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The first television broadcast of the new Summer of Golf season will get underway this weekend with exciting improvements and more tournaments for golf fans to watch the best in Australasian golf.
Starting from this week’s CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil and Logistics in Kalgoorlie through to The National Tournament in late March, all Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events in Australia will be available for viewing by golf fans around the country – with WPGA Tour of Australasia and PGA Legends Tour action adding to the largest amount of live broadcast golf ever shown on Australian screens.
Fox Sports will cover 18 events via Foxtel and Kayo, while the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open will also be simulcast on the NINE Network and 9Now.
Sky Sport NZ, the presenting partner of the NZ Open, will also screen all Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments.
Among the improvements to the broadcasts that viewers will see from week-to-week, delivered by the PGA of Australia production partner JAM TV, will be enhanced live data presentation of scores and hole information, as well as leaderboards and Order of Merit updates as the chase for titles and opportunities runs throughout the summer.
Augmented drone footage, dynamic first-person view fly throughs and inside access to players and more will also help bolster the coverage each and every week, while the two Australian majors will see an increase in not only live golf but coverage.
The BMW Australian PGA will have all four rounds shown live across Foxtel, Kayo, NINE and 9Now, before the ISPS HANDA Australian Open sees the introduction of a new week-long Australian Open channel on Foxtel and Kayo.
Featuring historical footage and other presentations, the Australian Open Channel will be in the mould of the content delivered to Australian fans during The Masters and The Open each year.
As in previous seasons, Trackman will offer an insight into ball flights and data from the impressive play of the next wave and well-known names of the Australian golf scene.
Delivering that data alongside insights from years playing and covering the game at the highest level, the commentary team has been bolstered and will be led throughout the season by two of the pre-eminent voices in Australian golf alongside Fox Sports News rising star Isabella Leembruggen as host.
Former PGA TOUR regulars and winners on their home circuit, the familiar faces and voices of Nick O’Hern and Paul Gow will lead the coverage each week across the season with support provided by a growing group of experts in their field.
O’Hern and Gow will feature in the booth taking fans through what is seen on screen, as well as what can’t be seen, while also offering up their opinions on thoughts on play and the game of golf overall.
The pair supported by Leembruggen and an outstanding line-up of experts and on-course commentators including Ryan Lynch, Jimmy Emanuel, Ali Whitaker, Warren Smith, Ewan Porter, Mark Allen, Stacey Peters, Brenton Speed, Mathew Thompson and more.
The WA PGA Championship coverage this weekend starts with Saturday’s third round live from 4pm–7pm (AEDT) with Sunday’s final day action from 2pm–7pm.
2024/25 CHALLENGER PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA BROADCAST SCHEDULE
FOXTEL/KAYO/NINE/9NOW/SKY SPORT NZ
CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics
Kalgoorlie Golf Course
October 12 – 13
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Bowra & Odea Nexus Advisernet WA Open
Mandurah Country Club
October 19 – 20
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett
Willunga Golf Course
October 26 – 27
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Queensland PGA Championship
Nudgee Golf Club
November 2 – 3
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
BMW Australian PGA Championship
Royal Queensland Golf Club
November 21 – 24
Nine/9Now/Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
ISPS HANDA Australian Open
Kingston Heath Golf Club and Victoria Golf Club
November 28 – December 1
Nine/9Now/Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Victorian PGA Championship
Moonah Links Resort
December 7 – 8
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Gippsland Super 6
Warragul Country Club
December 14 – 15
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee
Royal Fremantle Golf Club
January 11 – 12
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Webex Players Series Victoria
Rosebud Country Club
January 23 – 26
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Webex Players Series Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle
Cobram Barooga Golf Club
February 1 – 2
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Tournament TBC
February 8 – 9
Webex Players Series Sydney
Castle Hill Country Club
February 22-23
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
NZ Open presented by Sky Sport
Millbrook Resort
February 27 – March 2
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Heritage Classic
The Heritage Golf and Country Club
March 22 – 23
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
The National Tournament
The National Golf Club, Old Course
March 29 – 30
Foxtel/Kayo/Sky Sport NZ
Wynnum Golf Club proved to be the night’s big winners as they took home three awards from the 2024 Queensland Golf Industry Awards on the Gold Coast.
Shane Tempest (Burleigh Golf Club) was named PGA Qld Management Professional of the Year and Angus Porter (Carbrook Golf Club) PGA Qld Club Professional of the Year as more than 400 guests celebrated another magnificent year for golf in Queensland.
Wynnum’s reputation as one of the best tournament venues in the state was evident in their dual victories for Metropolitan PGA Tournament of the Year for the Bartons/BMD Wynnum Pro-Am and PGA Legends Tournament of the Year for the Bartons/BMD Paul King Memorial Legends Pro-Am.
General Manager Bernard Wilson made it a hat-trick of wins for Wynnum when he received the Distinguished Manager Award for the stability and vision he has provided Wynnum since coming to the club in 2021.
Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club also went home with multiple wins.
The inaugural Sanctuary Cove Legends Pro-Am hosted by Adam Scott and Peter Senior was named PGA Tournament of the Year and Sanctuary Cove’s Andrew Lothian claimed the Assistant Superintendent Achievement Award.
Justice Bosio and Quinn Croker signed off on their amateur careers with Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year respectively, Sarah Hammett and Chase Oberle won the Junior Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year awards and Asha Flynn (Game Development) and Richard Woodhouse (High Performance) took out the major coaching awards.
Victoria Park Golf Complex was the inaugural winner of the Off-Course Golf Facility of the Year while it was the expansion of the offering and connection to the local community that saw Pacific crowned Club of the Year.
The opening of a new clubhouse has made Pacific Golf Club an entertainment venue that is welcoming to all while the construction of a mini golf course and installation of indoor simulators in conjunction with targeted marketing campaigns have made it a family-friendly facility for all.
2024 Queensland Golf Industry Awards
PGA (QLD) Coach of the Year (High Performance)
Richard Woodhouse (KDV Sport)
PGA (QLD) Coach of the Year (Game Development)
Asha Flynn (The Brisbane Golf Club)
PGA (QLD) Club Professional of the Year presented by Coca-Cola
Angus Porter (Carbrook Golf Club)
PGA (QLD) Management Professional of the Year
Shane Tempest (Burleigh Golf Club)
PGA Tournament of the Year
Sanctuary Cove Legends Pro-Am hosted by Adam Scott and Peter Senior
Metropolitan PGA Tournament of the Year
Bartons/BMD Wynnum Pro-Am
Regional PGA Tournament of the Year
PIMS Group Mackay Pro-Am
PGA Legends Tournament of the Year
Bartons/BMD Paul King Memorial Legends Pro-Am (Wynnum GC)
Assistant Superintendent Achievement Award presented by Greenway Turf Solutions
Andrew Lothian (Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club)
Superintendents Achievement Award presented by Living Turf
Graeme Andrews (Tamborine Mountain Golf Club)
Superintendents Environment and Safety Excellence Award
Mick McCombe (Maleny Golf Club)
Golf Course Turf Apprentice of the Year presented by Toro
Dylan Buttigieg (Windaroo Lakes Golf Club)
Golf Club Staff Member of the Year Award presented by CPR Group
Teegan Negreira (Redcliffe Golf Club)
Golf Club Board Member of the Year Award
Dr Max Whitten AM (Maleny Golf Club)
Golf Club of the Year Award presented by MiClub
Pacific Golf Club
Distinguished Manager Award presented by Asahi Schweppes
Bernard Wilson (Wynnum Golf Club)
Volunteer of the Year
Christopher Sarquis (Kingaroy Golf Club)
Golf Club of the Year (Under 400 Members) presented by Inside Golf
Kingaroy Golf Club
Golf Supplier of the Year Award
Greenway Turf Solutions
Junior Golf Program of the Year Award
Cairns Golf Club
Off-Course Golf Facility of The Year
Victoria Park Golf Complex
Services to Golf Award
Judy Logan (Golf Queensland/Laidley GC), Iris Thompson (Downs and South West Ladies Golf District), Gurney Clamp (Central Qld District), Steve King (BDGA/Nudgee GC)
Superintendents Industry Recognition Award
Paul Bevan
Male Amateur Golfer of the Year
Quinn Croker
Female Amateur Golfer of the Year
Justice Bosio
Junior Female Amateur Golfer of the Year
Sarah Hammett
Junior Male Amateur Golfer of the Year
Chase Oberle
Victorians Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman will return to their home state for the 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open as part of multiple Australian appearances to end the year.
Bendigo’s Herbert will play three Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events in a row in 2024, starting at the NSW Open, followed by the BMW Australian PGA Championship and then the Australian Open.
He will then return early in 2025 at the Webex Players Series Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club in the second half of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season announced earlier today.
Meanwhile, Leishman will contest the two Australian majors, first at Royal Queensland for the Australian PGA from November 21–24 before heading to Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Clubs for the Australian Open, starting November 28.
“Playing tournaments in Australia is right up there for me, and I can’t wait for the three-tournament run to end 2024, and also to get back underway early in 2025,” Herbert, who announced his schedule in person at the Australian Golf Centre today, said.
Added Leishman: “I’m really happy to be heading home again after what’s been a successful 2024.
“Finishing my year at the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open, two events I have always loved playing, is always good fun with great competition and I would love to add to my resume with a big Aussie win.”
Starting his career on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, which will co-sanction the Australian PGA and Australian Open with the DP World Tour again in 2024, Herbert’s three-week stretch will be alongside Cameron Smith and start close to his hometown with the NSW Open.
Played at Murray Downs Golf & Country Club from November 14, 28-year-old Herbert returns to a course where he had success as a teenager to challenge for the Kel Nagle Cup he nearly won early in his career, before heading back to the Murray River region and Cobram Barooga on January 30 to February 2 to play a Webex Players Series event for the first time.
Pitting men and women against one another for one trophy and prize fund, the innovative series brings juniors into the fold over the weekend, with the Murray River event one of nine in the second half of the men’s Tour schedule.
“Getting the chance to play alongside women and juniors at the Webex Players Series is something I am really looking forward to, especially given how close it is to home in Bendigo, so hopefully plenty of people come out to watch,” said Herbert, whose four-event commitment means he is eligible for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit title and all the benefits on offer.
Hailing from Warrnambool, Leishman is chasing his first big piece of silverware in Australia after being a regular challenger for the country’s biggest titles over the course of his career.
Making his 29th and 30th combined Australian PGA and Australian Open starts this year, Leishman returns home after a strong appearance in 2023 when he was third at Royal Queensland and tied for 27th at The Australian and The Lakes.
Growing up in regional Victoria and playing representative golf on the famed Sandbelt, both Herbert and Leishman would no doubt agree an Australian Open in Melbourne presents a special opportunity.
“Winning one would mean the world to me, especially on the Melbourne Sandbelt where I have played so much golf and absolutely love teeing it up,” Herbert said.
“Kingston Heath and Victoria are incredible courses that I think suit my game perfectly.”
Herbert and Leishman continue to add to fields that will include Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith, Jason Day, Hannah Green, Cam Davis, Joaquin Niemann, Ash Buhai and more over the Australian Summer of Golf.
“Anticipation continues to build as we excitedly prepare for the return of the Australian Open to the brilliant Melbourne Sandbelt. The addition of Lucas and Marc to the field has heightened that excitement, and we can’t wait to see them in action at Kingston Heath and Victoria,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
Joining Smith in playing four events of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, Herbert will compete alongside the rising stars of Australian golf in a 19-event season.
“The support of players like Cam and Lucas for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is tremendous and will help to bring added attention to the amazing group of players contesting 19 events across the season,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.
“The second half of the season has shaped up tremendously as our players chase the pathways on offer and historic titles such as the New Zealand Open.”
The 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as the NINE Network, with tickets available now via Ticketek.
2024/25 CHALLENGER PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA 2025 DATES
Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee (January 9 – 12)
Webex Players Series Victoria (January 23 – 26)
Webex Players Series Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle (January 30 – February 2)
Tournament TBC (February 6 – 9)
Webex Players Series Sydney (February 20 – 23)
NZ Open presented by Sky Sports (February 27 – March 2)
NZ PGA (March 6 – 9)
Heritage Classic (March 20 – 23)
The National Tournament (March 27 – 30)
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia has announced its full schedule for the 2024/25 season with 19 tournaments to determine who comes out on top in the chase for Order of Merit glory.
Day one of the first Australian event on the schedule, the CKB WA PGA presented by Civil TX & Logistics, gets underway in Kalgoorlie today, following the season-opening PNG Open which was won by Will Bruyeres in August.
The nine events in 2025 will take the season total across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea to 19, one more than the 2023/24 Tour, with almost a million dollars in extra prizemoney available to the region’s best professionals.
The major highlight of the second half of the Tour is the NZ Open presented by Sky Sports which will be played at Millbrook Resort on February 27 to March 2, the 12th year the event will be held in its unique Pro-Am format with amateurs paired with professionals in a simultaneous ‘best-ball’ format.
The runaway success of Millbrook’s new 36-hole operation used to host the NZ Open has triggered significant investment into extensions and improvements at its driving range which will open in time to cater for the influx of Tour players.
The NZ PGA Championship, first played in 1909 and with a winners’ list that includes major champions Sir Bob Charles, Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle and Tony Jacklin, will follow on March 6-9 with negotiations in the final stages to lock in a venue on the North Island.
The NZ PGA was last part of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in 2023 when Queenslander Louis Dobbelaar was victorious and a non-Order of Merit event this year with Pieter Zwart winning at Hastings.
The 2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule will get underway with a new event, Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee, which will be played at Royal Fremantle Golf Club on January 9-12.
It will be the first of three consecutive Webex Players Series events where the players on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia come together in the tournament to play for the one trophy and share in the same prizemoney pool.
Rosebud Country Club will host Webex Players Series Victoria on January 23-26 before Webex Players Series Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle is played at Cobram-Barooga Golf Club on January 30-February 2.
The last of five Webex Players Series events for the 2024/25 season will be Webex Players Series Sydney to be played at Castle Hill Country Club for the second consecutive year.
There is a change in date for the Heritage Classic at the Heritage Golf and Country Club which has been switched from January to be the second last tournament of the season from March 20-23.
The season finale will again be The National Tournament at The National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula on March 27-30.
“With the Chase is On really heating up at the start of 2025, we’re looking forward to bringing our Tour to golf fans in WA, Victoria, NSW and New Zealand across nine great events,” PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments & Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said.
“There will be a huge amount at stake as the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia builds towards its conclusion.
“We’re looking forward to seeing who emerges as our Order of Merit champion and the players who lock in the DP World Tour cards available to our top three players by the time the last putt drops at The National.”
All of the 2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events, apart from the NZ PGA, will be broadcast by Fox Sports on Foxtel and Kayo in Australia and Sky Sports in New Zealand.
2024/25 CHALLENGER PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA 2025 DATES
Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee (January 9 – 12)
Webex Players Series Victoria (January 23 – 26)
Webex Players Series Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle (January 30 – February 2)
Tournament TBC (February 6 – 9)
Webex Players Series Sydney (February 20 – 23)
NZ Open presented by Sky Sports (February 27 – March 2)
NZ PGA (March 6 – 9)
Heritage Classic (March 20 – 23)
The National Tournament (March 27 – 30)
Photo: Reigning Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion Kazuma Kobori
Tura Beach Country Club defended par with everything it had but Peter Lonard, Guy Wall and Mark Boulton dealt with it best to share victory at the Sapphire Coast Legends Pro-Am.
Played across Merimbula Golf Club (par 71) and Tura Beach (par 73) over two days, Lonard, Wall and Boulton finished the 36 holes at even par, Wall, Boulton and Mike Harwood the only players to play Tura Beach in even par.
For Wall, the difficulty of the challenge brought him into the frame for his first PGA Legends Tour win in more than a year.
“If a pair of 5-unders wins the tournament, I’m not really going to be a chance,” said Wall.
“I’m kind of steady, good control of distances on the iron shots, and that’s important around here.
“When it gets tough and par’s a good score, then that lifts my chances.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
A brilliant round of 5-under 66 gave Peter Jones a three-stroke lead after Round 1 at Merimbula but, like many, he would fall foul to the test of Tura Beach.
One-under on arrival at Tura Beach, Lonard made two bogeys in his first six holes but responded with late birdies at 13 and 16 in a round of 1-over 74 to finish square after 36.
Boulton and Wall both shot even-par 71 at Merimbula but endured some ups and downs on their way to even-par 73s at Tura Beach.
Boulton was hot out of the blocks with three birdies in his first seven holes but a run of four bogeys and two birdies across six holes late in his round brought him back to the pack.
He maintained a one-stroke advantage but a dropped shot at his penultimate hole – the par 4 first – would drop him back to even par.
Wall also had three birdies in his six holes – along with a lone bogey – but would have to conjure something late to join Boulton and Lonard on top.
A double-bogey at the par-4 seventh left Wall with work to do and he answered with a closing birdie at the par-4 12th.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
“It was good to begin with,” said Mark Boulton.
“I seemed to find greens and make putts and then, towards the afternoon, the greens firmed up and found them a bit harder to hold. That made it a bit difficult, but in the end, got over the line with just enough numbers.
“I’ve said it many times, but to be in amongst the fraternity with some of these real legends that played for many years and been everywhere, it’s an absolute privilege to be a part of.”
“Played the par 5s well,” said Guy Wall.
“Didn’t reach them all, but you’ve just got to lay back to a yardage sometimes and relied on my wedge game.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Mark Boulton 71-73—144
T1 Peter Lonard 70-74—144
T1 Guy Wall 71-73—144
T4 Andre Stolz 70-75—145
T4 Brad Burns 71-74—145
T6 Michael Harwood 73-73—146
T6 Grahame Stinson 72-74—146
NEXT UP
The South Coast swing continues on Friday with the 36-hole Mollymook NSW Senior Masters at Mollymook Golf Club’s Hilltop Course to be followed by the ACT Senior PGA Championship starting Tuesday at Fairbairn Golf Club.
After the journey Jasper Stubbs undertook to make his professional debut at this week’s CKB WA PGA presented by TX Civil & Logistics you’d forgive him for not smiling from ear-to-ear on Wednesday after a practice round in the heat.
However, powered by the “nervous excitement” of playing his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event with money on the line, the former amateur star detailed his trip from the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan to Kalgoorlie with a laugh.
“Started in Gotemba, which is about two and a half hours southwest of Tokyo,” said Stubbs ahead of his 7:25am tee time alongside Cameron John and Louis Dobbelaar.
“Then the drive to the airport began, 10 hour flight down to Melbourne at 8:30, overnight, landed at 8:30 in the morning in Melbourne.
“Got into Perth at 1:30pm and then I had five and a half hours there before I got to leave to come here to Kal last night and got in at 7:00pm.
“So it’s over a day of travel. But yeah, it’s worth it to be back here again at the WA PGA.”
Asked whether the long journey had taken a toll before he chases status on his home Tour via tournament invites, Stubbs was upbeat and headed for more practice in the West Australian sun after 14 holes to start the day.
“I’m a pretty good plane sleeper, so I slept like a baby on there, so I’m not too physically exhausted, but the body held up and I’ve sort of done everything I can last night and this morning to get it ready for the next few days,” he said.
Playing the WA PGA for a second time after a share of 50th in 2023, the Victorian spoke of the anticipation of entering the next stage of a career after his time as an amateur where he claimed the Asia Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne and teed it up at The Masters and The Open.
“It’s a little bit sort of like a nervous excitement. It’s a big step,” the 22-year-old said when asked of potential butterflies.
“I have played a lot of professional events, but not with a card on the line or potentially money on the line yet. So it’s sort of going to be different in that respect. But yeah, I’ve played a lot of these events before and I feel pretty at home out here with a lot of these guys.”
Another player who feels right at home, especially this week, is defending champion Ben Eccles, who Stubbs might do well to chat with about the transition from amateur to professional.
Claiming the NSW Open as an amateur back in 2015, Eccles waited eight years before he won again with an emotional victory last year.
“A little bit of a different scenario. He obviously had a lot more success than I did,” the ever modest Eccles said when asked if he had advice for his fellow Victorian.
“I think looking back when I first turned, I sort of thought it was going to be pretty easy and I thought things were always going to be sort of on the up when I turned pro, and that’s definitely not the case.
“So my advice would just be, just take it in as it comes and just keep trying to get better each year and make smart decisions as well.”
Eccles’ words similar in sentiment to the approach to this week that Stubbs has laid out with his team.
“Not really too much of a goal setter of I have to finish in the top 10 to feel like I’ve had a good week,” Stubbs said.
“I’m more just little targets based, little things that I’m doing with my coach and my team back home that we set, little wins that aren’t necessarily a win of the golf tournament that I can feel like I’ve accomplished something here this week.
“On the golf course, just you’ve got to just play as best I can and I know my good golf is really good, so a win isn’t out of the question for me, I don’t think.”
The CKB WA PGA presented by TX Civil & Logistics is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Cameron Smith was a lad out of Wantima Country Club in Brisbane when he first came to the Melbourne Sandbelt to play as an amateur, and he remembers it well. Mostly, the conditioning of the courses and the purity of the grass.
“I mean growing up on the north side of Brisbane there, we didn’t really hit too many balls off grass,” he said this week. “So to be down there being creative around the greens using different shots, I think it was the first time where I could genuinely hit a different shot and know exactly what it was going to do.”
He won the adidas Australian Amateur in 2013 at Commonwealth and the love affair has never ended. Smith this week confirmed that he would be back in Melbourne for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Club at the end of next month.
It’s the creativity of Sandbelt golf that he craves, and he wants the courses to play hard and fast for the Open this year. It’s why he equates it with the likes of Augusta National, host club for the Masters each year.
“It’s very similar in that sense of you have to hit high shots and low shots and shots along the ground and yeah, I feel like when I get my mind going and really connected to a shot, that’s when I play my best golf and that for me is just being really creative and down there in Melbourne’s probably the number one spot.”
Smith has never won his home Open and has not made a secret of his desire to get his name etched on the Stonehaven Cup. This will be his 12th attempt, with a few near misses including a playoff loss to Jordan Spieth at Royal Sydney in 2016.
“It’s been, I don’t know if it’s been a difficult tournament for me, but there’s been a couple of hard pills to swallow in the past for sure. I think as you mentioned, I’ve been close a couple of times lost in a playoff. Yeah, so there’s definitely some motivation there to win it and get that trophy.
“It’s one that I’ve always wanted to win and one that’s always been in my radar and I feel like I’ve ‘prepped’ for a lot and I just haven’t been able to do it yet. So as much as that is in the back of my mind, I’ve always been a process type of person and I’ve always been about doing the things right, leading up to the event and hopefully this year I can just kind of manage that stuff a little bit better and get down there looking good.”
Smith is playing four consecutive events on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia at home before Christmas – the New South Wales Open at Murray Downs where he last played as a teenager in a Jack Newton event, the Queensland PGA, the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland and the Open.
But there is method to his heavy schedule. He took a longer-than-usual break after playing the LIV Golf tour in 2023 and lost momentum; this time, he has rested up during the gaps in the LIV season and now he wants to play.
He’s completed his celebrations for Ripper GC’s win in the LIV teams competition and had Mad Monday, where he turned up as Joe Exotic, the Tiger King, only to be outshone by his caddie Sam Pinfold’s Ray-Gun outfit. Now he wants to lock into golf again.
“I feel like I’ve put the clubs down enough and I’ve had enough time to kind of get the golf bug kind of back and willing to work, and I just didn’t want to have another period of time where I had four or five weeks off without competing, and I just didn’t think after the last couple of years the way that’s gone, I just didn’t think that was a very bright idea, not only from myself but probably from a team as far as my team goes perspective as well.
“So there was no reason to not play and why not play at home? There’s plenty of tournaments to play around the world but to come home and playing in front of a home crowd is always nice and then to give back to golf in Australia is always something I’ve been very passionate about so it just kind of all made sense.”
Smith is one of a bevy of world class players coming to Melbourne for the Open, including Min Woo Lee, Hannah Green, Cam Davis and the defending champions Joaquin Niemann and Ashleigh Buhai.
The tournament takes place from 28 November to 1 December with the first two days at both courses and rounds three and four at Kingston Heath.
The 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as the NINE Network.
Tickets for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open are available now via Ticketek.
PHOTO: In Sydney in 2023, Cameron Smith was tied-17th. Now he’s beefed up his schedule for this summer. Image: Jason McCawley
Major championship winner Cameron Smith will complete a four-week stretch of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments by confirming his place in the field at the 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
Set to play the Queensland PGA, NSW Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship, Smith will then head to Melbourne’s famed Sandbelt and the Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Clubs for the Australian Open, which once again combines men, women and all abilities on one stage.
Smith will be chasing his first Stonehaven Cup in his 12th appearance at his national Open from November 28 – December 1.
A three-time winner of the Australian PGA Championship and victor of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, Smith has been a huge supporter of the Australian Open throughout his career, with his closest call coming in 2016 when he lost out in a play-off to Jordan Spieth.
“I think most people would know how much I want to win an Australian Open, so I am looking forward to challenging for the Stonehaven Cup again this year in Melbourne,” Smith said.
Enjoying a year highlighted by team success with his Ripper GC side, Smith has a long history on the Melbourne Sandbelt, with the 31-year-old claiming the adidas Australian Amateur title in 2013 at Commonwealth Golf Club and taking out medallist honours the previous year at Woodlands Golf Club.
Also teeing it up on the Melbourne Sandbelt in 2019 as part of the Presidents Cup and at the first Australian Open played with the new format in 2022 at Victoria and Kingston Heath, Smith has long been a fan favourite at home and around the world.
His loyal band of followers, often imitating his signature look, will no doubt come out in force again this year after record crowds were on hand in 2023 when the Wantima Country Club product finished in a tie for 17th.
Smith joins the likes of fellow Australians Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Hannah Green and defending champions Joaquin Niemann and Ashleigh Buhai in the field at Kingston Heath and Victoria, where the men’s event will be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the women’s tournament the feature of the WPGA Tour of Australasia schedule.
“Cam has been a tremendous supporter of not just the Australian Open, but Australian golf, so we are very much looking forward to him returning home for a month of tournaments,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
“Having Cam join the already announced players is extremely exciting for everyone involved as we prepare to watch some of the best players in the world on some of the best courses in the sport, all watched by the best fans in golf.”
The presence of Smith an exciting prospect for the people of Victoria according to the government.
“Victoria’s reputation as the sporting capital of Australia continues to grow and having star players like Cameron Smith here for the Australian Open will help draw strong visitation to our state,” Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said.
“Golf is worth about $1 billion per year to the Victorian economy and attracting world-class players to showcase our Sandbelt courses on the world stage will be a huge driver for our visitor economy.”
The 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as the NINE Network, while applications to volunteer at the event are now open.
Tickets for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open are available now via Ticketek.
Former World Deaf Golf champion Jack McLeod hopes to break down barriers for deaf people within golf when he joins the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia as an exempt player this week.
A graduate of the Qualifying School staged at Moonah Links in April, McLeod joins defending champion Ben Eccles, DP World Tour rookie Haydn Barron, former winners Brett Rumford and Jarryd Felton and 2023/2024 tournament winners Cameron John and Kerry Mountcastle at the CKB WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie Golf Course starting Thursday.
It is a remarkable moment for the 28-year-old who was born profoundly deaf and received his first Cochlear implant when just 11 months old.
McLeod received a second implant for his left ear at the age of 11 and since then has lived a life largely unencumbered by his inability to hear without assistance.
A talented soccer player growing up on Sydney’s northern beaches, McLeod chose to pursue golf as a career, first trying his hand at greenkeeping before undertaking the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program.
He became a full Vocational Member of the PGA in 2023 and had been working as the Assistant Professional at Mona Vale Golf Club before dedicating himself to playing full-time this year.
It was only at the insistence of Mona Vale Head Professional, Gerard Kelly, that McLeod entered Q School. He finished tied 17th at First Stage and then tied 29th at Final Stage to earn status for the 2024/2025 season.
“The last thing I want is to be five years down the track going, I wish I gave it a go, but that week was so stressful,” McLeod said of his Q School experience.
“I thought I was gone after 12 holes in the last round (of Final Stage).
“One of the boys came up and asked if I’d made par on the last and I said, ‘Yeah, that’s me done’.
“He goes, ‘No, you’re in. You’re on the same score as me. You’re in’.
“It didn’t sink in until a couple of days later that I was like, Wow. I’ve got a Tour card. I’m a Tour player.”
To his playing partners this summer, McLeod will present as just another competitor.
With his implants connected to the external units that sit behind his ears, McLeod has 95 per cent hearing in his right ear and 42 per cent hearing in his left.
Background noise is an issue when he works in the Mona Vale pro shop and when he takes them off – in the shower, swimming at the beach and to sleep – he is completely deaf.
Somewhat ironically, the only time McLeod has played golf without his implants was when he played the World Deaf Golf Championship for the first time in 2012… and won by 13 strokes.
“A week before we went my coach said, ‘We’re going to spend every afternoon after school on the golf course without them on’,” McLeod recalled of his first experience playing golf in complete silence.
“It was so different. So different. You lose your balance a little bit, but I think it’s more so relying on feel to know if you’ve hit a good shot.
“And obviously it’s peaceful. You can have a car drive past you and not hear a thing.”
McLeod has played two PGA Tour of Australasia events in the past 18 months through the Associate program prior to attaining his full PGA qualifications and made the cut at the 2021 Queensland Open.
Since obtaining his Tour card, he has played extensively on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, registering top-five finishes at Teven Valley and Ocean Shores and was runner-up at Ballina in August.
It has instilled a sense of confidence that he can enter his rookie season knowing his best golf is more than good enough to compete with the elite of Australian golf.
“At Q School I was going down there to have a crack, whereas after the last couple of results I’ve had, I’m starting to feel more confident that I can play with these guys,” said McLeod.
“The mentality sort of changed a little bit. Now it’s gone from hoping to make cuts to now wanting to win.
“That’s a different mentality I’ve got to have.”
His primary goal this season will be to retain his card, but McLeod knows that he represents something more.
“Just being an example of what we can achieve is a big thing,” he added.
“Losing one of your senses is pretty hard. And I think hearing is probably one of the bad ones that you can lose because you’ve got to communicate.
“Being an example would be a good title to have. We’re all ambassadors in our own right. We’re all trying to promote golf together; we just don’t quite get the recognition that we deserve.”
That might be about to change.
Two of the rising stars of Australian golf will take their talents to the game’s biggest stages in 2025 after an enthralling end to the Korn Ferry Tour and Epson Tour seasons in the US.
Entering the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 18th position with 30 PGA TOUR cards on offer, Vilips responded to a nervy 75 in Round 1 with rounds of 70-71-70 to finish tied 20th and end the year 19th on the points list.
It continues a remarkable rise for the former child prodigy who grew up in Melbourne before moving to Perth and who only graduated from Stanford College in June.
He collected an exemption on the PGA TOUR Americas at the completion of his college career through the PGA TOUR University Ranking yet made just two appearances before taking a step up to the Korn Ferry Tour.
Affectionately known as ‘Koala Karl’, Vilips posted top 15 finishes in each of his first four Korn Ferry Tour starts, culminating in a victory at the Utah Championship.
Porter’s grip on one of 15 LPGA Tour cards was far less tenuous entering the Epson Tour season finale.
Starting the week 11th in the Race For The Card standings, Porter had to dig deep to hold hopefuls at bay.
A 5-under-par round of 66 in Round 3 elevated Porter from 42nd to 22nd on the Tour Championship leaderboard, a 2-under 69 in the final round enough to end the week 17th and claim the 10th of the LPGA Tour cards on offer.
By moving inside the top 10, Porter receives the Category 9 exemption category while those who finish 11-15 earn the Category 15 exemption category.
“I am actually really struggling to believe it,” said Porter.
“Even when I finished on 18, I had no idea… In my brain, I was like, Oh, there’s no way I’m making top 10. Obviously, I’m so excited for top 15, but I was like, there’s no chance.
“As things progressed, we moved up into 10 and I’m stoked. I can’t believe it. Hopefully it sinks in soon.
“I’ve dreamed about this since I was a little girl, so for it to be real so soon, I’m stoked.”
A member of the Golf Australia Rookie Squad, the highlight of Porter’s second season on the Epson Tour was her breakthrough victory at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in June.
The 22-year-old from the Sunshine Coast turned professional in 2021 and in 2022 won the Melbourne International on the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
Elsewhere this week, 50-year-old Brad Kennedy was tied for third at the CAN Championship in June, Greg Chalmers was outright third at the Constellation Furyk and Friends on the PGA TOUR Champions and Maverick Antcliff’s tie for seventh was the best of the Aussies at the typhoon-affected Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
Results
PGA TOUR
Sanderson Farms Championship
The Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi
1 Kevin Yu 66-66-66-67—265
T11 Ryan Fox (NZ) 67-66-68-69—270
MC Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 74-73—147
MC Aaron Baddeley 73-77—150
DP World Tour
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Old Course St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
1 Tyrrell Hatton 65-68-61-70—264 €739,482.05
T12 Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 70-70-67-65—272 €64,502.72
T19 David Micheluzzi 64-70-70-69—273 €50,023.79
T25 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 63-69-70-72—274 €39,366.54
T43 Sam Jones (NZ) 67-71-67-71—276 €20,444.50
T54 Cameron John 62-68-74-73—277 €13,919.66
MC Daniel Gale 68-74-66—208
MC Kade McBride 69-69-71—209
MC Brett Coletta 69-68-73—210
MC Jordan Zunic 70-69-71—210
MC Matt Jones 72-70-71—213
MC Lachlan Barker 76-68-71—215
MC Matthew Griffin 76-73-69—218
MC Jak Carter 75-78-66—219
Asian Tour
Mercuries Taiwan Masters
Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei
1 Jbe Kruger 68-71-69—208 $US200,000
T7 Maverick Antcliff 73-71-68—212 $25,000
T13 Andrew Dodt 71-69-74—214 $13,000
T26 Todd Sinnott 74-71-72—217 $8,800
T31 Scott Hend 71-73-74—218 $7,716.67
T37 Jed Morgan 69-73-77—219 $6,880
T42 Brendan Jones 69-75-76—220 $6,450
47 Kevin Yuan 71-74-78—223 $5,900
MC Deyen Lawson 72-76—148
MC Aaron Wilkin 72-76—148
MC Zach Murray 74-74—148
MC Jack Thompson 75-76—151
MC Sam Brazel 74-77—151
MC Justin Warren 73-78—151
MC Harrison Crowe 81-75—156
Japan Golf Tour
ACN Championship Golf Tournament
Miki Golf Club, Hyogo
1 Takumi Kanaya 68-68-65-63—264 ¥20m
Won in sudden-death playoff
T3 Brad Kennedy 67-71-63-66—267 ¥5.2m
MC Michael Hendry (NZ) 75-73—148
Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Shenzhen
Mission Hills Resort (World Cup Cse), China
1 Celine Boutier 66-68-66—200 $US67,970.25
T26 Kelsey Bennett 70-71-71—212 $5,256.37
T37 Kirsten Rudgeley 71-72-72—215 $3,262.57
Korn Ferry Tour
Korn Ferry Tour Championship
French Lick Golf Resort (Pete Dye Cse), French Lick, Indiana
1 Braden Thornberry 71-72-70-66—279
T20 Karl Vilips 75-70-71-70—286
Epson Tour
Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells
Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players Cse), Indian Wells, California
1 Heather Lin 67-63-71-67—268
T13 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 66-68-71-68—273
T17 Cassie Porter 70-70-66-69—275
MC Fiona Xu 73-72—145
Challenge Tour
D+D REAL Czech Challenge
Royal Beroun Golf Club, Beroun, Czech Republic
1 Benjamin Follett-Smith 63-62-63-64—252 €43,200
MC Hayden Hopewell 68-68—136
MC Connor McKinney 73-67—140
LET Access Series
Iberdrola Calatayud Ladies Open
Gambito Golf Calatayud, Spain
1 Ellie Gower 73-65-68—206 €7,200
MC Laura Hoskin (NZ) 78-75—153
PGA TOUR Champions
Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Florida
1 Rocco Mediate 67-66-71—204 $US315,000
3 Greg Chalmers 69-69-68—206 $151,200
T10 Steven Alker (NZ) 70-68-70—208 $46,620
T15 Rod Pampling 68-70-71—209 $35,700
T34 Stuart Appleby 70-73-69—212 $12,642
T45 John Senden 70-68-77—215 $7,770
T50 David Bransdon 79-68-69—216 $6,090
T53 Steve Allan 73-75-69—217 $5,145
T65 Michael Wright 76-76-69—221 $2,327
T65 Cameron Percy 72-74-75—221 $2,327
Sunshine Tour
SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya
Umhlali Country Club, Ballito, South Africa
1 Luke Jerling 66-66-68—200
MC Austin Bautista 75-74—149
