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Major champion and Australian golf icon, Ian Baker-Finch, will succeed Rodger Davis as the next Chair of the PGA of Australia.
A member-elected Director for six years and Deputy Chair for the past two years, Baker-Finch officially starts as Chair today following the Annual General Meeting yesterday on May 28, marking the start of a three-year term.
He takes over from Rodger Davis who has helped to guide the PGA through a tremendous period of change in his six years as Chair.
The 1991 Open Champion at Royal Birkdale, Baker-Finch, 63, has become one of the most respected voices in world golf through his television commentary in both Australia and the United States.
Given his status within the game around the world, Baker-Finch hopes to use his position to further advance the game in Australia.
“Throughout the world, the popularity of golf is booming, and my central focus will be to leverage that interest to help the game continue to grow in my home country,” said Baker-Finch.
“The PGA Professionals that our organisation represents are at the forefront of delivering a wonderful golf experience, whether that be at golf courses, driving ranges or indoor golf centres.
“I am of the firm belief that by making the game of golf stronger, we grow opportunities for PGA Members to continue their role as custodians of the game in Australia.
“The PGA of Australia also operates the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia, both of which are integral in developing our Tournament Professionals to become world-class players.
“Both tours have experienced significant growth in recent times and we are seeing increasing numbers of Australians represent our country on major world tours.
“It is vital that we continue to expand these opportunities and continue to inspire the next generation to strive for success in golf’s showpiece events.”
Baker-Finch’s ascension to the role of Chair follows in the footsteps of Rodger Davis, who has served with distinction and dedication.
Providing leadership through the challenges presented by the pandemic, Davis was on hand for the signing of the long-term Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour, along with the opening of the PGA Learning Hub at Sandhurst in 2022, a facility that will provide world-leading education and training for those wishing to work in the golf industry.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished during my time as Chair of the PGA of Australia,” said Davis.
“Through the hard work of our leadership team and a Board that boasts a wide array of knowledge and skills, I am pleased to leave the PGA of Australia in a very strong position.
“I have no doubt that Ian will lead with passion and integrity and carry the PGA of Australia forward into an evolving and exciting future.”
PGA of Australia CEO, Gavin Kirkman, praised Davis for his contribution to the PGA the past six years and is excited by Baker-Finch’s willingness to elevate his role within the organisation.
“We are very fortunate as an organisation that we can call on such respected and accomplished people as Rodger Davis and Ian Baker-Finch to Chair the PGA of Australia Board,” Kirkman said.
“Rodger has left a lasting legacy through his contribution as Chair and I have no doubt Ian will have a similar impact in the next three years.
“You only need to spend a little time with Ian at a major to appreciate the respect and esteem with which he is held throughout the golf world.
“I am excited to see what we can accomplish with Ian leading our highly accomplished Board.”
Tour player Matt Griffin was appointed as a Director at the AGM following the completion of Davis’s six-year term, while PGA Professional Josh Madden was reappointed for a second term.
An early burst of three birdies in Round 1 has paved the way for Victorian Mark Boulton to win the Busselton Legends Pro-Am by four strokes at Busselton Golf Club.
A new event on the PGA Legends Tour schedule, the Busselton layout 2.5 hours south of Perth presented a stern test for some of the best senior golfers in the country.
Boulton – a four-time winner in his rookie season in 2023 – was the only player to break par for the two rounds, his 36-hole total of 1-under putting him four strokes clear of Stuart Beament (72) with West Australians Brendan Chant (74) and Scott Barr (77) sharing third.
Boulton’s opening round of 3-under 69 was one of only two sub-par rounds for the tournament and was set up by a blistering start.
Beginning his first round from the third tee, Boulton made birdies at four, six and eight in a bogey-free round that would ultimately prove the difference.
“I didn’t see this one coming,” admitted Boulton, whose last win was at Coffs Harbour Golf Club last September.
“Been close on a couple of events this year, but yesterday felt good, played good.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Leading by two entering Round 2, Boulton’s game-plan centred around controlled aggression that would hopefully yield an improvement on his day one score.
A dropped shot at the par-4 seventh was an early step back but he responded with four straight pars.
A bogey at the par-3 12th was followed by a birdie at the par-5 13th and then a third bogey for the day at the par-4 14th.
A 2-over 74 was not how Boulton had hoped to close out the win but proved to be more than enough by day’s end.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Today was a lot harder,” Boulton said the second round.
“Certainly a challenging course. Just a strong course right from the tee, those back blocks and right up to the green and on the greens.
“Very, very pleased that I could get the job done. Just hung in there, I guess.
“I slept pretty good last night. Sometimes you don’t, your mind wanders a little, but today I just came in trying to be not super aggressive, but try to find a better score today.
“But every round of golf one day to the next can be just a little different. And today was that.
“Wasn’t exactly I guess the finish result I wanted, but it was good enough.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Mark Boulton 69-74—143
2 Stuart Beament 75-72—147
T3 Brendan Chant 74-74—148
T3 Scott Barr 71-77—148
T3 Paul Powell 72-76—148
T6 Stephen Herbert 72-77—149
T6 David Wilson 74-75—149
NEXT UP
There is now a one-week break on the PGA Legends Tour leading into the $50,000 Vuksich & Borich Fiji Legends Golf Classic at Denarau Golf & Racquet Club.
A Richard Bland buzzsaw and frustrating weather delay has conspired to deny Australians Richard Green and Greg Chalmers victory at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Michigan.
The 54-hole co-leader alongside Ernie Els at Harbor Shores, Chalmers went toe-to-toe with Bland until the Englishman’s eagle on 15 and a suspension of play shortly afterward robbed the West Australian of any positive momentum.
Play was suspended for a total of 74 minutes and, when it resumed, Chalmers made his first bogey of the day on 16, going straight underneath his ball with his chip shot after missing the green with his approach.
He fell out of contention with two more bogeys at 17 and 18 as Bland shot 8-under 63 for a 17-under total to win by three from Green (65) with Chalmers (68) falling to third.
Playing in his first senior tournament, Bland began the day one back of the lead yet two holes in had moved past both Els and Chalmers to assume the front-running position.
When he made bogey on three and Chalmers recorded his first birdie of the day, the lead once again changed hands, a trend that would continue throughout the day.
Four birdies in the space of six holes saw American Chris DiMarco join Chalmers and Bland at 12-under before falling one back when Chalmers and Bland both made birdies at the par-4 eighth.
Bland took full advantage of back-to-back par-5s at nine and 10 to lead by two, Chalmers responding with consecutive birdies of his own at 11 and 12 to stay within one.
Bland’s bogey at the par-3 13th and Chalmers’ birdie from 18 feet on 14 saw the West Australian once again take the outright lead only for Bland to come in over the top with an eagle from six feet at the par-5 15th.
Play was suspended 10 minutes later due to dangerous weather in the area and when it resumed the two-time Australian Open dropped shots at both 16 and 17, handing Bland a three-shot buffer heading to the 72nd hole.
“Even though I didn’t finish as strongly as I would like, I have to take solace in the fact that I was 3-over at the start of the tournament on Thursday and here I am, finished third outright,” said Chalmers, who earned $US238,000 for his week’s work.
Greg Chalmers with the CLUTCH birdie putt to take the lead! 🙌
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 26, 2024
Catch the action LIVE on @Peacock.#SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/MN5rbQ9E29
“It’s a great week in any first major, first real taste of being in the last group and seeing some things about what it takes and what I need to work on and improve.
“I take a lot of positives about it. I’m hopeful I can get another opportunity down the line.
“Ironically, I’m in the US Open and the British Open coming up, so hoping I’ll get some chances to get in this position again.”
Green’s surge came late on Sunday with eagles at both 12 and 15, taking his tally for the week to five.
He holed an 8-iron from 139 yards at the par-4 12th and then converted his chance from eight feet at the par-5 15th to reach 14-under.
A three-time winner on the Legends Tour in Europe, Green believes he is closing in on a maiden win in the US.
“Just think it adds to your confidence and belief that you can hang in there under pressure, you can take it all the way to the end,” said Green, who earned $US378,000 for second.
“That’s all you can really take out of it. I work so hard on my game in the background and it’s up to me to be mentally strong in those situations.”
Richard Green surprises himself with this hole out for EAGLE! 🦅
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 26, 2024
Watch all the action LIVE on @Peacock. #SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Qfh8ZqzBR1
In a week that began with 14 Aussies in the field, five finished inside the top 20.
Queenslander Scott Hend (66) also made eagle on 15 on his way to a tie for fourth while Stuart Appleby shot 67 in the final round to climb into a tie for 14th.
Michael Wright (68) enjoyed his best finish on the PGA TOUR Champions with a tie for 17th as Cameron Percy finished tied 21st in his seniors debut.It was a near miss too for Rhein Gibson on the Korn Ferry Tour.
The New South Welshman eagled his final hole of the Visit Knoxville Open for a closing round of 4-under 66, one shy of the playoff won by Harry Higgs at the second extra hole.
Photos: Ryan Lochhead/PGA of America via Getty Images (Chalmers); Patrick McDermott/Getty Images (Green)
Australasian Results
PGA TOUR Champions
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Michigan
1 Richard Bland 64-66-74-63—267
2 Richard Green 64-71-70-65—270
3 Greg Chalmers 69-68-66-68—271
T4 Scott Hend 68-68-70-66—272
T14 Stuart Appleby 70-69-72-67—278
T17 Michael Wright 69-67-75-68—279
T21 Cameron Percy 69-72-68-71—280
T39 David McKenzie 72-72-71-70—285
T57 Vijay Singh (FI) 67-77-73-72—289
T67 Mark Hensby 68-71-77-76—292
T75 Mick Smith 72-70-74-78—294
MC Steve Allan 73-73—146
MC Michael Long (NZ) 72-74—146
MC Rod Pampling 70-77—147
MC David Bransdon 76-75—151
MC Brad Burns 72-81—153
DQ John Senden 75-70—145
WD Michael Campbell (NZ)
PGA TOUR
Charles Schwab Challenge
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
1 Davis Riley 66-64-66-70—268 $US1.638m
T12 Adam Scott 69-68-69-71—277 $180,635
T24 Min Woo Lee 69-68-68-74—279 $70,866
T32 Ryan Fox (NZ) 68-67-71-74—280 $51,961
T56 Cam Davis 69-70-69-76—284 $20,839
DP World Tour
Soudal Open
Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
1 Nacho Elvira 64-64-67-71—266 €393,133.92
T7 Sam Jones (NZ) 62-70-70-67—269 €59,663.85
T48 Jason Scrivener 72-66-69-70—277 €9,096.04
T57 David Micheluzzi 69-69-68-72—278 €6,590.77
MC Haydn Barron 72-72—144
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 72-70—142
Ladies European Tour
Jabra Ladies Open
Evian Resort Golf Club, France
1 Morgane Metraux 67-64-72—203 €45,000
T5 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 72-71-67—210 €9,500
T27 Kirsten Rudgeley 72-72-73—217 €3,375
MC Amy Walsh 75-74—149
Japan Golf Tour
Road to the British Open Mizuno Open
JFE Seto Inland Sea Golf Club, Okayama
1 Ryosuke Kinoshita 69-66-70-71—276 ¥20m
T28 Michael Hendry 68-73-71-74—286 ¥670,000
T35 Brad Kennedy 69-74-69-75—287 ¥540,000
MC Anthony Quayle 74-74—148
Korn Ferry Tour
Visit Knoxville Open
Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville, Tennessee
1 Harry Higgs 64-65-67-65—261 $US180,000
Won on the second hole of sudden death playoff
T3 Rhein Gibson 66-66-64-66—262 $44,375
T64 Dimi Papadatos 66-69-70-69—274 $4,010
MC Brett Drewitt 68-72—140
MC Jimmy Zheng (NZ) 73-69—142
Challenge Tour
Danish Golf Challenge
Odense Eventyr Golf, Odense, Denmark
1 Andreas Halvorsen 66-66-66-71—269 €43,200
MC Andrew Martin 74-70—144
MC Tom Power Horan 74-75—149
MC Hayden Hopewell 77-73—150
MC Connor McKinney 76-80—156
Korean PGA Tour
KB Financial Liiv Championship
Blackstone Golf Club, Icheon, Korea
1 Seungsu Han 72-67-67-71—277
T55 Wonjoon Lee 73-71-75-74—293
T58 Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 73-71-76-74—294
MC Kevin Chun (NZ) 77-71—148
MC Junseok Lee 82-69—151
Sunshine Tour
KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-am
Irene Country Club, Centurion
1 Kieran Vincent 67-67-67-66—267
MC Austin Bautista 77-72—149
Sydney’s John Lyras has got the better of Elvis Smylie in an epic back-nine duel to claim the $50,000 Lexus Townsville Classic at Townsville Golf Club.
A day after breaking the course record with a round of 10-under 61, it took just three holes for Lyras move past Smylie and take the outright lead for the first time all week.
Two holes later that advantage pushed out to two before the pair separated themselves from the field with a brilliant display of top-class golf.
Starting from the par-4 ninth, Lyas made seven birdies in the space of eight holes as Smylie endeavoured to keep pace with five straight birdies of his own from the short par-4 10th.
When Lyras birdied the par-5 16th he held a four-stroke lead, Smylie’s birdie at 17 and Lyras’s bogey on the final hole reducing the final margin of victory to two shots.
Five-over through four holes on Thursday, Lyras played his next 50 holes in 23-under par, backing up Friday’s 61 with a 9-under-62 for an 18-under par winning total, his first official win on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
“When I made the birdie on 16, that was the first time I felt comfortable,” said Lyras.
“Elvis pushed all the way. We played incredible golf on the back nine. I think we both reeled off five birdies straight at one point.
“It was good to see we holed a couple of putts on top of each other on the back nine too, and a couple of incredible up and downs.
“It was really high quality golf and honestly, every time I’ve played with Elvis, it’s been high quality golf.
“He is a super kid and he’s an incredible player with an incredible personality and mindset about the game, too.”
As other players fought against the wind that buffeted the twisting Townsville layout, Lyras decided to ride with it.
It is a skill he has honed playing alongside the likes of Travis Smyth, Stephanie Kyriacou and Harrison Crowe at St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney’s east, a skill he believes brings out his best.
“The wind opens up a bit more of a creative mind in me,” said Lyras, who has five top-five finishes on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
“It’s been a really incredible development to my game and opened a lot of doors for a bit more of a creative and artistic mindset about the game.
“Really trying to zone in on a shot and picture it a little bit more than maybe some of the guys can. I know for me, I struggle seeing straight shots, so with wind there it kind of helps me a little bit.”
Smylie had to settle for second with a round of 6-under 65 and 16-under total, four shots clear of James Mee (65) with Blaike Perkins (68) and Andrew Campbell (70) rounding out the top five.
Although he finished well down the leaderboard, Michael Dean left with one of the tournament highlights, making a hole-in-one at the par-3 second hole.
Playing 144 metres, Dean used the disappointment of a bogey on the opening hole to muscle an 8-iron that finished in the bottom of the cup.
“Hole two played a little into the wind so I hit 8 a little harder with a little draw,” Dean said.
“The wind pushed it back onto the hole and it one-hopped and in.”
Josh Greer’s first win as a professional was again a joint effort as he and Ryan Peake shared victory at the Urban Quarter Dunsborough Lakes Pro-Am on Friday.
Winner of the WA PGA Foursomes Championship with Nathan Barbieri two weeks ago, Greer was still chasing an individual title on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
He got that at Dunsborough Lakes Golf Course, albeit a shared victory with Peake with rounds of 5-under 67.
Greer’s Foursomes partner Barbieri was one of six players to finish in a tie for third at 3-under 69, Braden Becker, Kathryn Norris, Daniel Fox, Rick Kulacz and Tim Elliott also finishing two shots back.
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Remarkably, both eventual champions began their rounds on the eighth tee, Peake playing in the group in front with Greer just behind.
Peake wasted little time making forward progress on the leaderboard with two opening birdies, Greer also picking up a shot at the par-5 eighth before three straight pars.
Greer put the foot down with four straight birdies from the par-5 12th but gave two back with bogeys at 16 and 17 before rounding out the back nine with a birdie.
One after the other, the pair both headed to the first tee at 4-under par and took advantage of a par 5 again to start the front nine with birdies.
Peake countered a bogey on two with a birdie at six to be the first to post 5-under, Greer giving up the chance at an outright win with a bogey on his final hole.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Peake: “It’s always a pleasure to drive down here. It’s obviously going to be much more pleasurable driving home as well tonight after having a good day.
“As happy as I am obviously to share the win, congratulations to Josh. What an absolute milestone.
“Tonight’s probably a little bit more about you receiving all your medals and awards and things like that.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Ryan Peake 67
T1 Josh Greer 67
T3 Braden Becker 69
T3 Nathan Barbieri 69
T3 Daniel Fox 69
T3 Kathryn Norris 69
T3 Rick Kulacz 69
T3 Tim Elliott 69
NEXT UP
With a short break in the WA swing, attention on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series now turns to North Queensland. The Lexus Townsville Classic concludes on Saturday to be followed by the Abbot Point Operations Bowen Pro-Am at Bowen Golf Club on Wednesday.
He insists the swing needs some tweaks but Nathan Barbieri’s putter proved the difference at the Total Tree Services Perth Sun City CC Pro-Am at Sun City Country Club.
Winner of Q School in April and with a maiden adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory at the Cottesloe Open, the New South Welshman is riding high on confidence and with a flatstick to match.
Barbieri’s round of 7-under 65 was enough to edge West Australian Ben Ferguson by a shot with left-hander Ryan Peake third at 5-under 67.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After starting his round from the par-4 12th hole it took Barbieri just two holes to record his first birdie of the day at the par-3 14th.
He backed that up with a second at the par-5 15th and then closed out Sun City’s back nine with three straight pars.
Three birdies in the first four holes to start the front nine helped to separate Barbieri from the field, two further birdies at seven and nine enough to build the buffer he needed for a second win in the WA swing.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I started well. I was a couple under through four or five holes and then picked up a couple after the turn,” said Barbieri.
“I then had the easiest stretch with the short par-4 and the short par-5s and then just played steady from there.
“I made some really nice putts all day. Didn’t have any three-putts and the greens were quick, so the putting definitely took over today.
“I’ve been rolling it really nice pretty much since I got here. I’ve still got to fix the swing a little bit before the season starts but it’s been good.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Nathan Barbieri 65
2 Ben Ferguson 66
3 Ryan Peake 67
T4 Brady Watt 68
T4 Jordan Doull 68
6 Daniel Hoeve 69
NEXT UP
The $50,000 Lexus Townsville Classic begins on Thursday at Townsville Golf Club while the WA swing continues on Friday with the Urban Quarter Dunsborough Lakes Pro-Am at Dunsborough Lakes Golf Course near Busselton.
Reigning champion Brett Rankin is vowing to bring a Tour mentality to the defence of his Lexus Townsville Golf Classic at Townsville Golf Club starting Thursday.
The $50,000 54-hole event marks the start of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series North Queensland swing and boasts a field littered with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia players.
The week of golf begins with a free junior clinic from 4pm on Tuesday which will be followed by a junior shootout competition and junior pizza party.
The Sponsors Day will be held in conjunction with a club competition on Wednesday with PGA Professionals to be involved in a Q&A and Calcutta at the club on Wednesday evening.
Round 1 of the Lexus Townsville Golf Classic tees off at 6:45am Thursday morning with the champion to be crowned on Saturday afternoon followed by a Shootout on the 18th hole
Rankin, who got up-and-down at the par-3 18th in regulation and then again at the first playoff hole to edge Shae Wools-Cobb 12 months ago, won the NT PGA Championship in 2019 and has been a dominant figure on the Pro-Am circuit for a decade.
With an 18-month-old daughter now at home in Brisbane, Rankin is more judicious with his scheduling and is treating his Townsville defence with the same mindset he takes into a 72-hole Tour event.
“For a one-day event, you try and make as many birdies as you can,” said Rankin, the 2019 NT PGA champion.
“You’re being super aggressive with the attitude of, well, if I don’t pull it off, I’ve got a new event tomorrow.
“With three days it’s more like a Tour event. It’s more like Tour golf. It’s a bit more like a chess match instead of a Big Bash event.
“I enjoy playing the two, three and four-day events more. You can play a bit smarter and play a bit more consistent.”
Four shots back at the start of the final round, Rankin believes it was that patient approach that proved so effective last year, coming home strong with a round of 6-under 65.
“There are a few guys that are quite good at making a lot of birdies, but they’re super aggressive,” he added.
“Sometimes you can just be a bit more patient and eventually they might slip up and consistency will come through at the end, which it did for me last year.
“I enjoy playing multiple days and I still love playing golf, too. You’re playing three or four days in a row, it’s quite exciting. It’s just fun to do.”
Not only does Rankin believe that the patient approach is effective in a three-day event, he says that the Townsville Golf Club layout also plays into the hands of those prepared to plot their way around.
“It’s a course that really bites you in the arse,” Rankin said.
“If you’re going with the aggressive play and you don’t pull it off, you can get into a lot of trouble.
“Just be a bit more cautious off the tee and get it in play and then try and score from that 100-120-metre mark instead of driving some greens and bringing out-of-bounds or water hazards into play.
“I’ve found that the more patient and safer you are off the tee, it normally plays to my advantage.
“Last year the greens were quite good, so you can just play smart off the tee, give yourself looks at birdies and eventually hole a few.”.
Given the growth of the Webex Players Series in recent years, the presence of Kelsey Bennett, Jordan O’Brien, Danni Vasquez, Sarah Yamaki Branch and Rhianna Lewis adds another element to the event.
Other players of note are 2016 Hong Kong Open champion Sam Brazel, rising stars Elvis Smylie and John Lyras and new additions to the pro ranks, Jye Pickin and Connor McDade.
Today marks the first day of National Volunteer Week, and Golf Australia, the PGA of Australia and the WPGA of Australasia would like to say “Three Cheers for Volunteers!”.
Like many sports, volunteers are at the heart of golf. From ball spotters, to first tee starters, to the board members who make Australian clubs tick, golf could not be enjoyed without the crucial role volunteers play.
Across the summer of golf in Australia, 1600 volunteers made sure that the Australian touring professionals and elite amateurs had a well-run tournament at each and every stop around the country.
Also assisting at professional and elite amateur events were more than 50 Tournament Support Officials, helping with refereeing, registration, course setup, and more.
At clubs across Australia, there are 1732 registered Community Instructors, dedicated to helping more Australians play more golf, and almost 14,000 board members facilitating welcoming and inclusive golf facilities.
Golf Australia’s Head of Workforce Engagement, Claudia Marazita, thanked Australian volunteers for their contributions on and off the course to help make Australian golf even bigger and is excited for the relationships that have been built going forward.
“To have a total number of volunteers in Australian golf that exceeds 30,000 is both extremely reassuring and exciting,” she said.
“Without volunteers, our events, tournaments, and day-to-day golf at grassroots level would simply not be possible, so thank you to everyone who has made their contribution to our game.
“Volunteers are the backbone of Australian golf, and the success and growth of our sport would not be possible without their passion and dedication.
“Introduction of online volunteer management system Rosterfy has allowed us to streamline our volunteer process, and has helped us build an ongoing relationship with those who wish to continue volunteering into the future.
“We are committed to ensuring that every volunteer feels appreciated, recognised and supported by the industry in the process of working towards our vision that those wanting to volunteer choose golf.
“We cannot say thank you enough, so again, three cheers for volunteers!”
Two late birdies and a judicious decision on the final hole has secured Brady Watt a one-stroke victory at the 50th playing of the Mitchell and Brown Spalding Park Open in Geraldton.
A round of 6-under 66 gave Watt a one-stroke lead after Round 1 at Spalding Park Golf Club, an advantage he extended to three courtesy of a 4-under par round of 68 in Round 2.
Paired with Ryan Peake and Scott Strange for the final round, Watt was somewhat slow out of the blocks.
Six pars and a bogey in his opening seven holes gave the likes of Jordan Doull (64) and rwo-time champion Daniel Fox (68) a glimmer of hope that Watt could be reined in.
Birdies at eight, nine and 11 re-established Watt’s ascendancy, building a two-stroke buffer with further birdies at 15 and 16.
He dropped a shot at the par-4 17th to reduce the deficit to one but used a conservative approach to secure the par he needed for his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win in close to a year.
“It’s always hard to win wire-to-wire,” Watt said post-round.
“I felt a little nervous this morning but how the course was set-up was kind of tricky, so you’ve got to hang in there.
“I didn’t look at the live scoring too much. I looked after nine and saw that a few guys were going quite well so just tried to have a couple more birdies coming home, checked it on the last and managed to get it done.”
Although not quite wire-to-wire, it was a solid performance from PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit leader Chris Taylor to claim the Mitchell and Brown Spalding Park Legends Open.
One back of Terry Pilkadaris after Round 1, Taylor opened up a four-stroke buffer with a second straight round of 3-under 69 on day two.
Two early birdies in the final round saw that lead balloon to six early, Taylor completing a comfortable three-stroke win despite making bogey at each of the final two holes.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
With Watt out in front, it did not take long for contenders to make their move in the final round.
New South Welshman Alex Edge made three birdies and an eagle in his first four holes after starting on the 10th tee while Cameron John threatened to make it three wins on the WA swing when he used two birdies and an eagle to draw within two of Watt.
As Watt struggled early, Doull made his move.
A week into his professional career, Doull started the final round seven shots back of Watt but had drawn to within one courtesy of an outward nine of 5-under 31.
He added three further birdies in a bogey-free round that would ultimately come up one shot shy.
Watt’s two birdies prior to the turn proved crucial in building momentum into the back nine.
He took advantage of the short par-4 11th to edge further ahead and following a dropped shot at 13, responded with birdies at 15 and 16.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I try to make as many (birdies) as I can while limiting the bogeys,” said Watt.
“I like playing quite aggressive so it’s hard sometimes to aim away from the pin but on the last, being in the middle of the fairway, it’s 100 metres, it’s actually hard to aim right of the flag and try to make a four.
“But that’s how you close out golf events and really happy that I did today.
“I got my card back at Q School and I’ve just been continuing to work and tie in these pro-ams to test how I’m going.
“It’s all starting to come back to where it can be so it’s exciting to get a win, especially at a place I’ve been coming since I was a junior.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Brady Watt 66-68-70—204
T2 Jordan Doull 68-73-64—205
T2 Daniel Fox 68-69-68—205
4 Tom Addy (a) 69-72-65—206
5 Scott Strange 68-69-70—207
T6 Cameron John 70-70-68—208
T6 Kim Felton 69-71-68—208
T6 James Marchesani 70-70-68—208
NEXT UP
The WA swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series moves on to Watt’s junior club, Sun City Country Club, on Wednesday for the Total Tree Services Perth Sun City CC Pro-Am where he is also the defending champion. On the east coast of the country, the Queensland run begins on Thursday with the $50,000 Lexus Townsville Classic.
Sydney professional Josh Clarke broke through for his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory by shooting a Sunday 65 to claim the Cowra Lamb Pro-Am by a single shot.
Coming off two top-three pro-am finishes in February and regaining his Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia card at Qualifying School in April, Clarke posted a 36-hole total of 9-under-par to overtake the first-round leader James Conran (66-68),
Matthew Docking (68-67) and Blake Windred (68-67) shared third place.
With the Asian Tour Qualifying School as his next major target, Clarke said he is seeing the results of plenty of time on the practice fairway with coach Blake Dowd at Castle Hill.
Former Australian amateur representative Jye Pickin made his professional debut at Cowra and finished in 12th at 3-under-par.
HOW THE LEADING SCORE UNFOLDED
Clarke rode a hot putter across the two days, collecting 13 birdies.
Six of those came on day one when he also mixed in three bogeys.
In his 6-under 65 on Sunday, which matched John Lyras for low round of the day, Clarke rolled in another seven birdies with his sole bogey coming on the 383m par-4 ninth which he also bogeyed in round one.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I putted pretty well on both days,” Clarke said.
“I didn’t hit it the greatest on day one but much better day two and still just holed heaps of putts whether it was pars or birdies and even a couple of bogey putts. I just putted really good.
“I’ve been continuing to work hard with my coach Blake who is now at Castle Hill. Working on the same type of swing stuff. Still trying to hit fades just control the flight a little bit better.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
133: Josh Clarke (68-65)
134: James Conran (66-68)
135: Matthew Docking (67-68), Blake Windred (67-68)
136: Jack Walden (69-67)
137: Andrew Evans (71-66), Nathan Page (70-67), Anthony Choat (69-68), Justin Warren (68-69)
(*all NSW)
NEXT UP
The next adidas PGA Pro-Am series event in New South Wales is the Northbridge Pro-Am in Sydney on July 26.
