TOUR top-10 finishes, both runner-up showings, came in 2003 and 2004. In 164 Korn Ferry Tour starts from 2003-17, Allan’s best finish, a T2, came in 2015 in Colombia.
Allan made his way to Final Stage this week by virtue of a T13 finish in First Stage at Soboba Springs.
Like Allan, Bransdon turned 50 in October and has already tasted success on the PGA Legends Tour.
Bransdon posted scores of 69-70-65-67 to claim the fifth spot at 13-under 271.
The top-5 finishers (no ties) become fully exempt into all open, full-field events for PGA TOUR Champions in the 2024 season.
In addition, Nos. 6-30 are eligible to apply for PGA TOUR Champions Associate Membership for the 2024 season, affording them the opportunity to enter 2024 PGA TOUR Champions weekly event qualifiers.
That is the category that Greg Chalmers and David McKenzie find themselves in after finishing tied for eighth and tied for 12th respectively at Final Stage.
Cameron Percy
Birthdate: May 5, 1974 (49)
Hometown: Chelsea, Australia
PGA TOUR starts: 220
Best finish: P2, 2010 Shriners Children’s Open
PGA TOUR Champions starts: 0
Best finish: N/A
Michael Wright
Birthdate: February 21, 1974 (50)
Hometown: Gympie, Queensland, Australia
PGA TOUR starts: 2
Best finish: MC in both
PGA TOUR Champions starts: 0
Best finish: N/A
Steve Allan
Birthdate: October 18, 1973 (50)
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
PGA TOUR starts: 214
Best finish: P2, 2004 Barracuda Championship
PGA TOUR Champions starts: 0
Best finish: N/A
David Bransdon
Birthdate: October 28, 1973
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
PGA TOUR starts: 2
Best finish: MC in both
PGA TOUR Champions starts: 0
Best finish: N/A
Photo: Courtesy Cameron Percy
Victorian Euan Walters reignited his love affair with the Queensland greens to edge a stellar field and take out the two-day $40,000 Gold Coast Senior PGA Championship at Lakelands Golf Club.
Seven players were tied at the top after Round 1 but it was a late charge from Walters that would prove the difference.
After starting from the daunting par-4 10th on Friday, Walters made birdie at four of his final six holes for a round of 6-under 66 and a one-stroke win from American Richard Gilkey (69).
Order of Merit leader Andre Stolz (68), Scott Laycock (70), Scott Barr (68) and Peter Lonard (69) all finished in a tie for third at 5-under par as the PGA Legends Tour builds towards its season conclusion.
Although he grew up playing on the Melbourne Sandbelt, Walters said he has developed a liking for the putting surfaces of south-east Queensland.
“My first year out on tour I really struggled, being a member of a Sandbelt course,” admitted Walters, pictured with tournament sponsor Greg Rix.
“I learnt to get over it and I actually think that Queensland greens are the best in the country, consistently from the start of the day until the end. I think that’s what makes them great.
“They’re very true, they roll very smooth, it’s just getting used to reading the grain.
“Other than that, I really love them so I putt well on Queensland greens.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
A par on 10 was a solid start on day two, Walters following it up with back-to-back birdies at the par-5 11th and the par-4 12th.
Four pars preceded a dropped shot at the par-3 17th, which would be his only bogey of the day.
He birdied the par-4 first but it was a run of four birdies from the par-4 fourth and culminating with the crucial birdie on nine that would get him across the line.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I hit it pretty close a lot of the time and wedged it well.
“Drove the ball pretty good today – bit better than yesterday – and managed to seal the deal on most of the putts.
“The course was fantastic out there. If you played well you got rewarded, which I was very fortunate to do.
“It’s been a rough year for me, I’ve been struggling with a lot of injuries and stuff like that.
“But a lot of people are helping me so I’m just grateful to be able to hit it actually.
“I’ve had some pretty bad scores over the last month just trying to work through it so I’m very grateful for how it worked out today.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Euan Walters 71-66—137
2 Richard Gilkey 69-69—138
T3 Scott Barr 71-68—139
T3 Scott Laycock 69-70—139
T3 Peter Lonard 70-69—139
T3 Andre Stolz 71-68—139
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour stays on the Gold Coast on Monday for the $45,000 Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club Legends Pro-Am hosted by Adam Scott and Peter Senior.
The two Williams, Bayliss and Flitcroft, conquered a new format to win the NSW/ACT Foursomes Championship for 2023.
Bayliss, an Associate Professional at Pymble Golf Club who competed in last week’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open, and Flitcroft, the Assistant Professional at Manly Golf Club, shot 9-under-par 62 in Canadian Foursomes in the first year that the event has been played as a standalone competition.
Strathfield Golf Club played host to 34 PGA Professionals who not only had the chance to compete against other, but also the opportunity to come together, network and catch up before the Christmas/New Year period.
Rounding out the top five placings were runners-up Kurt Stegbauer/Henry Brind from Brighton Lakes Golf Club (66) followed by Lee Hunt/Adam Naaman from Bankstown Golf Club, Sam Pasquali/Dylan Thompson and the 2022 winners Jordan Mullaney/Jason Perkin, who all returned 4-under 67s.
The 2024 NSW/ACT PGA Foursomes event will again be played in November/December and will follow suit with the Canadian Foursomes format and relaxed/networking catch up theme.
