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Kazuma Kobori holed a 12-foot putt down the hill at Rosebud Country Club’s 18th green and the 72nd hole of the Webex Players Series Victoria to write his own little piece of history today.
The brilliant, young New Zealander, just eight tournaments into his professional career, completed back-to-back wins on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, a feat not managed since Adam Scott in 2013.
The 22-year-old from Christchurch had won his first tournament as a professional in Cobram Barooga last weekend and now jumps to second in the Order of Merit, giving himself a strong chance of earning a DP World Tour card for next season.
At 18-under, he beat Malaysia’s Ashley Lau by a shot, with veteran Mat Goggin outright third at 16-under.
“They always say the first win’s hard, and I’ll tell you what, I can speak about it now that the second one’s just as hard,” Kobori said.
“But I’m glad to get the job done.”
It was Goggin who presented the biggest challenge for the Kiwi today, playing in the same group.
From the first hole when Kobori three-putted to give the Tasmanian a share of the lead, to the very last, it was a dogfight.
Ultimately the New Zealander led by a shot from Goggin when they reached the 18th tee, a shortish par-4, and Goggin hit a nice approach to 25 feet, pin-high. Once Kabori dumped his second shot into the right greenside trap, it was game-on.
But Kobori hit a decent bunker shot to just beyond the hole, and Goggin ran his birdie putt – potentially for the win – six feet by.
Now it came down to Kobori’s par putt, which was for the outright win and the $45,000 first prize cheque.
It rolled in dead centre, much like a lot of important putts that have fallen for him this past two weeks.
“I was very nervous as you probably saw,” he said. “A few tips that my coach gave me just came back to me. I just took my time, and then the putt wasn’t difficult. It was dead straight. I had it there, and I knew it was going to drop.”
Kobori has had an amazing past 12 months, winning the Australian Amateur, the World Amateur with New Zealand, the Australian tour school, and now two tournaments as a pro
Emigrating from Japan to New Zealand as an infant, it was his elder sister Momoka who he followed into the sport and fittingly it was his touring professional sibling who greeted him with a hug soon after the last putt dropped today.
Goggin, 49, who was remarkable this week for a man who has hardly played any professional golf in the past four years, ultimately missed his par putt coming back to drop to third place.
It would have been his first tournament win since 2015 and it was close.
Kobori began with a one-shot lead and carded a 2-under 69 on the day. Goggin shot 70.
Lau played in the second-last group and appeared to be out of the running until she started rolling in birdies on the back nine. At the 18th, she had a 60-footer up the hill that could potentially have put her in a playoff, and it sat on the lip of the hole.
Todd Sinnott, the 2022 winner here, rattled home with a 64 to finish fourth.
Meanwhile New South Welshman Cam Pollard won the Webex All Abilities event by two shots, shooting a 3-over 74 for a 147 total, and beating Wayne Perske by two shots.
Perske, a long-time touring professional with a, had won in Cobram Barooga last week, but Pollard said his appearance in the All Abilities ranks had pushed him to perform.
“It’s pushing me to play a lot better,” he said. “It’s not easy because they’ve been on the big stage before. I enjoy it.”
Shepparton teenager Bailey Goodall won the Webex Junior Players Series with rounds of 72-72, ahead of Huntingdale’s Rupert Toomey.
PHOTO: Winners Cam Pollard, Kazuma Kobori and Bailey Goodall celebrate. Image: Henry Peters
Two of the front-runners to represent Australia in the golf competition for the Paris Olympics in August have been drawn to play together for the first two rounds of the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open.
Starting Thursday morning AEDT, the Farmers Insurance Open represents the second start for Min Woo Lee as a full member of the PGA TOUR.
He has been drawn to play with fellow Aussie Jason Day and American Keegan Bradley in rounds one and two, Day a two-time winner at Torrey Pines who has finished tied 16th or better in five of his past six starts at the venue.
Day also enters this week as 18th in the Official World Golf Ranking and the highest-ranked Australian, which carries with it first option on one of two Olympic spots provided he holds that status on June 17.
Tokyo Olympian Cameron Smith is the next highest Aussie at No.30 followed closely behind by Lee at 36.
The 25-year-old was tied for 21st in his first start as a member last week at The American Express and has made no secret of his Olympic ambition.
Another player who seems destined for Paris is Kiwi Ryan Fox.
A former Order of Merit winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Fox makes his first start as a PGA TOUR member this week but falls well shy of Allen Doyle and Jim Rutledge who were both 47 when they first qualified for the PGA TOUR.
“It kind of feels strange to be officially a rookie at 37,” admitted Fox, who is currently No.32 in the world golf ranking.
“It’s obviously a different place and there are different golf courses but in the end it’s still Tour golf and hopefully I can treat it that way.
“I played a bunch over here last year, played a few majors and been on tour for a while so to be honest I’m probably not expecting it to be that much different.
“To be a rookie at 37 and be out here and have everything new is kind of cool and I’m looking forward to the experience of it.”
The father of two will have his family join him on his US adventure in the coming weeks and admits there is one tournament in particular that he hopes to play for the first time.
“Hopefully I get into Phoenix in a couple of weeks,” said Fox.
“I’ve heard that’s an event you either love or it can be quite difficult. I’m looking forward to experiencing that.
“I was lucky enough to play a few of the Signature events last year and they were bucket-list events. Hopefully I can play my way into a few of those this year and see what happens.”
Reigning PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi makes his third start as a member of the DP World Tour at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship as Gabi Ruffels debuts as a member of the LPGA Tour at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida.
Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Cse), San Diego, California
North Course
3:50am Matt NeSmith, Justin Lower, Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:56am* Harrison Endycott, Rico Hoey, Raul Pereda
5:18am* Aaron Baddeley, Chesson Hadley, Sam Ryder
South Course
5:51am Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee
Defending champion: Max Homa
Past Aussie winners: Jason Day (2015, 2018), Marc Leishman (2020)
TV times: Live 4am-11am Thursday; Live 4:30am-11am Friday; Live 4:45am-12pm Saturday; Live 6am-12pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
3:30pm* Jason Scrivener, Julien Brun, Louis De Jager
6:35pm Sebastian Garcia, Tom Lewis, Samuel Jones (NZ)
6:55pm Thriston Lawrence, Alex Fitzpatrick, Daniel Hillier (NZ)
8:15pm* Ivan Cantero, Joel Girrbach, David Micheluzzi
Defending champion: Daniel Gavins
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 7pm-12am Thursday, Friday; Live 7.30pm-12am Saturday; Live 7pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
LPGA Drive On Championship
Bradenton Country Club, Bradenton, Florida
12:09am* Grace Kim, Madelene Sagstrom, Patty Tavatanakit
12:31am Ally Ewing, Sarah Kemp, Gaby Lopez
4:05am* Yan Liu, Mel Reid, Gabriela Ruffels
8:38am* Lydia Ko (NZ), Hae Ran Ryu, Lilia Vu
Defending champion: Celine Boutier
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 4am-7am Friday, Saturday; Live 2:30am-5:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo; Live 6am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, Great Abaco, Bahamas
After Round 3
1 Kyle Westmoreland 66-74-68—208
T30 Rhein Gibson 71-72-75—218
T42 Dimi Papadatos 72-72-75—219
MC Brett Drewitt 71-78—149
MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 74-79—153
MC Curtis Luck 72-81—153
Former world tennis number one Ash Barty is confirmed to headline the Ambassador line up for the 103rd New Zealand Open, set to take place between February 29 and March 3, 2024 at Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort.
By Mike Hadnett
Barty, who attended the New Zealand Open in 2023 as a spectator, is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion with an impressive competitive streak. She played on the world’s stage across her 12-year professional tennis career in which she was ranked world singles number one for 121 weeks overall.
Barty is also a very accomplished golfer who plays off a 4 handicap. In 2022 she played in the Icons Golf Series in New Jersey alongside other international sporting icons like American swimming legend Michael Phelps, English footballer Harry Kane and former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting.
“The New Zealand Open is a fantastic event and I really enjoyed my time there this year supporting our friend Louis Dobbelaar,” said Barty. “New Zealand is a beautiful country and somewhere I always love to visit.
“Having the opportunity to play in the pro-am event in 2024 is something I’m excited about, though I definitely need to start practising! Golf has always been a passion of mine, I feel fortunate to be able to play in events like the New Zealand Open and experience an incredible course like Millbrook.
“I imagine that first tee shot in front of everyone will be quite nerve-wracking, but once the first ball hits the fairway, hopefully things should settle down. My aim is to go out there and enjoy every minute of it and hopefully make the weekend pro-am cut.”
Joining Barty in the Ambassador line up for 2024 is Australian media personality Andy Lee. He is one half of the Hamish & Andy duo, Australia’s highest-rating and most popular radio presenters.
Lee is a well-known comedian, television and radio host, musician and children’s writer and is also pretty handy with his golf clubs holding a 6 handicap at his home course of Peninsula Kingswood in Melbourne. A self-confessed golf tragic, Lee is also an ambassador for Social Golf Australia where he helps host events for amateur players across the country.
“Yeah, I would say I’m pretty hooked on golf. I started playing when I was at University and just never stopped. I even put a simulator into my house, so maybe the right phrase is obsessed. But I just love the game for what it gives you, and takes from you, physically and mentally,” said Lee.
“I’m really looking forward to the New Zealand Open. It’s my first time playing in a national Open like this, so it’s going to be quite an experience.
“Playing alongside the pro’s in such an important tournament for them and their careers and is not something many people get to do, so I feel very privileged to have this opportunity.”
Tournament Chairman John Hart is excited to welcome Barty and Lee to the New Zealand Open and is looking forward to seeing them tee it up alongside the pro’s.
“We’re delighted to have Ash and Andy join us this year as part of our Ambassador line up. Both will bring lots of excitement and enthusiasm to the tournament and I have no doubt they will add to the quality on and off the course,” said Hart.
“Our fantastic group of returning ambassadors do such a great job helping with all our events and functions that run alongside the tournament. Without their support we wouldn’t be able to provide the high level of spectator and guest experience we’re well known for.”
Barty and Lee will tee it up alongside former New Zealand representatives Jeff Wilson (rugby and cricket), Sean Fitzpatrick (rugby), Israel Dagg (rugby), Stephen Fleming (cricket), Ella Gunson (hockey) as well as international rally driver Hayden Paddon, former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, and former England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham.
The tournament is one of New Zealand’s leading sporting events with a long and prestigious history. It was founded in 1907 and will now be played for the 103rd time between February 29 – March 3, 2024.
The tournament, which is the only National Open in world golf played in a Pro-Am Format, is a co-sanctioned event on the PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour schedules and has a partnership agreement with the Japan Golf Tour.
A professional field will play the first two rounds alternately at Millbrook Resort’s Coronet and Remarkables courses. The final two rounds will be played on the Coronet course (incorporating the closing par-3 from the Remarkables course).
The New Zealand Open Champion will be the leading player after 72 holes of stroke play.
The tournament also hosts 156 amateur players, each partnering with a Professional in a two-man best-ball event, competing for the NZ Pro-Am Championship. The New Zealand Open, presented by Sky Sport, will be live on the home of golf, Sky Sport 6, February 29 – March 3, 2024
PHOTO: Ash Barty will tee it up in the New Zealand Open Pro-Am next month at Millbrook Resort –
Credit: Getty Images
Momoka Kobori found her best golf for some time at the Webex Players Series Murray River event in Cobram Barooga last weekend, but in one sense it was bittersweet.
Kobori, who finished tied-third, chased home her younger brother Kazuma on his way to his first tournament win as a professional.
And while she was disappointed to contend without winning, there was plenty of pride in the performance of her brother.
The New Zealanders are emerging as one of the best brother-sister acts in the world of golf and on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
“I nearly got there,” said the 24-year-old Momoka Kobori today as she prepared for another tilt at the Webex Players Series at Rosebud Country Club.
“I was chasing (him), yeah. It’s quite funny. Third round we were paired together and walking up to the tee I said ‘it doesn’t even feel like a tournament’. It was like we were having a practice round together.
“I was happy for him. It was cool to be able to be there and see his first win. Looking at it from my point of view playing that week, I know there was shots that I dropped throughout the week, but I played well the week and I’m glad for him.”
The Koboris, born in Japan and emigrants to New Zealand when they were infants, are close.
Last week on the Murray, they travelled together; and again next week at 13th Beach for the Vic Open. This week, they are staying separately. “Maybe he needed a break from me,” said Momoka.
The Webex Players Series with its innovative mixed format is an opportunity for them to spend some time together in a professional space.
Plus, there is professional development on offer. “From my perspective, there’s a lot to be learned from watching the guys play,” she said. “And hopefully it’s vice-versa as well. I’ve learned a lot from watching the top guys play. It’s been good for my development.”
Kobori is coming off a difficult first year on the road out on the Ladies European Tour.
She finished 96th on the money list, lost her playing rights momentarily, and then went back to Q School and earned her place on the LET for 2024.
“It was rough, actually, from a golf perspective, a bit of a struggle getting the results that I wanted,” she said.
“Which meant I had to go to Q School. It was a year full of experiences, I think. There are a lot of learnings along the way being my rookie year.”
“I learned a lot about the courses we’re playing, what suits me and what doesn’t, what kind of routine works for me, a lot of that. I don’t want to be repeating the same things that I did last year so there are things that have to be picked up on.”
The Koboris are two of the main drawcards at the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud this week.
A field of 144 – half men and half women – will tee off on Thursday playing for a $250,000 prize purse.
In keeping with the inclusive nature of the tournament, elite amateurs will be sprinkled through the field such as Australian Amateur champion Quinn Croker, and over the weekend there is a Webex Junior Players Series event and a Webex All Abilities event.
Entry for spectators is free and the weekend’s action is live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
PHOTO: The Koboris are a star attraction this week in Rosebud.
Now that a first-time win as a professional is in the books, Kiwi Kazuma Kobori has outlined his two targets for the remainder of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
Kobori was a two-shot winner at the Webex Players Series Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club on Sunday, his second on the PGA Tour of Australasia after taking out the NZ PGA Championship as a 17-year-old amateur in 2019.
A decorated amateur who counts the 2023 Australian Amateur as one of his many triumphs, Kobori turned professional prior to the Queensland PGA Championship in November where he finished tied for ninth.
A week later he was the 54-hole leader at the Victorian PGA Championship but had to settle for third when he was run down by David Micheluzzi.
A three-shot leader after Round 3 at Cobram Barooga, there was no such stumble on Sunday, the 22-year-old moving up to seventh on the Order of Merit.
Realistically, Kobori is fourth among those to have played the minimum four events required to be eligible for the Order of Merit and now has one of the three DP World Tour cards in his sights.
“I might just be outside top 10 but definitely a step in the right direction,” said Kobori prior to the Order of Merit update.
“Really just want to get that top three for the DP World Tour card and hopefully get rookie of the year as well.
“That’s one of my goals at the start of the season, even though I started later than the other guys.”
Kobori moved up six spots into the No.1 position on the Rookie of the Year standings after his win, edging past fellow New Zealander and Gippsland Super 6 champion Kerry Mountcastle with Josh Greer, Chris Crabtree and Connor McKinney rounding out the top five.
The Order of Merit race continues this week with the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club, Kobori one of six of the current top-10 all eager to advance their positions.
Order of Merit (after Webex Players Series Murray River)
1. Min Woo Lee 1,044 (2)
2. David Micheluzzi 359.40 (5)
3. Ben Eccles 353.30 (11)
4. Adam Scott 326.67 (2)
5. Jak Carter 321.59 (11)
6. Marc Leishman 314.93 (2)
7. Kazuma Kobori 297.51 (6)
8. Kerry Mountcastle 278.20 (12)
9. Austin Bautista 277.01 (11)
10. Lachlan Barker 273.94 (11)
Must play minimum of four events to be eligible for the Order of Merit
A blistering third round of 9-under 62 has catapulted New South Welshman Justin Warren to a full status on the Asian Tour in 2024.
By Tony Webeck
Warren was one of six Australians to finish inside the top 35 at Final Stage of Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand, Kiwi Nick Voke enduring the heartbreak of a playoff defeat for the 35th and final card.
Warren’s hopes looked decidedly slim when he opened with rounds of 72-74 but two eagles in his final four holes in Round 3 put him in position to stay within the threshold over the course of the five rounds.
He played the back nine in Round 3 in 7-under 29 and then posted 68 in both Round 4 and Round 5 to finish in a tie for third.
Veteran Sam Brazel and Maverick Antcliff were inside the top 30 all week and ultimately finished tied for 15th. The only Aussie to advance from the final round of First Stage qualifiers, Jordan Zunic finished in a tie for 21st while recent Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winners Harrison Crowe and Lachlan Barker were also successful in obtaining cards for the 2024 season.
Elsewhere this week Min Woo Lee made an encouraging start to his first full season on the PGA TOUR with a tie for 21st, Q School medallist Harrison Endycott using a third round of 62 to start his season on the right note.
Making his first start since his Cathedral Invitational victory, Adam Scott finished in a tie for seventh at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, Mark Hensby shot 65 in the final round to finish tied for 12th at the PGA TOUR Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Championship and Grace Kim was 29th at the LPGA Tour Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Results
PGA TOUR
The American Express
PGA West, La Quinta, California
1 Nick Dunlap (a) 64-65-60-70—259 ——–
T21 Min Woo Lee 65-66-70-67—268 $US99,120
T34 Jason Day 68-66-68-68—270 $45,780
T39 Harrison Endycott 70-68-62-71—271 $34,020
MC Aaron Baddeley 74-66-65—205
MC Cam Davis 68-65-73—206
DP World Tour
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
1 Rory McIlroy 71-70-63-70—274 €1,406,040.93
T7 Adam Scott 69-71-70-69—279 €201,394.69
T31 Ryan Fox (NZ) 75-67-70-74—286 €66,166.63
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 77-69—146
MC Jason Scrivener 74-72—146
LPGA Tour
Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, Orlando, Florida
1 Lydia Ko (NZ) 69-67-68-70—274 $225,000
29 Grace Kim 69-74-75-75—293 $14,784
PGA TOUR Champions
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
Hualalai GC, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii
1 Steven Alker (NZ) 65-63-63—191
T12 Mark Hensby 67-73-65—205
T30 Rod Pampling 75-70-67—212
Asian Tour
Qualifying School – Final Stage
Springfield Royal Country Club and Lake View Resort and Golf Club, Thailand
Top 35 players earned 2024 Asian Tour cards
1 Kristoffer Broberg 71-69-68-66-66—340 $US7,500
3 Justin Warren 72-74-62-68-68—344 $1,000
T15 Sam Brazel 69-67-74-70-68—348
T15 Maverick Antcliff 69-69-69-70-71—348
T21 Jordan Zunic 74-69-68-67-71—349
T26 Harrison Crowe 74-71-71-68-66—350
T26 Lachlan Barker 74-68-69-67-72—350
T36 Nick Voke (NZ) 65-75-69-71-72—352
T39 Jared Edwards (NZ) 73-70-70-69-71—353
T63 Douglas Klein 72-72-68-68-77—357
T68 Peter Wilson 69-74-71-70-75—359
T68 Denzel Ieremia (NZ) 70-70-73-71-75—359
MC Cameron Harlock (NZ) 78-70-67-70—285
MC Shae Wools-Cobb 73-72-73-67—285
MC Kyle Michel 74-71-71-70—286
MC Lawry Flynn 75-69-72-70—286
MC Jeff Guan 73-74-70-70—287
MC Max Charles 71-72-73-74—290
MC Nathan Barbieri 70-73-72-75—290
MC Andre Lautee 73-75-74-69—291
MC James Mee 76-73—149
MC William Bruyeres 77-73—150
MC Jake Hughes 75-84—159
Kiwi Kazuma Kobori has buried the demons of a final round collapse at the Victorian PGA Championship to complete a two-stroke victory at the Webex Players Series Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Admitting that his three-stroke overnight lead made for a restless night’s sleep, Kobori conquered hot and blustery conditions at Cobram Barooga’s Old Course to close with a 3-under par round of 68 and 21-under total.
That was enough to hold off a spirited charge from Singapore’s Shannon Tan (65) in her maiden event as a professional with older sister Momoka Kobori (68) tied for third with Aussie pair Aaron Wilkin (68) and Andrew Martin (69).
Although Kono Matsumoto (8-iron, 134 metres) and Zach Murray (pitching wedge, 151 metres) both made hole-in-ones at the par-3 ninth on Sunday, low scores were the exception to the rule.
Tan and Jake McLeod returned the day’s best with rounds of 6-under 65, Kobori having to adjust his pre-round strategy of patience being his greatest virtue.
“At the start I did think I was going to just try and take advantage of the par 5s and hang on but soon realised that Shannon was moving up pretty quickly,” Kobori conceded.
“That strategy changed pretty quickly.”
Congratulations Kazuma Kobori the 2024 #WebexPlayersSeries Murray River Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/UijJAiTS3G
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 21, 2024
After a birdie at the par-5 first, a poor chip at the par-4 second was the first squeeze of pressure placed on the 22-year-old.
With Ashley Lau in tight at the back pin, Kobori was forced to stare down a 15-foot putt for par to keep his advantage from all but disappearing.
“That one was big because Ashley hit it in close and I was like, She’s probably going to make that,” said Kobori.
“I flubbed my chip and I was like, we can’t have a two-shot swing this early in the round.
“Holed that, gave it a wee fist pump so that was nice and then went from there.”
Birdies at six and 10 ensured Kobori had a three-shot buffer for much of the afternoon.
A three-putt for bogey on 11 – just his fourth bogey of the week – briefly gave Tan and others a glimpse at the top of the leaderboard, his birdie from the fringe on 12 restoring a two-shot advantage with six to play.
Six pars would prove to be enough, sister Momoka joined by fellow Kiwi Hanee Song and young South Australian Jack Buchanan in showering her younger brother in champagne.
“It was just nerve-wracking because I had that experience at Moonah, blew a six-shot lead,” Kobori said of his final round of 77 at Moonah Links in November.
“But I realised that it doesn’t change my life. It’s just another round of golf and having that experience freed me up today to be able to unleash on every single shot.”
Sunday’s win is Kobori’s second on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia having won the 2019 New Zealand PGA Championship as a 17-year-old amateur.
It was that experience that he drew upon to earn his first victory as a professional.
“It does feel like a lifetime ago because a lot has changed since then but it’s something that I still draw confidence from too,” said Kobori, who turned professional at the Queensland PGA Championship last November.
“I’ve done it once, why can’t I do it again.”
Making his first appearance in the Webex All Abilities Players Series, Wayne Perske shot rounds of 80-71 to win the Murray River leg by seven shots from defending champion Cameron Pollard.
In the Webex Junior Players Series, Nicholas Horvath produced two superb rounds of 70-68 for a 4-under total, six clear of Shepparton junior Bailey Goodall with Australian Amateur runner-up Amelia Harris third.
Photo: Candice High
He is loath to use the word ‘cured’ but a Christmas bonus from doctors has given Kiwi Michael Hendry cause to look forward, including a guaranteed start at this year’s Open Championship.
Hendry qualified for the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool but was forced to withdraw when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia last April.
Entering the third round of the Webex Players Series Murray River played in honour of Jarrod Lyle just one shot off the lead on Saturday, Hendry has spoken publicly for the first time about his latest results and the exemption issued by the R&A to take his place in the field for The Open at Royal Troon in July.
After a six-month fight for his life, Hendry’s return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia last October has been punctuated by trips back to New Zealand for biopsies. A phone call while on holiday with his family over Christmas has given him renewed hope that he is winning the battle.
“Prior to getting that news, I was expecting to have to get a bone marrow transplant. Thinking about whether it was going to work, how long have I got,” said Hendry, who was told that no cancer cells were visible in his latest biopsy.
“You get that news and then all of a sudden it’s, shit, maybe I can think about two, three, five, 10 years down the track and where I want to be.
“I don’t want to speak too soon but things are looking really positive.”
“I would’ve loved to have played this year but my goal is to be there again.”
— Tony Webeck (@TonyWebeck) July 18, 2023
Privilege to be able to share an update on Michael Hendry's cancer battle ahead of @TheOpen for which he qualified to play in.@PGAofAustralia @GolfAust @golfnewzealand_ https://t.co/erUAZJUPeN
The significance of playing his way into contention on the eve of ‘Yellow Day’ at Cobram Barooga Golf Club with a second round of 5-under 66 is not lost on Hendry.
He trails Victorian pair Andrew Martin and Andrew Kelly by just one shot and is tied with fellow Kiwi Kazuma Kobori and Japan’s Kotono Fukaya.
Lamenting that he didn’t have anything yellow to wear, Hendry wants to add to the legacy of Jarrod Lyle that is celebrated regularly within Australian golf.
Born in Shepparton less than an hour from Cobram Barooga, Lyle was first diagnosed with leukaemia as a teenager.
His gregarious personality and ongoing fight endeared him to the golf world, defying the odds to play his way onto the PGA TOUR before passing in 2018 at age 36.
Hendry now has a unique perspective of the enormity of what Lyle was able to achieve.
“No one knows what Jarrod went through more than I do,” Hendry adds.
“Jarrod struggled through it and it kind of never went away. I’ve been fortunate that at this point it has gone away. Hopefully it will stay that way for my sake.
“I’m acutely aware of what Jarrod went through and to do what he did while he was alive and suffering, I know how hard that would have been for him.
“I know people are acutely aware of what he did but maybe they don’t appreciate just how hard it actually was for him.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Jarrod’s legacy but if I could add to his legacy by telling a story as well and being able to relate it back to what Jarrod went through, that would be a really cool thing.”
Photo: Candice High
It’s a question that even Wayne Perske’s father had to ask, and who is still unsure of the answer he was given. Geoff Ogilvy gave him a quizzical look when Perske mentioned during the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in November that he was contemplating entering All Abilities tournaments in 2024.
So why is a former touring professional with a Japan Golf Tour win and an appearance at The Open Championship teeing it up in a tournament with eight others for no prize money?
The same reason others have been drawn to play Webex All Abilities Players Series events.
“Purpose,” said Perske, who will make his All Abilities debut at the Webex Players Series Murray River this weekend at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Accompanying Perske on his return to tournament golf is his wife Vanessa, who will juggle duties as both his caddie and carer.
Even before hitting his first shot, Vanessa has seen something return that has been lacking since he was forced to retire from professional golf at the end of 2015.
“Just to get out of bed for Wayne now, he’s got this little burning passion deep down,” Vanessa adds.
“It’s nice to have that spark back in him. He’s got that little twinkle in his eye again. It’s fun.”
‘Tiger’s had one, I’ve had four’
This is not a story of an old pro with a crook back looking to recapture former glories.
Perske was born with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine not conducive to hitting thousands of golf balls a day.
After his second spinal fusion, Perske was told to never play golf again; his fourth was just 18 months ago.
It is a condition that has plagued him throughout his career and put a strain on his family.
Picking up his kids – now 17 and 18 – was fraught with danger; bending down to put a cup in the dishwasher could cause such pain that he would be laid up for days.
Wayne would spend family holidays lying in bed while Vanessa and the kids explored. They have recently downsized to an apartment in Brisbane so maintaining a lawn is not a family concern.
“Bulging discs, ruptured discs, bone-on-bone, bits of disc floating in the spinal column, nitrogen bubbles. It got to the point where I would twist and I could hear it,” Perske explains.
“Then nerve stuff. I started to have a drop-foot. I was falling over because I couldn’t lift my leg properly.
“They had to relieve that nerve pain by doing a fusion but where they fused wasn’t actually where the pain was coming from. They had to go in again but from the front because it was quite low.
“They cut me from the belly button down to my groin. They take your guts out; slap it on a thing beside you and they drill into your spine from the front.
“About halfway through the operation, I was bleeding quite badly so they had to abandon it.
“When I came out of that surgery, not only did I have to recover from the trauma of surgery from the front, but the back pain was worse.”
Ultimately, Perske would go under the knife for a third time to have four rails inserted that stretch from the base of his spine to halfway up his back, held together by eight screws.
“I’ve now got four fusions in my spine. Tiger had one fusion, I’ve got four,” he adds.
‘It was a dilemma for me’
The idea of playing in All Abilities tournaments was first sparked in Perske by watching the 2022 Australian All Abilities Championship at Victoria Golf Club.
It was a new avenue into a world that he formerly inhabited and which is becoming more and more populated by outstanding golfers playing in events all around the world.
After making contact with Golf Australia, he was assigned National Eligibility Assessor Sam Taylor, who conducted a physical assessment to ensure that Perske met the minimum impairment criteria set by the International Golf Federation (IGF).
After this physical examination, Perske was determined to meet the minimum impairment criteria for a World Ranking Pass (WR4GD).
Then it was a matter of making it public.
“I was a little anxious in terms of a lot of people who don’t know the full story,” Perske admits.
“People on Facebook just know me from my previous careers as an elite professional and now a coach.
“I post something about my back operation, people say ‘Get well soon’, but they don’t really understand the extent of it. They still expect me to shoot really good scores. And to be honest, I still have that expectation that I’m going to go out and hopefully win.
“I just want to get out there and enjoy it without the expectation of performance.
“It’s always going to be there, underlying, so it’s a dilemma for me.”
Yet while he can’t deny the competitive instinct that fuelled his former playing career, Perske wants to impact All Abilities golf in a broader sense.
He has signed on as the Touring Professional for Gunabul Homestead in Gympie that caters specifically to All Abilities golfers, has sponsorship deals with Wellness Group Australia and CRE Insurance and is playing Wilson Staff golf clubs.
Combined with his coaching commitments at Golf24 in Brisbane, Perske wants to leverage his past to give others a prosperous future in golf.
“Once I was told that I don’t have to feel guilty, that I do have a significant impairment that stops me from playing with the big boys, why not play?” Perske says.
“And now I see myself as potentially raising the profile of that area of golf.
“Events such as the Webex Players Series are amazing and probably the future of golf in Australia with the inclusion of women, juniors and All Abilities players.
“The vibe around here is amazing and I hope I can be part of making it even bigger and better.”
Applications are open for the first Karrie Webb Coaching Scholarships for 2024.
The Karrie Webb Coaching Scholarship aims to acknowledge, support and further develop young female golf coaches who have aspirations to excel in their coaching careers.
It includes valuable opportunities for the winner to enhance their coaching skills and learn from world-class coaches and mentors from Australia and around the world.
The Golf Australia High Performance team will select the successful applicant based on their potential and passion for coaching.
The coaching scholarship will add to Webb’s continuing support of the successful playing scholarships which are awarded annually to two of Australia’s best women golfers based on their performances in the KW Series and Women’s Amateur Golf Ranking.
Nippon Shaft has joined as a partner of the 2023/24 series which will be known as the KW Series presented by Nippon Shaft.
“It’s such an honour to be a part of the journey of young Australian players,” said Webb.
“And this new coaching scholarship is a great addition to the series for the players.
“It’s about fostering the next generation of female coaches, giving them guidance and resourcing so that they move forward and thrive.”
Applications close on 29 February, with the winner chosen on 21 March to align with the conclusion of the KW Series.
