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Adam Scott can wipe the slate clean of a junior defeat more than 30 years ago with a crowning Fortinet Australian PGA Championship title at Royal Queensland Golf Club starting Thursday.
A two-time Australian PGA champion who adorns the RQ honour boards as a two-time junior champion, Scott was reminded during Wednesday’s pro-am that he didn’t always have things his own way.
While growing up on the Gold Coast, Scott first joined Royal Queensland as an 11-year-old in awe of resident Professional, Charlie Earp.
A year later he competed in the club’s junior championship against boys as much as five years his senior, his conqueror taking a rare opportunity to remind him ahead of his 16th Australian PGA Championship.
“I bumped into one of the guys I played on the junior team with and he reminded me that I lost the junior club championship to him,” Scott recalled.
“I said, ‘But I was 12.’ He was a bit older than me.”
Scott’s first Australian PGA Championship as a pro came in 2000 where he finished fifth behind Robert Allenby at Royal Queensland.
The champion in 2013 and 2019, Scott returns to Royal Queensland with new clubs in the bag – PING Blueprint S irons – and a switch in golf ball from a Titleist ProV1x to the ProV1.
They are changes he has made to keep pace with the modern game and, with a 19-under par total and tie for fifth last start at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, changes he has faith in now that he is back on home soil.
“It all feels pretty good,” Scott insisted.
“But also trying to make sense of a few changes that I’m making and get a good feel for it.
“I think the best way to do that is to test it in tournaments. Hopefully they’re fairly educated guesses of what’s good for me in the bag.
“It’s not a Hail Mary that I’m going out there with. I shot 19-under with that setup a couple of weeks ago, so yeah, it would be good to test it in slightly different conditions down here.”
A decade since Scott came within a whisker of completing the Australian Triple Crown in the same year that he became the first Australian to win The Masters, the 43-year-old knows the feeling of confidence that only comes with winning.
Adamant he is not home to play second fiddle to the likes of Cam Smith, Min Woo Lee and Scottish Ryder Cup star Robert MacIntyre, Scott wants to break a winless streak now stretching back to February 2020.
“What winning does for the confidence can’t be replaced by anything else,” Scott said.
“It’s nice to play well in Bermuda, but it’s not a win. It’s hard to fake that confidence of what a win does, of closing out a tournament, of beating the entire field.
“If I were to win this week or next, I’d feel like that could be a real springboard into next year.
“It’s happened before, not just with me, but I’ve seen it with other players as well and I think all the players who are playing on other tours and heading back out next year would feel the same.
“But I’m really not going to get the same confidence from just contending and playing well.
“Taking a trophy home is a different deal.”
Photo: Mike Hadnett/PGA of Australia
As it has been since 2018, this Friday at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship will be Yellow Day honouring the late Jarrod Lyle and raising funds for Challenge, an organisation that supports children with cancer.
Yellow Day Ambassador, Lucas Herbert, spent time with Challenge-supported children on Wednesday at Royal Queensland while remembering his late mate Lyle, whose family is on site in Brisbane this week.
“A very special day on Friday, obviously remembering Jarrod as well, I think five years now on, from his passing,” Herbert said.
“I speak to Bri a little bit, his widow, throughout the year and this is good to carry his legacy on.
“He’s just someone that shouldn’t be forgotten.”
Following a year of mixed results on both the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, with Herbert winning in Japan back in April before finishing outside the top-125 on the FedEx Cup standings, the 27-year-old is looking ahead to challenging for the Kirkwood Cup.
His title aspirations this year coming with a healthy dose of perspective.
“It’s great to meet people going through this stuff and feel like any impact that I do have on Challenge, you get to actually see what you’re doing and helping these people versus kind of hearing about it through social media or through print news,” he said.
“It’s great to meet these guys. It’s honestly the least I can do really.
“These guys are going through a lot and trying to deal with some pretty tough things in life.
“Just missing a 9-iron left of the green is pretty insignificant when you start to hear about the kind of stuff that they’re going through.”
The Round 1 Tee Times at the @Fortinet #AusPGA are looking 🔥
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) November 21, 2023
Full List of Tee Times: https://t.co/Oi7SW6DCH3#visitbrisbane | #thisisqueensland pic.twitter.com/KvTFf4gJ53
Chasing a fourth DP World Tour win this week, and next week at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Herbert was headed for his first look at the Royal Queensland layout during Wednesday afternoon’s pro-am.
The PGA TOUR winner, and world No.69, perhaps the most unfamiliar with the host venue of the big-name Aussies in the field after missing the early 2022 edition won by Jed Morgan and withdrawing last year with injury after 10 holes of his second round.
His focus is largely off the golf course in the lead up to this week before getting to work with coach Dom Azzopardi on the ground beneath the Gateway Bridge.
“Struggling a little bit at the moment, to be honest,” he said. “Sort of dealt with a bit off the golf course this year that probably got in the way a little bit of the on-course stuff.
“Just trying to clean that up as best as I can to free myself up on the course to play a little bit easier.
“It’s a good time to come back here and at least feel comfortable on some golf courses. You’re back home on grasses that you’ve grown up playing a lot of golf on and just courses that you’ve seen a fair bit. Even around just familiar people, too.”
Among those familiar faces will be the Lyles, who will be front of mind on site this Friday when Royal Queensland is bathed in yellow with the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship once again #DoingItForJarrod.
“I’m very proud to be the Yellow Day Ambassador,” Herbert added.
“Honestly, I don’t feel like I do a lot. I wear a lot of yellow and carry the head covers, but there’s guys here at home that work for the charity and are pretty hands on that do a hell of a lot more than me.
“I’m proud to be the face of it.”
World No.48 Adrian Meronk and South Australian Jack Thompson will officially get the 2024 DP World Tour season underway with the opening tee shots of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Thursday morning.
Meronk will tee off from the 10th tee at 6am AEST alongside Aussie stars Adam Scott and Cam Davis to mark the start of the 2024 season while Thompson will begin his championship from the first tee also at 6am with Queenslander Elvis Smylie and Kiwi Q School graduate, Sam Jones.
Haydn Barron will have to wait a little bit longer to hit his first competitive shot as a rookie member of the DP World Tour, however, the West Australian’s opening drive from the first hole taking on greater significance after his remarkable run through Q School.
“It was a crazy week and having played through Second Stage the week prior I was already feeling a little bit tired,” Barron said.
“Continually thinking about the carrot at the end of the week and arguing with yourself. ‘Don’t think about it,’ and then you can’t help but think about it.
“I held it together pretty well but I Facetimed my girlfriend as soon as I finished and just broke down crying.
“It was a pretty crazy feeling but something I’ve got to try and hang on to for as long as possible.”
Haydn Barron speaks ahead of his debut as a @DPWorldTour player this week at the @Fortinet #AusPGA@RQGOLF | #visitbrisbane | #thisisqueensland pic.twitter.com/SkxI0nTXPS
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) November 21, 2023
A feeling of accomplishment in trying and surprising circumstances have become somewhat common place for Barron after COVID halted the start of his professional journey.
Barron, arguably the tallest player in the field in Brisbane, earned a place in this year’s Open Championship after a tie for fourth at last year’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
Returning to Australia briefly in between qualifying commitments in Europe, Barron was runner-up at the WA PGA in Kalgoorlie in October, and now will need to spend time planning his schedule between the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour beyond the upcoming co-sanctioned fortnight.
“The schedule has definitely changed a little bit from where it was last week,” Barron conceded.
“Super excited to be back and playing these two in Australia before the rest of the year over in Europe.”
Becoming more comfortable in the kind of company he will be keeping this week alongside the likes of defending champion Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Meronk, Bob MacIntyre and more, Barron could keep his recent dream run going if he were to add a first pro win to his ever-improving resume.
The Round 1 Tee Times at the @Fortinet #AusPGA are looking 🔥
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) November 21, 2023
Full List of Tee Times: https://t.co/Oi7SW6DCH3#visitbrisbane | #thisisqueensland pic.twitter.com/KvTFf4gJ53
“It’s been a whirlwind last 12 months for anyone that knows what’s been happening,” he said.
“I’ve been playing well for the last few months and having headed over to Liverpool in the middle of the year and playing The Open, just experiencing those wild emotions in the big events probably makes everything seem a little easier now.
“Regardless of what event it is, you’re always feeling under the pump but knowing that I’ve been there and been through it already a couple of times this year, it makes it much easier I think.”
Other notables in the field this week include Min Woo Lee chasing a second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia win after securing his own new PGA TOUR card in America next year, Marc Leishman, reigning Order of Merit champion David Micheluzzi and past champions Geoff Ogilvy and Jed Morgan.
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 PGA Tour of Australasia’s social media channels.
Instagram: @pgatouraus
Twitter: @PGAofAustralia
Facebook: @PGATourAus
Official hashtag: #AusPGA
HOW TO WATCH
The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship is live on Nine and Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo
Round 1: Thursday, 12pm – 5pm (AEDT)
Round 2: Friday, 12pm – 5pm (AEDT)
Round 3: Saturday, 12pm – 5pm (AEDT)
Round 4: Sunday, 12pm – 5pm (AEDT)
RECENT CHAMPIONS
2022 Cam Smith
2021 Jed Morgan
2019 Adam Scott
2018 Cam Smith
2017 Cam Smith
2016 Harold Varner III
2015 Nathan Holman
COURSE RECORD
Jediah Morgan (63, 2021 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship)
COURSE DESIGNER
Carnegie Clark (1920); Dr Alister MacKenzie (1926); Mike Clayton (2007).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cam Smith, 2022 Open Championship winner
Adam Scott, 2013 Masters champion
Adrian Meronk, four-time DP World Tour champion
Robert MacIntyre, two-time DP World Tour winner and 2023 Ryder Cup representative
Cam Davis, PGA TOUR winner and 2017 Australian Open champion
Min Woo Lee, two-time DP World Tour winner and 2023 Macao Open champion
David Micheluzzi, 2022/23 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner
Marc Leishman, six-time PGA TOUR winner
Lucas Herbert, three-time DP World Tour and PGA TOUR winner
With a coveted PGA TOUR card now in his back pocket, Min Woo Lee has his sights set on one of Australian golf’s major tournaments, starting with this week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
Lee arrived into Brisbane late on Monday night on the back of a season on the DP World Tour in which he finished 10th on the Race to Dubai standings.
That, in itself, would have been enough to secure Lee’s path to the PGA TOUR in 2024 but he was notified a week earlier that he had accumulated enough FedEx Cup points as a Special Temporary Member of the PGA TOUR to rubber-stamp his advancement.
A top-five finisher in each of the past two championships at Royal Queensland, Lee is now eager to add to his Vic Open triumph in 2020 and thrill his ever-expanding legion of Lee disciples.
“It would be amazing,” Lee said of the prospect of a win this Sunday.
“Any tournament you really win is unbelievable, but at home it’s probably got to be a different feeling.
“I won the Vic Open and it was awesome winning at home and I hope to do it again.”
A prodigy who once wowed Tiger Woods and whose path to the PGA TOUR seemed preordained, Lee took a circuitous route before securing a PGA TOUR card for the first time.
He flirted with Korn Ferry Tour events in South America at the start of 2019 but top five finishes at the Saudi International and the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 in Perth created an opportunity to play on the DP World Tour.
He has won twice since but is now ready to take to the States on a full-time basis.
“Obviously the PGA Tour card’s a massive thing,” said Lee, who last month won the Macao Open on the Asian Tour.
“That was on my radar from last year. I had a couple of pathways to do it, through the DP World Tour and through the tournaments in America, so really excited for that.
“I knew probably a month ago but I got the confirmation probably last week when they took me off the DP World top 10 list because I got enough points to have my card.
“I’ve known for about a month, which is pretty cool.”
With the new DP World Tour season starting just days after the last one came to a close, Lee intends to draw on the energy of the Royal Queensland galleries when he tees off on Thursday, particularly when he arrives at the Southern Comfort Party Hole.
“I’m that type of player that I love crowds and I don’t shy away from them. If there’s any partying or any good time happening, I love it,” said Lee.
“I remember I nearly had a hole in one there. I put it to like a foot last year on that front left location.
“The last couple of years have been amazing. Last year especially was unbelievable.
“Fairways were filled, which we don’t get that every week, so it is nice to be one of the top names at a tournament and get such a following.”
West Australian Minjee Lee has been crowned the Greg Norman Medal winner for a record third time at the 2023 PGA Awards held at Brisbane City Hall on Tuesday night.
A two-time winner on the LPGA Tour in 2023, Lee beat out the strongest field of contenders in the award’s nine-year history, including reigning Fortinet Australian PGA Championship winner Cameron Smith, and Minjee’s younger brother, Min Woo Lee.
The PGA Awards also celebrates the extensive contribution of PGA Professionals who have achieved great success in their own endeavours throughout the industry, with Cameron Smith’s coach and Director of Coaching at Queensland’s Pelican Waters Golf Club, Grant Field, named PGA National Coach of the Year – High Performance, for the third year in a row.
There was a second win in succession for The Brisbane Golf Club with Asha Flynn taking out the PGA National Coach of the Year – Game Development while another Queenslander, Darren Richards from Nudgee Golf Club, was named the PGA National Management Professional of the Year.
Director of Golf at Concord Golf Club, David Northey received the award as the PGA National Club Professional of the Year, Declan McCollam, General Manager of the Prestige Golfshire Club in India was named PGA of Australia International Member of the Year and Seb Howell, from The Coast Golf Club in Sydney, was honoured as MyGolf Deliverer of the Year.
After an extended layoff at the start of the year, Minjee Lee’s results were initially underwhelming but when she found form, the 27-year-old refused to look back. She dispelled any thoughts of a form slump with a playoff loss to Jin Young Ko at the Cognizant Founders Cup and was top 20 in each of her subsequent seven starts.
She briefly dropped outside of the top 10 in the world rankings before responding with her ninth LPGA Tour victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship. Three weeks later, Lee registered win No.10 at the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea to climb back to No.4 in the world.
PGA of Australia CEO, Gavin Kirkman, said that in a hot field, Lee’s third Greg Norman Medal was just reward for another exceptional year.
“Minjee continues to represent Australian golf in the best way possible,” Kirkman said.
“To now have 10 wins on the LPGA Tour – including two major championships – at such a young age establishes Minjee as one of our greatest golfers of all time.
“And yet, I am sure there is much more to come.
“Given the success our golfers have enjoyed throughout the world this past year, I commend the judges on what must have been a very difficult decision to pick between such worthy candidates.”
Kirkman also commended the PGA Professionals who were recognised for their outstanding contributions throughout the industry over the past 12 months.
“Our PGA Professionals are at the core of how golfers experience our game and they have contributed significantly to the strong position we currently find ourselves in as an industry,” Kirkman added.
“From juniors to beginners, high performance pathways and the delivery of our services at golf facilities around the country, our PGA Professionals are ensuring that those who engage in golf have a great experience each and every time.”
A chance to celebrate Australian golf’s highest achievers both on and off the golf course, the PGA Awards also serves as the official launch of the 2023 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, to be played at Royal Queensland Golf Club, starting on Thursday.
The judges for the Greg Norman Medal were PGA of Australia Chair Rodger Davis, WPGA Tour Life-Member Karrie Webb, WPGA Tour President Julia Boland, PGA Life Member Peter O’Malley and PGA Board member Ian Baker-Finch.
Judging of the Greg Norman Medal is based on a combination of objective and subjective criterion, with the panel taking many factors into consideration, including results and rankings.
There were more winners on the night with three-time winner David Micheluzzi taking out the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year, Grace Kim awarded the Margie Masters Player of the Year and Queenslander Andre Stolz claimed the PGA Legends Tour Player of the Year for the second year running.
PGA awards winners’ list:
Greg Norman Medal: Minjee Lee
Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year: David Micheluzzi
PGA Legends Tour Player of the Year: Andre Stolz
Margie Masters WPGA Tour Player of the Year: Grace Kim
PGA of Australia National Coach of the Year – High Performance: Grant Field, Director of Coaching, Pelican Waters Golf Club, Qld
PGA of Australia National Coach of the Year – Game Development: Asha Flynn, Assistant Professional, The Brisbane Golf Club, Qld
PGA of Australia National Club Professional of the Year: David Northey, Director of Golf, Concord Golf Club, NSW
PGA of Australia National Management Professional of the Year: Darren Richards, General Manager, Nudgee Golf Club, Qld
PGA of Australia International Member of the Year: Declan McCollam, General Manager, Prestige Golfshire Club, Bengaluru, India
MyGolf Deliverer of the Year: Seb Howell, The Coast Golf Club, NSW
Cam Smith ticked off a bucket list item for a Brisbane Broncos fan on Tuesday morning, and now the Queenslander has turned his attention towards a fourth Fortinet Australian PGA Championship title.
Spending the morning in a mowing competition with close mate Marc Leishman at Suncorp Stadium, home of the Broncos, Smith headed for Royal Queensland to refamiliarise himself with the layout where he won his third Kirkwood Cup last year.
Bad weather halted practice rounds on Tuesday afternoon, however, Smith knows the Mike Clayton redesigned course well, and the Australian PGA has been his happiest hunting ground as a professional.
“I’ve been quite fortunate at this event. It’s been nice to me,” the 2017, 2018 and 2022 champion said. “I’ve managed to get a couple of them so far.”
Beyond his familiarity with the course and trophy, Smith’s chances of joining Robert Allenby and Norman Von Nida as a four-time winner, are further enhanced by his recent good form around the world.
Twice a winner on the LIV Golf League in 2023, the 150th Open champion was runner-up a fortnight ago at the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour, before the world No.18 took a break to go fishing on the Great Barrier Reef ahead of the PGA and next week’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
“It’s been good lately. Lots of kind of consistent stuff with the golf game, so looking forward to getting back out at home and hopefully get another Kirkwood Cup,” said Smith, who is in pursuit of Billy Dunk (five) and Kel Nagle (six) as the Australian PGA’s most prolific winner.
Mixing talk on his beloved rugby league and golf Tuesday – including an admission that the Broncos’ Grand Final loss meant his iPad received some tough love – Smith spoke highly of those trying to deny him a fourth win in his home state.
“Another great field this week. Scotty’s back, Leish is back… it’s a great field and hopefully the fans love it,” he said.
Planning to remain in Brisbane and take some time off from golf until the end of January, Smith isn’t on holiday mode just yet, with the chance to join the four-time winners of the PGA Championship followed by his quest to claim the Australian Open for the first time.
On record speaking of his desire to win his national Open, Smith’s fortnight of competitive golf at home also has important connotations for his schedule next year, the Paris Olympic Games squarely in his sights after representing his country in Tokyo.
“Definitely want to be there, 100 per cent,” Smith said of the Olympics.
“I know the criteria, I don’t know if that can change, but I’ve got these couple of events here and probably four more looks again in the majors.
“Hopefully it can keep that ranking up and wear the coat of arms on the chest again, it’s pretty special.”
Open to the idea of playing more in the new year if he needs to chase world ranking points, Smith’s first preference is to play well at home, something that has become par for the course for him at the Australian PGA Championship.
“These couple of events down here can do plenty for me,” he added.
Veteran Rod Pampling has compared the tee shot at Royal Queensland Golf Club’s party hole to that of the iconic 17th at TPC Sawgrass… with one significant exception.
Up to 3,000 golf fans a day will be able to experience the electric atmosphere of the Southern Comfort Party Hole at this week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, capacity expanded by 50 per cent compared to last year.
Hospitality suites are close to sold out for both Friday and Saturday while the new grandstand holding 638 reserved seats and space for 1,328 fans in the general admission areas both have limited availability.
It is expected that more than 50,000 drinks will be served, more than 31 hours of music played and over 442 golf shots taken over the course of the four days, raising the energy to levels previously unseen.
At just 125 metres (137 yards), Royal Queensland’s 17th measures the exact same distance of its counterpart at THE PLAYERS Championship on the PGA TOUR, but sits in an island of sand rather than one of water.
“Very similar distance-wise,” said Pampling, who had a best finish of tied for 27th in 11 starts at THE PLAYERS Championship.
“Obviously the wind is a factor, the big difference there is that you can’t miss that green. There’s water.
“It’s the walk of shame to the drop area, which is the difficult part. Being able to distract yourself from the water and just focus on your shot.
“Both very difficult shots but that’s part of it. We want to make things difficult and whoever can pull off the good shot then they’re going to get rewarded for it.
“It’s a great little hole. When you have a wedge in your hand you have high expectations from yourself. It’s more putting pressure on yourself to hit a good shot.”
West Australian Haydn Barron was on debut as a professional when he played Royal Queensland’s 17th for the first time in the 2021 Australian PGA played in January 2022.
Barron, who obtained a DP World Tour card at Q School last week in Spain, was tied for 12th on debut at RQ, thanks in part to a more aggressive approach on 17 on the final day.
“I remember saying to my caddie all week that I was just going for the middle of the green,” Barron recalled.
“On the final day, to the back-right pin, he told me to have a crack and I hit it close and made two to finish off the event.
“That was a wild feeling. There’s estimated to be about 3,000 people a day here in the Southern Comfort Party Hole so really looking forward to getting here and trying to hit one close.”
Pampling had a taste of what to expect when the tournament begins on Thursday by participating in an invitational event at Royal Queensland last Friday.
A winner for the second time on the PGA TOUR Champions this year and a three-time PGA TOUR winner, the 54-year-old is back in Queensland with the belief that he can still match it with stars such as defending champion Cameron Smith and Adam Scott.
“That’s the great thing with the Champions Tour and the great thing with golf, at 54 you can still play competitively against everyone,” said Pampling, who missed last year’s tournament with a knee injury.
“You’re meeting different athletes across the world and they wish they could be competing at that age still.
“It’s not like we’re old men playing the game for the sake of it. We’re out there working hard, working on the game which then, when you come back home, I feel like I can compete out here.
“I know the golf course, which is a huge advantage, so looking forward to a good week.”
Superstar siblings Minjee Lee and Min Woo Lee are headed home for the summer of golf in Australia on the back of outstanding seasons around the world and strong finishes at the weekend.
Women’s world No. 5 Minjee Lee logged another top 10, her fifth of the season, in the LPGA Tour’s Tour Championship in Florida today.
The Royal Fremantle product was in contention after an opening 64 but drifted over the final three days to finish nine shots from Amy Yang’s winning score, but she ultimately finished fifth on the tour’s year-long points calculation and is primed for a shot at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at The Australian and The Lakes in Sydney next week.
The 27-year-old Lee won two LPGA Tour tournaments this year and will be one of the favourites for next week’s Greg Norman Medal to be held in Brisbane as part of the PGA Awards.
She earned more than $US1.5 million this year on the main tour.
Hannah Green was tied-23rd, while rookie Grace Kim completed an outstanding year with a T47 finish in her first appearance in the tour championship. Sarah Kemp was T50 and Steph Kyriacou, also in the season-ender for the first time, finished T57.
Ironically one of Minjee Lee’s main rivals for the players’ major award in Brisbane this week will be brother Min Woo, who shot a final-round 69 in Dubai to finish tied-15th in the DP World Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship, won by Nicolai Hojgaard.
His 2023 season on the DP World Tour includes 14 cuts made from 15 starts and 2.4 million Euros in prizemoney, and he will be one of the marquee players at this week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland, as well as at the Australian Open in Sydney the week after.
Min Woo Lee finished 10th on the DP World Tour rankings and won a tournament on the Asian Tour.
He is headed for America next year with a full playing card on the PGA TOUR, having earned enough points as a non-member this year to qualify.
Meanwhile in Japan, Brad Kennedy logged a T4 finish in the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament to keep himself close to the top 20 on the money list.
PHOTO: Min Woo Lee blasts from the sand in Dubai during his final round of the DP World Tour’s season-ender. Image: Getty
RESULTS
PGA TOUR
RSM Classic, Sea Island, Georgia
Japan Tour
Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, Miyazaki, Japan
LPGA Tour
CME Group Tour Championship, Florida
DP World Tour
DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
Asian Tour
Indonesian Masters, Djakarta
Ladies European Tour
Mallorca Open, Spain
Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia
Vic PGA Championship, Moonah Links
David Micheluzzi has overcome a seven shot deficit early in the final round to stage an incredible come-from-behind win the 2023 Vic PGA at Moonah Links.
After a break-out season last year, winning three times and claiming the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, his latest win further outlines Micheluzzi as one of the most exciting emerging Australian talents.
Recording a final round four-under 68 to finish on a total of 14-under, Micheluzzi edged out Ben Eccles by a solitary stroke. His latest win not without some hiccups along the way.
The Victorian started the day six shots behind Kazuma Kobori, and after a double bogey on the second, he found himself even further behind.
Bouncing back quickly, Micheluzzi birdied his next three holes, and as he edged closer, Kobori finally slowed.
At the turn, Kobori’s six-shot lead was gone, the Kiwi and Micheluzzi tied at the top, with Eccles in the group ahead making moves of his own.
After four bogeys, Kobori’s first birdie came at the par-5 13th keeping hope of a first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia win alive, but three more bogeys coming in put an end to his chances. Kobori’s impeccable golf in the first three rounds, in just his second tournament as a professional, showing why the young Kiwi is going to be a force to be reckoned with in future events.
As Kobori struggled coming home, Micheluzzi added four more birdies against a solitary dropped shot, with a bogey at the par-4 15th signalling the end of Eccles’ charge and yet another trophy for the man known as Micha’s mantlepiece.
This win particularly special in his home state and in front of friends and family. Something Micheluzzi has been dreaming of since he was a child.
“I’m stoked with how everything went, and yeah to have friends and family here just tops everything,” he said.
“The putter got so hot, it’s probably the best I’ve putted in quite a long time.”
His Order of Merit win from last season has gained Micheluzzi DP World Tour status for next year, but performing well in Australia is still high on his priorities.
“I wanted to come back and play a couple of events, especially before Aus PGA and Aus Open,” he said.
Playing with Kobori on Sunday, Micheluzzi had nothing but praise for the rookie professional.
“He’s so good … that’s definitely not the last time you’ll see him, he can only grow, he’s a great kid.”
Next week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship will be Micheluzzi’s first event as a DP World Tour player, with the next two events on the Australasian calendar co-sectioned with the circuit, and on current form he’ll definitely be one to watch.
With a lot of the focus on Micheluzzi and Kobori in the final group, Eccles had his chances to move up the leaderboard, however, his runner-up finish this week coupled with his win at the WA PGA last month moves him to the top of the Order of Merit standings.
“I’m really proud of how I got myself into the mix, and I holed a few good putts coming in which I’m really proud of,” he said.
“I spoke to my coach yesterday and we just said, ‘Keep moving forward’, and that’s kind of been the message all season really.
“Two big weeks coming up, so again it’ll be the same sort of message just keep moving forward.”
In the amateur teams event, Konrad Ciupek and partner Sang Jun Lee took home the trophy with a score of 35-under-par, with amateur Lee’s hole-in-one at the par-3 17th a crucial factor in their success.
Praising the conditioning of the courses this week during his acceptance speech, Micheluzzi will surely be excited by today’s announcement that the Vic PGA will be headed back to Moonah Links for another three years.
Full scores HERE.
The latest addition to the PGA Legends Tour has made his maiden win one to remember with David Bransdon taking out the $100,000 David Mercer Senior Classic at Killara Golf Club.
Runner-up at the Cowra Legends Pro-Am on debut two weeks ago, Bransdon immediately established that he would be a regular contender among the over-50s.
Top-10 at the Australian PGA Senior Championship last weekend, Bransdon was tied for fourth at the Glenn Joyner Legends Pro-Am at The Australian before clinching his breakthrough win with a birdie at the final hole at Killara.
Bransdon’s round of 4-under 68 was just enough to finish one stroke clear of Order of Merit leader Andre Stolz, Anthony Summers, David Van Raalte and Brendan Chant.
Given Mercer’s standing within the Australian golf community, Bransdon was thrilled that his name will now be added to a trophy previously won by the likes of Lyndsay Stephen, Mike Harwood and Peter Fowler.
“It’s pretty awesome because he’s a legend of our industry,” said Bransdon, pictured with Richard Mercer and Greg Hohnen.
“To add myself to that list is a pretty awesome feeling.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
A birdie to start, a birdie to finish and no bogeys in between.
It was a winning formula for Bransdon as he kept mistakes to a minimum and picked off two further birdie opportunities during his round to finish one shot in front.
Starting from the short par-4 13th, the Victorian patiently picked off 11 pars before launching a late birdie blitz, surging to the top of the leaderboard with birdies on seven and nine, the clincher coming with a final birdie at the par-5 12th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was awesome actually. It was nice to get the first win under the belt.
“I nearly snagged a win in my first event but came down to someone else making a nice putt on the last.
“And I two-putted from long range to sneak over the line myself.
“Any time you keep a clean card it’s awesome,” Bransdon said of going bogey-free.
“That’s the idea. Keep the mistakes off the card and hopefully make a few birds.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 David Bransdon 68
T2 Anthony Summers 69
T2 David Van Raalte 69
T2 Brendan Chant 69
T2 Andre Stolz 69
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour continues its Sydney stretch with the $30,000 Col Crawford BMW NSW Senior PGA Championship over two days at Cromer Golf Club starting Monday.
