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A change to his putting grip and a new strategy on the greens proved a winning combination for Nicholas Robb at the Mollymook NSW Senior Masters.
Trailing by two at the start of Round 2, Robb’s putter proved pivotal in his second round of 1-under 71, the second-best of the day at Mollymook Golf Club’s Hilltop Course.
His 36-hole total of even par 144 was just enough to edge defending champion Chris Taylor (72) by a single shot with Adam Henwood (74) and Mark Boulton (75) sharing third.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Playing the second round with Steven Conran and Roland Baglin, Robb turned in 2-under thanks to birdies on two, six and nine, his birdie at the par-3 ninth a mere formality after hitting his tee shot to just two feet.
Bogeys at 11 and 12 brought a host of players into the mix but a birdie on 14 and another brilliant tee shot at the par-3 17th secured a one-shot win.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I’m really happy with how I played. The game-plan going in was to try and minimise three-putts. I walked off scratching my head last year when I had three-putts and four-putts but this year I had one three-putt both rounds this time so I was pretty happy with that.
“I changed my putting grip recently which made a big difference. I felt much more solid over the short ones and my driver behaved. Hit the driver straight, make a few putts, you’re probably going to end up with a good score.
“I hit a really good shot into the ninth. I just held a 6-iron off on the wind and it ended up about two feet away. And then on 17 I hit an 8-iron and it just held up perfectly to about a foot behind the hole.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Nicholas Robb 73-71—144
2 Chris Taylor 73-72—145
T3 Adam Henwood 72-74—146
T3 Mark Boulton 71-75—146
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour stays on the New South Wales South Coast for the inaugural Links Shell Cove Legends Pro-Am at Links Shell Cove on Monday.
Jak Carter’s hopes for a ‘good swing’ has delivered a new Subaru Crosstrek worth $50,000 thanks to a hole-in-one at the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Steaming after walking off the 16th green with a double-bogey six, Carter was hoping for little more than a well-executed shot that found the green to get his third round at Kalgoorlie back on track.
Instead, his 8-iron from 178 metres just covered the front edge of the green and then rolled up and dropped straight into the hole.
A PGA of Australia Associate at The Stirling Golf Club south of Adelaide, Carter knew by the reaction of officials behind the green that the fourth hole-in-one of his career came with a significant reward.
“The only thing left was to make sure I was the first one to get it. But we had the reaction on 17 so it was like, It’s mine,” said Carter.
“It’s definitely mine, because the ladies went nuts behind the green. There it is, I’ve won it.”
It was an extraordinary response to a double-bogey that threatened to drop him out of the WA PGA top-10.
“I hit probably the worst wedge shot I’ve hit in a while,” Carter said of his approach shot into the previous hole.
“Had absolutely no idea what to do from there and made a quick six.
“I walked up to the next hole, the par-3 17th and was standing there thinking, Just swing this good here. Let’s just see what we can do.
“Stepped up and hit an 8-iron that I thought was short. I hit it and was like, It’s a bit short. Go, please go. Then I’ve seen it land and thought, This thing is on target.
“Rolled straight up, bang, straight in the hole. Then everyone’s just gone mental. It was absolutely crazy.”
His new Crosstrek courtesy of Subaru Australia is a significant step up from the previous prizes he has won for a hole-in-one.
“Probably a $10 voucher at home. Whatever they give out for the nearest-the-pin,” he said of his previous hole-in-one hauls.
“It’s a huge upgrade.”
Carter’s ace enabled him to shoot 2-under 70 in Saturday’s third round to be in a tie for 10th, 10 shots back of runaway leader Ben Eccles.
Victorian Ben Eccles will draw on the belief of his 20-year-old self to complete a second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory at the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
On a day in which South Australian Jak Carter was the big winner courtesy of a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th that netted him a $50,000 Subaru Cross-Trek, Eccles holed out for eagle at the par-4 16th to highlight his round of 6-under 66 and 19-under total.
Kiwi Kit Bittle flirted with the course record before signing for an 8-under 64 to share second with South Australian Lachlan Barker (65) at 13-under par.
Victorian Charlie Robbins (12-under) remains in the hunt thanks to a round of 3-under 69 at Kalgoorlie Golf Course on Saturday with Haydn Barron (68), Harrison Crowe (68) and Quinn Croker (73) all tied for fifth at 11-under.
Eccles sent a shockwave through Australian golf when as a 20-year-old amateur he converted a four-shot lead into a three-shot victory at the 2015 NSW Open.
Eight years on, Eccles has experienced the highs and lows of professional golf but has returned to the PGA Tour of Australasia rejuvenated and ready to win again.
“I feel like if you don’t have the belief that you can do it, then what’s the point in competing?” said Eccles.
“Twenty-year-olds think they’re invincible and I fell into that trap.
“I’ve had a lot of experience over the last eight years so I’m just going to draw on that tomorrow and see how we go.”
A one-stroke leader through 36 holes, Eccles had to be patient early in his third round.
His only birdie in his first six holes came at the short par-4 third but he picked up shots at seven and nine to turn in 3-under.
He moved to 4-under on his round with a birdie at the par-5 11th but separated himself from the field with a special lob wedge from 70 metres that hopped twice before nestling into the cup on 16.
“I just wanted to keep it in the right section on the 16th green,” said Eccles of his hole-out eagle.
“Landed in the right spot and went in on the third bounce. You take it when it comes.”
Eccles’ closest challengers know they will need to back up Saturday’s fireworks with something similar on Sunday to rein him in.
Bittle and Barker both sparked their rounds with long-range birdie putts at the par-3 fourth, Bittle just missing a chance to match the Kalgoorlie low of 9-under 63 on his final hole.
Given he’ll start the final round six shots adrift, Bittle knows he needs to at least match his effort on Saturday to be a chance.
“It was all the putter really,” Bittle said of his 64. “I hit 16 greens today and hit 11 in two and managed to roll that in for eagle from 16 feet.
“I’m going to try and see if I can hit more greens tomorrow – I’ll see if I can hit 17 – and if the putter works, I might have a chance.”
Winner of the season-opening PNG Open in May, Barker is already playing with house money and is not afraid to take an aggressive approach into Sunday’s final round.
“It’s the kind of golf course where if you’re not on you can have 5, 6-over any day of the week. But when the conditions are nice like today, there’s someone going low,” said Barker, who is currently third on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
“Why not me? Why not tomorrow?”
Saturday ‘s third round also marked the first round of the Road to the Outback Challenge for 34 amateurs and Round 1 of the CKB WA PGA All Abilities Championship.
Victorious last week at the WA Open and ninth at the Queensland PGA Associate Championship in Brisbane mid-week, Lachlan Wood will take a one-shot lead into the final round following a 1-over 73.
Cameron Pollard trailed by as many as seven shots late on the front nine but played the back nine in 3-under to draw within one by day’s end.
WA PGA Championship Round 3 scores
WA PGA Championship Round 4 draw
Four years after having victory stolen away by wet weather, Jack Wilson has triumphed in another rain-affected PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club.
Players were called from the course in Round 1 due to heavy rain and were unable to complete their rounds until the morning of Round 2.
Holing out for eagle at the par-4 ninth was the highlight of Wilson’s opening round of 2-under 70, putting him two strokes back of Bryce Hohnen and Brad Kivimets.
Starting Round 2 from the second hole, Wilson picked up birdies at three, four and six but it was his birdies on 16 and 17 that would prove the difference in his round of 4-under 68 and two-stroke win.
Ten years after making history as the first trainee to win a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tour event at the 2013 Goldfields WA PGA Championship, Wilson is now a real estate agent based in Canberra.
He looked destined to win the 2019 Wagga Wagga Pro-Am until the entire second round had to be cancelled just a few holes from the finish and Round 1 leader Andrew Kelly was declared the winner.
In what would prove a prophetic text, he even sent a message to Kelly who is playing the WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie on his way from Canberra to Wagga.
“I sent Andrew Kelly a message when I was driving over here and said, ‘Geez I’m glad to see you’re in WA. It’s time this year for me to claim that one you stole from me’,” said Wilson.
“I love this place so much, it means a lot to me. They’ve supported me, they’ve taken me in as one of their own and to be able to give back, put a show on and to come back and support the sponsors who have put so much money into this event over the years, it’s a real privilege to get my name on that trophy.
“Of all the pro-ams I’ve played, there’s no event that’s done like this. There’s no event, I think, that the sponsors get around with the hospitality and how they look after the pros from start to finish.
“It is special to get a win here and I’m super proud to get my name on that cup.”
Now a restricted tournament member of the PGA, Wilson is limited to just three tournaments a year.
He made the most of a rare appearance on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with some clutch putts down the stretch under pressure.
“I hit some great shots today but the highlights were the two putts I made on my third-last hole and my second-last hole,” said Wilson.
“Eight-footers up the hill, middle of the cup for birdie and for par.
“They’re the ones that mean the most.
“The easiest thing is that I don’t have any expectations now. There’s not as much consequence and it makes it a little bit easier to put those numbers up.”
Wilson finished two strokes clear of Patrick Joseph (70) and Darren Bowman (70) at 4-under with former Tour winners Matt Stieger (71) and Ashley Hall (70) tied for fourth with Daniel Gill (70) and Brad Kivimets (73) at 3-under par.
A more content Ben Eccles matched the course record set by Cameron John 12 months ago to take the 36-hole lead at the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Coached by Cameron Smith’s mentor, Grant Field, the 28-year-old Victorian was brilliant on day two, compiling a 9-under 63 to reach 13-under through two rounds to be one stroke clear of Queensland amateur Quinn Croker (66).
Victorian rookie Charlie Robbins had four birdies and three bogeys on his front nine but played the back in 3-under for a round of 4-under 68 and 9-under total, making an up-and-down from the back of the ninth green to stay outright third.
West Australian Josh Greer and Sydney’s Jason Hong were among six players to shoot 65 in Round 2 and will start the third round five strokes off the lead, tied for fourth at 8-under.
Haydn Barron, Jak Carter and Sam Slater also shot 65 on Friday to be in a share of sixth with New South Welshman Harrison Crowe (69) at 7-under par.
Starting his second round on the front nine, Eccles birdied the par-4 third and then holed a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 fourth. He picked up shots at six and seven and then made three birdies on the trot to start his back nine to be 7-under through 12 holes.
John’s record was there for the taking but after three straight pars, Eccles had to settle for a share of the low score at Kalgoorlie Golf Course, holing a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet at the par-5 18th to go with his birdie on 16.
“I just kept telling myself to keep giving myself chances,” said Eccles.
“The greens are in really good shape so I thought if I could give myself some chances I’d be able to roll in a few at least.
“It’s just all coming together today; it was good.”
Twelve months ago, Eccles was questioning whether he had a future in the game.
After three years in Europe playing predominantly on the secondary Challenge Tour, Eccles split his time in 2022 between the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour.
Neither was particularly fruitful so he returned to Qualifying School in April and set his sights on the Australian Summer of Golf.
“Financially I was in a really poor position, so I felt a lot of stress away from the course,” admitted Eccles, who has begun the PGA of Australia’s Tour Professional Articulation to become an accredited PGA Professional.
“I went back to Q School and after Q School I put the clubs away for about six weeks, didn’t play at all. It was probably the best break I’ve ever had away from the game.
“I felt if I could have all my ducks in a row away from the course, get my body right, get my mind in the right place then my game can come through. That’s what’s showing.”
Croker continues to impress as he nears a move into the pro ranks.
A member of the Australian contingent that will contest the Asia-Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne in two weeks’ time, Croker already boasts two top-10 finishes this season.
He is positioned to better that heading into the weekend.
After a sloppy tee shot on one, the 21-year-old quickly refocused to make a par save that set the tone for the remainder of his round.
“That was a kickstart,” Croker said of making par at the par-4 first.
“I was probably mentally a little lazy on the first tee. Didn’t really turn on for the first shot and hit a bad tee shot.
“Got it to the green, got it out of the bunker and made the putt. I said to myself, ‘It’s not often you get away with pars like that, so make the most of it.’
“I birdied the next and then got a bit more comfortable.”
Croker made up-and-downs from 35 metres twice after finding the desert from the tee and holed a 30-footer from the fringe for eagle at the par-5 11th.
A total of 58 players made the cut at even par and will be joined for the final two rounds by amateurs taking part in the Road to the Outback Challenge.
The only place to see the final two rounds of the CKB WA PGA Championship is on Fox Sports through either Foxtel or Kayo Sports.
Coverage begins at 5pm AEDT on Saturday and 2.30pm Sunday.
Australian Deyen Lawson chipped in at the first playoff hole to claim his maiden victory on the Asian Development Tour.
Lawson’s best-of-the-day 65 saw him end the final round of the Second Indo Masters Golf Invitational at 13-under and tied with Thailand’s Charng-Tai Sudsom.
It would take just one extra hole for the Victorian to claim victory and move to the top of the ADT Order of Merit.
Lawson had just two pars in his outward nine, turning in 3-under thanks to five birdies against two bogeys that came in his opening three holes.
Three birdies in succession from the 11th hole brought him firmly into the mix, a final birdie at the par-4 17th completing a round of 7-under.
From there he had a short wait before confirmation that he and Sudsom would need extra holes to determine the winner.
Runner-up to fellow Aussie Aaron Wilkin at the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang last month, Lawson is now in the box seat to claim one of the 2024 Asian Tour cards given to the top-10 finishers on the Order of Merit at season’s end.
“It’s been close for the last few weeks and I’ve been playing solid, so it’s really good to get over the line,” said Lawson, the 2022 WA Open champion.
“It was good to chip in to win.
“You practice that shot all the time on the chipping green but you never really expect it to happen in a playoff so that was pretty fortunate.
“Obviously I want to finish in the top 10 to get an Asian Tour card but you never get sick of winning, no matter where it is, so I’m really excited.”
Wilkin is in fourth spot on the Order of Merit on the back of a tie for 13th, forging his way up the leaderboard after a 4-over 76 in Round 1.
His body clock is stuck somewhere between St Andrews and Kalgoorlie yet Haydn Barron used a 7-under 65 on Friday morning to join the hunt for the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Barron was one of three players who flew into Kalgoorlie just hours before their Round 1 tee times on Thursday, the West Australian making birdie at two of his final three holes to open with even par 72.
After starting his round with a bogey for the second straight day on Friday, Barron played the next 17 holes in 8-under to sit in a tie for fourth at 7-under through two rounds.
He shot 65 in the final round to finish tied for 25th at the Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland that went into a Monday finish and then embarked on a marathon journey home to make it to Kalgoorlie on time.
After his first leg from Edinburgh to Doha, he was “getting some weird looks” as he spent much of a three-hour layover stretching his long legs up a wall to reduce the swelling in his ankles.
The 27-year-old had just a few hours sleep at home in Perth on Wednesday night before flying out to Kalgoorlie on Thursday morning.
He endured another restless night’s sleep on Thursday and barely ate on Friday morning yet compiled a superb 7-under 65 to enter the hunt for a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title.
“I woke up at midnight last night and I was ready to go,” said Barron. “I had to figure out how to get back to sleep.
“Body started to shut down last night. Started to get a few shakes and almost like I was going to be sick.
“I wasn’t over there for a long time, but your body gets used to when you’re eating. I struggled to even eat some toast this morning and then got to the third hole I was starving.
“I didn’t eat anything and by the time I got through nine I wasn’t even hungry.”
Before he left Scotland on Monday evening, Barron received a piece of advice from fellow West Australian Jason Scrivener, advice that would prove prescient on Thursday.
“Golf was easier today,” said Barron.
“I was walking up the fairways yesterday with my eyes closed after each tee shot, just to try and get a bit of relaxation time in.
“I was 2-over with a couple to go and birdied two of my last three to come into the house square.
“That was my goal. I spent a bit of time with Jason Scrivener last week and he said to me, ‘Just get in there and shoot square first round.’
“We can say that I just took his advice.”
As the afternoon groups began their second rounds, Victorian Ben Eccles had moved into the outright lead by equalling the course record of 9-under 63.
Eccles leads the way 13-under par, one clear of Queensland amateur Quinn Croker who shot a second consecutive 6-under 66. West Australian rookie Josh Greer (65) is the next best at 8-under.
Victorian Ben Eccles has picked up four birdies early in Round 2 to join Queensland amateur Quinnton Croker on top of the leaderboard at the CKB WA PGA Championship.
Backing up from his 4-under 68 in Round 1 at Kalgoorlie Golf Course, Eccles (pictured) picked up shots at three, four, six and seven to make the turn in 4-under and 8-overall.
Overnight leader Croker is also keeping pace, making birdie at two and five to build on his opening 6-under 66.
As the morning groups near the turn Eccles and Croker sit three strokes clear with West Australian Josh Greer the other big mover, 4-under on his round and tied for third with Harrison Crowe, Brett Rumford and Charlie Robbins at 5-under.
Coverage begins at 5pm AEDT on Saturday and 2.30pm Sunday.
Live scores
Photo: Monica Marchesani/PGA of Australia
Murwillumbah Golf Club Associate Riley Taylor overcame early “head noise” to complete a wire-to-wire win at the Queensland PGA Associate Championship at Windaroo Lakes Golf Club.
Tied with Coolangatta’s Jack Wright after 18 and 36 holes, Taylor was a runaway six-stroke leader heading into Thursday’s final round.
That lead was cut to just two after just three holes but Taylor leant on his putter on the back nine to complete a four-stroke win with a final round of 3-over 76.
The champion at the NSW/ACT Associate Championship last month, Wright shot even par on Thursday for an even-par total to finish outright second, Indooroopilly’s Dylan Knox (77) third at 3-over.
“I had head noise,” Taylor conceded of his shaky start.
“Dylan birdied the first and the second to be 2-under and I was 1-over through two. My mind was racing early but I got it back together and the back nine was solid.
“I holed a lot of good putts down the stretch that I had to hole and putting has been what has held me back in recent times.
“It was good to hole some putts down the stretch when the pressure was on.”
Hailing from Casino in Northern New South Wales, Taylor is now in the third year of the Membership Pathway Program.
He started the program under Lang Doolan at Wentworth Falls Country Club and credited Doolan for providing the entry point towards becoming a PGA Professional.
“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be doing the program,” said an emotional Taylor.
Although he has had few opportunities to play of late, Taylor confided in those closest to him that he felt his game was positioned to produce something special.
“I’ve been saying to all my mates at home, my dad, that my game is close and I could feel something around the corner. It’s good to get it done,” he added.
“I work hard when I’m at home. I put the work in. Not as much as I’d like but I feel like I do the right practice.
“Any of the boys at home see me on the practice fairway and know I’m working on my game when I am home.”
Taylor also praised a Windaroo Lakes layout that plays to his strengths as it produced yet another thrilling championship climax.
“It’s a great championship course because anything can happen on any hole. There’s no easy stretch out there,” said Taylor, this year’s championship the fifth staged in the City of Logan.
“My game suits this course. I rely on my short game a lot. I’m always working on chipping and pitching and you need to chip it and pitch it well around here to score.”
Left to rue a third round of 5-over 78, Wright remained philosophical regarding another outstanding performance in a big event.
“Although disappointed not to win, if you told me at the start of the year I would win the NSW Championship and finish second in the Queensland Championship, I would certainly take it,” said Wright.
“I played a lot of golf with Riley as juniors so I’m thrilled that he won.”
Rising Queensland amateur star Quinnton Croker has upstaged the pros to take a one-stroke lead into Round 2 of the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
Veteran Brett Rumford and former reality TV star Charlie Robbins set the mark early at Kalgoorlie Golf Course with rounds of 5-under 67 but they were ultimately superseded by Croker, who birdied his final hole for a round of 6-under 66.
New South Welshman Aaron Townsend had three birdies in his final four holes to join Rumford and Robbins at 5-under, 16 players finishing day one within three strokes of the lead.
A member of the Australian team that will contest the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in less than two weeks, Croker has taken up Affiliate Future Tour Membership of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
As he gets closer to joining the professional ranks, Future Tour membership opens the door to obtaining a card for next season before having to forgo his amateur status.
With top-10 finishes at both the NT PGA Championship and last week’s WA Open, the 21-year-old is learning quickly what it takes to succeed on the pro tour.
“I’m usually a more aggressive player off the tee but Joondalup last week showed that you don’t have to be that aggressive to still be able to score,” said Croker, who is coached by Chris Gibson at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
“We have put some work into my putting and he said that I just have to wait for it to start working.
“It was a bit slow the first two rounds last week and then come out the third round and had a pretty solid day on the greens.
“That showed that you don’t have to stump it next to the pin to make birdie every single time.”
After taking home the Terry Gale Cup as leading amateur last week at Joondalup Resort, Croker began his first round from the 10th tee at Kalgoorlie and collected three birdies in his opening four holes.
His only bogey of the day came at the difficult par-3 17th but the 21-year-old responded with another hot stretch from the second, picking up three birdies in four holes before taking sole possession of the lead with a final birdie at the par-4 ninth.
A six-time winner on the DP World Tour, Rumford is now a qualified PGA Professional who coaches out of the Wembley Golf Complex in Perth while Robbins is trying to transition from ‘Ninja Warrior’ to professional golfer.
Victorious at Kalgoorlie in 2015 and runner-up in 2020, Rumford’s lone bogey for the day came at his eighth hole, the par-3 17th.
With a wealth of knowledge at his disposal, Rumford said the key to his good start was very simple.
“I just played really well,” was Rumford’s summation.
“I gave myself a lot of good opportunities today, shot 5 (under) but you always want more, of course.
“You’ve got to be appreciative that it’s a tough day and I understand that 5-under is a very good score in these tricky conditions.”
Like Rumford, Robbins had a single bogey in his round, the dropped shot coming at the par-4 16th.
He responded with a birdie at the par-5 18th to earn a share of second in just his third event on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia since turning professional.
Winner of ‘Ninja Warrior’ on Channel Nine in 2019, Robbins made the cut at last week’s WA Open and hopes a strong week in Kalgoorlie will help people to see him in a different light.
“I’ve obviously got a lot of people who know me as the ‘ninja’,” Robbins said post-round.
“Even when I’m working in the pro shop at Moonah Links, people will come in and be like, ‘It’s the ninja boy!’
“It would be nice for them to instead be saying, ‘That’s the guy that’s really good at golf.’”
Now 42 years of age, Townsend has reignited his passion for tournament golf after almost three years away.
Tied for 18th last week, Townsend spent winter playing the secondary tour in Japan and is excited about the way his game is trending.
“It feels like it’s getting closer, to be honest,” said Townsend, the 2015 Victorian PGA champion.
“I was really happy with how I played today, I hit a heap of good shots and this golf course probably suits me a little better than last week.
“I like how I’m swinging it and really happy with how it looks like it’s going.”
New South Welshman Nathan Barbieri was the pick of the four players who returned after playing the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews last week.
Barbieri, who left Scotland a day earlier than Haydn Barron, Lincoln Tighe and Justin Warren, shot 68 in Round 1 to be one of six players in a tie for fifth, two strokes off the lead.
Warren had three birdies in his final four holes to shoot 69, Barron posted even-par 72 while Tighe, whose clubs only arrived in Kalgoorlie on Thursday morning, shot 76.
Photo: Monica Marchesani/PGA of Australia
