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Two Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regulars showed their class to share top spot at today’s Panasonic Air Conditioning Burleigh Pro-Am.
Sam Brazel and Jake McLeod negotiated the Gold Coast layout in 4-under-par 67 in gusty winds to finish one ahead of Cameron John on an adidas Pro-Am Series leaderboard laden with Tour talent.
For McLeod, it was his second joint title for July, joining his win with Jack Murdoch and Will Florimo at Windaroo Lakes.
The experienced Brazel’s last adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory came last year in Mackay with Burleigh making it 12 overall for the former Hong Kong Open champion on the pro-am circuit.
It was nice confidence boost for the NSW pro ahead of some bigger events to come. He’s off to the US$2,000,000 International Series England event at Close House in Newcastle, starting August 17, before concentrating on Asian events.
HOW THE WINNERS’ ROUNDS UNFOLDED
McLeod started his round on the 11th hole and moved quickly to 2-under with birdies on the 14th and 15th. His only bogey for the day came on the par-4 16th. He then picked up shots on both par-5s on the front nine.
Brazel’s round was highlighted by a run of four birdies in five holes on the back nine before he almost undid his good work with a double-bogey on the par-4 16th. A birdie on his second last hole, the par-5 first, gave him a share of top spot.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
McLeod: “I hit it nicely again today which was good. I played the par-5s pretty well and holed a few putts today. It was all pretty stress-free really. You have to hit fairways around here because it’s super tight.”
Brazel: “It’s my first time in a long time around here. I tried to keep it on the short stuff which always helps. I had a great group so it was a fun day.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: Jake McLeod (Qld), Sam Brazel (NSW)
68: Cameron John (Vic)
69: Darcy Brereton (Vic), Aiden Didone (Vic), Deyen Lawson (WA), Michael Sim (Qld)
70: Ed Donoghue (Vic), Kade McBride (Qld), Brady Watt (WA), Matt Dowling (Qld), Tom Robinson (Eng), Bailey Arnott (Qld), Tim Hart (Qld), Lucas Higgins (NSW)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads back to Brisbane for the Belle Property Bulimba Pro-Am on Thursday then it’s a return to the Gold Coast for the Southport Pro-Am on Friday.
Andre Stolz’s domination of the PGA Legends Tour continued today as the Queenslander took out his seventh title this year at the William (Bill) Beattie Henderson Memorial Cup at Meadowbrook Golf Club.
A joint winner in Toowoomba last week, Stolz was the sole winner today by one shot over Grahame Stinson and Tod Power, after a 3-under 69.
Stolz is now cruising at the top of the Order of Merit.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Playing holes 10-27 at Meadowbrook, Stolz started his day on ten, which he birdied, and another birdie came at 12.
A bogey followed at 14 followed, however when Stolz made eagle at the par-5 16th, he looked as if he may go super-low.
Coming down the last however, Stolz found himself at 2-under, needing something special to take the outright win.
Special is just what Stolz produced, managing a clutch up-and-down for birdie on the last to clinch the cup.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I actually checked the leaderboard a couple times there,” Stolz admitted due to the tight competition.
“I actually played really good tee to green, I was hitting it great, I just hadn’t played that new nine up the top of the hill there and where those pins where everything was pretty dicey.
“The surrounds of the greens were fantastic, and the green surfaces were pretty good, that weren’t too quick but you wouldn’t want these greens quick.
“I was keen to have a good day, and I actually won the young boys pro-am here a million year ago.
“The last two or three months I feel like I’ve clicked with a few things.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
69 Andre Stolz (QLD)
70 Grahame Stinson (NSW), Tod Power (QLD)
71 Wade Brunjes (QLD), Nigel Weldon (QLD), David Fearns (QLD)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour next heads to the City of Moreton Bay region later this week, with Wantima the host on Thursday and Bribie Island on Friday.
The inaugural Men’s World Sand Greens Championship will tee off at Binalong in New South Wales on September 27, with Australia’s best professional golfers competing for a $140,000 purse.
Proudly supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, the 36-hole championship at Binalong Community Club in the NSW Southern Tablelands is a first for professional men’s golf in Australia and globally.
General Manager of Golf at Golf NSW Olivia Wilson said the concept of a men’s professional tournament on sand greens was a first in Australia and sure to attract a lot of interest, adding that the style of play required to compete on sand surfaces took some adjusting.
“Sand greens golf plays an important part in Australia’s golfing landscape, especially in rural communities, and it will be great to showcase this side of our game,” she said.
“Playing and putting on sand is quite a different experience for many players. There are fundamental differences between landing approach shots and knowing how to ‘smooth’ a putting line.
“If a player has doubts on what to do, plenty of locals will be ready to offer free advice on the correct way to chip, smooth a line, and even hole a putt,”
Ms Wilson added that fans of the sport who were curious about golf on sand greens could tune into the live broadcast on 7Plus, courtesy of the Channel Seven network and the Sports Entertainment Network, SEN, to catch the action live.
“It’s great to have the final round of any tournament live, but with many people curious about playing and putting on sand surfaces, we expect the broadcast to be well received.”
PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said the Men’s World Sand Greens Championship would be an exciting opportunity to showcase this distinct style of playing golf.
“Australia’s unique environment offers a variety of terrain and weather conditions across its vast landscapes,” he said.
“Playing on sand greens will present a distinctive challenge for a professional event, one that will undoubtedly highlight the creative talents of our players.
“The World Sand Greens Championship will be a great way to kickstart what is sure to be a huge Summer of Golf on the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.”
Binalong Golf Club has a long and rich history. Founded in 1857, the club’s original nine-hole layout was carved through the middle of a now-defunct horse racing track.
At 500 metres above sea level, the 18-hole, par-72 course is considered one of the best examples of a sand greens layout in regional New South Wales.
Located 37km north-west of Yass, about one hour from Canberra and three hours from Sydney, Binbalong is a hub for sporting activities and an integral part of the surrounding community.
Host Venue: Binalong Community Club
Dates: September, 27-29
Prize Fund: $140,000
Tournament Format: 18 Hole Pro-Am (day one) followed by 36 Hole Championship (day two and three)
Website: https://www.golfnsw.org.au/events-champs/mens-world-sand-greens/
TV Broadcast: Final round Sunday, September 29, LIVE on 7Plus
The Men’s World Sand Greens Championship is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Brett Rankin defied some of the toughest conditions of the year in the adidas PGA Pro-Am series to go back-to-back at the Brisbane River Golf Club Pro-Am today.
The Queenslander’s 1-under-par 65 was the only round of par or better on a day dominated by strong westerly winds that wrecked many of his rivals’ scorecards.
West Australian Deyen Lawson took runner-up honours at 1-over, with Ed Donoghue (Vic), Jay Mackenzie (NSW), Kyle Michel (Vic) and Brady Watt (WA) a further shot back.
Rankin’s victory was his third for 2024.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
The 2023 winner started his round with a bogey on the par-4 second but soon bounced back with an eagle on the dogleg 314m par-4 fourth after deciding to go with a driver off the tee following a pre-round inspection of the hole on Google Earth.
“I just pumped a driver over the fence and the trees and houses,” he said. “I hit it exactly where I wanted but it was still a bit of guesswork to be honest.
“I thought it’d be near the green somewhere but walking down the fairway Jay Mackenzie, one of playing partners, told me I’d hit it to 12 feet.
“It was a good way to bounce back from a bogey.”
Birdies at the 11th and 13th moved Rankin to -3 before he handed back his last shot of the day at the short par-4 17th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“The key to playing well here is just embracing the quirkiness of the golf course,” Rankin said.
“Embracing that it’s going to quite difficult and it’s going to throw some challenges at you.
“I feel like I can play difficult conditions quite well. I can be patient golfer and I like to plot my way around the course.
“I’m very happy to shoot under par. I said to my mates before the round that you could potentially see someone shoot even-par or over par win this.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
65: Brett Rankin (Qld)
67: Deyen Lawson (WA)
68: Ed Donoghue (Vic), Jay Mackenzie (NSW), James Mee (Qld), Kyle Michel (Vic)
69: Toby Walker (Vic), Brady Watt (WA)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads to the Gold Coast for the Panasonic Air Conditioning Burleigh Pro-Am on Tuesday
West Australian Scott Barr conquered strong westerly winds and a field that included a couple of notable PGA Legends Tour debutants to win the Paul King Memorial Legends Pro-Am in partnership with Bartons and BMD today.
Barr recorded a 2-under-par 67 at Wynnum Golf Club to gain his first Tour title for 2024 on a day when only six players broke par.
The runner-up group of five included Queenslander Brad Kennedy, the winner of 13 tournaments worldwide, who is now a rookie on the seniors circuit after celebrating his 50th birthday last month.
He was joined on 1-under by three other Queenslanders – Marcus Cain, Murray Lott and Adam Le Vesconte – and Melbourne-based Carl Smedley.
Wayne Perske, one of the world’s best All Abilities golfers, also made his PGA Legends Tour debut, shooting an even-par 69 to finish in a tie for seventh just days after his 50th birthday qualified him for a new tour.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Barr had a rocky start to his afternoon with two bogeys on his first four holes but he made his way under par by picking up shots at 10, 12 and 13.
Another birdie on the 110m par-three first hole, his 16th hole of the day, proved to be decisive.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I didn’t think what I shot would win,” Barr said.
“I was told after I’d holed that last putt that it was for the win. I was quite surprised 2-under won.
“I got off to a poor start but it’s a shorter course and I just had to navigate it. I was lucky to get over the line I guess.
“This is a great event. There’s a lot of tradition on this course with pro-ams.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: Scott Barr (WA)
68: Marcus Cain (Qld); Murray Lott (Qld); Brad Kennedy (Qld); Carl Smedley (Vic); Adam Le Vesconte (Qld)
69: Andre Stolz (Qld); Wayne Perske (Qld); Christopher Taylor (Qld); Brad Burns (Qld); Stuart Beament (WA)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Series has the week in South-East Queensland with events at Meadowbrook (Tuesday), Wantima (Thursday) and Bribie Island (Friday).
The club that birthed an Open champion will welcome an older breed of legend when Wantima Country Club hosts the Wantima CC Legends Pro-Am on August 1.
The first of two PGA Legends Tour events supported by the City of Moreton Bay, Wantima is a new addition to the schedule in 2024 and will be followed a day later by the Bribie Island Legends Pro-Am at Bribie Island Golf Club.
The home course of 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith, Wantima has undergone major works both on and off the golf course and will showcase a host of Australian golf greats.
Those to have already entered include reigning Order of Merit winner Andre Stolz, Peter Senior OAM, Terry Price, Mike Harwood and Terry Pilkadaris for what is always a popular stage of the season.
“Wantima Country Club is proud to be part of the Australian PGA Legends Tour in 2024,” said Jason Patterson, General Manager at Wantima Country Club.
“The club is very excited to host this event on August 1.
“In the past two years, Wantima Country Club has made many enhancements to the clubhouse and the golf course.
“We are also very proud of our many sponsors for this event with Moreton Bay Council assisting us with sponsorship.”
The Bribie Island Legends Pro-Am dates back to 2018 when Matthew King was the inaugural champion, the Bribie sand base providing for wonderful playing surfaces each and every year.
“There is a really wonderful history building with this event at Bribie Island Golf Club,” said Legends Tour Coordinator, Andy Rogers.
“The players really enjoy the challenge of the golf course, the course is always in fantastic condition and the hospitality of the club, its members and sponsors is up there with the best on tour.”
A total of $29,500 in prizemoney is up for grabs across the two days thanks to the support of the City of Moreton Bay.
City of Moreton Bay stretches from Brisbane’s northern suburbs up to Bribie Island.
Golf courses in the Moreton Bay catchment include Redcliffe Golf Club, Bribie Island Golf Club, Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club, Caboolture Golf Club and Wantima Country Club.
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.
