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Karl Vilips made history by winning on the PGA TOUR in his fourth start, and is now headed for The Players Championship, with the West Australian’s efforts just one of the Australian moments to celebrate from a bountiful weekend.
Vilips set the tournament scoring mark at the Puerto Rico Open to claim his maiden title less than a year removed from graduating college (full story on his win HERE), while it was a runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour for Minjee Lee in China.
The older Australian and Kiwi brigade also representing strongly on the PGA TOUR Champions, where Steven Alker claimed another title and Greg Chalmers and Rod Pampling shared third.
For Minjee, her final round charge at the Blue Bay LPGA truly ignited late on the front nine, when the elder Lee sibling seemed to channel her brother Min Woo and his short game.
Mixing three bogeys with one birdie through six holes of the final round playing alongside fellow Aussie Cassie Porter, Minjee chipped in consecutively on the seventh and eighth holes and motioned to call ‘Dr Chipinski’ her brother’s widely used social media nickname.
“I never left,” she said when asked if there was a new Dr Chipinski in the family post round.
Continuing to look more comfortable with her new long putter, Lee added four more birdies on the back nine to finish at 11-under and six back of Japan’s Rio Takeda. Porter recording her best LPGA finish with a solo fourth place after closing with an even par round of 72.
Playing the Cologuard Classic on the senior circuit, Alker closed with a final round 66 to find himself in a playoff with Jason Caron. The Kiwi triumphing on the first extra hole to claim his ninth PGA TOUR Champions crown.
Falling just one short of the playoff, Pampling bogeyed the 17th hole to finish on 11-under, while Chalmers looked the man to beat as the players made their way to the finish.
Leading into the back nine, Chalmers bogeyed the 12th and 14th to fall back before scrambling for a par at the penultimate hole and just missing a 10 foot birdie try at the 18th hole to join the playoff.
“That’s just part of golf sometimes. It’s been a minute since I’ve been in that situation where I’ve had a chance to win an event,” Chalmers said.
“I think the more I can do it, the more comfortable I’ll be and the better I’ll do.”
Similarly flying the flag on the global stage was Jason Day, who was right in the mix late on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
Two shots back of the lead, Day’s ball found the water at the par-5 16th and eventually the bottom of the cup for a double bogey, with the Queenslander also dropping a shot at the last to share eighth.
Back in action for the first time since Adelaide, the all Australian Ripper GC team shared third place at LIV Golf Hong Kong, with Lucas Herbert the standout in the individual results. The Victorian closing with a 6-under round for a solo fourth place.
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
1 Russell Henley 72-68-67-70—277 $US4m
T8 Jason Day 76-64-69-74—283 $600,666
T36 Adam Scott 75-72-70-74—291 $96,750
MC Cam Davis 70-80—150
MC Min Woo Lee 78-73—151
Puerto Rico Open
Grand Reserve Golf Club, Rio Grande, Peurto Rico
1 Karl Vilips 65-67-66-64—262 $US720,000
MC Aaron Baddeley 72-75—147
LPGA Tour
Blue Bay LPGA
Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, Hainan Island, China
1 Rio Takeda 69-69-69-64—271 $US375,000
2 Minjee Lee 70-72-68-67—277 $230,318
4 Cassie Porter 69-68-72-72—281 $129,249
T44 Hira Naveed 71-70-76-76—293 $10,529
MC Karis Davidson 73-76—149
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 74-78—152
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Hong Kong
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong
1 Sergio Garcia 65-64-63—192 $US4m
4 Lucas Herbert 67-66-64—197 $1,000,000
T12 Marc Leishman 70-66-65—201 $312,500
T20 Cameron Smith 69-68-66—203 $202,500
T20 Danny Lee (NZ) 66-71-66—203 $202,500
T35 Matt Jones 69-69-67—205 $145,333
T35 Ben Campbell (NZ) 69-68-68—205 $145,333
DP World Tour
Joburg Open
Houghton GC, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 Callum Hill 69-66-69-62—266 €177,233.16
T3 Danny List 66-73-71-77—287 €1,547.32
MC Kazuma Kobori 70-77—147
PGA TOUR Champions
Cologuard Classic
La Paloma Country Club, Tucson, Arizona
1 Steven Alker (NZ) 69-66-66—201 $US330,000
T3 Rod Pampling 66-69-67—202 $145,200
T3 Greg Chalmers 64-67-71—202 $145,200
T18 Cameron Percy 71-69-68—208 $32,010
T20 David Bransdon 69-70-70—209 $25,828
T20 Mark Hensby 71-68-70—209 $25,828
T20 Matthew Goggin 67-69-73—209 $25,828
T33 Richard Green 75-67-70—212 $13,860
T44 Steve Allan 70-77-67—214 $8,800
T48 Stuart Appleby 70-74-71—214 $7,040
T60 Michael Wright 71-72-75—218 $3,300
T60 Brendan Jones 72-73-63—218 $3,300
Korn Ferry Tour
Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank
Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago, Chile
1 Logan McAllister 68-70-63-64—265 $US180,000
T57 Harry Hillier (NZ) 71-69-71-70—281 $4,100
MC Rhein Gibson 70-71—141
Epson Tour
Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf
Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, Florida
1 Laetitia Beck 71-68-66—205 $US37,500
T13 Robyn Choi 76-71-69—216 $3,868
T54 Caitlin Peirce 78-73-73—224 $1,054
MC Su Oh 81-76—157
Australian Karl Vilips has joined an exclusive club, with the 23-year-old winning the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open in just his fourth Tour start to become only the 12th player since 1970 to achieve that feat.
Named recently as the first signing to Tiger Woods’ apparel company Sun Day Red and last month as a new member of the Golf Australia Rookie Squad, Vilips entered the final round with the outright lead in Puerto Rico having graduated Stanford University less than 12 months ago.
A winner on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour last year, Vilips was challenged out of the gate on Sunday by Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen as he sought to join the likes of Seve Ballesteros in the four-tournament start winners club on the PGA TOUR.
Birdieing the par-4 third, Vilips then found some magic at the par-5 sixth when holing out his pitch for eagle before two more birdies to close out the front nine in 5-under.
The Australian, who spent parts of his childhood in Melbourne and Perth before completing his schooling in America, truly having to earn his victory on the back nine when he made his only bogey of the final day at the par-4 12th.
As Neergaard-Petersen was in the middle of making six straight birdies from the 10th hole, Vilips first dropped shot, and loss of the lead, seemed to kick the former child prodigy and now Colin Swatton coached player into gear.
“Bogey was pretty careless,” Vilips told Australian media after his win.
“I was pretty frustrated about that with a wedge in the fairway. I was thinking kind of just give myself a bit of a cushion on the leaderboard and then had to just forget about it. It’s already happened, can’t do anything about it and did a good job putting me back in the present.”
Making three consecutive birdies from the 13th, Vilips added another at the 72nd and final hole to reach 26-under and claim a three shot victory over Neergaard-Petersen.
“It’s a dream come true for me and my dad,” Vilips said paying tribute to his father, Paul, immediately after holing his winning putt.
“This is what we dreamed of as a kid.”
Vilips, whose maiden season on the PGA TOUR has been slightly hampered following the discovery of a bulging disk in his back around the time he returned home for a share of 46th at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, has now secured his playing rights for the next two years.
Setting a tournament scoring record with his 26-under-par total, Vilips will now also receive a start at the PGA TOUR’s showpiece event, next week’s The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, as well as the US PGA Championship in May.
Recently moving to Florida and making TPC Sawgrass his base, the Australian will not be as ill-prepared as many might think for his sudden start next week alongside some of the biggest names in the game.
“I just moved there, been at TPC for five months or four months now,” Vilips said.
“I’m going to be getting in late Monday night, so it’s going to be a bit of a short prep, but thankfully it’s my home course so I don’t really need to do too much. Just see how the greens are rolling, how the rough is. I just kind of get in the right mindset for it.”
Mindset has rarely been an issue for Vilips, who has worked relentlessly to become a PGA TOUR winner, with his calm and mostly mild mannered demeanour only cracking occasionally on Sunday. Firstly, when yelling “Come on” as he celebrated his final birdie, and again when speaking of his genuine excitement and realising a dream
“Even just like being in the final group is something I always wanted to do. Being in the final group of PGA TOUR events and then winning, it’s just everything,” he said.
“It makes me incredibly happy to hoist that trophy on the 18th green … It’s everything that I’ve dreamed of and in the moment, you have to kind of just put all that aside and focus on winning. But I’m sure when I’m back in my hotel I’ll just be smiling and calling my friends.”
Part of the phone attention no doubt going to a potential voice message from the icon that created his clothing sponsor, with Tiger one of the names to pop up during the whirlwind post round commitments.
“I caught a glimpse of it saying something and I’ll have to get back to it. I’ve been bombarded with texts and I’m so grateful for the support, but I’ll have to look back at it after this.”
Kiwi left-hander Tyler Hodge has held his nerve over the closing stages to clinch a one-stroke victory at the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship at Hastings Golf Club.
Leading by four strokes after a birdie at the par-5 10th, Hodge’s advantage from Queensland pair Tim Hart (67) and Shae Wools-Cobb (71) was reduced to three with a bogey at the par-4 11th.
Hart, Wools-Cobb and Kerry Mountcastle (66) all nudged one stroke closer with birdies of their own, Hodge’s lead shrinking to just one when he made a third bogey in the space of eight holes after three-putting the par-3 16th.
The two closing holes at Hastings Golf Club were playing directly into a hefty wind and Hodge came up short with his second into the par-4 17th.
He very nearly chipped in before tapping in for par to head to the 72nd tee with a one-shot advantage as Hart and Mountcastle sat safely in the clubhouse at 15-under par.
A bombed drive into the fairway was the first piece of the puzzle Hodge needed to complete before the 30-year-old hit his best shot of the day, a 7-iron from 161 metres to just 12 feet.
It was after watching playing partner Denzel Ieremia’s shot carry deep into the green that Hodge changed clubs, dropping back to 7-iron to all but seal his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory with a final round of 3-under 69.
He is the third Kiwi winner in the past four events (Josh Geary, Nick Voke) and the third left-hander to win this season (Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake) and does so in his second stint as a professional.
Originally joining the pro ranks in 2015, Hodge quit in late 2019 and had a year away from the game before returning to amateur golf and caddying for two seasons at Tara Iti.
In 2023 he decided to try again and now, two years later, he is a Tour winner with guaranteed status through until the end of the 2026/2027 season.
“That’s a very cool thought,” said Hodge, who had fiancée Tessa McDonald on the bag as he completed a career highlight.
“We’ll have some in-house conversations and stuff like that about what the future looks like playing golf.
“I had a couple of years off a few years ago and then kind of came back to the game and have been enjoying it.
“But she’s a tough old slog pro golf, so my fiancée and I have been having some chats about possibly giving the pro playing stuff away.
“We’ll have to have a bit more of a chat over the winter about that.”
Tied for second overnight, Hodge continued to forge ahead as the likes of Cameron Harlock (77), Jake McLeod (74), Denzel Ieremia (71) and Wools-Cobb (71) stalled on Sunday.
Challengers emerged from back in the pack in the form of Mountcastle and Hart, but both would ultimately fall one short of forcing a playoff.
It was Hodge’s performances on the Charles Tour in New Zealand last year that earned limited playing rights on the PGA Tour of Australasia this season, a tie for 11th at the Ford NSW Open enhancing his status and providing confirmation that a win was not beyond reach.
“I definitely haven’t played to my potential for most of the season,” said Hodge, who is now 22nd on the Order of Merit.
“That was a little bit of a highlight that week but still felt like I didn’t kind of have it.
“Just to kind of let it go this week and just whatever happens, happens, the game kind of came back to me a little bit naturally, I suppose.
“I’m almost a journeyman now. Golf is different. There’s a lot of learnings that you have to go through yourself.
“People can tell you about it and stuff like that, but you have to experience a few of those things and get through a lot of adversity.
“Slowly but surely got back into it and then obviously enjoyed it enough to have another crack at the pro stuff.”
Mountcastle and Hart shared second at 15-under par, one clear of Wools-Cobb, Anthony Quayle (69) and another Kiwi left-hander, Tim Wilkinson (67).
Photo: Ian Cooper/bwmedia.co.nz
As the seriousness of the threat of Cyclone Alfred hit home for the players at the cancelled Australian WPGA Championship, a logical question for professional golfers served to remind again how the golf industry and community comes together in support.
Following an early morning player meeting on Tuesday at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, where the combined WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour (LET) field was advised to leave the Gold Coast area, the search for a place to practice began.
As WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn, PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman and LET staff addressed the players, the PGA of Australia network was already being mobilised to assist.
With the majority of the 80 or so European Tour players, and even interstate WPGA Tour members, set to play next week’s Australian Women’s Classic in Coffs Harbour, and the Women’s NSW Open in Wollongong, the New South Wales region was the target.
The PGA membership of the state not disappointing, with a formal list of 10 clubs and PGA professionals being provided to players as a potential temporary home base, while others headed to other parts and no doubt similar generosity of facility use.
“When I spoke with the playing group around the cancellation of the Australian WPGA Championship, I mentioned that we are a member organisation and that our PGA members would support visiting golf professionals,” Kirkman said.
“We wanted to ensure the players, especially internationals, felt safe during what is set to be a challenging, uncertain period and that while in Australia they are considered part of our PGA and WPGA family alongside the more than 3,000 members.
“This was as our team was starting the conversations with PGA members around New South Wales asking for their assistance, but I was beyond confident anyone that could help, would. It is so heartening to see that proven true, which serves as a reminder of how our industry comes together quickly and immensely during a time of need.”
Although extensive, the list of clubs provided and the associated PGA member deserves to be recognised for their generosity and support that will not only help the players to prepare for the two weeks of co-sanctioned events, but also remind global players why Australia is a special place to visit and play.
Port Macquarie Golf Club – via Head Professional James Single
Forster-Tuncurry Golf Club – via Head Professional Jason Wood
Nelson Bay Golf Club – via General Manager David Lulham and Director of Golf Duard Nel
Magenta Shores Country Club – via General Manger Paul Riley
Horizons Golf Club – via Director of Golf Vince Owen
Kew Country Club – via Head Professional Luke Garel
Hawks Nest Golf Club – via Head Professional Andrew McCormack
Newcastle Golf Club – via Head Professional Andrew Bowles
Tamworth Golf Club – via Head Professional Brock Sampson
Kooindah Waters – via Director of Golf David Stretton
For 21 of the LET players, a familiar landing place was Magenta Shores, where they contested the Women’s NSW Open last year.
The generosity for those headed for the Central Coast of New South Wales extending beyond practice facilities and course access, with the gym and pool facilities able to be used, and those players being billeted out to residents. A common theme for all the supporting clubs, whose members will get an up close look at some of the best talent in women’s golf over the coming days.
“All of us in professional golf know how quickly plans can change, and that finding suitable locations to practice and play on short notice is no easy task. To see the support of golf clubs and facilities and PGA members around New South Wales has helped to remind everyone just what an amazing industry we are in,” Lunn said.
“It was obviously crushing to make the decision to cancel the Australian WPGA Championship in the interest of safety for players, staff, fans and more, especially given how amazing every element of the event looked on the ground. However, the silver lining of support and readiness to act has helped to soften the blow and will only serve to encourage our LET visitors to return again next year.”
Golf Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Kulacz as the new High Performance Manager (HPM) for Western Australia.
Kulacz, a former Golf Australia Rookie Squad member himself and two-time winner on the Asian Tour, brings valuable competitive experience to the role.
He will join the Golf Australia team in early March and undergo several months of integration with the High Performance team before officially commencing in the Golf WA role after the Australian Interstate Teams matches which take place in Perth early May.
Brad James, General Manager of High Performance at Golf Australia, expressed enthusiasm about the new appointment.
“We are excited to have Rick as part of the team and, more importantly, having a full-time role delivering a program that we feel the athletes, both amateur and professional, will benefit from.”
The appointment represents an increased commitment from Golf Australia, which will provide enhanced financial and resource support for the Western Australian high-performance program.
“We are determined to continue the success that WA has had in producing exceptional people and athletes like the current crop of world-class golfers in Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, and Min Woo Lee – alongside rookie athletes such as Kirsten Rudgeley,” added James.
This strategic appointment reinforces Golf Australia’s dedication to developing elite talent across the country and particularly in Western Australia, which has become known for producing world-class golfers.
The lessons learned from his short stint on the PGA TOUR 20 years ago will fuel Brendan Jones’s rookie season on the PGA TOUR Champions starting Friday.
Jones will make his senior tour debut at the Cologuard Classic just two days after turning 50 having earned a 2025 card at Qualifying School in December.
As torturous as that final day in Arizona may have been, it has provided arguably Australian golf’s most under-rated career with a second shot to make it in America.
Jones had won three of his 15 career Japan Golf Tour titles when he played the then Nationwide Tour in 2004, winning the LaSalle Bank Open on his way to a sixth-place finish on the moneylist.
That secured status on the PGA TOUR for the 2005 season, where Jones admits he lost sight of what had got him there in the first place.
“My game was pretty good then, but I did everything wrong,” said Jones, who finished tied second at the BC Open that season but narrowly missed out on retaining his card.
“I was an absolute novice, a rookie that just thought that you had to do things differently now that you’d made the PGA TOUR.
“I’ve had a lot of years to think about my performances in 2005, 2006. I could have extended my time in the US for who knows how long if I had have just done it my way that I’d done to that point.
“When I got there, I was practising more, I was playing more, and I was just burnt out by May. I was thinking, Well, I can’t take time off because I’m sliding down the moneylist each week. I’ve just got to keep working at it. And for me, that’s not the way I’ve played my best golf.
“If I could go back, I’d change a lot of things about the way I approached it, but going over there now, I’m more experienced.”
As the latest Aussie to join the PGA TOUR Champions, Jones not only brings experience but relative youth to the over-50s circuit.
Although plagued by injuries the past decade, Jones is in the type of physical shape that would be the envy of most 50-year-olds.
He knows that two decades on, his best chance of tasting success in the US against some of the greats of the game may come in his rookie year.
“The Japan Seniors is always a fallback for me but I just thought now’s the time to do something that I probably didn’t see myself doing,” Jones admitted.
“I never had this real desire to play there, but now that I’m 50 and, if I played well, it was an option and now it’s come to fruition.
“It’s exciting again. Getting beat up by these young kids on tour, it’s not a lot of fun when you’ve been one of those guys beating up on the young kids.
“I’m going to be playing with the guys that I watched on TV growing up, which is going to be pretty cool. But also at the same time, I’m a fresh 50 and raring to go.
“These guys have been doing it for years and years and years so it’s going to be fun, The people that I’ve spoken to have said it’s such a fun tour to play.”
Jones is one of 11 Aussies in the field for the Cologuard Classic while we have a four-pronged attack teeing it up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The Ripper GC boys are back in action at LIV Golf Hong Kong and Minjee Lee will seek to continue her good form at the Blue Bay LPGA in China.
Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
11:50pm Min Woo Lee
12:40am Jason Day
1:35am Cam Davis
3:35am Adam Scott
Recent champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: Rod Pampling (2006), Marc Leishman (2016), Jason Day (2017)
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live 11:30pm-10am Thursday, Friday; Live 12am-10am Sunday; Live 11pm-9am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Puerto Rico Open
Grand Reserve Golf Club, Rio Grande, Peurto Rico
10:40pm Aaron Baddeley
11:24pm Karl Vilips
Recent champion: Brice Garnett
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US4m
TV times: Live 2am-5am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 6:30am-9am Sunday; Live 5:30am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
Blue Bay LPGA
Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, Hainan Island, China
10:48am Cassie Porter
10:48am* Fiona Xu (NZ)
11:43am* Minjee Lee
3:07pm Karis Davidson
3:51pm Hira Naveed
Recent champion: Bailey Tardy
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2016)
Prize money: $US2.5m
TV times: Live 3pm-8pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Joburg Open
Houghton GC, Johannesburg, South Africa
3:50pm Danny List
5:30pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
Recent champion: Dean Burmester
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: ZAR20.5m
TV times: Live 10pm-3am Thursday, Friday; Live 9:30pm-2am Saturday; Live 8:30pm-1:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Hong Kong
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)
Recent champion: Abraham Ancer
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live from 5pm AEDT Friday, Saturday, Sunday on 7 Plus.
PGA TOUR Champions
Cologuard Classic
La Paloma Country Club, Tucson, Arizona
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Mathew Goggin, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Brendan Jones, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, Michael Wright.
Recent champion: Joe Durant
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.2m
TV times: 6pm-7:30pm Saturday; Live 9am-11am Sunday; Live 8am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank
Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago, Chile
9:55pm* Rhein Gibson
3:52am Harry Hillier (NZ)
Recent champion: Taylor Dickson
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1m
Epson Tour
Atlantic Beach Classic
Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, Florida
11:52pm* Robyn Choi
4:16am* Su Oh
5:44am* Caitlin Peirce
Recent champion: Briana Chacon
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US250,000
Louis Dobbelaar has opened up for the first time on the struggles that have plagued him the past two years, the moment he hit rock bottom and why he returns to the New Zealand PGA with more self-belief than at any other time in his career.
Still just 22 years of age, Dobbelaar has endured a dip in the trajectory that had him pointed towards a prosperous career on golf’s international stage following his Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship triumph in 2023.
He won the 2016 NZ Amateur at Royal Wellington Golf Club as a 15-year-old, in so doing becoming the youngest winner in the championship’s history.
The trans-Tasman double was complete when Dobbelaar claimed the Australian Amateur in 2021 and, shortly after turning professional that same year, he earned playing rights on the PGA TOUR’s Latin America tour.
Highlighted by a third-place finish at the 2021 Australian PGA Championship, Dobbelaar had four top-five finishes in his first 12 months on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and then broke through two years ago with a maiden professional win at Gulf Harbour Country Club.
What happened next is not only a cautionary tale but a reminder of the reality young players accustomed to winning must face.
“You get a bit of a taste of success but what came after that was a little bit of a false sense of where I was at and maybe a bit of complacency,” concedes Dobbelaar.
“When you do have a nice amateur career and you are in contention a lot and you maybe have a few trophies, you just think it’s going to be this slow, constant progression and the graph keeps trending upwards.
“You’ve got to go back a couple steps every now and then. Not that you want to, it’s just all part of it.
“Maybe I have run off a bit of confidence in my past when I’ve been doing well. It’s just been an easy thing to keep doing, but playing poorly took a toll on me mentally.
“I’ve had to really take a step back from my emotions with the game and stand out on the golf course naked to a degree, embarrassing yourself a few times to kind of work through it.
“You’ve got to hit some rock bottoms and ask some hard questions.
“That’s something that can be so hard with your ego on the line.”
‘My head was getting the best of me’
Two key elements conspired to derail the momentum of one of Australia’s most promising young professionals.
Dobbelaar’s physical development convinced him that he had to play the game differently. As the boy matured into a young man, there was a temptation to use his more muscular frame to hit the ball harder. Make the ball fly further.
He also ventured down a path where Dobbelaar evaluated his game by how his swing looked on video, not by how many shots it took to get the ball in the hole.
“A couple of little technical things that I probably hyper-fixated on that probably didn’t need the amount of attention I was giving it,” Dobbelaar reflects.
“That took my focus away from playing good golf.”
In the 12 months after his NZ PGA win, Dobbelaar made 18 starts, missed nine cuts and didn’t have a single top-25 finish.
That trend continued to start the 2024-2025 season, walking off after shooting 81 in Round 2 of the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee just six months ago his breaking point.
“My head was getting the best of me. I just couldn’t be present and play golf,” he added.
“I was just all over the shop. I had a couple sit downs with my psychologist (Jonah Oliver) and identified some stuff that actually needed attention.
“I was driving myself nuts and every swing meant more than just a golf score.
“Most guys go through something similar as a pro, but that was the first time I’d ever experienced it with a game that I just love so much.”
‘Believing more than ever’
No longer trading on confidence accumulated as a star amateur, Dobbelaar has sought to build belief to become the professional he has proven he can be.
He has drawn inspiration from the way the past two Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners, David Micheluzzi and Kazuma Kobori, have identified and owned who they are as players.
As he prepares to tee it up at Hastings Golf Club on Thursday morning alongside last week’s NZ Open winner, Ryan Peake, and the 2024 NZ PGA champion, Pieter Zwart, Dobbelaar is a believer once again.
“I’m believing more than I ever have,” said Dobbelaar, who was tied for 11th at Webex Players Series Sydney a fortnight ago.
“The last few events, in my eyes, have shown the calibre of player that I think that I am more so than I have probably ever in my career, which is exciting to me.
“Who knows if that means I’m going to play well or not, but I’ve been able to actually do the things that I believe I can do lately, which has been fun.”
The Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship tees off at 5:45am AEDT Thursday morning.
Australian Golf has announced the extension of its partnership with BMW Australia for a further term, solidifying the premium automotive leader’s commitment to the growth and promotion of golf in the country.
This extension builds upon the landmark partnership signed in 2022 when BMW became the first joint partner of Australian Golf, a successful collaboration that has seen BMW make significant contributions to the sport.
BMW’s involvement is highlighted by its ongoing title partnership of the BMW Australian PGA Championship for 2024 and beyond, alongside its partnerships with the Australian Open, Australian WPGA Championship, Webex Players Series and Vic Open.
BMW’s investment in Australia’s best golf talent is also evident in their list of current player ambassadors that includes reigning BMW Australian PGA champion Elvis Smylie, major winner Minjee Lee, former Australian PGA champion and PGA TOUR member Min Woo Lee, and LPGA Tour winner Grace Kim.
PGA of Australia and Golf Australia Chief Commercial Officer Michael McDonald recognised BMW’s significant role in the sport’s ongoing success, with significant growth occurring across all aspects of the game.
“BMW’s contribution to Australian Golf has been invaluable and it continues to expand,” he said.
“In 2022, BMW set new ground by becoming the first company to partner with all three national governing bodies – Golf Australia, PGA of Australia and WPGA Tour of Australasia – under the banner of Australian Golf.
“Their dedication and investment into our tournaments, players, members and our fans continue to make a tangible difference, and we are excited to continue this journey together.”
BMW’s involvement in Australian Golf aligns with its broader global strategy to support golf that embody precision, performance, and passion. This partnership also complements the BMW Golf Cup, the world’s largest amateur golf event, which takes place at a BMW dealer level globally and allows customers to compete for a place in the prestigious World Final.
In addition to the BMW Australian PGA Championship, BMW will continue its involvement in several other Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia tournaments including the Australian Open, along with a range of initiatives across other Australian Golf assets focussed on PGA Members, fans and participants of golf.
Wolfgang Buechel, CEO of BMW Group Australia, emphasized the brand’s commitment to the sport: “BMW is proud to continue its partnership with Australian Golf. Over the years, we have seen firsthand the incredible growth and passion for the sport in Australia.
“This extension reaffirms our commitment to excellence, innovation, and naturing the next generation of golfers, both on and off the course. We look forward to continuing to play a role in elevating Australian Golf to even greater heights.”
Photo: BMW Australian PGA champion Elvis Smylie with Wolfgang Buechel, CEO of BMW Group Australia,
The first of four PGA Institute Emerging Leaders sessions was held today at the PGA Learning Hub in Sandhurst, with 17 attendees gaining valuable communication insights.
The Emerging Leaders program was launched in 2024, and among a number of other offerings, the PGA Institute program is geared towards professional development through interactive workshops designed to empower the next generation of golf industry professionals.
Titled Mastering effective communication, program facilitators Colin Wilson and Chris Tankard from Key Business Advisors took the attendees through what the best forms of workplace communication might look like in their clubs and facilities.
Mitchell Wilson, the Assistant Director of Golf at Kingston Heath, said the workshop was a helpful refresh on some tactics that are often forgotten or overlooked.
“It was great to get out of the office and be with like-minded people and discussing things that affect us day-to-day,” he said at Sandhurst today.
“In the golf industry, not everyone’s there at the same time, so we’re just coming up with a few ways to make sure the message is getting across to all team members.”
Similarly, Devanique Rossouw who is the Swim School Coordinator at Sandhurst Club, is excited to take her learnings from today’s session back to her team.
“I absolutely loved it. It was really insightful,” Rossouw said.
“We learned a lot about communication styles, how to communicate with the team and your upline and your downline.
“Also strategies on how to implement good team culture and how communication plays a role. Communication is key.”
As part of the Golf Australia Emerging Leaders Scholarship Program, two attendees in Andrew Poppins from Sandy Golf Links, and Luke Sillay from The Vintage Golf Club, were fully funded to attend the workshop.
The next PGA Institute Emerging Leaders session, Strategic planning for success will be held in June, with two more later in the year.
There are still places available for the remaining workshops. CLICK HERE to learn more, and CLICK HERE to register.
Ryan Peake’s emotional New Zealand Open triumph not only elevated him in the eyes of the golf world, but also kept alive the chase for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
Current No.1 Elvis Smylie did his hopes no harm with a tie for eighth at Millbrook Resort yet Peake’s victory on the back of top-10 finishes at Webex Players Series events at Cobram-Barooga and Castle Hill has brought top spot within reach.
Hannah Green’s strong early season form continued with a tie for seventh in defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship title in Singapore as siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee finished just outside the top 10 in their respective events.
10. Karl Vilips (New)
Has made the cut in each of his first two starts as a PGA TOUR member and is looking increasingly comfortable on the biggest stage. Closed with 72 to earn a share of 39th at the Cognizant Classic to climb back inside the top 250 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
9. Ryan Peake (New)
Winner of the Sandbelt Invitational in December, Peake has carried that form through into 2025 with top-10 finishes at Webex Players Series Murray River and Webex Players Series Sydney before claiming last week’s New Zealand Open. Has risen to a career high of No.432 on the Official World Golf Ranking and is second on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
8. Min Woo Lee (9)
In addition to playing a starring role for his undefeated TGL team, The Bay GC, Lee continues to build consistency into his season on the PGA TOUR. Opening with a tie for 17th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Lee has two top-20 finishes on the PGA TOUR and was tied 11th at the Cognizant Classic thanks to a final round of 4-under 67 that vaulted him 24 spots up the leaderboard.
7. Lucas Herbert (7)
Was prominent early in the week at the New Zealand Open as he set his sights on Elvis Smylie at the top of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. A second round of 1-over 73 was all that stopped Herbert making a greater impression, matching rounds of 66 over the weekend elevating the Victorian into a tie for 21st.
6. Jason Day (4)
Returns to action this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, a Signature Event on the PGA TOUR. Best finish this year is a tie for third at The American Express along with a tie for 13th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
5. Adam Scott (3)
Like Day, will tee it up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week after skipping the Cognizant Classic. Remains Australia’s highest-ranked male player at No.26 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
4. Minjee Lee (5)
Building on a tied for fourth in her first start of the season, Lee finished strongly across the weekend to earn a share of 11th at the HSBC Women’s Worlds Championship in Singapore.
3. Cam Davis (2)
Tied for fifth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am prior to missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, Davis makes his sixth start of the year at this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Our most recent winner on the PGA TOUR.
2. Elvis Smylie (6)
Returned to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and picked up where he left off with a tie for eighth at the New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort. A two-time winner this season, Smylie’s top-10 finish puts him one step closer to claiming the 2024-2025 Order of Merit.
1. Hannah Green (1)
Fourth at the Founders Cup, Green staged a strong defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship title in Singapore. Green bounced back from a 3-over 75 on day one to finish six shots back of Kiwi Lydia Ko in a share of seventh.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
