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Major championship winner Cameron Smith will complete a four-week stretch of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments by confirming his place in the field at the 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
Set to play the Queensland PGA, NSW Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship, Smith will then head to Melbourne’s famed Sandbelt and the Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Clubs for the Australian Open, which once again combines men, women and all abilities on one stage.
Smith will be chasing his first Stonehaven Cup in his 12th appearance at his national Open from November 28 – December 1.
A three-time winner of the Australian PGA Championship and victor of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, Smith has been a huge supporter of the Australian Open throughout his career, with his closest call coming in 2016 when he lost out in a play-off to Jordan Spieth.
“I think most people would know how much I want to win an Australian Open, so I am looking forward to challenging for the Stonehaven Cup again this year in Melbourne,” Smith said.
Enjoying a year highlighted by team success with his Ripper GC side, Smith has a long history on the Melbourne Sandbelt, with the 31-year-old claiming the adidas Australian Amateur title in 2013 at Commonwealth Golf Club and taking out medallist honours the previous year at Woodlands Golf Club.
Also teeing it up on the Melbourne Sandbelt in 2019 as part of the Presidents Cup and at the first Australian Open played with the new format in 2022 at Victoria and Kingston Heath, Smith has long been a fan favourite at home and around the world.
His loyal band of followers, often imitating his signature look, will no doubt come out in force again this year after record crowds were on hand in 2023 when the Wantima Country Club product finished in a tie for 17th.
Smith joins the likes of fellow Australians Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Hannah Green and defending champions Joaquin Niemann and Ashleigh Buhai in the field at Kingston Heath and Victoria, where the men’s event will be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the women’s tournament the feature of the WPGA Tour of Australasia schedule.
“Cam has been a tremendous supporter of not just the Australian Open, but Australian golf, so we are very much looking forward to him returning home for a month of tournaments,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
“Having Cam join the already announced players is extremely exciting for everyone involved as we prepare to watch some of the best players in the world on some of the best courses in the sport, all watched by the best fans in golf.”
The presence of Smith an exciting prospect for the people of Victoria according to the government.
“Victoria’s reputation as the sporting capital of Australia continues to grow and having star players like Cameron Smith here for the Australian Open will help draw strong visitation to our state,” Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said.
“Golf is worth about $1 billion per year to the Victorian economy and attracting world-class players to showcase our Sandbelt courses on the world stage will be a huge driver for our visitor economy.”
The 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as the NINE Network, while applications to volunteer at the event are now open.
Tickets for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open are available now via Ticketek.
Former World Deaf Golf champion Jack McLeod hopes to break down barriers for deaf people within golf when he joins the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia as an exempt player this week.
A graduate of the Qualifying School staged at Moonah Links in April, McLeod joins defending champion Ben Eccles, DP World Tour rookie Haydn Barron, former winners Brett Rumford and Jarryd Felton and 2023/2024 tournament winners Cameron John and Kerry Mountcastle at the CKB WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie Golf Course starting Thursday.
It is a remarkable moment for the 28-year-old who was born profoundly deaf and received his first Cochlear implant when just 11 months old.
McLeod received a second implant for his left ear at the age of 11 and since then has lived a life largely unencumbered by his inability to hear without assistance.
A talented soccer player growing up on Sydney’s northern beaches, McLeod chose to pursue golf as a career, first trying his hand at greenkeeping before undertaking the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program.
He became a full Vocational Member of the PGA in 2023 and had been working as the Assistant Professional at Mona Vale Golf Club before dedicating himself to playing full-time this year.
It was only at the insistence of Mona Vale Head Professional, Gerard Kelly, that McLeod entered Q School. He finished tied 17th at First Stage and then tied 29th at Final Stage to earn status for the 2024/2025 season.
“The last thing I want is to be five years down the track going, I wish I gave it a go, but that week was so stressful,” McLeod said of his Q School experience.
“I thought I was gone after 12 holes in the last round (of Final Stage).
“One of the boys came up and asked if I’d made par on the last and I said, ‘Yeah, that’s me done’.
“He goes, ‘No, you’re in. You’re on the same score as me. You’re in’.
“It didn’t sink in until a couple of days later that I was like, Wow. I’ve got a Tour card. I’m a Tour player.”
To his playing partners this summer, McLeod will present as just another competitor.
With his implants connected to the external units that sit behind his ears, McLeod has 95 per cent hearing in his right ear and 42 per cent hearing in his left.
Background noise is an issue when he works in the Mona Vale pro shop and when he takes them off – in the shower, swimming at the beach and to sleep – he is completely deaf.
Somewhat ironically, the only time McLeod has played golf without his implants was when he played the World Deaf Golf Championship for the first time in 2012… and won by 13 strokes.
“A week before we went my coach said, ‘We’re going to spend every afternoon after school on the golf course without them on’,” McLeod recalled of his first experience playing golf in complete silence.
“It was so different. So different. You lose your balance a little bit, but I think it’s more so relying on feel to know if you’ve hit a good shot.
“And obviously it’s peaceful. You can have a car drive past you and not hear a thing.”
McLeod has played two PGA Tour of Australasia events in the past 18 months through the Associate program prior to attaining his full PGA qualifications and made the cut at the 2021 Queensland Open.
Since obtaining his Tour card, he has played extensively on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, registering top-five finishes at Teven Valley and Ocean Shores and was runner-up at Ballina in August.
It has instilled a sense of confidence that he can enter his rookie season knowing his best golf is more than good enough to compete with the elite of Australian golf.
“At Q School I was going down there to have a crack, whereas after the last couple of results I’ve had, I’m starting to feel more confident that I can play with these guys,” said McLeod.
“The mentality sort of changed a little bit. Now it’s gone from hoping to make cuts to now wanting to win.
“That’s a different mentality I’ve got to have.”
His primary goal this season will be to retain his card, but McLeod knows that he represents something more.
“Just being an example of what we can achieve is a big thing,” he added.
“Losing one of your senses is pretty hard. And I think hearing is probably one of the bad ones that you can lose because you’ve got to communicate.
“Being an example would be a good title to have. We’re all ambassadors in our own right. We’re all trying to promote golf together; we just don’t quite get the recognition that we deserve.”
That might be about to change.
Two of the rising stars of Australian golf will take their talents to the game’s biggest stages in 2025 after an enthralling end to the Korn Ferry Tour and Epson Tour seasons in the US.
Entering the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 18th position with 30 PGA TOUR cards on offer, Vilips responded to a nervy 75 in Round 1 with rounds of 70-71-70 to finish tied 20th and end the year 19th on the points list.
It continues a remarkable rise for the former child prodigy who grew up in Melbourne before moving to Perth and who only graduated from Stanford College in June.
He collected an exemption on the PGA TOUR Americas at the completion of his college career through the PGA TOUR University Ranking yet made just two appearances before taking a step up to the Korn Ferry Tour.
Affectionately known as ‘Koala Karl’, Vilips posted top 15 finishes in each of his first four Korn Ferry Tour starts, culminating in a victory at the Utah Championship.
Porter’s grip on one of 15 LPGA Tour cards was far less tenuous entering the Epson Tour season finale.
Starting the week 11th in the Race For The Card standings, Porter had to dig deep to hold hopefuls at bay.
A 5-under-par round of 66 in Round 3 elevated Porter from 42nd to 22nd on the Tour Championship leaderboard, a 2-under 69 in the final round enough to end the week 17th and claim the 10th of the LPGA Tour cards on offer.
By moving inside the top 10, Porter receives the Category 9 exemption category while those who finish 11-15 earn the Category 15 exemption category.
“I am actually really struggling to believe it,” said Porter.
“Even when I finished on 18, I had no idea… In my brain, I was like, Oh, there’s no way I’m making top 10. Obviously, I’m so excited for top 15, but I was like, there’s no chance.
“As things progressed, we moved up into 10 and I’m stoked. I can’t believe it. Hopefully it sinks in soon.
“I’ve dreamed about this since I was a little girl, so for it to be real so soon, I’m stoked.”
A member of the Golf Australia Rookie Squad, the highlight of Porter’s second season on the Epson Tour was her breakthrough victory at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in June.
The 22-year-old from the Sunshine Coast turned professional in 2021 and in 2022 won the Melbourne International on the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
Elsewhere this week, 50-year-old Brad Kennedy was tied for third at the CAN Championship in June, Greg Chalmers was outright third at the Constellation Furyk and Friends on the PGA TOUR Champions and Maverick Antcliff’s tie for seventh was the best of the Aussies at the typhoon-affected Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
Results
PGA TOUR
Sanderson Farms Championship
The Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi
1 Kevin Yu 66-66-66-67—265
T11 Ryan Fox (NZ) 67-66-68-69—270
MC Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 74-73—147
MC Aaron Baddeley 73-77—150
DP World Tour
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Old Course St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
1 Tyrrell Hatton 65-68-61-70—264 €739,482.05
T12 Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 70-70-67-65—272 €64,502.72
T19 David Micheluzzi 64-70-70-69—273 €50,023.79
T25 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 63-69-70-72—274 €39,366.54
T43 Sam Jones (NZ) 67-71-67-71—276 €20,444.50
T54 Cameron John 62-68-74-73—277 €13,919.66
MC Daniel Gale 68-74-66—208
MC Kade McBride 69-69-71—209
MC Brett Coletta 69-68-73—210
MC Jordan Zunic 70-69-71—210
MC Matt Jones 72-70-71—213
MC Lachlan Barker 76-68-71—215
MC Matthew Griffin 76-73-69—218
MC Jak Carter 75-78-66—219
Asian Tour
Mercuries Taiwan Masters
Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei
1 Jbe Kruger 68-71-69—208 $US200,000
T7 Maverick Antcliff 73-71-68—212 $25,000
T13 Andrew Dodt 71-69-74—214 $13,000
T26 Todd Sinnott 74-71-72—217 $8,800
T31 Scott Hend 71-73-74—218 $7,716.67
T37 Jed Morgan 69-73-77—219 $6,880
T42 Brendan Jones 69-75-76—220 $6,450
47 Kevin Yuan 71-74-78—223 $5,900
MC Deyen Lawson 72-76—148
MC Aaron Wilkin 72-76—148
MC Zach Murray 74-74—148
MC Jack Thompson 75-76—151
MC Sam Brazel 74-77—151
MC Justin Warren 73-78—151
MC Harrison Crowe 81-75—156
Japan Golf Tour
ACN Championship Golf Tournament
Miki Golf Club, Hyogo
1 Takumi Kanaya 68-68-65-63—264 ¥20m
Won in sudden-death playoff
T3 Brad Kennedy 67-71-63-66—267 ¥5.2m
MC Michael Hendry (NZ) 75-73—148
Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Shenzhen
Mission Hills Resort (World Cup Cse), China
1 Celine Boutier 66-68-66—200 $US67,970.25
T26 Kelsey Bennett 70-71-71—212 $5,256.37
T37 Kirsten Rudgeley 71-72-72—215 $3,262.57
Korn Ferry Tour
Korn Ferry Tour Championship
French Lick Golf Resort (Pete Dye Cse), French Lick, Indiana
1 Braden Thornberry 71-72-70-66—279
T20 Karl Vilips 75-70-71-70—286
Epson Tour
Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells
Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players Cse), Indian Wells, California
1 Heather Lin 67-63-71-67—268
T13 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 66-68-71-68—273
T17 Cassie Porter 70-70-66-69—275
MC Fiona Xu 73-72—145
Challenge Tour
D+D REAL Czech Challenge
Royal Beroun Golf Club, Beroun, Czech Republic
1 Benjamin Follett-Smith 63-62-63-64—252 €43,200
MC Hayden Hopewell 68-68—136
MC Connor McKinney 73-67—140
LET Access Series
Iberdrola Calatayud Ladies Open
Gambito Golf Calatayud, Spain
1 Ellie Gower 73-65-68—206 €7,200
MC Laura Hoskin (NZ) 78-75—153
PGA TOUR Champions
Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Florida
1 Rocco Mediate 67-66-71—204 $US315,000
3 Greg Chalmers 69-69-68—206 $151,200
T10 Steven Alker (NZ) 70-68-70—208 $46,620
T15 Rod Pampling 68-70-71—209 $35,700
T34 Stuart Appleby 70-73-69—212 $12,642
T45 John Senden 70-68-77—215 $7,770
T50 David Bransdon 79-68-69—216 $6,090
T53 Steve Allan 73-75-69—217 $5,145
T65 Michael Wright 76-76-69—221 $2,327
T65 Cameron Percy 72-74-75—221 $2,327
Sunshine Tour
SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya
Umhlali Country Club, Ballito, South Africa
1 Luke Jerling 66-66-68—200
MC Austin Bautista 75-74—149
Jasper Stubbs and Quinn Croker will make an immediate switch to concentrating on their professional golf careers after finishing the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan today.
And the leading Australian at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, Phoenix Campbell, won’t be far behind once he completes his Japanese double.
One of the men Stubbs beat in last year’s playoff at Royal Melbourne, China’s Wenyi Ding, gained redemption by claiming the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur title with a 12-under-par total, proving why he was the highest-ranked player in the world amateur rankings coming into this week.
Four consecutive rounds of 67 gave the 19-year-old, who is heading for the DP World Tour, a one-stroke margin over countryman Ziqin Zhou.
Stubbs will be the first of this year’s Australian AAC contingent to play as a professional. He faces 16 hours of flight time to reach Western Australia and the resumption of the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia after finishing his title defence in a share of 32nd place at 5-over-par.
Meanwhile, Croker will tackle the first stage of Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School in Florida in the United States from October 15-18 before taking up the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia membership he earned by winning the Future Tour category last season.
The reigning Australian Amateur and Queensland Amateur champion closed with his best round of the week in Japan, a 2-under 68, to be 1-over overall and tied for 19th.
Campbell ended up in a share of 13th at 2-under after closing with a 68.
The only Australian with a chance of securing the title heading into the final day, Campbell’s victory chances disappeared when he dropped three shots late in the third round which concluded Sunday morning.
Campbell has just one tournament left to play as an amateur, the Japan Open at Tokyo Golf Club this week, before he too switches over to the professional ranks. Campbell will take up the two-year exemption available to him courtesy of his win at the Queensland PGA Championship last year.
The Victorian’s debut as a pro will come at the 100th WA Open, starting on October 17 at Mandurah Golf and Country Club.
“To finish as the top Aussie is a nice achievement,” Campbell said.
“There’s a bit there to work on for next week but, overall, I’m pretty pleased with the week.”
Stubbs’ first event as a professional is now just four days away in much different surroundings than he’s encountered in a very wet Japan this week – the CKB WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie.
“I never really felt like I could get anything going,” the Victorian said of his title defence.
“As soon as I’d make a couple of birdies, I’d give them straight back, and that’s how the whole week sort of went.
“It’s been a cool week trying to defend. Unfortunately, not the week I was hoping for, but still a special week.”
Just off the pace from day one, Croker was keen to finish his second AAC on a high and he achieved that with a closing 68 that lifted him inside the top 20.
“You definitely don’t want to leave Japan and not finish under-par in at least one round,” the Queenslander said.
“It was good to finish off the way I did. It could have been anything out there. There were a lot of putts that could have gone in and I could have finished off really special but it wasn’t to be.
“Obviously I wanted (the week) to be slightly better but I’ll take that for the first time in Japan.”
His first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event as a professional will be Webex Players Series South Australia in Willunga.
The 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be played in Dubai from October 23-26.
Australian scores
-2: Phoenix Campbell (Vic) 71-66-73-68
+1: Quinn Croker (Qld) 70-70-73-68
+1: Tony Chen (Vic) 71-69-71-70
+5: Jasper Stubbs (Vic) 72-71-71-70
+5: Connor Fewkes (WA) 74-71-71-69
+6: Billy Dowling (Qld) 72-69-74-71
+14: Lukas Michel (Vic) 71-76-73-74
Lisa Jean has declared that her playing days are over after leading the PGA of Australia team to a third-place finish at the Women’s PGA Cup at Sunriver Resort in Oregon.
Just two strokes ahead of the Great Britain and Ireland team when the final round began, Jean (68), captain Katelyn Must (70) and Grace Lennon (71) contributed to the team’s 4-under total in Round 3 to end the week 12 strokes clear of the British and Irish team.
Lennon (2-over) and Must (3-over) both finished inside the top 10 in the individual standings as the US team won for the third time and Canada finished second.
Jean was emotional after the round, confirming that it would be her last competitive round at this level.
“I told the girls this morning at breakfast that I was going to retire officially after this event,” said Jean.
“My body’s just been through the mill with the hard work, trying to play and practice with injuries.
“I just went out there today and thought, You’re just going to have to go for it.
“Hit the ball really well, made a lot of really good putts. It actually felt like some of my game used to be like, which was nice.”
After a great start with birdies at two and five, Jean was square with the card by the turn due to dropped shots at seven and nine.
Digging deep as she prepared to sign off, Jean made birdie at 10, 12, 15 and 17 before making bogey on the final hole.
More than the way she played, Jean said such an event was the perfect place to bring her playing days to an end.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” she added.
“Having played in 2019, I knew what it was going to be like, so I really wanted to be back here with the girls.
“We’ve got amazing women in the PGA of Australia so really wanted to be back here.
“It’s been a great experience and everyone’s been so welcoming and friendly and we’ve had a lot of fun.”
Must had three birdies and two bogeys in producing her best round of the week while Lennon matched her even-par round of the day prior to finish the individual standings in a tie for fifth.
Final team scores
1 USA -14
2 Canada -2
3 Australia +14
4 GB & Ireland +26
5 Sweden +54
6 South Africa +62
Defending champion Peter Lonard went back-to-back but had company at the top of the leaderboard of the Hahn Shelly Beach Legends Pro-Am.
Back at the course where he played his first ever round of golf, Lonard shot 2-under 69, a score that was matched by Scott Barr, David McKenzie and first-time winner Ken Druce.
Winner of the 1999 Victorian Open in a more than decade-long career playing on Tour, Druce now specialises in golf-specific fitness training along with his role as a Teaching Professional at Royal Sydney Golf Club.
The 52-year-old was thrilled to earn his maiden PGA Legends Tour win amongst such distinguished company.
“I haven’t won anything for about 20 years. It’s nice to be tied with that sort of calibre of player, too,” said Druce.
For Lonard, it was another happy memory to add to a long list at Shelly Beach.
“I actually played my first game of golf of my life here,” said Lonard.
“My grandparents lived up here, so I loved the area, loved the whole vibe of the course and the clubhouse.
“I suppose you play better when you’re in a happy place.”
The top nine on the leaderboard were separated by just two shots, the quartet of winners finishing a couple clear of David Van Raalte (71), David Diaz (71), Nigel Lane (71) and Mike Harwood (71).
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Out in the morning groups, Druce was the first to post 69.
It was a strong start too, picking up two birdies in his opening four holes after starting his round from the par-5 15th.
Druce was 4-under on his round after further birdies at five and nine but dropped shots late at holes 12 and 13 to set the mark for the afternoon groups.
Lonard was even par through 13 holes of his round before picking up birdies at 14 and 15 to sign for 2-under.
McKenzie needed to birdie his final hole – the par-4 12th – to also finish at 2-under while Barr had just the one bogey at the par-4 second, birdies at 15, eight and nine enough to join the logjam at 2-under.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
“You’ve got to drive it really straight and hit a lot of good shots,” said Lonard.
“The wind was up a little bit today – nor-easter I think it was – so the course was quite a good test.
“Of course, it was in magnificent condition. The greens were fantastic and it was good fun.”
“I got to 4-under quite early and dropped a few coming home on a couple of tough holes,” said Druce.
“Overall I was very happy.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Ken Druce 69
T1 Peter Lonard 69
T1 Scott Barr 69
T1 David McKenzie 69
T5 David Van Raalte 71
T5 David Diaz 71
T5 Nigel Lane 71
T5 Michael Harwood 71
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour heads to the South Coast of New South Wales on Monday for the two-day Sapphire Coast Legends Pro-Am to be followed by the Mollymook Senior Masters at Mollymook Golf Club.
In its first year as a Golf Australia Junior Order of Merit event, the PGA Institute Secondary Schools Tournament proved a huge success today at Sandhurst Club, with golfers travelling from all over Victoria and even New South Wales.
While the 18-hole stroke play event was the main ticket item for the day, the 40 kids in attendance were also given the opportunity to learn more about what is on offer at the PGA Institute, and whether it may be a pathway they consider as they approach the end of their secondary school years.
The PGA Institute offers education, combining business, golf training, hospitality and sport as well as practical golf skills to prepare students for a career in the golf industry.
Whether students are elite golfers or not, the PGA Institute helps those with a passion for golf, blend said passion with a career.
The Institute also has several high education partnerships, which allows students to earn credits for bachelor degrees at a number of universities. This means that even if a student does not achieve the year-12 score they desire, the PGA Institute can be a great pathway to higher education.
On the day, Grace Li and Davinder Singh took out the girls and boys gross events with scores of 81 and 73 respectively on the Champions Course at Sandhurst.
Playing her golf at Box Hill Golf Club, Li’s 81 wasn’t her best score, however it was good enough to win on the day by one-shot over runner-up Grace Yang.
“It was good conditions and the course was really nice,” said the 13-year-old. “I had a really good birdie, but I can’t remember which hole it was on now!”
15-year-old Singh’s blistering 73 was also good enough to win by one-shot over runner-up David Zhu. The Royal Melbourne member particularly proud of his efforts on the seventh.
“An eagle chip-in on seven was definitely my highlight which was awesome,” he said.
To find out more about the PGA Institute, CLICK HERE.
Grahame Stinson had two eagles and David McKenzie finished with a flurry of birdies to share top honours at the Magenta Shores Legends Pro-Am at Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club.
One of the most spectacular golf courses in the country gave the field of PGA Legends Tour players everything they could handle on Thursday, Stinson and McKenzie conjuring something special to each post 2-under 69 to finish two strokes clear.
Grant Kenny, Chris Taylor, Terry Price and Scott Barr all shot even-par 71 to share third spot but it was Stinson and McKenzie who stood tallest.
Brilliant approach shots at 16 and 17 and a two-putt birdie on 18 elevated McKenzie to the top of the leaderboard while Stinson made his mark early with an eagle at his very first hole.
“I started on the eighth and I hit driver, 6-iron and had 90 metres for my third and I holed it,” said Stinson, who also made eagle at the par-5 second.
“I thought, This is going to be a good day.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
McKenzie and Magenta Shores wrestled for the opening seven holes as the Champions Tour veteran peeled off seven straight pars to start.
His first birdie came at the par-5 eighth yet he gave it back immediately with a bogey on nine.
On the back of four consecutive pars McKenzie dropped to 1-over with a bogey on 14 only to catch fire late with three birdies in succession from the 16th hole.
Two-under after his first hole, Stinson also found birdies hard to come by.
Bogeys at nine and 14 saw Stinson fall back to even par through eight holes but he was back in red figures with a birdie at the par-4 16th.
His eagle on two was erased by bogeys on one and three but a closing birdie on the par-3 seventh clinched a second win inside a week.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
“It’s a big boys golf course. This one, you can’t hide anywhere,” said McKenzie.
“You’ve got to hit a lot of good golf shots and you have to have a bit of luck too.
“I just was hanging in there, but then I hit it into tap-in distance on both 16 and 17. Then hit it on 18 in two and two-putted.
“Three really nice holes and the rest just kept it in play without doing anything silly.”
“At the moment it’s going really good,” said Stinson.
“I’m playing good. I’m putting well even though I missed a little three-footer on the little temporary par 3.
“This is a tough golf course. I normally let the arms a bit loose and get into the driver but I just noodled it around here today just to keep it in play.
“I missed the first fairway and had to take bogey but other than that, it was pretty solid.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 David McKenzie 69
T1 Grahame Stinson 69
T3 Grant Kenny 71
T3 Chris Taylor 71
T3 Terry Price 71
T3 Scott Barr 71
NEXT UP
The Central Coast swing wraps up on Friday with the Hahn Shelly Beach Legends Pro-Am before moving south on Monday for the two-day Sapphire Coast Legends Pro-Am at Merimbula Golf Club and Tura Beach Country Club.
TrackMan has teamed up with the PGA of Australia to offer a special way to attend this year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
The winners of the three divisions of the Virtual Road to the PGA, running until October 31, will earn a place in the Road to the PGA Championship Final played at Royal Queensland Golf Club on the Sunday before the international field of professionals vie for the Joe Kirkwood Cup.
The championship finalists not only get to play the course under pristine tournament conditions, they will also be competing for two sought after Kirkwood Club tickets to the first day of Min Woo Lee’s defence of his PGA title.
Entering is simple. You just need to play a round on the 2024 Presidents Cup course, Royal Montreal, on TrackMan.
The Virtual Road to the PGA can be found in the TrackMan Golf app under tournaments and a low score at Royal Montreal could send you all the way to Royal Queensland.
To find your nearest TrackMan location, go to TrackMan.com/locator.
For more on the Road to the PGA, go to https://championship.pga.org.au/road-to-the-pga-faqs/
Virtual Road to the PGA tournament format:
Sign-up and entry requirements
The tournament will be made available in all TrackMan simulators across Australia. You can sign up directly in the TrackMan software (under tournaments). The requirement to join is that you have a TrackMan handicap and has played at least two rounds of golf in TrackMan (it can be two rounds of nine holes)
It took 17 holes to make a putt of any length but Adam Henwood made one when it mattered to take the Austbrokers Wyong Legends Pro-Am at Wyong Golf Club.
Joint winner with Chris Taylor at Glen Innes a week ago, Henwood battled away without luck for much of his round on Wednesday.
Despite the rain the course had received in the days prior the playing surfaces were impeccable, Henwood finally chasing in with birdies on 16 and 17 for a round of 3-under 68 and a one-stroke win from Taylor (69) and Peter Lonard (69).
“I couldn’t get a putt to save myself,” Henwood lamented of his early struggles.
“I hit it to about half a foot on 16 and holed about a 50-footer up two tiers with about 15 feet of break on 17. It was hilarious.
“If you can’t get a four-footer or six-footer for the day, might as well hole a 50-footer.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Carrying on his good form of recent weeks, Henwood made a steady start to his round.
His first birdie of the day came at the par-5 third and was followed a short time later by a second at the par-3 seventh.
After making the turn in 2-under, Henwood dropped a shot at the par-4 11th but finished in a flurry with birdies at the par-5 16th and par-3 17th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“After the rain they’ve had, I actually thought we were going to have a bit of a boggy mess,” Henwood admitted.
“I thought the greens would be pretty scarred up and pretty bumpy, but it was amazing. The fairways were great.
“It played really long and the greens were just pure; it was really surprising.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Adam Henwood 68
T2 Peter Lonard 69
T2 Chris Taylor 69
T4 Brad Burns 70
T4 Terry Price 70
T6 Grahame Stinson 71
T6 David McKenzie 71
T6 Andre Stolz 71
T6 Tim Elliott 71
T6 Lucas Bates 71
T6 Leigh McKechnie 71
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour stays on the Central Coast on Thursday for the Magenta Shores Legends Pro-Am at Magenta Shores Country Club before moving on to Shelly Beach Golf Club on Friday for the Hahn Shelly Beach Legends Pro-Am.
