Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Today marks a new dawn for the PGA Tour of Australasia, with Australian investment management firm Challenger signing on as exclusive naming rights partner – its first partnership in Australian sport.
The breeding ground for Australian golf’s champions and home tour of our current superstars will now be known as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
The new three-year partnership forms part of a wide-ranging Australian Golf collaboration, with Challenger also becoming a partner of Golf Australia, the WPGA Tour of Australasia, PGA Legends Tour, and Golf Management Australia.
The partnership will also play an important role in promoting golf across Australia’s local communities, cities and internationally while continuing to elevate professional golf across the wider region.
PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said the partnership with Challenger represented a union of shared values and a commitment to fostering growth and innovation.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Challenger and look forward to achieving our joint goals over the next three years,” he said.
“We will be focused on offering even greater opportunities for our aspiring golf professionals to hone their skills and achieve their dreams, as well as creating captivating golf events across Australasia.
“This partnership is another great example of the Australian Golf Strategy generating opportunities for our sport with quality brands.”
Challenger is Australia’s leading retirement income brand, playing an important role helping Australians achieve financial security for a better retirement.
Challenger Managing Director and CEO, Nick Hamilton said: “Challenger is delighted to partner with the PGA of Australia, WPGA and Golf Australia.
“With over nine million passionate golf fans in Australia, and a sport of choice for over 45s, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to showcase our brand and retirement credentials as we focus on taking a broader stance in retirement.
“The partnership also aligns with Challenger’s commitment to supporting Australia’s communities, investing at the grass roots to ensure that talented players can thrive at the highest level.
“We look forward to bringing this partnership to golf fans, customers and the wider community.”
In addition, Challenger will also be a part of some key vocational PGA Member initiatives to increase their connection with the highly skilled PGA Professionals, who are at the forefront of promoting and growing golf at the club level.
The full Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule for 2023/24 will be announced tomorrow.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australia will visit six Australian states and territories in 2023/24, as well as New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Eight Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events will be played in the lead-up to the end of the year, including the two Aussie majors – the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open. As well as an increased events schedule for 2023-24, the Tour features live broadcasts of almost all tournaments via Fox Sports and Kayo, with Nine and Nine Now also simulcasting the two Australian majors.
Challenger Limited (Challenger) is an investment management firm focused on providing customers with financial security for a better retirement. Challenger operates a fiduciary Funds Management division, an APRA-regulated Life division and an APRA-regulated authorised deposit-taking institution. Challenger Life Company Limited (Challenger Life) is Australia’s largest provider of annuities.
About the PGA of Australia
The PGA of Australia is a not-for-profit Member-based organisation representing both Tournament Professionals and the Club Professionals who form the cornerstone of the industry, working in golf facilities throughout Australia and overseas. Our PGA Members play an integral role in servicing more than 1.5 million Australians who hit the fairways each year. The PGA of Australia also owns and manages the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia which is a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours.
Australia’s superstar golf siblings, Minjee and Min Woo Lee, will join forces to host a new professional golf tournament at their home club, Royal Fremantle, in 2025.
The Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee will be part of both the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia and is locked in for an initial period of three years in a massive boost for golf in Western Australia.
The first edition, officially launched by Minjee and Min Woo at Royal Fremantle Golf Club today, will be played from January 9-12, 2025.
It takes to six the number of Webex Players Series events that will be played around Australia under the first-of-its-kind format of having women and men compete against each other on the same course at the same time for the same trophy and prizemoney.
Royal Fremantle GC played a huge role in the early development of both Minjee and Min Woo’s golf games, making it an obvious choice to host WA’s first Webex Players Series event.
Minjee has won two major championships as part of her nine LPGA Tour victories, while Min Woo, one of the most exciting young talents in world golf, has now graduated to the PGA Tour and already has two DP World Tour titles on his résumé.
PGA of Australia Tour Development Manager Kim Felton said: “Minjee and Min Woo are great ambassadors for the game of golf in Australia, and particularly WA, and our thanks go to both of them for jumping at the opportunity to host the Webex Players Series Perth.
“The Webex Players Series is all about providing opportunities to our future stars of the game and to have both Minjee and Min Woo host this special event, share their knowledge on how they got to this point is invaluable and something that will no doubt assist our young players follow their footsteps.
“Being hosts of this new event in our Summer of Golf takes their on-going support and promotion of Australian golf to a new level.”
WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said: “The inclusive format of the Webex Players Series has been a fantastic success since it was introduced in 2021.
“Having Minjee and Min Woo, two of our highest-profile current Australian professionals, involved as hosts of our new Perth event is new ground for the Webex Players Series as it continues to grow into being a key part of our professional tours.
“With the introduction of Webex Players Series Perth, we will now have six Webex Players Series events, allowing us to showcase the best of Australian women’s and men’s golf on the same stage in four different states.”
General Manager of Royal Fremantle GC Lucy Guppy said: “It was very exciting to be approached to host the inaugural Webex Players Perth to once again showcase our great course but also to be aligned with two stars of the current game and members of our club.
“They grew up playing at Royal Fremantle GC and still practice here when they take a break from Tour life.
“We are very proud of what they have done on course and we look forward to having them host their event here at their club.”
Minjee Lee bio
Minjee started out at Royal Fremantle as a junior, working her way through the cadet system. She had a clear gift for the game as she piled on junior tournament victories, and started to win women’s events. After being part of multiple Australian and WA State girls and women’s teams, Minjee turned professional in 2015
Min Woo Lee profile
Much like his sister, Min Woo joined Royal Fremantle at a young age to start his quest for golfing greatness. Quickly working his way through the ranks, Min Woo was selected on multiple WA State Boys and Men’s Teams before progressing to Australian amateur teams. He also added “youngest Royal Fremantle club champion” to his list of achievements. With two WA State Amateur wins, as well as Interstate Amateur Events, Min Woo turned professional in 2019.
Peter Lonard returned to the golf course he played and made even more happy memories by clinching the Hahn Shelly Beach Legends Pro-Am.
The multiple PGA Tour of Australia winner, who was a junior member at Shelly Beach Golf Club, shot a round of five-under-par 67 to beat Roland Baglin and Euan Walters by a single shot on the final leg of the PGA Legends Tour’s NSW Central Coast swing.
The win was Lonard’s first for the year, although he’s only had seven starts during 2023, including two runner-up finishes.
Chairman and Life Member of the PGA of Australia, Rodger Davis, took out the Super Seniors with a round of +5, one shot ahead of Greg Hohnen, and presented a signed poster to the Shelley Beach club as a small token of appreciation for hosting the Legends Pro Am.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Lonard’s round included seven birdies and two bogeys. He started with back-to-back birdies at the first and second to set the tone for the day and sealed his win with two birdies in his final four holes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
”The course was incredible. It was in perfect condition and we got very lucky because there was no wind which doesn’t happen too often here,” Lonard said.
“The whole week has been incredible. We’ve played a lot of good courses and winning here is a nice way to finish.
“All week I’d played okay but there were a couple of disasters each day that cost me so I wasn’t very happy going home last night.
“But today I didn’t make that one big number to stifle me during the round.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-5 (66): Peter Lonard
-4 (67): Roland Baglin, Euan Walters
-2 (69): Anthony Summers, Lucien Tinkler, Michael Graham
-1 (70): Adam Henwood
NEXT UP
It’s a short break for the PGA Legends Tour with the next event, the Tooheys St Georges Basin Legends Pro-Am, coming up on October 10-11 as the start of the NSW South Coast swing.
Hannah Green continued her excellent US form finishing seventh at the LPGA Tour’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Arizona today.
The 26-year-old Perth star began the final round in the last group and had a share of the lead on the front nine before South Korean rookie Hae Ran Ryu scooted to a three-shot lead with a stunning 66 and a back nine of just 29.
Green closed with a 2-under par 69 as she works towards the tour championship in November.
This was her first start on tour for more than a month having made her usual trip back to Perth for a break. She is currently ranked just outside the top 20 on tour having won the LA Championship in April, her fourth career win on the main tour.
Australian rookie Grace Kim also had a good week, conjuring an outstanding final-round 65 to vault into a tie for 18th.
Both Kim and Green, along with Minjee Lee will be in the field for the tour championship in Florida from November 16, but Stephanie Kyriacou (currently ranked 62nd on tour) and Sarah Kemp (72) also have a chance with six tournaments remaining to qualify. The top 60 players on the points list automatically qualify for the season-ender which boasts a $US2 million winner’s cheque.
Meanwhile in Taiwan, Australian Travis Smyth enjoyed a good week with a big finish giving him a tied-third result and $US60,000 in the Asian Tour’s Taiwan Masters.
Smyth’s closing 69 was the equal-best of the day at Taiwan Golf and Country Club, and he is second on the Order of Merit.
IMAGE: Hannah Green blasts from a greenside bunker today. Photo: Getty
Results
LPGA Tour
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Pinnacle Country Club, Arizona
1 Hae Ran Ryu 64-64-66 – 194 $US345,000
7 Hannah Green 65-65-69 – 199 $67,110
T18 Grace Kim 69-68-65 – 202 $27,366
T34 Karis Davidson 68-69-68 – 205 $12,278
T62 Su Oh 69-69-71 – 209 $5,700
T69 Stephanie Kyriacou 71-68-71 – 210 $5,344
MC Sarah Jane Smith 73-69 – 142
MC Sarah Kemp 72-75 – 147
Epson Tour
Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic
Ol’ Colony Golf Course, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
1 Isabella Fierro (MEX) 69-66-68—203 US$30,000
T14 Hira Naveed 70-70-69—209 US$2,882
T14 Amelia Garvey 67-71-71—209 US$2,882
T22 Robyn Choi 73-68-69—210 US$2,257
MC Cassie Porter 70-75
Asian Tour
Mercuries Taiwan Masters
Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Tamsui, Taiwan
1 Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 69-74-72-69—284 US$200,000
T3 Travis Smyth 71-75-72-69—287 US$60,000
T11 Scott Hend 71-74-73-72—290 US$15,000
T22 Todd Sinnott 70-75-74-73—292 US$9,725
T29 Jack Thompson 74-72-75-73—294 US$8,200
T54 Josh Younger 73-75-72-80—300 US$2,500
MC Zach Murray 73-76
MC Andrew Dodt 73-77
MC Terry Pilkadaris 78-72
MC Kevin Yuan 74-76
MC Marcus Fraser 79-73
MC Tom Power-Horan 80-74
MC Douglas Klein 73-81
Japan Golf Tour
Vantelin Tokai Classic
Miyoshi Country Club, Miyoshi, Aichi
1 Yuta Kinoshita 64-70-68-67—269
MC Brad Kennedy 71-74
MC Anthony Quayle 76-69
MC Dylan Perry 70-76
MC Adam Bland 73-77
MC Brendan Jones 76-76
Ladies European Tour
Lacoste Ladies Open De France
Golf Barriere, Deauville, Normandy
1 Johanna Gustavsson (SWE) 66-66-65—197 €52,500
T55 Kirsten Rudgeley 68-73-75—216 €1,102.50
Lachlan Barker’s strong 2023 has continued, with the South Australian finishing on top of the first stage of Asian Tour Qualifying School held at Mt Derrimut Golf Club in Melbourne.
Marking the first time Asian Tour qualifying had been held in Australia for 17 years, the Mt Derrimut event is the first of six stage one qualifying sites where top finishers earn a place at final stage to be held in Thailand’s Lake View Resort and Golf Club from January 16-20.
The top-35 after five rounds at final stage earn cards on the Asian Tour for 2024.
Andre Lautee, Nathan Barbieri, amateur Max Charles, Kyle Michel, William Bruyeres, Maverick Antcliff and Kiwi amateurs Jared Edwards and Sam Jones secured their spot in Thailand this week behind Barker.
The winner of the PNG Open on the PGA Tour of Australasia in May this year, Barker opened the four-round Q School with the equal low round of the week, an eight-under 64 that saw him take a lead he would never relinquish.
“Bit of a hiatus on the Aussie Tour, and a good chance to try and find some more status, so took the opportunity at stage one this week. Played some really good golf to take it out and get a spot in stage two come January,” Barker said from his car driving back home to Adelaide.
A former Iowa State University standout, Barker followed up his opening round with a 66 to reach 14-under, meaning he could take a more cautious approach over the final two rounds to ensure himself one of the spots at final stage on offer.
“You run through scenarios in your head of ‘What’s the worst case that can happen?’ and you need to accept those thoughts that come through, but I was in a very comfortable position where I didn’t have to push,” Barker said.
“I could play quite smart golf and still get the result I was looking for.”
Barker followed a Thursday 71 with the same score during Friday’s final round, when he made the turn with two birdies in his account to sit at 17-under before back-to-back bogeys to start the closing nine likely would have heightened nerves for some.
Not Barker it seemed, the 24-year-old birdieing the par-5 13th for a 16-under tournament total that he maintained till the end of his round.
Barbieri and Lautee were two shots back, the New South Welshman and Victorian closing with matching rounds of 66 to share runner-up honours and punch their ticket to Thailand with Charles and Michel a further shot adrift and one in front of Antcliff and Bruyeres on 12-under.
New Zealanders Edwards and Jones signed for final rounds of 68 and 69 respectively to finish on 10-under and claim the final spots.
The chance to join the large Australian contingent in Asia will now await the group, but with months until the final stage, they will turn their attention closer to home, especially Barker, who currently sits second on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
He is one of the qualifying group teeing it up over the next three weeks at the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open, CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics and Webex Players Series South Australia to be played in his literal backyard of Willunga Golf Course.
“Really looking forward to it, getting the Aussie Tour back up and running,” Barker said.
“Off to Perth on Monday, so looking forward to the next swing that will run almost all the way through to the Aussie PGA and Aussie Open. So things are going to heat up here pretty quickly.”
TrackMan has teamed up with the PGA of Australia to provide a new virtual experience that could win you a trip to this year’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
And it involves tackling the Ryder Cup course, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy, which hosted the United States and Europe teams.
The Road to the PGA has been played at many golf clubs in a traditional golf format over the years, but this year it will be possible to enter via any Trackman simulator in Australia.
The Virtual Road to the PGA can be found in the TrackMan Golf app under tournaments and a low score at Marco Simone could send you all the way to Royal Queensland.
The winners of the three divisions of the Virtual Road to the PGA, running from October 1-31, will earn a place in the Road to the PGA Championship Final played at Royal Queensland on the Sunday before the professionals battle for the Kirkwood Cup at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.
The championship finalists not only get to play the PGA course under tournament conditions, they will also be competing for two sought after Kirkwood Club tickets to the first day of the tournament.
To find your nearest TrackMan location, go to TrackMan.com/locator.
For more on the Road to the PGA, go to https://championship.pga.org.au/road-to-the-pga-faqs/
Virtual Road to the PGA tournament format:
Sign-up and entry requirements
The tournament will be made available in all TrackMan simulators across Australia. You can sign up directly in the TrackMan software (under tournaments). The requirement to join is that you have a TrackMan handicap and has played at least two rounds of golf in TrackMan (it can be two rounds of 9 holes)
Tasmanian-born Victorian John Wade has won the inaugural Magenta Realty Legends Pro-Am at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club after shifting from a traditionally conservative attitude to “keeping the foot down” on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
A fixture on the PGA Legends Tour, Wade claimed his first win in a number of years with a five-under round of 67 across a beautifully presented and challenging Magenta Shores layout.
Englishman Ben Jackson was two shots back in second, with Steve Conran third alone a further shot in arrears.
Despite 10 millimetres of rain overnight, the Ross Watson designed course was presented in magnificent shape by Course Superintendent James Newell and his team, with players and all involved keen to keep the new event on the schedule.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Starting his day at the par-4 14th, Wade got under the card early with birdies at 15 and 16 before a bogey at the par-4 17th slowed his run. However, it was the front nine where the Victorian got hot, with Wade birdieing the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th and 8th holes for a five-under 31 total. The birdie at the 8th was his seventh of a day when he turned around some recent poor form.
Sitting six-under and a clear leader, Wade’s birdie run was finished for the day and even with a bogey at the 11th, Wade’s buffer allowed him to relax a little despite the pressure.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Wade said: “It means a lot, because I haven’t played a lot of golf and the form wasn’t good the last three days. I was proud the way I turned it around, because as everyone knows golf is pretty fickle and when you are having a bit of a bad run you sort of wonder when it is going to end.
“I just got a really nice start. I hit some really nice shaped tee shots to get underway and I probably grew in confidence from there. On the par-5s, I gave myself some good chances for eagles.
“I was really happy with the course, the way it set up for me personally.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
67: John Wade
69: Ben Jackson
70: Steve Conran
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour remains on the Central Coast for one more event at the Hahn Shelly Beach Legends Pro-Am at Shelly Beach Golf Club on September 29, before a break leading into a run of events on the South Coast of New South Wales.
Photo: Magenta Realty Legends Pro-Am winner John Wade with Magenta Shores General Manager Rob Hurley
Guy Wall treated himself to a well-deserved glass of Grange after some advice he received from an old friend helped him secure a two-shot win in the Wyong Austbrokers Central Coast Legends Pro Am.
In ideal weather conditions for the Wyong Golf Club’s first PGA Legends Tour event, Wall was one of just three players to break par, shooting a 3-under 68 to beat Paul Gow and Ben Jackson by two shots to claim his second victory for 2023.
His first win came at Hanmer Springs in New Zealand in February.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
It was a rush of late birdies, inspired by the words of the late Glenn Joyner, which grabbed the victory for Wall.
After starting out on the 18th hole on a course that he said resembled his home layout of Pymble, Wall was sitting at even-par with one birdie and one bogey on his card in his first 13 holes.
It was then that some inspiration from Joyner kicked in. He strung together four straight birdies from the 13th to the 16th before giving a shot back at his last hole, the short par-three 17th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I remember my mate Glenn Joyner telling me once ‘if you’re having a bad round, you can always birdie the last five’ and I thought to myself ‘alright that’s what I’m going to do’,” Wall said.
“To come out today and finish it off the way I did was very pleasing. Four birdies in the last five was an awesome achievement.
“I would have loved to have finished it with five just for him (Joyner).”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-3 (68): Guy Wall
-1 (70): Paul Gow, Ben Jackson
Even (71): Lucas Bates, Marcus Peterson, Peter Woodward, Chris Taylor, John Onions, David Diaz.
NEXT UP
The Shelley Beach Legends Pro-Am at Shelley Beach Golf Club tomorrow will conclude a busy week on the Central Coast and Hunter.
The PGA Legends Tour experienced a first-time winner with Brad Cumming snaring the Toronto Legends Pro-Am in the Tour’s first visit to the Toronto Country Club.
After teeing off in the morning wave at 7am and then having to wait to see if his round of 3-under 67 would hold up as the best score of the day, Cumming emerged with a two-shot margin ahead of the previous day’s winner in Maitland, Adam Henwood, and Paul Powell.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
There were good signs early for Cumming who hit a nine-iron approach to inside a metre on his first hole, the 14th, to snare an opening birdie.
The Queenslander made it to 5-under for the day, with six birdies, before back-to-back bogeys on his final two holes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“This is the first win I’ve had in a pro event since I won Q-school all those years ago,” Cumming said.
“I was very nervous during the day. It was up and down, up and down. Every beer actually made the waiting much better.
“The wind did blow up a bit in the afternoon, but I wanted it to blow a bit harder. I was sitting in the clubhouse and saw it was blowing a bit so that was really good.”
“I holed a couple of putts, the greens were pure and everyone’s had a great time being here.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-3 (67): Brad Cumming
-1 (69): Paul Powell, Adam Henwood
Even (70): Peter Lonard, Brad Burns
NEXT UP
A busy week concludes with the Magenta Realty Legends Pro-Am at Magenta Shores on Thursday and the Shelley Beach Legends Pro-Am at Shelley Beach Golf Club on Friday.
Photo: Toronto Legends Pro-Am winner Brad Cumming and Toronto Golf Club head professional Darren Green
The Sydney stop on the Webex Players Series will have a new host venue this summer with Castle Hill Country Club returning to the PGA Tour of Australasia’s itinerary in 2024.
After three years at Bonnie Doon Golf Club, Webex Players Series Sydney hosted by Braith Anasta has been locked in at Castle Hill in the city’s north-west for an initial two-year period.
The first edition at Castle Hill will be staged from February 8-11, carry $250,000 in prizemoney and will be the fourth of five Webex Players Series events in the Summer of Golf.
Now in its fourth year, the Webex Players Series is an innovative series of tournaments that sees male and female professionals, elite amateurs, and All-Abilities golfers, lining up in the one field on the same golf course.
While they play off different tees according to their gender, the PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia professionals are vying for the same trophy and prizemoney.
Castle Hill has a rich history in hosting men’s professional golf, dating back to 1968, including being a host venue for the Australian PGA Championship, NSW Open, NSW PGA and Canon Challenge.
However it will be the club’s first time as a WPGA Tour of Australasia tournament venue.
PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relations Nick Dastey said: “Castle Hill has proven to be a great venue for tournament golf with a distinguished list of past champions.
“We’re very much looking forward to again partnering with the club, and a big lover of golf in Braith Anasta, with Webex Players Series Sydney.”
WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said: “There’s a huge golfing audience in Sydney’s north-west who haven’t had their own tournament in their own backyard for some time.
“Webex Player Series Sydney is going to be a great opportunity to see our best women and men in action together at the same time on the high-quality test that Castle Hill will provide.”
Castle Hill Country Club General Manager Brenden Ellam, said: “We pride ourselves on being a championship venue, and we are thrilled to bring the best of Australasia’s golfing talent back to our Club.
“In 2019, our course underwent improvements, and we have commenced a re-modelling of the members lounge and balcony areas.
“We are keen to showcase these exceptional golfing and hospitality experiences for the tournament.”
Webex Players Series Sydney champions
2023: David Micheluzzi (Vic)
2022: Jarryd Felton (WA)
2021: Andrew Martin (Vic)
Previous professional tournament winners at Castle Hill Country Club:
1968 NSW PGA: Billy Dunk
1969 NSW PGA: Billy Dunk
1970 NSW PGA: Billy Dunk
1985 Australian PGA: Greg Norman
1986 Australian PGA: Mike Harwood
1993 Canon Challenge: Michael Campbell
1994 Canon Challenge: Peter Senior
2000 Canon Challenge: Paul Gow
2001 Canon Challenge: David Smail
2013 NSW Open: Aron Price
