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Australians Richard Green and Karl Vilips have both narrowly missed out on maiden victories on their respective tours, while Cam Smith finished second in the latest LIV Golf event.
For Green it was another agonising seniors major close call as the Victorian finished runner-up for the second time this year, this time at the Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.
Trailing Korea’s K.J Choi by one shot heading into the final round, Green was well poised to claim his first PGA Champions Tour title, but Choi produced a 5-under-par burst across five holes on the back nine to secure the win by two shots.
While not recording a victory, Green’s performance in majors this year has been incredible, with results of T14, 2, 3, T17, and 2, banking some serious money including a US$275,069 payday on the weekend
Green’s second at Carnoustie moves him to fourth on the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings, and first on the Staysure Tour’s MCB Road to Mauritius.
While Green is in the latter phase of his career, young Australian Karl Vilips recorded his best finish as a professional in just his fifth start.
Runner-up on the Korn Ferry Tour’s NV5 Invitational in Illinois earned Vilips a cool US$90,000, a start in next week’s Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health, and propels him to 44th on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour points list.
After missing the cut at The Open Championship, Smith was back in business at the LIV event in England, eventually finishing T2, one shot behind former world No.1 Jon Rahm.
His Ripper GC team also finished second, three shots behind Rahm’s Legion XIII, despite missing Marc Leishman who had to undergo surgery on his appendix, giving Wade Ormsby his chance as a replacement.
“The game has felt like it’s going in the right direction for a long time. It’s frustrating not to get a win by just a few shitty holes in there, and that’s it, Smith said.
“It was good to stick in there, good to hit some good shots down the stretch with some pressure on.”
On the LPGA Tour, Hannah Green challenged early before finishing T14 at Canadian Open ahead of next week’s Olympic tournament.
PGA TOUR
3M Open
TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota
1 Jhonattan Vegas (VE) 68-66-63-70—267 US$1,458,000
T19 Cam Davis 68-69-65-72—274 US US$99,549
T53 Aaron Baddeley 70-69-67-74—280 US$18,981
PGA TOUR Champions
The Senior Open Championship
Carnoustie Golf Club, Carnoustie, Scotland
1 K.J Choi (KOR) 69-69-70-70—278 US$447,800
2 Richard Green 69-72-68-71—280 US$275,069
T5 Steven Alker (NZ) 71-73-71-71—286 US$68,212
T17 Greg Chalmers 72-75-70-74—291 US$32,441
T37 John Senden 74-76-72-75—297 $15,748
T47 Michael Long (NZ) 74-77-75-73—299 US$12,494
T52 Rod Pampling 73-77-75-76—301 US$9,428
T52 Scott Hend 70,77,75,79—301 US$9,428
T52 Michael Campbell (NZ) 75,73,73,80—301 US$9,428
T60 Jason Norris 74,77,76,76—303 US$6,588
T64 Michael Wright 77,74,77,76—304 US$5,512
T68 David McKenzie 74-77-78-76—305 US$4,619
T72 Peter Fowler 75-74-80-77—306 US$3,990
MC Peter O’Malley 72-81
MC Vijay Singh (FIJI) 78-77
MC Steve Allan 76-79
MC Stuart Appleby 81-75
WD Mark Hensby
CPKC Women’s Open
Earl Grey Golf Club, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
1 Lauren Coughlin (USA) 68-70-66-71—275 US$390,000
T8 Lydia Ko (NZ) 70-71-72-69—282
T14 Hannah Green 69-70-71-74—284
T19 Hira Naveed 71-73-68-73—285
T37 Minjee Lee 69-77-68-74—288
T39 Sarah Kemp 72-74-71-72—289
T59 Robyn Choi 74-71-73-77—295
MC Gabriela Ruffels 78-71
MC Grace Kim 73-77
MC Stephanie Kyriacou 76-81
LIV Golf
LIV Golf UK
JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester, England
1 Jon Rahm (ESP) 63-70-67—200 US$4,000,000
T2 Cam Smith 66-66-69—201 US$1,583,334
T20 Lucas Herbert 69-72-67—208 US$225,000
T24 Matt Jones 69-73-67—209 US$195,000
50 Danny Lee (NZ) 73-71-74—218 US$60,000
WD Marc Leishman
Korn Ferry Tour
NV5 Invitational
The Glen Club, Glenview, Illinois
1 Thomas Rosenmueller (GER) 66-64-63-66—259 US$180,000
2 Karl Vilips 65-67-66-63—261 US$90,000
T36 Curtis Luck 65-65-70-69—269 US$5,054
T53 Rhein Gibson 70-61-72-68—271 US$4,180
T60 Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 72-64-68-68—272 US$4,060
MC Danny List 68-70
MC Brett Drewitt 68-72
MC Dimi Papadatos 73-70
Challenge Tour
Black Desert NI Open
Galgorm Castle Golf Club, Northern Ireland
1 Conor Purcell (IRE) 66-65-65-71—267 €47,387.60
T21 Thomas Power Horan 69-69-67-73—278 €2,909,89
MC Hayden Hopewell 70-85
WD Connor McKinney
PGA TOUR Americas
Commissionaires Ottawa Open
Eagle Creek Golf Club, Ottawa, Ontario
1 Barend Botha (RSA) 63-65-67-67—262
T10 Grant Booth 66-67-67-67—267
MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 72-72
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 73-78
Sunshine Tour
SunBet Challenge
Wild Coast Sun Country Club, Port Edward, South Africa
1 Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 64-64-69—197
MC Austin Bautista 69-74
Christopher Wood broke clear from a big group of challengers to score a one-shot win in the Breakers Beach Resort Vanuatu Virginia Pro-Am today.
At one point late in the afternoon, nine professionals were tied for the lead, with another eight players, including Wood, just one stroke behind.
The turning point came on the 444m par-5 13th hole, the Queenslander’s second last hole of the day, where an eagle lifted the 33-year-old to the eventual winning total of 5-under-par to secure his third adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory for 2024.
William Bruyeres continued a memorable week by sharing second place with Lucas Higgins at -4. After making a rare albatross with a hole-in-one at Howeston on Wednesday, Bruyeres today holed his second shot at the 383m par-4 second.
But while Wood made three on the 13th, Bruyeres, playing in the group behind, made a six to cost him the chance of victory.
A group of six players shared third on 3-under 68, including two winners from earlier this week in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Brisbane swing, Nathan Barbieri and Jack Murdoch.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Starting his round on the 15th, Wood made a fast start with two birdies in his first four holes and was 4-under for the day before bogeys arrived on the seventh and ninth.
He steadied with a birdie on the 10th before holing the crucial eagle from four metres on 13.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Christopher Wood: “I think the big thing for me today was that I drove the ball well and kept it in play which gave me a lot of opportunities to attack the pins. I know the greens really well around here so I knew what the putts were doing.
“You need to take advantage of the par-5s and birdie the short par-4s. There’s a lot of holes where you just have to take your par and move on.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66: Chris Wood (Qld)
67: William Bruyeres (Qld), Lucas Higgins (NSW)
68: Shae Wools-Cobb (Qld), Dylan Gardner (Qld), Jack Murdoch (Vic), Andrew Campbell (NSW), Nathan Barbieri (NSW), Blake Proverbs (Qld)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads to the western suburbs of Brisbane for the Brisbane River Golf Club Pro-Am on Monday.
Photo: Christopher Wood with Virginia Director of Golf Brett Maxwell
It is still early days in the professional career of Jye Pickin, yet the former amateur standout already seems comfortable playing for a pay cheque, as shown in his victory today at the Northbridge Golf Club Pro-Am.
Having spent time playing events on the adidas Pro-Am Series in Queensland in recent weeks, and with a pro win already to his name at the Wyong Open, Pickin triumphed with a 2-under 62 around the tight course on Sydney’s North Shore.
The only player to break par on Friday, Pickin finished three in front of six players on 1-over-par that included Northbridge Golf Club’s very own Head Professional Clinton Russell.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Starting his day on the 14th hole in the afternoon wave, Pickin made an early birdie at the par-3 15th before giving the shot back at the par-4 18th.
Pickin then really got going on the front nine, where his approach of finding the narrow fairways around the hilly waterside venue paid dividends with a first birdie coming at the 261-metre par-4 fourth hole.
The Charlestown product went further under par with another birdie at the sixth before dropping a shot at the next, with his birdie at the ninth taking him back to 2-under-par, where he remained over his final four holes to claim his first adidas Pro-Am Series title.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“The golf course was set up awesome. To be honest. I knew coming out here that it was going to be tight off the tee and to put my ball in play all day. I feel like I did that really well.
“The tough par-3s on the front nine, I got it on the putting surface and managed to roll one put in, so I felt that was definitely getting one shot ahead there. And then towards the end of the round I just kept focused on hitting the fairway and hitting the greens, which you have to do around here. It’s such a tight course off the tee.”
“I feel like if I can keep playing well and keep progressing in my own game, I just want to compete, that’s the biggest thing. I love golf and I love competing, I’ll play as much as I can. The Pro-Ams between the regional opens through Golf NSW and then into the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, which I am looking forward to.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
62: Jye Pickin (NSW)
65: Carl Matthews (NSW), Mitchell Gannon (NSW), Darcy Boyd (NSW), Lincoln Tighe (NSW), Clinton Russell (NSW), Trent Britton (ACT)
66: Dylan Thompson (NSW)
NEXT UP
The adidas Pro-Am Series resumes next week, with the Brisbane River Golf Club Pro-Am on Monday followed by Panasonic Air Conditioning Burleigh Pro-Am on Tuesday.
Queenslander Chris Taylor has made it yet another PGA Legends Tour win today at the Provincial Distributors Legends Pro-Am at City Golf Club in Toowoomba.
A joint winner yesterday at Toowoomba Golf Club, Taylor managed to claim the top prize all alone today, shooting a 4-under 65 to finish one shot ahead of Victorian Euan Walters.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Taylor had no trouble finding scoring opportunities at City Golf Club today, carding six birdies, three on each nine.
A bogey at five, and another late on his last hole, 18, Taylor’s only blemishes.
That last bogey, while likely annoying, did not cause Taylor any problems taking home the winnings.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I had a good day with the putter for a change,” said Taylor.
“I probably could’ve wedged it a bit closer than I did so it was probably lucky I had the right distance all day and holed a few from 20-30 feet.
“Just one of those days I had a good day out with the putter, and enjoying Toowoomba.
“I’ve been working on a few things in my swing lately and it seems to be paying off.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
65 Chris Taylor (QLD)
66 Euan Walters (VIC)
67 David Crawford (NSW)
68 Murray Lott (QLD), Stephen Woodhead (QLD), Marcus Cain (QLD), Andre Stolz (QLD)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour stays in Queensland, heading to the Paul King Memorial Legends Pro-Am at Wynnum Golf Club on Monday.
Will Florimo continued a memorable week in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series when he shared top spot with fellow Queenslander Jake McLeod and Victorian Jack Murdoch at the Zigcrete Constructions Windaroo Lakes Pro-Am today.
The trio finished on 5-under 67 to head a packed leaderboard which featured 15 players within two shots of the lead.
Like Murdoch, who won for the first time in almost two years in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series despite finding the water twice early on, Florimo’s round came in the morning wave as he continued the form that achieved a debut victory at his home club, Pacific, on Monday.
HOW THE WINNERS’ SCORES UNFOLDED
McLeod, who hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation, looked to be in the box seat to take an outright win for the first time since his victory at Mt Coolum last July after going bogey-free through 16 holes. However, a bogey on his 17th hole, the par-4 eighth, dropped him back to 5-under.
The highlight of the former NSW Open champion’s day came on the first. An eagle on the 505m par-5, where he holed out from around three metres following a seven-iron approach, moved him to -3.
Murdoch’s morning round started with two early bogeys after he was forced to take penalty drops on both the par-4 14th and 16th holes, but he then collected seven birdies, including on his final two holes – 12 and 13.
Playing in the group ahead, Florimo was at -3 when he became to the par-5 12th where an eagle propelled him to the joint lead.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
McLeod: “I hit it good today which was nice – first time in, I don’t know, a long time. I’ve been doing some work with my coach for the last three weeks so it was nice to see that paying off.”
Murdoch: “It was a little bit of a rough start, the first swing of the day went straight in the water. Made bogey and then two holes later, another one went in the drink. I probably played three of the hardest holes first up and then gave myself plenty of chances after then.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: Jack Murdoch (Vic), Will Florimo (Qld), Jake McLeod (Qld)
68: Matthew Millar (ACT), Edward Donoghue (Vic), James Mee (Qld), Gavin Fairfax (Qld), Andrew Kelly (Vic)
69: Connor McDade (Vic), Darcy Brereton (Vic), Cameron John (Vic), Aaron Townsend (NSW), Josh Armstrong (Qld); Dylan Gardner (Qld), Tim Hart (Qld)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series has two events on Thursday. The Brisbane swing continues with the Breakas Beach Resort Vanuatu Virginia Pro-Am, while in Sydney, the Northbridge Golf Club will stage its Pro-Am.
Queensland pair Christopher Taylor and Andre Stolz were joined by Victorian Tony Collier atop the podium today, as all three players fired a 3-under 67 to claim the Advanced Electrical Toowoomba Golf Club Legends Pro-Am.
This makes it win number six already this year for Stolz, who is dominating the PGA Legends Tour, alongside Taylor who also made it six wins for the year at Toowoomba.
For Collier, this marked his first win in quite some time, as he finally broke through after close calls at both Cobar and Warren.
Heavy fog forced a delay in play until the afternoon with 25 groups of five hitting the range-top layout.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Andre Stolz: “Yeah I love it, the layout here’s very interesting, you know a lot of undulation and a lot of different holes going on. The course is in amazing condition from when I was last here a few years ago, and it was good fun to play today.”
Tony Collier: “We moved pretty well, I think we finished in under five hours. It’s good to be here, it’s my fourth year here and I love the track and love the club.
“I just said to these boys (Stolz and Taylor), ‘it’s just another day in the office for you two but it’s my first win for 17-18 years so I’m pretty wrapped.
“Just hung in there. I always battle with my short game but it wasn’t as bad as normal.”
Christopher Taylor: “It was good to make it on time and hit a couple of balls next to Andre. I thought just watching him might inspire me, and I went out and tied him!”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67 Christopher Taylor, Tony Collier, Andre Stolz
69 John Onions, Brad Burns
70 Russell Swanson, Stephen Woodhead, Murray Lott, Adam Henwood, Michael Harwood, Simon Tooman
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour tomorrow heads just down the road to the Provincial Distributors Legends Pro-Am at City Golf Club.
With anticipation building for the Australian Summer of Golf and the NSW Open just months away, the stage is set for the NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Events, which are set to tee off next week on the state’s mid-north coast.
By Golf NSW
The six-event series which will travel across the state over the next two months is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Beginning Friday, August 2, South West Rocks Country Club will host the series’ first event. A full field of talented professional and amateur golfers will light up the course with their skills on the challenging and picturesque layout.
The excitement continues on Monday, August 5, as the series heads to the pristine Coffs Harbour Golf Club. Players will be vying for not only the Regional Qualifying title but also the honour of being crowned the North Coast Open Champion.
The third stop, on Thursday, August 8, is the charming Teven Valley Golf Course in the heart of the NSW Northern Rivers.
Each tournament promises two rounds of exhilarating competition, with a substantial $50,000 purse up for grabs.
Three coveted spots in the prestigious NSW Open at the magnificent Murray Downs Golf & Country Club from November 14-17 are also on the line for the top finishers not already exempt.
Over the nine days of tournament golf, plenty of top-tier players will be in action. Look out for Matt Millar, Daniel Gale, and Rick Kulacz, all previous NSW Open Regional Qualifying tournament champions, and Kade McBride, who came tantalisingly close to lifting the Kel Nagle Cup when he finished runner-up at the 2023 NSW Open at Rich River.
Local talents are also set to shine, including Kempsey’s Andrew Kirkman, the 2023 Country Champion and runner-up at this year’s NSW Amateur Championship, Sawtell’s Cameron Pollard, a three-time NSW Inclusive Champion, and Coffs Harbour’s own Jack Poutney and Andrew Campbell.
Other notable competitors include 2024 NSW Interstate Team Captain Jye Pickin, who has just turned professional; Concord Golf Club gun Blake Phillips, who has had a string of victories this year, including the Victorian Amateur; and Marcus Fraser, a former European Tour member.
The fields are packed with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournament winners, including Aaron Townsend (2006 NSW Open), Steve Jeffress (2014 Fiji International), Brett Rankin (2019 NT PGA Championship), Simon Hawkes (2018 Victorian Open, 2023 WA Open), and Lincoln Tighe (2014 NSW PGA Championship).
Olivia Wilson, General Manager – Golf at Golf NSW, highlighted the significance of the 2024 Regional Open Qualifying Series for aspiring professionals and elite amateurs looking to kick-start their Australian Summer of Golf.
“The series offers a fantastic platform for future stars to elevate their careers, with substantial prize money and the chance to secure a spot in the NSW Open. We expect nothing short of fierce competition,” said Wilson.
Graeme Phillipson, Chief Operating Officer at Golf NSW, emphasised the positive impact of these tournaments on local communities.
“The Regional Open Series brings a welcome financial boost to the host clubs and their surrounding towns. The influx of players and spectators significantly benefits the local visitor economy,” Phillipson stated.
There will be free entry to each venue, giving the rare opportunity to walk the fairways alongside the players. Onlookers can witness the drama up close and personal as future stars of the sport emerge.
The final round of each event will also be broadcast via SEN and the Golf NSW Digital and social channels.
South West Rocks Country Club: August 2-4
Coffs Harbour Golf Club: August 5-7
Teven Valley Golf Course: August 8-10
Wollongong Golf Club: September 16-18
Club Catalina: September 20-22
Queanbeyan Golf Club: September 23-25
The Men’s NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Despite putting himself in contention in all four seniors majors so far this year, a win has eluded Richard Green.
His most agonising chances slipped by at the US Senior Open and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship where he finished in second and third place respectively.
Though if you asked the Victorian at the beginning of the year which major he has the best chance of winning, he would have likely answered this week’s Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex, where 13 Australians will be teeing it up.
Green has fond memories of Carnoustie, this week’s host venue, and what’s more, as Jimmy Emanuel points out in his tournament preview, life on the Bellarine Peninsula and a career spent largely in Europe has honed Green’s game for links golf and wind.
In his pre-seniors career, Green’s best major championship finish came in the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie, where a final round 7-under 64 saw him finish in a share of fourth with Ernie Els.
At the time, that 64 matched Carnoustie’s course-record and stood for 10 years until a Tommy Fleetwood 63 took the mantle.
“I was as focused as I ever was in a golf tournament. In situations where I’ve won before it was equal to today,” Green said in 2007.
With the form he is in, if Green can find that same focus, he may just go one better this time at Carnoustie.
Elsewhere, Australia is well represented on the LPGA Tour, with eight players heading to the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.
While last season’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner Kazuma Kobori makes his Korn Ferry Tour debut at the NV5 Invitational alongside six Australians including youngster Karl Vilips.
PGA TOUR
3M Open
TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota
10:51pm* Cam Davis
3:21am* Aaron Baddeley
Defending champion: Lee Hodges
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US8.1 million
TV times: 9:30pm-8:30am Thursday, Friday Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. 11pm-8am Saturday Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. 10pm-8am Sunday Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
The Senior Open Championship
Carnoustie Golf Club, Carnoustie, Scotland
5:00pm Vijay Singh (FIJI)
5:10pm Steven Alker (NZ)
5:20pm Richard Green
5:30pm Stuart Appleby
5:40pm John Senden
6:15pm David Mackenzie
6:35pm Stephen Allan
6:45pm Peter O’Malley
7:20pm Rod Pampling
7:30pm Jason Norris
8:25pm Peter Fowler
8:35pm Mark Hensby
9:05pm Michael Campbell (NZ)
9:15pm Scott Hend
10:20pm Michael Long (NZ)
11:25pm Greg Chalmers
12:30am Michael Wright
Defending champion: Alex Cejka
Past Aussie winners: Ian Stanley (2001)
Prize money: $US2.85 million
TV times: 9:30pm-3am Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
CPKC Women’s Open
Earl Grey Golf Club, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
11:44pm Stephanie Kyriacou
11:48pm* Sarah Kemp
11:55pm Gabriela Ruffels
12:06am Grace Kim, Hira Naveed
12:21am* Minjee Lee
5:16am Lydia Ko (NZ)
5:27am Hannah Green
6:15am* Robyn Choi
Defending champion: Megan Khang
Past Aussie winners: Katherine Kirk (2008)
Prize money: $US2.6 million
TV times: 8:30am-11:30am Friday, Saturday Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. 8am-11am Sunday, Monday Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf UK
JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester, England
11:15pm Cam Smith, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Danny Lee (NZ)
Defending champion: Cameron Smith
Past Aussie winners: Cameron Smith (2023)
Prize money: $US20 million
TV times: Live 2am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on 7 Plus.
Korn Ferry Tour
NV5 Invitational
The Glen Club, Glenview, Illinois
9:30pm Brett Drewitt
9:30pm* Dimi Papadatos
11:20pm Karl Vilips
11:42pm* Danny List
3:23pm Curtis Luck
3:45am* Rhein Gibson
5:02am Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
Defending champion: Trace Crowe
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1 million
Challenge Tour
Black Desert NI Open
Galgorm Castle Golf Club, Northern Ireland
5:20pm Connor McKinney
5:30pm Hayden Hopewell
11:30pm Tom Power Horan
Defending champion: Euan Walker
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: £250,000
PGA TOUR Americas
Commissionaires Ottawa Open
Eagle Creek Golf Club, Ottawa, Ontario
3:40am Grant Booth
4:00am* Harry Hillier (NZ)
4:20am* Charlie Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000
TV times:
Sunshine Tour
SunBet Challenge
Wild Coast Sun Country Club, Port Edward, South Africa
Australasians in the field: Austin Bautista.
Defending champion: CJ du Plessis
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: R2 million
In-form Nathan Barbieri earned his fifth win for 2024 thanks to a bogey-free 5-under-par 66 at the Howeston Pro-Am in Brisbane today.
Barbieri held off three players – Matt Millar, Cameron John and James Conran – by a single stroke as he continues to build towards the new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season which begins with the PNG Open in August.
The winner of Final Stage of Qualifying School in April has converted that form into two adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victories in Western Australia, the WA PGA Foursomes Championship, plus a runner-up finish in last week’s Redcliffe Pro-Am.
He’s now climbed to No.3 on the National Pro-Am Order of Merit for 2024.
John and Conran threatened to match Barbieri’s 66 as they came to the end of their rounds.
John, the winner of The National Tournament presented by BMW on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this year, played his final six holes in 6-under-par, while Conran birdied the 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th.
Millar’s round included six birdies and two bogeys.
The shot of the day came from Queenslander Will Bruyeres who aced the 279m par-4 third hole.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Beginning his day on the 10th tee, Barbieri picked up a birdie on the par-5 12th hole before the highlight of his round, an eagle on the 247m par-4 14th where he hit the green with a three-wood.
He rounded out his opening nine with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
The New South Welshman’s second nine featured eight pars plus a crucial two on the par-3 sixth.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s only my second time here and the last time it was blowing 50kph. It’s an interesting golf course,” Barbieri said.
“I played pretty good all day and didn’t really miss too many greens, holed a few putts here and there.
“Five-under won here last year so I knew it would be around that mark.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66: Nathan Barbieri (NSW)
67: Matthew Millar (ACT), Cameron John (Vic), James Conran (NSW)
68: Samuel Slater (Qld), Chris Duke (Qld), Caleb Bovalina (Vic)
69: Zachary Maxwell (Qld), Lawry Flynn (Qld); Andrew Kelly (Vic), Christopher Wood (Qld), Lucas Higgins (NSW), Dylan Gardner (Qld)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues its stay in the Brisbane region with the Zigcrete Constructions Windaroo Lakes Pro-Am tomorrow followed by the Breakas Beach Resort Vanuatu Virginia Pro-Am on Thursday.
It is time for the final major championship of 2024 for the over-50 crowd, with the PGA TOUR Champions and Legends Tour combining at The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.
The best players in senior golf, including 13 Australians, three Kiwis and one Fijian, head for Carnoustie in Scotland, and here is all you need to know.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Alex Cejka (GER)
PRIZEMONEY: US $2,850,000
LIVE SCORES: www.europeantour.com/legends-tour/
TV COVERAGE: The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEST.
Round One: Thursday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
Round Two: Friday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
Round Three: Saturday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
STEVEN ALKER
Age: 52
The lowdown: An eight-time PGA TOUR Champions winner, including one victory earlier this year, Alker is always one of the favourites heading into the majors.
The Kiwi has played three of the four grand slam events in 2024 with a worst return of T12 at the US Senior Open, and arrives fresh off a share of seventh at the Senior Players earlier this month.
Alker similarly has a strong record at The Senior Open, including a T11 last year and tie for third a year earlier, and chasing the season-long Charles Schwab Cup title, a good week here would go a long way.
STEVE ALLAN
Age: 50
The lowdown: New to the world of over-50s golf, the Victorian has shown plenty in his debut year in America on the PGA Tour Champions where Allan has seven top-25 finishes so far in 2024.
The majors haven’t been the happiest hunting ground so far for the 2002 Australian Open winner this year, however, having played extensively in Europe early in his career and with his Sandbelt golf background, expect Allan to have a good week here.
A hard worker and terrific putter, Allan will find plenty of fairways and his ball flight control in the wind will be a major positive this week.
STUART APPLEBY
Age: 53
The lowdown: It has been a busy 2024 for Appleby on the PGA TOUR Champions where the Cohuna product’s second half of the season has yielded some impressive results.
Finishing in the top-25 seven times this year, including as runner-up at the Insperity Invitational, Appleby has more than enough links and Open Championship experience to go well at Carnoustie, including a reputation as a top-class ball striker.
MICHAEL CAMPBELL
Age: 55
The lowdown: Lightly raced in racing parlance, the Kiwi winner of the 2005 US Open is a lover of links golf and regular contender when playing that style of golf so don’t count him out this week.
A mercurial ball striker, Campbell will be more than comfortable if the wind gets up and is experienced around Carnoustie, where he played two Opens for a best return of T57.
GREG CHALMERS
Age: 50
The lowdown: Chalmers has continued to impress with his knack of pre-qualifying into events, or turning a start into another the following week on the PGA TOUR Champions in his debut.
Letting his Twitter followers in on his early experience of a practice round, and plenty of lost balls, already this week, Chalmers’ renowned sense of humour will be a major string in his bow at Carnoustie where sometimes all a player can do is laugh.
Another with experience in the UK, Chalmers has plenty of power to use, as well as his renowned ability with the flatstick.
PETER FOWLER
Age: 65
The lowdown: The seemingly ageless Fowler continues to work harder than his much younger contemporaries and will be loving the opportunity to tee it up in another senior major championship.
Known as having the only short game that could rival the great Seve Ballesteros in their primes, Fowler continues to own a wedge game, and especially bunker play, the envy of his competitors that will be a significant advantage here.
Highly experienced in this part of the world, Fowler’s best chance could come if the Scottish summer turns nasty.
RICHARD GREEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: Currently fifth on the PGA TOUR Champions season-long points list, Green continues to show up big time at the majors in 2024 with four top-20s, including a runner-up and third place.
Spending much of his pre-50 career in Europe, and living on the Bellarine Peninsula, links golf and wind is nothing new for the left-hander who will enter this week as one of the favourites again here.
Adding to Green’s chances is his share of fourth at the regular Open Championship held at Carnoustie back in 2007.
SCOTT HEND
Age: 50
The lowdown: Still mixing it with the “flat bellies” of the main Tours of the world, Hend is one of the bigger Australasian chances here this week.
Remaining long off the tee, Hend will have no trouble in the wind in Scotland, while his ball striking remains of high quality.
Leading the standing on the European Legends Tour, Hend has played one senior major in 2024, with the Queenslander finishing in a tie for fourth at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
MARK HENSBY
Age: 53
The lowdown: As he was in his main Tour career, Hensby continues to be the quiet achiever of the Australians playing regular senior Tour golf, with the 53-year-old recording 10 top-25 finishes on the PGA TOUR Champions so far in 2024.
Tied for 14th at the Kaulig Companies Championship a few weeks back, Hensby will be full of confidence and has the game to do well on the links of Carnoustie.
The Tamworth product is another with previous experience at Carnoustie where he missed the cut in 2007, however Hensby showed plenty of comfort in his two other Open Championship starts.
MICHAEL LONG
Age: 55
The lowdown: Playing on the European Legends Tour, the lanky New Zealander is a sneaky good chance this week at Carnoustie.
Currently inside the top-20 of the rankings on the Legends Tour, Long shared 20th a few weeks back at the Swiss Open and his mix of growing up in New Zealand and much of his adult life in Western Australia suggests windy conditions won’t faze Long.
DAVID MCKENZIE
Age: 56
The lowdown: Full of experience since turning 50, McKenzie is another with a grounding in Melbourne and Victorian golf that should translate well here.
Finishing tied for 25th at this event last year, McKenzie’s form so far this year has been solid in his limited opportunities and if his putter is hot he can certainly be a factor late in the piece.
JASON NORRIS
Age: 51
The lowdown: Earning his place thanks to a win at the Australian PGA Seniors Championship at Richmond last year, Norris is perhaps one of the smoky chances here for anyone outside of Australia.
Playing plenty of golf in Europe over his career, Norris is long for the over-50 crowd and plays the game with incredible creativity that will hold him in good stead this week at Carnoustie.
Tied for 15th in Switzerland earlier this month, Norris will relish the chance to show his wares and potentially open up more playing opportunities with a good week.
PETER O’MALLEY
Age: 59
The lowdown: Spending most of his time on the farm these days rather than playing competitive golf, O’Malley is still a tremendous hitter of the golf ball and his exploits in Scotland are legendary.
A winner of the Scottish Open with a final day charge, O’Malley will enjoy his return and despite little lead-in form to go by, windy conditions and the need for precision will suit the New South Welshman, who will hope the putter heats up.
ROD PAMPLING
Age: 54
The lowdown: Two-times a winner on the PGA TOUR Champions, including the SAS Championship in 2023, Pampling’s form so far this year has been up and down, though his ball striking bodes well for this week.
Long considered a top iron player, Pampling has plenty of experience at Carnoustie, including a T27 finish in 2007 and holding the lead of the 1999 Open Championship after the first round before feeling the full “Carnastie” effect on day two.
JOHN SENDEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: There have been signs of the Queenslander’s best in 2024, including with his lone top-10 of the season at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, and if Senden can drop the one round above 73 each event he is a chance this week.
Another of the well regard ball strikers from Australia in this generation, Senden played a handful of Opens in his regular Tour career, with one of his best finishes coming at Carnoustie in 2007.
VIJAY SINGH
Age: 61
The lowdown: Still outworking almost everyone in professional golf, Singh will have taken plenty from his seventh place finish at the US Senior Open late last month at a course that highlights the same skills as Carnoustie.
A senior major champion, Singh owns some of the most significant links experience in the field of the players from outside the UK, and if the putter behaves, the Fijian should be right in this one.
MICHAEL WRIGHT
Age: 50
The lowdown: The last of the Australasians into the field after qualifying at Panmure Golf Club on Monday, Wright is another of the Aussies loving life after 50 on the golf course.
A true journeyman during his career, Wright has recorded three top-25s on the PGA TOUR Champions in his debut season this year, with the most recent coming in his last start at the Kaulig Companies Championship where the Queenslander shared seventh.
Possessing plenty of power, Wright’s ball flight control will be a significant asset this week if the wind gets up.
THE COURSE
Famous for its fearsomeness, Carnoustie Golf Links welcomes a senior major for the third time this week having hosted The Open Championship eight times and AIG Women’s Open twice.
Home to three courses, it is the Championship Course that will test the field this week, with the original 10 hole course designed by Allan Robertson with the help of Old Tom Morris, who returned to create the 18 hole layout in 1867.
Arguably the most difficult course on The Open Rota, Carnoustie is known for its relatively tight fairways in comparison with many links, while the famed ‘Barry Burn’ cuts its way through the course, and particularly the 18th hole, where Jean Van de Velde famously came unstuck in 1999.
The winner of the Claret Jug, Paul Lawrie is in the field this week, so too Van de Velde, and 2007 Open Champion Padraig Harrington.
