Australian brand SParms has joined Australia Golf’s commitment to championing a sun safety revolution by becoming the Official Sun Protection Supplier for the upcoming two Aussie majors, the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
SParms is renowned for its commitment to producing high quality wearable sun protection gear and more recently organic sunscreen ideal for wearing on the golf course.
Its iconic sun protection arm sleeves are already used by a wide range of players on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia.
For this summer’s majors, the sleeves have been added to the uniform for volunteers and staff in a bid to minimise the risks associated with prolonged UV exposure.
They will be protected from over 99.8% of UV rays where SParms UPF50+ certified products are worn. SParms’ proprietary material will also help keep them cool while they are on the golf course.
PGA of Australia and Golf Australia Chief Commercial Officer Michael McDonald said: “We are dedicated to equipping golfers, young and old, with better education and solutions to the dangers of prolonged UV exposure that every golfer faces.
“We are excited to work with SParms, an Australian-owned company promoting sun safety on and off the golf course.
“With about two in every three Australians diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70, the importance of sun protection for golfers is something we are keen to lend our voice to alongside a trusted brand in SParms as a leader in the sun protection sleeves market.”
The SParms range has changed the way hundreds of athletes and, in particular, professional golfers around the world from all tours protect themselves from the harsh UV rays of the sun.
Australian golf legend Karrie Webb said: “It’s so great to see that Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia is leading the way in taking greater measures to protect golfers from the harsh UV rays.
“As golfers are out in the sun all day, it’s so important that our sporting bodies recognise and bring awareness to better ways to keep sun safe.
“With SParms, golfers, event staff and volunteers will have peace of mind that their arms will stay protected whilst staying cool.”
Photo: SParms ambassador Daniel Gale
He carried the hopes of a nation at the Paris Olympics and French star Victor Perez has urged Australian fans to be patient with the ascension of defending BMW Australian PGA champion, Min Woo Lee.
Lee returns to Royal Queensland Golf Club this week ranked No.46 in the Official World Golf Ranking but without a win in the past 12 months.
Lee’s three-shot win at RQ last year was one of the most electrifying displays from an Aussie on home soil since Adam Scott’s masterful summer in 2013, the ‘Let him cook’ calling card bringing its own sense of expectation among fans.
Given his experience playing with Lee first on the DP World Tour and the past two years on the PGA TOUR, Perez believes it is only a matter of time before the 26-year-old solidifies his place as one of the world’s best.
“He has got incredible length, which obviously plays a massive strength in his game,” said Perez, who returns to the Australian PGA for the first time since 2018 ranked No.74 in the world.
“He’s got really good hands around the greens so he is kind of the total package.
“Sometimes people have really high expectations and I always want their guy to break through and get on the front of the scene and stuff like that, but it’s not like the guys he’s playing against aren’t good either.
“Sometimes a bit of patience goes a long way when it comes to breaking through.
“I don’t think he needs to particularly do anything different than what he’s currently doing and obviously experience is only going to add to his package.”
Few players will appreciate what Perez himself experienced at Le Golf National in August.
With enormous and patriotic galleries flanking the fairways, Perez had the honour of hitting the first tee shot of the men’s Olympic golf competition.
Four days later he had the French faithful frothing at the prospect of an Olympic medal, shooting 29 on the back nine to fall an agonisingly one shot shy of a medal playoff.
“It was an incredible experience. I don’t think the players, and me included, expected quite the turnout that it was,” said Perez.
“It was great for golf in general to give people hope and a chance. Obviously, I was making a run on the back nine and feeling like it was worth watching and following the French guy; it was obviously really biased towards me.
“It was really, really fun and just a great experience besides the fourth-place finish.”
The 32-year-old will spend the majority of 2025 on the PGA TOUR for the second consecutive year, the lure of a Ryder Cup debut looming large in the distance.
While reluctant to project that far forward, Perez admits that banking some DP World Tour points in Australia the next two weeks could be crucial in reaching his ultimate goal.
“I’ve been doing this enough now to know that it’s not something you can get in January, February, March, and even in April, May, June,” said Perez, who spent 10 days in Sydney with his Australian wife’s family and a week in Melbourne prior to arriving in Brisbane on Sunday.
“You’ve just got to keep playing and then kind of just see where the chips fall.
“It’s obviously going to be a big talking point, but having been in that loop twice already, I know what you’re supposed to do; I just haven’t been able to do it the last couple of times.
“This would be kind of a start of DP World, an opportunity to get some points on the board early when some of the guys are resting.
“There’s plenty of things coming that good performances are going to bring along so there’s lot to play for sure.”
For BMW Australian PGA Championship tickets, go to ticketek.com.au
The Australian PGA Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Major Events Program and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Starting four shots back on the final day at Murray Downs, Lucas Herbert has clawed his way back to lift the Kel Nagle Cup at the 2024 Ford NSW Open by three strokes and claim his first win on home soil.
Signing for the low round of the day, a 4-under 67, Herbert finished the championship at 15-under, with the entire final group of Alex Simpson, Corey Lamb and Cameron Smith all tied second at 12-under.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Jack Buchanan and Kiwi Josh Geary sharing fifth on 9-under, while four players found themselves in a tie for seventh another shot further back.
In his first round of the week separated from his mate and Ripper GC captain Smith, Herbert was able to set the pace in the penultimate group as he went about making up ground early.
An unsuccessful equipment change on Saturday meant Herbert’s trusty putter was back in the bag, and it didn’t let him down, pouring in three birdies on his opening nine, including back-to-back on eight and nine.
“To be honest I was struggling with the putter all week,” he said. “I really didn’t feel comfortable the first two rounds, especially over left or right putts.
“Went to the putting green after the round on Friday and we knew then we were going to switch putters for the next day, unfortunately it looked like I was holding a rattlesnake out there for a while.
“Came off the course, grabbed the other one. I reckon I hit two putts and was like, yep, this is going back in tomorrow, and it just felt incredibly better.”
With Smith making two bogeys and turning in 1-over, Herbert had drawn level with the major champion, and the shootout he predicted – and hoped for – came to fruition, albeit in separate groups.
With another birdie on 13, Herbert stood tall as the outright leader for the first time on Sunday, and never looked back, steadily coming home in even-par from there as Smith and others misfired on the bid to catch him.
“I just set my expectations in the right places. Dom (Azzopardi) and I said walking to the first tee, like 2-under today is going to be a great score, hitting shots on the range and they’re getting smashed sideways,” Herbert said referencing Sunday’s strong winds.
“You just had to take your chances when you could get one close and then just scramble for pars as well as you could at all other opportunities.”
Already a PGA TOUR and DP World Tour winner, this is remarkably Herbert’s first win in Australia, and while it comes across the river in New South Wales and not his home state of Victoria, the proximity to Bendigo makes this one extra special for him.
“Very, very special to win in front of all my friends from Bendigo, some family in there as well,” he said
“To beat Cam starting four shots back on Sunday. Yeah, pretty special feeling.
“I was thinking that today a little, maybe a couple of times I let my mind slip a little bit and I was like, ‘geez, I’ve never won a Tour event in Australia’, like something of this stature. So very, very cool to tick that one off the list.”
With the first Aussie win under his belt, Herbert has his sights firmly on the next two weeks as he heads to the BMW Australian PGA Championship, and then onto the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
“The next two weeks are going to be stronger fields, tougher golf courses,” he said.
“I’m going to have to be sharper with the game, but we’re definitely on the right track if we’re producing the results we had this week.”
Photo: Golf NSW.
A sharpened short game came up trumps as David Van Raalte matched Marcus Cain to share top honours at the Roseville Golf Club Mashie & Pro-Am.
The par 67 layout and blustery conditions presented quite a test for the PGA Legends Tour regulars, Van Raalte and Cain both posting a two-round total of 2-under-par to edge Adam Henwood, Chris Taylor and Tim Elliott by a single stroke.
Without a win in 2024 to date, Van Raalte credited an improved short-game showing for his return to the top of the leaderboard.
“My short game has been pretty ordinary for a little while,” said Van Raalte.
“Yesterday I actually got it up and down a few times, hit some nice chip shots.
“Been a few guys give me a bit of a hand over time with that side of things so it was nice to actually have a bit of success with it.
“You’ve just got to miss it in the right spot. If you can miss it in the right spot, leave yourself a decent chip shot or a putt, makes it a lot easier.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Tied for the lead at 1-under at the start of Round 1, Van Raalte had dropped back to even par after going out in 1-over with two bogeys and a lone birdie.
He stayed level with the card when he traded a birdie on 11 with a bogey on 12, birdies at two of the three par-5s on the back nine elevating him to 2-under at day’s end.
One-over after Round 1, Cain could ill afford any backward steps as he also sought his first win of the year.
Two birdies in the opening three holes was an ideal start, moving to 2-under with birdies at 11 and 14 along with a bogey on 13.
Cain’s round finished with nine consecutive pars, enough to join Van Raalte on the winner’s dais.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“This afternoon was pretty blustery,” said Van Raalte.
“The greens were a little bit quicker this afternoon than they were yesterday morning.
“I hit a lot of good shots around the back nine to give myself some nice opportunities and got a couple to drop in here and there.
“Long time since I’ve been in the winner’s circle so happy to be there.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Marcus Cain 68-64—132
T1 David Van Raalte 66-66—132
T3 Chris Taylor 66-67—133
T3 Adam Henwood 66-67—133
T3 Tim Elliott 69-64—133
6 Mark Gilson 66-69—135
7 Nigel Lane 70-66—136
NEXT UP
The Sydney swing of the PGA Legends Tour continues on Monday with the Lovedale Farm Legends Pro-Am at Castle Hill Country Club to be followed by the Bondi Legends Pro-Am on Tuesday.
Kiama Golf Club’s Wil Daibarra has overcome a six-shot deficit to take out the PGA Associate National Championship at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Not proficient enough to join the Playing stream of the Membership Pathway Program at the start of his final year in the program, Daibarra matched the round of the week at Cobram Barooga’s West Course to finish three clear of South Australian Joe Hodgson (70) with 36-hole leader Ethan Chambers (70) third.
Overnight leader Zach Ion (Virginia Golf Club) fell out of contention with a round of 5-over 77 on Friday, paving the way for Daibarra to make his charge to the top of the leaderboard.
Only 2-under at the turn courtesy of birdies at four and five, Daibarra caught fire early in the back nine.
He made four birdies in the space of five holes and then added a seventh at the par-3 16th to reach 15-under-par.
A nervy eight-foot par putt on the last provided a final test, Daibarra passing in flying colours to complete a round of 7-under 65 and a three-stroke win.
Without a strong resume of tournament wins, Daibarra credited a more relaxed approach for his ability to claim the national crown in his final year in the program.
“Still can’t really believe it to be honest,” said Daibarra.
“Just a little bit of a different head space. Just relaxing a little bit more, don’t get so worked up on the good or bad shots and just kind of hit one shot at a time.
“That was mainly the difference
“I was pretty nervy but felt a lot better today than yesterday and I’m just really, really happy.
“Over the moon.”
Unsure whether his game was up to the standard to make it on tour, Daibarra began the Membership Pathway Program at Kiama in 2022.
When he fell short of the criteria needed to enter the Playing stream this year, Daibarra chose Game Development but showed his game stands up against the best Associates in the country.
Final leaderboard
1 Wil Daibarra 68-71-69-65—273
2 Joseph Hodgson 68-70-68-70—276
3 Ethan Chambers 68-65-74-70—277
4 Zach Ion 65-69-68-77—279
5 Daniel Gill 68-73-70-70—281
A timely lesson with good friend Andrew Welsford has propelled Scott Barr to a one-stroke win at the David Mercer Senior Classic at Killara Golf Club in Sydney.
The legacy of David Mercer draws icons of Australian golf to Killara each year, 1991 Open champion Ian Baker-Finch, three-time Australian PGA champion Peter Senior, Rodger Davis, Peter Lonard, Mike Harwood and Peter O’Malley just some of the big names to tee it up on Thursday.
No one played better than Barr, however, the now West Australian converting recent good form into a rewarding win at the richest one-day event on the PGA Legends Tour calendar.
“This is the crown in the jewel for our one-dayers, for sure,” said Barr.
Barr had seven birdies in his bogey-free round of 7-under 65 to finish one clear of Senior (66), Lonard sharing third with Adam Henwood and David McKenzie with rounds of 5-under 67.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Back-to-back birdies at his second and third holes was the ideal start for Barr, who began his round with a par at the par-4 11th.
He went back-to-back again with birdies at 18 and 1 and, after a fifth birdie at four, birdied both nine and 10 to post 7-under, both of which play as par 5s.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Had a great ball-striking day today,” said Barr.
“I holed a couple of nice putts but I hit all the par 5s in two.
“I had a lesson from a mate, Andrew Welsford at The Australian, and it came good today, so I’m very pleased.
“I’d been playing well for a while but a nice little tune-up there was needed.
“I’d been playing well but just couldn’t get it done. I got close at the New South Wales Senior Open but didn’t hole any putts.
“Got it going today and then just full steam ahead.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Scott Barr 65
2 Peter Senior 66
T3 Peter Lonard 67
T3 Adam Henwood 67
T3 David McKenzie 67
T6 Nigel Lane 68
T6 Murray Lott 68
T6 David Bransdon 68
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour is at Roseville Golf Club in Sydney Friday and Saturday for the Roseville Golf Club Mashie & Pro-Am.
West Australian Hannah Green has two further chances to join Karrie Webb in rare company as she makes her tournament debut at this week’s LPGA Tour event in Florida.
Already a three-time winner this season, Green is playing The ANNIKA for the first time, the tournament serving as the penultimate event ahead of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Currently sixth in the Race to CME Globe standings, Green can join Webb as the only Australians with four wins in a single LPGA Tour season, Webb winning an extraordinary 13 tournaments across the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
Hall of Famer Jan Stephenson won three times in a single season on three separate occasions, Green coming in on the back of her third win at the BMW Ladies Championship and tie for sixth at the Maybank Championship.
As Green chases a shot at history, three other Aussies are playing to ensure their place in the season finale.
With only the top 60 and ties to advance, Minjee Lee (56th), Stephanie Kyriacou (60th) and Hira Naveed (72nd) all need to play well to extend their LPGA seasons by an additional week.
The DP World Tour 2024 season comes to an end this week with Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott to contest the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Aaron Baddeley is the lone Aussie in the field at the PGA TOUR’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship and there are five Australians in action in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open on the Asian Tour.
Photo: How Foo Yeen/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEDT
DP World Tour
DP World Tour Championship
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth course, Dubai, UAE
4:10pm Min Woo Lee
6:30pm Adam Scott
2023 champion: Nicolai Hojgaard
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US10 million
TV times: Live 6pm-12am Thursday, Friday, Saturday; Live 5:30pm-11:30pm Sunday on Fox Sports and Kayo.
PGA TOUR
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Port Royal Golf Course, Southhampton, Bermuda
3:25am* Aaron Baddeley
2023 champion: Camilo Villegas
Past Aussie winners: Lucas Herbert (2021)
Prize money: $US6.9 million
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday; Live 3:30am-6:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 3am-6am Monday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican
Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Florida
11pm* Hira Naveed
11:22pm Stephanie Kyriacou
11:33pm* Gabriela Ruffels
11:44pm Minjee Lee
3:58am* Lydia Ko (NZ)
4:09am* Hannah Green
5:04am* Robyn Choi
2023 champion: Lilia Vu
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US3.25 million
TV times: Live 2am-5am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 6am-9:10am Sunday on Fox Sports 506; Live 5am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 503.
Asian Tour
Taiwan Glass Taifong Open
Taifong Golf Club, Taiwan
10am* Justin Warren
2:20pm Jack Thompson
2:35pm* Aaron Wilkin
2:50pm Zach Murray
3:05pm* Sam Brazel
2023 champion: Camilo Villegas
Past Aussie winners: Lucas Herbert (2021)
Prize money: $US6.9 million
Japan Golf Tour
Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
Phoenix Country Club, Miyazaki
10:50am Michael Hendry (NZ)
2023 champion: Yuta Sugiura
Prize money: ¥200 million
Legends Tour
WCM Mexico Senior Open
Punta Mita Golf Club, Nayarit, Mexico
Australasians in the field: Michael Campbell (NZ), Steven Alker (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)
2023 champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Virginia Golf Club Associate Zach Ion leads the PGA Associate National Championship yet remains stuck on the couch through three rounds at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Ion’s round of 4-under 68 on Thursday was the only bogey-free round of the day, his 14-under par total through 54 holes giving him a four-stroke buffer from Mount Osmond Golf Club’s Joe Hodgson (68).
What it hasn’t done, however, is improve his sleeping arrangements at the house he is sharing with fellow Queenslanders this week.
“I’ve actually still been on the couch all week, which is outrageous,” said Ion.
“I think a couple of them have left now so hopefully I can squeeze onto a double bed.”
Wherever he ends up, it could still be a restless night for Ion who is seeking to claim the biggest win of his three years in the Membership Pathway Program.
Co-leader after Round 1, Ion trailed by one after the second round and now very much finds himself as the hunted as the tournament nears its climax.
“It’s a new feeling to be up – and I didn’t know I was up four – but game-plan wise, I’ve probably got to stick with pretty much the same thing again,” said the tall left-hander.
“It’s working. I’m not really taking too many risks. Just keep focused, keep relaxed and enjoy tomorrow.”
A prodigious bomber off the tee, Ion had to lean on his short game to stay bogey-free in Round 3, particularly early in his round.
He conjured a couple of crucial par saves and then made birdie at the 161-metre par-3 fifth.
Five more pars followed before he built a handy advantage with birdies at 11, 14 and 18.
“It was actually a bit more scrambling than it’s been this week,” Ion conceded.
“Got off to a bit of a nervous start. I’ve normally been hunting guys down rather than being up there third and fourth round of state champs so it was a bit nervy around the start.
“I made a couple of good putts early, kind of pushed my momentum forward for the rest of the round and then started playing a bit more like myself for the rest of it.”
A double-bogey at the par-4 17th made Hodgson’s assignment that little bit tougher, 36-hole leader Ethan Chambers (The Lakes GC) one shot further back at 9-under after a round of 2-over 74 highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 11th.
Ben Burge buried a frustrating run of near misses to break through and claim a maiden PGA Legends Tour title at the Kooindah Waters Legends Pro-Am.
With water lurking at every twist and turn of the Central Coast layout, Burge banked on his numbers to navigate his way to a round of 6-under 66 in his first visit to Kooindah Waters.
A former regular on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Burge is now the Assistant Professional at Wakehurst Golf Club in Sydney, the 50-year-old thrilled to finally get a win in his rookie season.
“I’ve been getting frustrated, shooting even par every tournament we’ve played just about the last 10-15 rounds,” said Burge.
“It was nice to actually make a few birdies for a change.”
Burge’s 66 in the morning wave held firm at the top of the leaderboard, Chris Taylor’s 4-under 68 the best of the afternoon scores with Leigh McKechnie (69) and Scott Laycock (70) finishing third and fourth respectively.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Early indications were good that Burge’s fortunes were going to turn at Kooindah Waters.
Starting from the 10th tee, Burge busted open with three straight birdies to begin his round, making it four from five at the short par-4 14th.
He made the first of three bogeys on his round at the par-4 16th but turned in 4-under thanks to a birdie at the par-3 17th.
Burge birdied the par-5 first to start his back nine, picked up another at the par-3 fourth and then eagled the par-5 fifth after hitting his 4-iron to eight feet and making the putt to reach 8-under.
Late bogeys at six and eight sucked some of the joy from Burge’s brilliant round but it was still enough to secure a two-stroke win.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Hit the ball really solid and putted solid,” said Burge.
“Had a lot of chances and holed all the putts I should, apart from a couple. Hit a lot of greens and was really focused.
“I didn’t know where I was going, so I had to just use my laser to work out where to hit it and hit it there.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Ben Burge 66
2 Chris Taylor 68
3 Leigh McKechnie 69
4 Scott Laycock 70
T5 Robert Mitchell 71
T5 David Van Raalte 71
T5 Peter O’Malley 71
NEXT UP
Thursday sees one of the most popular events of the PGA Legends Tour season, the $80,000 David Mercer Senior Classic at Killara Golf Club in Sydney.
ISPS HANDA Australian Open-bound Karl Vilips has been named the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year as voted by Korn Ferry Tour membership.
Vilips turned professional out of Stanford University after a No.10 finish in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking.
He began his professional career on PGA TOUR Americas, making two starts prior to his Korn Ferry Tour debut in July as a sponsor exemption at The Ascendant presented by Blue, the 17th event of the Tour’s 26-event season.
Vilips, who held conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership via PGA TOUR University performance benefits, played his way into The Ascendant with a runner-up finish in the Korn Ferry Tour member division of a qualifying tournament, through which the event awarded four of its five sponsor exemptions.
The 23-year-old Australian posted back-to-back top-25s in his first two Korn Ferry Tour starts, followed by a runner-up finish at the NV5 Invitational, and a win at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health in what were his third and fourth starts on Tour.
Vilips won the Utah Championship at 22 years, 11 months, and 19 days of age, making him the second-youngest winner on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024, only behind South African Aldrich Potgieter, who became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history at 19 years, 4 months, 11 days of age.
Vilips and Potgieter were the only rookie winners on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024, in addition to being the only Korn Ferry Tour rookies who earned PGA TOUR membership for the 2025 season.
They will both feature on the Summer of Golf in Australia this month with Vilips playing the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and Potgieter the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Vilips needed just 10 starts to finish No. 19 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and earn PGA TOUR membership. Vilips tallied seven top-25s in his 10 starts, including a T20 at the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.
Vilips also followed Adrien Dumont de Chassart (2023) as the second player to join the Korn Ferry Tour via PGA TOUR University performance benefits and earn a PGA TOUR card in the same season.
In four seasons at Stanford, Vilips earned a 2024 All-America Second Team honor, three All-Pac-12 Conference laurels (First Team in 2023 and 2024, Second Team in 2022), and earned his lone collegiate victory at the 2024 Pac-12 Championship.
Vilips concluded his collegiate career ranked No. 5 in Stanford history in career scoring average (71.04), trailing Tiger Woods (70.96), Michael Thorbjornsen (70.40), Patrick Rodgers (70.31) and school record holder Maverick McNealy (70.12).
Vilips, who has one previous start on the PGA TOUR (2023 U.S. Open), will be a TOUR rookie in 2025.
Winners of the Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year: Karl Vilips (2024), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (2023), S.H. Kim (2022), Greyson Sigg (2020-21), Scottie Scheffler (2019), Sungjae Im (2018).
Pic credit: Getty Images