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Inspirational words from a couple of Australia’s golfing greats provided some extra impetus for Matt Guyatt to score a victory in the 2024 PGA Professionals Championship of South-East Queensland at his old home club.
Thanks to a bogey-free round of 4-under-par 68 on Nudgee Golf Club’s Kurrai Course, Guyatt’s prize haul also included an exemption into the 2024 Queensland PGA Championship, back at Nudgee on October 31-November 3, and a start in the PGA Professionals National Championship at Heritage Golf and Country Club (October 22-24).
“I was inspired by the meeting prior to golf, hearing from the likes of Charlie Earp and Rodger Davis, and winning today has made it even more memorable,” said Guyatt, who is now the Assistant/Teaching Professional at Gailes Golf Club.
Earp (70 years) and Davis (50 years) were among a group of PGA Professionals who had been recognised at the Qld/NT Annual State Member Forum earlier in the day for achieving huge milestones as PGA of Australia members.
“I’ve been battling some shoulder injuries though as Nudgee is my former home club I still had high expectations for today,” Guyatt said.
“I love this place. Nudgee certainly feels like a family environment for me and I have no doubt that it has contributed to the way I played.
“I’m thankful not only for the exemption to the National Final, but also the position in the QLD PGA Championship.
“As PGA Professonals, it’s great to have the support of each of the event partners from Club Car, Acushnet, Coca Cola and other sponsors of the PGA. We certainly don’t take their investment for granted”.
Joining Guyatt with exemptions into the 2024 Queensland PGA were Lachlan Wood and Alex Simpson, who shared second on 2-under 70.
The top 14 finishers qualified for the PGA Professionals Championship National Final with Neville Hogan unlucky to miss out on a countback from those on 1-over-par.
The captain of the Australian team for the PGA Women’s Cup in Oregon this year, Katelyn Must, won through to the National Final as the leading woman in the field.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rostron was the leading player over the age of 50 and receives an exemption into the Australian PGA Seniors Championship at Richmond Golf Club (November 8-10)
Leaderboard
68: Matt Guyatt
70: Lachlan Wood, Alex Simpson
71: Jamie Rooney, Angus Porter
72: Chris Duke, Brenton Fowler, Mitchell Smith, Cameron Kelly, Dylan Gardner
73: Wade Hooper, Jared Love, TJ King, Sam Eaves, Neville Hogan
Photo: Kevin Gates (Club Car), Matt Guyatt (winner) and Darren Richards (Nudgee GC General Manager).
Murray Lott has enjoyed a day out in his home state, with the Queenslander taking out the first leg of the Moreton Bay swing of the PGA Legends Tour at Wantima Country Club today.
Producing a flawless round of golf, Lott’s 4-under 66 was enough to win the Wantima Legends Pro-Am in partnership with the City of Moreton Bay by a shot over Michael Harwood, Andre Stolz and Brad Burns.
The win is Lott’s third for 2024, adding to the NZ PGA Senior Championship and St Clair Legends Pro-Am, and likely moves him up from his current fourth on the Order of Merit.
Wantima is a new event on the PGA Legends Tour, but it is no stranger to Australian golf royalty, being the home of 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith.
The club today welcomed more royalty, in Peter Senior OAM, who shot a tidy 1-under round the day after his 65th birthday, featuring a run of five birdies in a row, for a top-10 finish.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Starting his day on the par-5 15th at Wantima, Lott opened with a birdie, and added another at the short par-4 third.
An eagle at the par-5 13th, Lott’s second last hole, was certainly one of the Queenslander’s highlights, the other being the fact that he had no blemishes on his card.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Great score for today, I felt like that was actually the highest score I could’ve shot, so I actually had everything going today,” said Lott.
“I felt calm, stayed calm and kept out of my way. I actually missed a whole bunch of putts but hit a lot of good shots.
“Made one good par save and was fortunate to eagle my second last hole, driver, five-iron and holed a putt from the back of the green.
“I’ve probably played here twice in my life, so about 10-15 years ago I think we had a ‘flat-bellies’ event and I played alright around here then, so good memories.
“I had a wonderful group, extremely well-run event and I sincerely hope we have this event year after year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66 Murray Lott (QLD)
67 Michael Harwood (VIC), Andre Stolz (QLD), Brad Burns (QLD)
68 Terry Price (QLD), Adam Henwood (VIC), Mark Boulton (VIC), Ben Jackson (ENG)
NEXT UP
The Moreton Bay swing continues tomorrow, with the PGA Legends Tour heading to the Bribie Island Legends Pro-Am.
All eyes are on Paris this week, with the men kicking off the Olympic Golf in the first week of the 2024 Games.
Australians Min Woo Lee and Jason Day are joined by New Zealanders Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier, along with many of the world’s best male golfers at Le Golf National.
All four Australasians have managed to score very friendly tee times for Southern Hemisphere viewers, so be sure to tune in on Thursday night and cheer them on.
Both Day and Lee have expressed their strong desires for an Olympic medal, that desire intensifying since they have been on the ground in France.
“Before I came over, all my mates were like, ‘Dude, you’re an Olympic athlete.’ They kept saying it,” said Day.
“I’m like, ‘Man, whatever, that’s fine.’ After they kept saying it, I can understand how important and cool it is to call yourself an Olympic athlete.
“Once you’re an Olympic athlete, you’re always an Olympic athlete.
“To have the opportunity to win a medal is very exciting to think about.”
Elsewhere on tour, Australia has a strong contingent of seven players teeing it up at the Portland Classic on the LPGA Tour.
Notable absentees at Portland are Hannah Green and Minjee Lee, who are deep in preparations for their shot at Olympic glory next week.
Karl Vilips headlines another strong group of Aussies at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship, where he looks to back up his runner-up finish from last week.
Upon qualifying earlier this month in Fort Worth, Texas, senior amateur Sue Wooster is playing in the US Senior Women’s Open at Fox Chapel Golf Club.
One of the world’s best senior amateurs, Wooster this week gets a chance to test her game against past Australian Open winners Laura Davies and Annika Sorenstam.
Tee times (AEST)
Olympic Golf (Men)
Paris 2024
Le Golf National, France
5:22pm Ryan Fox (NZ)
5:33pm Min Woo Lee
5:55pm Jason Day
6:22pm Daniel Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Xander Schauffele (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Rounds One-Four: Thursday-Sunday from 5pm (Nine, 9Now, Stan).
LPGA Tour
Portland Classic
Columbia Edgewater CC, Portland, Oregon
1:21am* Gabriela Ruffels
1:43am* Su Oh
6:10am* Grace Kim
6:21am Hira Naveed
6:21am* Sarah Kemp
6:54am* Robyn Choi
7:05am Sarah Jane Smith
Defending champion: Chanette Wannasaen
Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2019)
Prize money: US$1,750,000
TV times: Friday and Saturday 8am-11am Fox Sports 3 and Kayo. Sunday and Monday 7am-10am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Challenge Tour
Irish Challenge
The K Club, Palmer South, Kildare
4:30pm* Thomas Power Horan
10:40pm* Connor McKinney
10:50pm* Hayden Hopewell
Defending champion: Brandon Robinson Thompson
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €270,000
PGA TOUR Americas
BioSteel Championship
Ambassador Golf Club, Windsor, Ontario
10:50pm Grant Booth
10:50pm* Harry Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Prize money: US$225,000
Korn Ferry Tour
Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health
Oakridge Country Club, Farmington Utah
10:55pm* Karl Vilips
11:25pm* Rhein Gibson
11:45pm Curtis Luck
4:30am* Dimi Papadatos
4:40am* Brett Drewitt
5:10am* Charlie Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Roger Sloan
Past Aussie winners: Jeff Woodland (1992)
Prize money: US$1,000,000
TV times: Friday and Saturday 6am-8am Fox Sports 3 and Kayo. Sunday and Monday 5am-8am Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
US Senior Women’s Open
Fox Chapel Golf Club, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
10:32pm* Sue Wooster (a)
Defending champion: Trish Johnson
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: US$1,000,000
TV times: Sunday and Monday 4am-7am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
European Legends Tour
Staysure PGA Seniors Championship hosted by Colin Montgomerie
Trump International Golf Links, Scotland
5:25pm* Peter Fowler
5:36pm Scott Hend
5:47pm Michael Long (NZ)
9:30pm* Jason Norris
10:25pm Michael Campbell (NZ)
Defending champion: Peter Baker
Past Aussie winners: Kel Nagle (1971, 1973, 1975), Peter Thomson (1988), Terry Gale (1996), Ross Metherell (1999), Ian Stanley (2001), Peter Fowler (2015)
Prize money: €750,000
A moving heart-to-heart from Deputy Chef de Mission, Kyle Vander-Kuyp, has infused Australian golf stars Jason Day and Min Woo Lee with Olympic spirit ahead of their Games debut at Le Golf National starting Thursday.
No strangers to golf fans worldwide, Day and Lee spent time with Vander-Kuyp on Sunday night, the dual Olympian bringing the Olympic spirit into the team room within their hotel in Versailles.
Having attended Friday’s Opening Ceremony and with a soon-to-be three-time Olympian for an older sister, Lee has immersed himself in Olympic life since arriving in Paris.
For Day, hearing the story of Vander-Kuyp’s rise from childhood adoption to Olympic finalist at Atlanta in 1996 and semi-finalist at Sydney 2000 has further fuelled his quest to become the first Australian golfer to win an Olympic medal.
“I remember watching him as a kid, which was really cool,” said Day.
“He told us a story about when he was watching the Olympics and he went to his mum and said,
‘Hey, I want to become an Olympic athlete and I want to wear the green and gold.’
“Showing that determination from such a young age… no one teaches that. It’s something that’s within you.
“And making the actual dream happen is another story. It was really inspiring.”
Lee spent Tuesday night in the stands watching Alex de Minaur and Alex Popyrin at Roland Garros, absorbing what he could on how they handle sport’s grandest stage.
The 26-year-old will also carry some extra fire in the belly after speaking with Vander-Kuyp on Sunday.
“Just what it means to him,” Lee said of his key takeaway from spending time with Vander-Kuyp.
“It’s special. It definitely brings a little extra motivation.
“I’m just excited to go and play.”
The additional lure awaiting either is the chance to become Australia’s first Olympic medallist in golf competition.
For Lee, that represents a rare chance to get one up on his sister, Minjee, before she tees it up in the women’s competition next week.
It would be a form of redemption for Day who has expressed regret at having declined the chance to compete at Rio 2016.
“The rarity of winning a medal in golf; they only give out three,” said the former world No.1 and 2015 US PGA champion.
“Before I came over, all my mates were like, ‘Dude, you’re an Olympic athlete.’ They kept saying it.
I’m like, ‘Man, whatever, that’s fine.’ After they kept saying it, I can understand how important and cool it is to call yourself an Olympic athlete.
“Once you’re an Olympic athlete, you’re always an Olympic athlete.
“To have the opportunity to win a medal is very exciting to think about.”
“It would be unbelievable,” Lee added on winning an Olympic medal.
“It would be amazing. I know it would mean the same for both of us, but yeah, podium would be nice.
“If it does happen, it will be a very special moment that will be in our lives forever.”
Round 1 of the men’s competition tees off Thursday at 5pm AEST.
Lee begins his Olympic campaign at 5:33pm with Day to follow two groups later at 5:55pm.
PHOTO: Jason Day and Min Woo Lee soak up the atmosphere at Le Golf National on Tuesday. Image: Getty
Two Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regulars showed their class to share top spot at today’s Panasonic Air Conditioning Burleigh Pro-Am.
Sam Brazel and Jake McLeod negotiated the Gold Coast layout in 4-under-par 67 in gusty winds to finish one ahead of Cameron John on an adidas Pro-Am Series leaderboard laden with Tour talent.
For McLeod, it was his second joint title for July, joining his win with Jack Murdoch and Will Florimo at Windaroo Lakes.
The experienced Brazel’s last adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory came last year in Mackay with Burleigh making it 12 overall for the former Hong Kong Open champion on the pro-am circuit.
It was nice confidence boost for the NSW pro ahead of some bigger events to come. He’s off to the US$2,000,000 International Series England event at Close House in Newcastle, starting August 17, before concentrating on Asian events.
HOW THE WINNERS’ ROUNDS UNFOLDED
McLeod started his round on the 11th hole and moved quickly to 2-under with birdies on the 14th and 15th. His only bogey for the day came on the par-4 16th. He then picked up shots on both par-5s on the front nine.
Brazel’s round was highlighted by a run of four birdies in five holes on the back nine before he almost undid his good work with a double-bogey on the par-4 16th. A birdie on his second last hole, the par-5 first, gave him a share of top spot.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
McLeod: “I hit it nicely again today which was good. I played the par-5s pretty well and holed a few putts today. It was all pretty stress-free really. You have to hit fairways around here because it’s super tight.”
Brazel: “It’s my first time in a long time around here. I tried to keep it on the short stuff which always helps. I had a great group so it was a fun day.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: Jake McLeod (Qld), Sam Brazel (NSW)
68: Cameron John (Vic)
69: Darcy Brereton (Vic), Aiden Didone (Vic), Deyen Lawson (WA), Michael Sim (Qld)
70: Ed Donoghue (Vic), Kade McBride (Qld), Brady Watt (WA), Matt Dowling (Qld), Tom Robinson (Eng), Bailey Arnott (Qld), Tim Hart (Qld), Lucas Higgins (NSW)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads back to Brisbane for the Belle Property Bulimba Pro-Am on Thursday then it’s a return to the Gold Coast for the Southport Pro-Am on Friday.
Andre Stolz’s domination of the PGA Legends Tour continued today as the Queenslander took out his seventh title this year at the William (Bill) Beattie Henderson Memorial Cup at Meadowbrook Golf Club.
A joint winner in Toowoomba last week, Stolz was the sole winner today by one shot over Grahame Stinson and Tod Power, after a 3-under 69.
Stolz is now cruising at the top of the Order of Merit.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Playing holes 10-27 at Meadowbrook, Stolz started his day on ten, which he birdied, and another birdie came at 12.
A bogey followed at 14 followed, however when Stolz made eagle at the par-5 16th, he looked as if he may go super-low.
Coming down the last however, Stolz found himself at 2-under, needing something special to take the outright win.
Special is just what Stolz produced, managing a clutch up-and-down for birdie on the last to clinch the cup.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I actually checked the leaderboard a couple times there,” Stolz admitted due to the tight competition.
“I actually played really good tee to green, I was hitting it great, I just hadn’t played that new nine up the top of the hill there and where those pins where everything was pretty dicey.
“The surrounds of the greens were fantastic, and the green surfaces were pretty good, that weren’t too quick but you wouldn’t want these greens quick.
“I was keen to have a good day, and I actually won the young boys pro-am here a million year ago.
“The last two or three months I feel like I’ve clicked with a few things.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
69 Andre Stolz (QLD)
70 Grahame Stinson (NSW), Tod Power (QLD)
71 Wade Brunjes (QLD), Nigel Weldon (QLD), David Fearns (QLD)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour next heads to the City of Moreton Bay region later this week, with Wantima the host on Thursday and Bribie Island on Friday.
The inaugural Men’s World Sand Greens Championship will tee off at Binalong in New South Wales on September 27, with Australia’s best professional golfers competing for a $140,000 purse.
Proudly supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, the 36-hole championship at Binalong Community Club in the NSW Southern Tablelands is a first for professional men’s golf in Australia and globally.
General Manager of Golf at Golf NSW Olivia Wilson said the concept of a men’s professional tournament on sand greens was a first in Australia and sure to attract a lot of interest, adding that the style of play required to compete on sand surfaces took some adjusting.
“Sand greens golf plays an important part in Australia’s golfing landscape, especially in rural communities, and it will be great to showcase this side of our game,” she said.
“Playing and putting on sand is quite a different experience for many players. There are fundamental differences between landing approach shots and knowing how to ‘smooth’ a putting line.
“If a player has doubts on what to do, plenty of locals will be ready to offer free advice on the correct way to chip, smooth a line, and even hole a putt,”
Ms Wilson added that fans of the sport who were curious about golf on sand greens could tune into the live broadcast on 7Plus, courtesy of the Channel Seven network and the Sports Entertainment Network, SEN, to catch the action live.
“It’s great to have the final round of any tournament live, but with many people curious about playing and putting on sand surfaces, we expect the broadcast to be well received.”
PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said the Men’s World Sand Greens Championship would be an exciting opportunity to showcase this distinct style of playing golf.
“Australia’s unique environment offers a variety of terrain and weather conditions across its vast landscapes,” he said.
“Playing on sand greens will present a distinctive challenge for a professional event, one that will undoubtedly highlight the creative talents of our players.
“The World Sand Greens Championship will be a great way to kickstart what is sure to be a huge Summer of Golf on the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.”
Binalong Golf Club has a long and rich history. Founded in 1857, the club’s original nine-hole layout was carved through the middle of a now-defunct horse racing track.
At 500 metres above sea level, the 18-hole, par-72 course is considered one of the best examples of a sand greens layout in regional New South Wales.
Located 37km north-west of Yass, about one hour from Canberra and three hours from Sydney, Binbalong is a hub for sporting activities and an integral part of the surrounding community.
Host Venue: Binalong Community Club
Dates: September, 27-29
Prize Fund: $140,000
Tournament Format: 18 Hole Pro-Am (day one) followed by 36 Hole Championship (day two and three)
Website: https://www.golfnsw.org.au/events-champs/mens-world-sand-greens/
TV Broadcast: Final round Sunday, September 29, LIVE on 7Plus
The Men’s World Sand Greens Championship is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Brett Rankin defied some of the toughest conditions of the year in the adidas PGA Pro-Am series to go back-to-back at the Brisbane River Golf Club Pro-Am today.
The Queenslander’s 1-under-par 65 was the only round of par or better on a day dominated by strong westerly winds that wrecked many of his rivals’ scorecards.
West Australian Deyen Lawson took runner-up honours at 1-over, with Ed Donoghue (Vic), Jay Mackenzie (NSW), Kyle Michel (Vic) and Brady Watt (WA) a further shot back.
Rankin’s victory was his third for 2024.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
The 2023 winner started his round with a bogey on the par-4 second but soon bounced back with an eagle on the dogleg 314m par-4 fourth after deciding to go with a driver off the tee following a pre-round inspection of the hole on Google Earth.
“I just pumped a driver over the fence and the trees and houses,” he said. “I hit it exactly where I wanted but it was still a bit of guesswork to be honest.
“I thought it’d be near the green somewhere but walking down the fairway Jay Mackenzie, one of playing partners, told me I’d hit it to 12 feet.
“It was a good way to bounce back from a bogey.”
Birdies at the 11th and 13th moved Rankin to -3 before he handed back his last shot of the day at the short par-4 17th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“The key to playing well here is just embracing the quirkiness of the golf course,” Rankin said.
“Embracing that it’s going to quite difficult and it’s going to throw some challenges at you.
“I feel like I can play difficult conditions quite well. I can be patient golfer and I like to plot my way around the course.
“I’m very happy to shoot under par. I said to my mates before the round that you could potentially see someone shoot even-par or over par win this.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
65: Brett Rankin (Qld)
67: Deyen Lawson (WA)
68: Ed Donoghue (Vic), Jay Mackenzie (NSW), James Mee (Qld), Kyle Michel (Vic)
69: Toby Walker (Vic), Brady Watt (WA)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads to the Gold Coast for the Panasonic Air Conditioning Burleigh Pro-Am on Tuesday
West Australian Scott Barr conquered strong westerly winds and a field that included a couple of notable PGA Legends Tour debutants to win the Paul King Memorial Legends Pro-Am in partnership with Bartons and BMD today.
Barr recorded a 2-under-par 67 at Wynnum Golf Club to gain his first Tour title for 2024 on a day when only six players broke par.
The runner-up group of five included Queenslander Brad Kennedy, the winner of 13 tournaments worldwide, who is now a rookie on the seniors circuit after celebrating his 50th birthday last month.
He was joined on 1-under by three other Queenslanders – Marcus Cain, Murray Lott and Adam Le Vesconte – and Melbourne-based Carl Smedley.
Wayne Perske, one of the world’s best All Abilities golfers, also made his PGA Legends Tour debut, shooting an even-par 69 to finish in a tie for seventh just days after his 50th birthday qualified him for a new tour.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Barr had a rocky start to his afternoon with two bogeys on his first four holes but he made his way under par by picking up shots at 10, 12 and 13.
Another birdie on the 110m par-three first hole, his 16th hole of the day, proved to be decisive.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I didn’t think what I shot would win,” Barr said.
“I was told after I’d holed that last putt that it was for the win. I was quite surprised 2-under won.
“I got off to a poor start but it’s a shorter course and I just had to navigate it. I was lucky to get over the line I guess.
“This is a great event. There’s a lot of tradition on this course with pro-ams.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: Scott Barr (WA)
68: Marcus Cain (Qld); Murray Lott (Qld); Brad Kennedy (Qld); Carl Smedley (Vic); Adam Le Vesconte (Qld)
69: Andre Stolz (Qld); Wayne Perske (Qld); Christopher Taylor (Qld); Brad Burns (Qld); Stuart Beament (WA)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Series has the week in South-East Queensland with events at Meadowbrook (Tuesday), Wantima (Thursday) and Bribie Island (Friday).
The club that birthed an Open champion will welcome an older breed of legend when Wantima Country Club hosts the Wantima CC Legends Pro-Am on August 1.
The first of two PGA Legends Tour events supported by the City of Moreton Bay, Wantima is a new addition to the schedule in 2024 and will be followed a day later by the Bribie Island Legends Pro-Am at Bribie Island Golf Club.
The home course of 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith, Wantima has undergone major works both on and off the golf course and will showcase a host of Australian golf greats.
Those to have already entered include reigning Order of Merit winner Andre Stolz, Peter Senior OAM, Terry Price, Mike Harwood and Terry Pilkadaris for what is always a popular stage of the season.
“Wantima Country Club is proud to be part of the Australian PGA Legends Tour in 2024,” said Jason Patterson, General Manager at Wantima Country Club.
“The club is very excited to host this event on August 1.
“In the past two years, Wantima Country Club has made many enhancements to the clubhouse and the golf course.
“We are also very proud of our many sponsors for this event with Moreton Bay Council assisting us with sponsorship.”
The Bribie Island Legends Pro-Am dates back to 2018 when Matthew King was the inaugural champion, the Bribie sand base providing for wonderful playing surfaces each and every year.
“There is a really wonderful history building with this event at Bribie Island Golf Club,” said Legends Tour Coordinator, Andy Rogers.
“The players really enjoy the challenge of the golf course, the course is always in fantastic condition and the hospitality of the club, its members and sponsors is up there with the best on tour.”
A total of $29,500 in prizemoney is up for grabs across the two days thanks to the support of the City of Moreton Bay.
City of Moreton Bay stretches from Brisbane’s northern suburbs up to Bribie Island.
Golf courses in the Moreton Bay catchment include Redcliffe Golf Club, Bribie Island Golf Club, Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club, Caboolture Golf Club and Wantima Country Club.
