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He’s a last-start winner. He begins the new year ranked No.19 in the world, making him the highest-ranked Australian male golfer on the planet.
He returns to Kapalua for the tournament formerly reserved for the past season’s champions for the first time in five years, yet Jason Day wanted to make a change.
Not to the swing that he has meticulously reconstructed with coach Chris Como to alleviate the back injuries that plagued his career, but to his wardrobe.
Gone is the athletic look adorned with the Nike swoosh; in its place a baggier, looser fit that the cool kids are now fond of.
For a 36-year-old father of five, it may appear on the surface as the beginnings of a mid-life crisis. But Day is adamant that his new clothing partnership with Malbon Golf will not only enhance his status in the fashion stakes but continue his upward trajectory on the Official World Golf Ranking.
“I’m just looking for a bit of a change and this is it,” Day told PGATOUR.com’s Sean Martin.
“I’m more interested in having a more relaxed, loose-fitting type of clothing, especially out here because, obviously, the clothes that you see now these days, everything’s very athletic looking. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
“There’s nothing worse than when you’re playing golf and you put a sweater on or something like that and it just feels so restrictive. You’re restricting your swing.”
Please Welcome Jason Day to #TeamMalbon@JDayGolf pic.twitter.com/ZKEirWhvmg
— Malbon Golf (@MalbonGolf) January 2, 2024
A regular at The Sentry from 2015 to 2019 during which he rose to No.1 in the world, Day begins his 2024 campaign in a vastly different position to the one he found himself just 12 months ago.
Having fallen as low as 175th in late 2022, Day was 115th in the world when he played his first event for 2023, a tie for 18th at The American Express.
He followed that with four consecutive top-10s, building towards his first PGA TOUR win in five years at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Day’s final tournament for 2023 was a winning one, partnering with Kiwi Lydia Ko to win the Grant Thornton Invitational, albeit unofficial.
So while he embraces a new look to start 2024, Day will be eager to continue the career resurrection that began a year ago.
Day is one of two Aussies in the field for the PGA TOUR’s first event of the new season, Cam Davis earning his spot in the $US20 million Signature Event by virtue of his top-50 finish on the 2023 FedEx Cup.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
The Sentry
Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua, Maui
7:15am Akshay Bhatia, Nick Taylor, Cam Davis
8:03am Erik van Rooyen, Jason Day, Corey Conners
Defending champion: Jon Rahm
Past Aussie winners: Steve Elkington (1992, 1995), Stuart Appleby (2004, 2005, 2006), Geoff Ogilvy (2009, 2010), Cameron Smith (2022)
TV times: Live 4:30am-2pm Friday, Saturday; Live 5am-12pm Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503.
Photo: Courtesy Malbon Golf
A late decision to add his name to a star-studded field has paid off handsomely for Darcy Boyd at the Peninsula Sotheby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro-Am at Portsea Golf Club.
The first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series event for 2024 was also Boyd’s first since rolling his ankle and having to withdraw during the final round of the WA Open at Joondalup Resort in October.
Such was his limited preparation – which included marrying long-time partner Danni Vasquez on December 9 – Boyd didn’t consider that good play in the club comps back home warranted entry into the $40,000 event.
With Tour winners such as Tom Power Horan, Matthew Griffin, Austin Bautista and Zach Murray teeing it up alongside AFL stars Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw, NRL star Ryan Papenhuyzen and TV and radio personality Andy Lee, it was Boyd who stole the show with a clutch par putt on the final hole for a round of 7-under 64.
“I was umming and aahing whether to come down because it was my first event and I hadn’t really played any competitive golf for three months,” Boyd revealed after securing his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win.
“I’d been playing all right at home but I wasn’t sure whether I should come back and compete against such a solid field to start.
“It’s paid dividends.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After fellow New South Welshman Lucas Higgins set the morning mark with a round of 6-under 65, Boyd burst out of the blocks.
Par at the opening hole was followed by four straight birdies to suddenly draw within two of the lead with 13 holes still to play.
Birdies at eight and 11 saw Boyd draw level with Higgins but the pair soon had company, Power Horan also posting a score of 6-under 65.
Power Horan saw a birdie try slide by on his final hole to stay at 6-under as Boyd traded a birdie on 13 with a bogey on 14.
A brilliant approach to eight feet to set up birdie at the par-4 17th would prove crucial, Boyd rolling in the four-footer for par on 18 to send his wife and caddie into raptures.
Darcy Boyd for 64 and the win at the @Portseagolfclub Celebrity Pro-Am
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 3, 2024
And…… this happens with his wife of just a few weeks Danni watching on#adidasPGAProAmSeries pic.twitter.com/BVAbrAIz0m
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I actually had pretty good speed control today and I was conscious of the fact that it might get away from me after the hole,” Boyd said of his winning putt.
“Still blasted it through a bit but I putted well inside six feet all day.
“I was on a bit of a roll this year. Got my Tour card and life was going well. Made the cut at the WA Open and was going well in the fourth round and then rolled my ankle on the left side and didn’t play for three months.
“That was pretty heartbreaking considering I committed fully to golf this year. I gave up my job and we’ve been travelling and trying to play as much as we could. I felt like I was starting to kick some goals.
“It’s not an over-use injury, it’s not something that you really see coming, it was just a bit unlucky.
“This one is pretty special to get it done, first one back out of the blocks.
“Danni’s a superstar. She was so good today, she was so positive. It’s pretty easy to put things in perspective when you’ve had some bad luck over the last 18 months.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Darcy Boyd 64
T2 Lucas Higgins 65
T2 Tom Power Horan 65
T4 Aiden Didone 66
T4 Cameron John 66
T4 Michael Wright 66
T4 Matt Jager 66
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series moves up into Melbourne on Friday for the 2024 Harcourts Langwarrin Pro-Am at Settlers Run Golf & Country Club.
In-form Jason Norris clinched a sudden-death playoff win at the PGA Legends Tour’s 2023 season finale to go with a share of the Sunshine Coast Series title on a day to remember at Headland Golf Club.
Despite closing with a 5-under 64 to finish at 6-under after 36 holes at the Living Choice Australian Legends Tour Championship, Norris was caught by 62-year-old Terry Price who beat his age with a spectacular 61.
The duo went to a playoff where Norris, the defending champion at Headland, triumphed with a par on the second hole to record his sixth PGA Legends Tour victory for 2023 and have the honour of being the first winner to have his name engraved on the Glenn Joyner Memorial Mug.
On a crowded leaderboard, Murray Lott (68-65) and joint day one leader Martin Peterson (65-68) finished just a shot back at -5.
In the Sunshine Coast Series played across seven rounds in four events, Norris remarkably came from 12 shots behind after the opening round at Beerwah to share top spot with Order of Merit champion Andre Stolz at 20-under-par.
The Gold Coast-based Victorian, battling jet lag after finishing tied for eighth at the Staysure Legends Tour’s final event in Mauritius, slipped to a 6-over 78 to kick off the six-round event but then followed up with rounds of 68-68 at the Sunshine Coast Masters at Twin Waters and 64-68 to clinch the Queensland Senior PGA Championship at Maroochy River.
His 64 in the final round at Headland allowed him to close down a two-shot lead that Stolz, the joint winner at Twin Waters, held after the first five rounds.
The early series leader, Beerwah winner David Bransdon, was tied for the lead coming into the final day but dropped to fourth with a closing 68.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s a great thrill to come up here and win two in a row. I must like this place,” Norris said.
“It was an amazing score from Terry to break his age. To be honest, I thought if I lose to Terry it’s quite fitting since he’d broken his age with a 61 but I’m happy to take the win.
“I was a bit jetlagged at Beerwah after coming back from Mauritius and ended up 6-over and 12 behind. Andre’s a great player, the Player of the Year on the Legends Tour, and it was good to tie with him in the overall series.
“I’ll definitely be back next year.”
Norris’s 2024 plans also include a return to the Staysure Legends Tour in Europe, as well as attempting to Monday qualify for some PGA TOUR Champions events in the US.
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-6: Jason Norris (68-64), Terry Price (71-61) – Norris won sudden-death playoff.
-5: Murray Lott (68-65); Martin Peterson (65-68)
-4: Brad Burns (68-66); Richard Gilkey (69-65); Andre Stolz (68-66)
SUNSHINE COAST SERIES
-20: Andre Stolz, Jason Norris
-18: Murray Lott
-15: David Bransdon
-13: Terry Price
-11: Brad Burns
-10: Brendan Chant
NEXT UP
Qualifying School stage one for the 2024 PGA Legends Tour will be held at Sandhurst in Melbourne’s south on January 9-10 with final stage at the same venue on January 11-12.
The 2024 Tour will kick off with eight events in New Zealand in January-February.
The 2023 portion of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s 2023/24 season is in the books with first-time champions, winners from the past re-emerging and a young superstar on the rise contributing plenty of highlights to remember.
Another eight tournaments, including the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports, will come after the Christmas-New Year break, starting with the return of the Heritage Classic at The Heritage Golf and Country Club on the fringes of the Yarra Valley from January 11-14.
Still very much on the line at the halfway point of the season is the 2023/24 Order of Merit title, with defending champion David Micheluzzi well in the mix again.
The fight also continues for the three cards on the 2024/25 DP World Tour which will be awarded to the Order of Merit’s top three eligible players after the finale at The National Tournament in mid-March.
Here’s a look at six Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia members who came to the fore in the first halfway of the Tour season:
Min Woo Lee
His spectacular hole out from off the green at ninth hole during the final round of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland is definitely be on the list of the Tour’s Shots of the Year. After winning an Aussie major first time, the West Australian almost made it two in a row before eventually finishing third at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
Ben Eccles
The Victorian was understandably emotional when he won for the first time in eight years at the CKB WA PGA Championship, backing up his 2015 victory as an amateur at the NSW Open. A few weeks later, he almost won again, only missing out by a shot at the Victorian PGA Championship. He sits at No.2 on the Order of Merit, trailing only Min Woo Lee.
David Micheluzzi
The reigning Order of Merit champion stormed home to win the Victorian PGA at Moonah Links, his fourth victory on Tour in just over 12 months. One week earlier, he was in an eight-way tie in a wild finish at the Queensland PGA at Nudgee. With a fulltime DP World Tour card for this season, Micheluzzi will be overseas for much of the rest of the Australasian Tour but he has entered the Heritage Classic to try and win No.5.
Kerry Mountcastle
The Kiwi, who leads the Rookie of the Year standings, was a first-time winner at the Gippsland Super 6 at Warragul Country Club, surviving a playoff on the third day before running the table in the knockout matchplay on Sunday. He’s also had top-10s at the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open (T4) and PNG Open (T10).
Lachlan Barker
The South Australian was the early leader on the Order of Merit with his breakthrough victory in Port Moresby in May, setting up his win with a brilliant 7-under 30 on the front nine of his final round. He backed the win up with a T9 at the Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA Championship and a T3 at the CKB WA PGA Championship.
Andrew Campbell
The next player to seize his first Tour title may be the Coffs Harbour professional who turned in a consistent start to his 2023/24 campaign with five top-15 finishes, highlighted by sharing second at Webex Players Series South Australia at Willunga. He’s 11th on the Order of Merit, but ranked seventh amongst those who have already completed the minimum number of four events to qualify for an end-of-season position.
2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit standings
1 Min Woo Lee 1044.00*
2 Ben Eccles 340.37
3 Adam Scott 326.67*
4 Marc Leishman 314.93*
5 David Micheluzzi 312.90
6 Lachlan Barker 273.94
7 Kerry Mountcastle (NZ) 267.28
8 Austin Bautista 265.75
9 Lucas Herbert 245.23*
10 Simon Hawkes 233.26
11 Andrew Campbell 208.64
12 Daniel Gale 197.32
13 Lawry Flynn 192.73
14 Jake McLeod 191.60
15 Jak Carter 191.11
16 Michael Wright 177.76
17 Sam Brazel 163.65*
18 Andrew Kelly 146.09
19 Maverick Antcliff 135.59
20 Chris Crabtree 134.24
(* have currently played less than the four events required to qualify for end-of-season ranking)
Australian Harrison Endycott has won the PGA TOUR’s Q-school in Florida, securing full playing rights for a second season.
Endycott, 27, shot a closing 67 at Dye’s Valley Course to close out the 72-hole event by four shots at 15-under par.
He had led the event from the outset having opened with a 65 and shot three more rounds in the 60s.
The top five finishers and ties graduated with PGA TOUR cards.
The Sydney professional spent 2023 on the tour with some good results, but finished 129th on the Fedex Cup list and went back to Q-school having secured only conditional playing rights for 2024.
He will now be able to play a full schedule.
“I’m very proud of myself,” he said afterward. “It’s funny, when you have a bit of a tough year, and you have conditional status, you kind of look at it a little bit like a disappointing year. But now with a win, what do I look at? Is it a good year or a tough year? No, there’s lots of positives. I’m looking forward to a fresh start to the season on tour again.”
New South Welshman John Lyras was the next-best of the half-dozen Australians competing in the Jacksonville area, finishing tied-54th. Victorian Tom Power Horan finished tied-64th.
Endycott is the third Australian to win medallist honours at a tour school this month. Robyn Choi won the LPGA Tour Q-school and Cameron Percy took out the PGA Champions event, with four of the five available spots on the senior tour taken by Aussies.
PHOTO: Harrison Endycott now has full playing rights for the 2024 season. Graphic: PGA TOUR
Rookie professional Toby Walker clinched the final event for 2023 in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, firing a 7-under 65 to claim a three-shot win in The Middle of Everywhere Yarram Pro-Am on Saturday.
Eagles on two short par-4s were the highlight of Walker’s bogey-free round which left Ryan Haywood (68) and Alex Edge (69) to fill the minor placings on the last leg of the Gippsland swing.
It was the second win on the pro-am circuit for Walker, who turned professional earlier this year after a win as an amateur in the Tasmanian Open and broke through in the Emu Park Pro-Am in Queensland in June. Ironically, his round that day also featured two eagles.
He’s heading back north to work on his game with new coach, John Wright, on the Sunshine Coast before getting set for 2024.
“I’ll play the Tour season out and as many pro-ams as I can. Looking forward to it,” he said of his New Year plans.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Beginning his round on the fifth hole, a par-five which be birdied to make a fast start, Walker was -4 after his opening five holes, including a two on the 256m par-4 ninth. Walker’s back nine featured eight pars and a birdie before he posted a second eagle on the 278m par-4 third.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I hit driver very well on the holes that I needed to, holed some nice putts and had two eagles which definitely helps,” Walker, from the Heritage Golf and Country Club, said.
“It’s always fun when you have a bogey-free round.
“Golf is what I want to do for life, but this playing (for a living) it’s not easy. We’ll keep going.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-7 (65): Toby Walker
-4 (68): Ryan Haywood
-3 (69): Alex Edge
-2 (70): Alexander Simpson
NEXT UP
After the Christmas-New Year break, a stacked field will contest the $40,000 Peninsula Southeby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro-Am on January 3. Peter Wilson is the defending champion, with the likes of Austin Bautista, Andrew Martin, Tom Power Horan and Lachlan Barker in the field.
Gavin Fairfax was taken to a playoff by fellow Queenslander Will Bruyeres before claiming the Traralgon Latrobe City WIN Network Pro-Am Classic at Traralgon Golf Club.
Leading by two after a 6-under 66 on day one, Fairfax found the Traralgon layout trickier in Round 2.
One-over through his first four holes, Fairfax responded with consecutive birdies at five and six but would par his next 12 holes for a round of 1-under 71.
That opened the door for Bruyeres who bounced back from a double-bogey at his opening hole in Round 2 to post 4-under 68 and match Fairfax’s total of 7-under par.
From there the pair headed for a playoff, Fairfax’s par at the first extra hole enough to secure the outright win.
“It was tough. It wasn’t the start I had yesterday,” Fairfax conceded.
“I was 1-over through two so a bit of a slow start but I managed to hit a good shot at the fifth, the par 3 and then got one back on the par 5 after it, too.
“From there I hit a lot of greens but not close enough to make any birdies. Just hung in there. Hit a good drive down the last but didn’t get up and down but lucky enough to get up in the playoff.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
As Fairfax struggled to find the decisive birdies to hold the challengers at bay, Bruyeres made his charge with one of the best rounds on day two.
He dropped to five shots back of Fairfax when he made double-bogey at his opening hole, the par-4 17th, but headed to the first tee on the back of a birdie on 18.
He played the front nine in 3-under thanks to birdies at four, seven and eight and then closed with two birdies in his final four holes to match Fairfax, the pair finishing one clear of Matt Millar (69).
Neither player found the fairway with their tee shots in the playoff – Fairfax missing left, Bruyeres right – but it was Fairfax who recovered best.
From beneath a tree but with a clear shot to the green, Fairfax hit his second to 10 feet behind the hole.
Believing Bruyeres would make his par putt, Fairfax ran his birdie try six feet past the hole, making the come-backer to claim victory.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I was just hoping that my ball was going to be OK,” Fairfax said of his wayward tee shot in the playoff.
“I knew Will was headed off right and had some sort of shot and managed to hit a pretty good recovery shot.
“Walking down I was just praying for some kind of break. I got half a break with a clear shot to the green from under a tree and managed to put that on. Had a fair run at the first putt and left a little bit too much meat on it coming back but managed to make the one coming back to seal it up.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Gavin Fairfax 66-71—137
2 William Bruyeres 69-68—137
3 Matthew Millar 69-69—138
T4 Alexander Simpson 68-71—139
T4 Andrew Kelly 68-71—139
T4 Adam Burdett 69-70—139
T4 Josh Younger 68-71—139
NEXT UP
The final adidas PGA Pro-Am Series event before the Christmas break is on Saturday with The Middle of Everywhere Yarram Pro-Am at Yarram Golf Club. The season will resume on January 3 with the Peninsula Sotheby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro-Am.
They played against each other as trainees, won the same PGA TOUR event in Las Vegas and now Rod Pampling and Andre Stolz have finished joint winners at the 2023 Sunshine Coast Masters.
One of the most popular events on the PGA Legends Tour circuit attracted a host of iconic names within Australian golf, Twin Waters Golf Club offering pristine playing surfaces in which to showcase their skills.
Stolz and Sanctuary Cove Legends Pro-Am winner Brad Burns shared the lead after day one with matching rounds of 5-under 67, one shot clear of Jason Norris.
A winner in his first start at Noosa, Pampling began the second round two shots off the pace but produced a brilliant 7-under 65 with a grandstand finish to match Stolz’s two-round total of 10-under par.
“It’s always great to be back up here and playing the course and seeing the old guys,” said Pampling, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR Champions in the US.
“Obviously Andre has been the champion here for a few years so it was nice to tie him.
“It’s good fun just to see everyone. It’s more catching up with the old boys and having fun. Obviously the golf is good which is a bonus.”
Stolz joked that he’d be happy to see Pampling return to Texas given his recent form but was thrilled to have the Queenslander back playing on home soil.
“We played together at Robina Woods when we were trainees – I might have been a year ahead of him – so I’ve known him for a long time,” said Stolz.
“It’s great to see him having a great career and winning again on the Champions Tour this year and great to have him back here playing.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
For much of the second round Stolz seemed on course for a successful defence of his 2022 title.
He holed a bunker shot for birdie after missing the green left at the par-3 17th and stood on the 18th tee with a two-stroke lead.
As Stolz plotted what he thought would be a tournament-winning par, Pampling threw a final Hail Mary.
He lasered a brilliant second shot into just a few feet to set up eagle for the second straight day to tie Stolz at 10-under.
Pampling had a chance to win outright at his final hole – the par-5 first – but would have to settle for par and a shared victory.
Stolz and Pampling finished two shots clear of Norris (68) with Burns (72), Brendan Chant (70) and Murray Lott (69) tied for fourth three shots further back.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Andre Stolz: “I checked the leaderboard walking to the 18th tee. I’d forgotten what hole Rod was on so I checked the leaderboard and I was two in front. Two minutes later I check again and see that Rod has made eagle.
“I thought the course was playing fantastic, as it usually does. I’ve been lucky enough to play here a lot over the past couple of years so if I’ve half figured out the greens. I don’t think I’ve fully figured them out yet.
“Played pretty nice the past two days which was good because I’ve been struggling with my striking a little bit.”
Rod Pampling: “I needed something special to happen. I didn’t realise that Andre had made birdie on 17 but it was a good number and it came out perfect.
“It was just one of those shots that landed and rolled up nice and close which made it a comfortable putt to tap in.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Andre Stolz 67-67—134
T1 Rod Pampling 69-65—134
3 Jason Norris 68-68—136
T4 Brad Burns 67-72—139
T4 Brendan Chant 69-70—139
T4 Murray Lott 70-69—139
NEXT UP
The Sunshine Coast Series moves to Maroochy River on Sunday for the 36-hole Queensland Senior PGA Championship to be followed by the season-ending Living Choice Australian Legends Tour Championship at Headland Golf Course from December 20-21.
For much of the Sandbelt Invitational’s final day at Royal Melbourne Thursday, it looked as if nearly any of the contenders other than 54-hole leader Daniel Gale would walk away the victor as he battled his game and an unfamiliar layout.
Gale needing his first hole-in-one in competition since his very first as a 12-year-old over the closing stages and par at the last for a 12-under total and one-shot win over Matt Griffin.
“I mean, it’s pretty special. Obviously, it’s a fairly new event, I love the concept. Four different courses … four amazing courses, it’s different, it’s fun, exciting,” he said of becoming the third winner of Geoff Ogilvy’s brainchild event.
“It’s pretty special, it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. Today was pretty stressful.”
The stress started early for Gale, who was playing the lesser known East Course for the first time in his life.
Pressure of trying to win combined with unfamiliarity as he sailed his driver well right on the fifth and lost his ball, the resulting double bogey giving playing partner Lachlan Barker and the likes of Sandbelt specialist Griffin in the groups ahead plenty of motivation.
Griffin playing steadily and as the course allows, slowly moving his way into the frame as Gale’s struggles intensified as he reached the back paddock of the East, a place where few spectators ventured.
The almost silent atmosphere causing Gale to double check one of the early starters hadn’t gone past him with a low score.
“I was surprised. We had some crowds and then … that’s why I checked the leaderboard, because I thought someone else might be lighting it up,” he said of a period where he made three bogeys in a row starting at the 11th.
“It felt just like a Saturday whack around in all honesty at that point.”
Although it was a shot dropped to par at 13, the final of his terrible treble was the turning point for the New South Welshman after missing the par-3 long left.
Sending his second shot across the green into a bunker, Tournament Director Mike Clayton suggested double bogey was the best possible result.
Not for Gale though, the 27-year-old almost holing out from the sand, his ball rattling the flag and jumping back next to cup for a tap-in.
“That got very lucky, obviously nearly dunked it there, I had no shot whatsoever, someone had obviously been there before, and I knew it was going to be firm,” he said.
“That’s where I thought, things weren’t really going my way, it obviously didn’t drop, but I got away with one there. That was sort of the point I sort of said, come just switch on.”
Switch on he did.
With Griffin finishing up with par on 18 and many thinking it was enough to clinch the title, word filtered forward of Gale’s heroics a few holes back.
Making par at 14 after an approach that finished well shy, Gale birdied the next before making the ace from 168 metres with an 8-iron. Word filtering through via Royal Melbourne club captain Tony Rule’s text message to Clayton.
“I was trying to fly it in there about 160, and I think it did. Landed, took a big bounce, trundled up … Then it finally disappeared, it took ages to disappear,” he said.
Celebrated by the small crowd around the green, and a couple of members playing after the tournament, Gale’s ace lifted him into a one shot advantage that he managed to maintain over the final two holes. His par at 18 coming via a nervy five footer under the watchful eyes of Ogilvy and Clayton, amongst a sizeable crowd.
Gale’s success coming during Ogilvy’s own moment of reflection about what he has helped build.
“Using what I believe are the best asset Australian golf has in the form of the Melbourne Sandbelt, is hugely important to me, but also the game in this country,” Ogilvy said.
“Unfortunately, my own game didn’t show up this week, but this event is about more than me and my performance. To see it grow in just three short years, makes me exceptionally proud and is exactly what my foundation was created to do.”
Part of that mission the assistance of young elite golfers, three of who joined Gale in the winners’ circle, with Robyn Choi claiming low women’s pro, Phoenix Campbell the low men’s amateur and Jazy Roberts the low female amateur.
Victorian David Bransdon shrugged free of jetlag and tapped into the form that earned him a PGA TOUR Champions card to take out the Elgin Valley Beerwah Legends Pro-Am at Beerwah Golf Club.
The second event of the Sunshine Coast Series that will close out the 2023 PGA Legends Tour season, Beerwah brought together an exceptional field boasting major champions, PGA TOUR winners and European Tour winners.
Playing two groups ahead of the man whose father helped to build the golf course at Beerwah, Ian Baker-Finch, Bransdon was initially slow out of the blocks.
A bogey at his first hole – the par-4 third – was perhaps a carry-over from his flight home from Florida but he responded with four birdies in his next five holes on his way to a round of 6-under 66 and a two-stroke win.
“I felt like a human today,” said Bransdon, who was one of four Aussies to secure a PGA TOUR Champions card for 2024.
“I’d just got back from the States a couple of days ago and I hadn’t felt like a normal person until today.
“Back to what I was doing last week, hitting it good and rolling a few putts in.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After his initial backward step, there was no looking back for Bransdon.
He was 3-under by the time he arrived at the 10th tee, adding just the one birdie on the back nine at the par-5 15th.
With the likes of Scott Laycock (68), Brendan Chant (69), Lucas Bates (69) and David McKenzie applying leaderboard pressure, Bransdon birdied his final two holes to take the win by two strokes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Tricky, especially that back nine,” Bransdon said of the Beerwah layout.
“You’ve got to hit the straight ball because there’s quite a lot of penal bush around.
“Keep it in the fairway and hit it on the green.
“This has been a plan for seven years when I went to Japan at 43. It was my plan to play up there until I was 50. I fell six months shy of that but my goal was to play up there, keep playing so that I was still competitive.
“Once I turned 50 I’ve run with it pretty well.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 David Bransdon 66
2 Scott Laycock 68
T3 Brendan Chant 69
T3 Lucas Bates 69
T3 David McKenzie 69
NEXT UP
The Sunshine Coast Series continues on Thursday with the two-day, $30,000 Sunshine Coast Masters at Twin Waters Golf Club.
