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Amateurs and All Abilities golfers can share the stage with current stars of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia at the Tasmanian Open at Launceston Golf Club from April 4-6.
Dating back to 1913 and with an honour roll that boasts Tasmanian legend Peter Toogood, Frank Phillips, David Graham, Stewart Ginn and Mike Clayton, the Tasmanian Open returned to a professional event in 2023 that incorporates the Women’s Tasmanian Open and the Tasmanian Inclusive Championship.
On the professional side, defending champion Alex Edge and former Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winners Jordan Zunic, Zach Murray, Will Bruyeres (pictured), Aaron Pike and Simon Hawkes are among those to have entered the event that marks the start of the 2025-2026 Pro-Am Series.
It shapes as the strongest field of professionals to contest the Tasmanian Open in more than 30 years, opening the door to local amateurs to pit their skills against some of the best in the country.
“The return of professionals to the Tasmanian Open two years ago has once again elevated the status of our state Open,” said Golf Tasmania Event and Operations Manager, Stuart Eaton.
“Not only is it a great opportunity for golf fans to watch some of the stars of the PGA Tour of Australasia up close, it is a rare opportunity for our top amateur players and promising juniors to play alongside such high-calibre players.
“The popularity of the Tasmanian Inclusive Championship continues to grow and we would love to see our largest ever field for the 2025 championship at Launceston Golf Club.”
Played as a purely amateur event between 1993 and 2022, Mathew Goggin (1994), Cameron Percy (1996, 1997), Geoff Ogilvy (1998) and Brendan Jones (1999) all won in Tassie before embarking on highly successful professional careers.
In more recent years, Zunic (2013), Jarryd Felton (2014) and Anthony Quayle (2015) won as amateurs, professionals welcomed back into the fold at the 2023 championship.
That year it was another amateur, Toby Walker, who came out on top, Edge becoming the first professional winner since Hawkes in 2016 when he edged Caleb Bovalina and Kyle Michel by a shot at Launceston 12 months ago.
Edge’s defence won’t be easy, however, as Launceston welcomes the strongest field of professionals since it was last played as a professional event in the early 1990s.
In addition to past champions Zunic and Hawkes, Murray and Pike both have multiple wins to their credit on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Bruyeres won the season-opening PNG Open and Brady Watt, Kyle Michel, Tim Hart and Matias Sanchez have all contended deep into tournaments the past two years.
Entries for Men’s Tasmanian Open, Women’s Tasmanian Open and Tasmanian Inclusive Championship close on March 29.
The Men’s and Women’s Tasmanian Opens are supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania and the City of Launceston.
Defending champion Jason Norris has teed off in defence of his Spry Civil Construction Murray Bridge Golf Club Legends Pro-Am title at Murray Bridge.
This is the second time this prestigious golf event has been held in Murray Bridge after seeing huge success in 2023.
This year, prolific tour winners such as Brad Burns, Adam Henwood and Guy Wall are all joining Norris for the 36-hole tournament that teed off on Thursday morning.
The Murray Bridge Golf Club, renowned as one of the most exceptional regional courses in South Australia, will attract top talent from the PGA Legends Tour and offers up a prize pool of $37,500.
Supported once again by the Rural City of Murray Bridge, the event provides an opportunity for amateur golfers to compete alongside seasoned professionals. Mayor Wayne Thorley said it was exciting to host the PGA Legends Tour in 2025.
“This event is fantastic and not just for golf enthusiasts who get to spectate some of Australia’s best players on their home course,” Mayor Thorley said.
“Golf has a real opportunity to form part of our tourism offering here in Murray Bridge, especially with the extended 18-hole, par-68 layout we now have.
“The PGA Legends Tour helps promote our region as a whole, bringing interstate travel and interest to our region, filling up accommodation and providing an injection for local businesses.”
Leading up to the event, defending champion Jason Norris said he was looking forward to returning to Murray Bridge, with a goal to make it two straight wins.
“I’ve played a ton at Murray Bridge over the years and got some really good mates in the area, so I can’t wait to get back there,” Norris said.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of wins over the years and the golf course is always in fantastic condition. The course itself is tight and very challenging and with two new holes opening this year, I’m excited to see how they play.”
Entry for spectators is free both days and anyone with an interest in golf or professional sport is encouraged to get out and attend.
The PGA Legends Tour is sanctioned by the PGA of Australia and features up to 70 events over the course of the year and features professional golfers over the age of 50.
The event provides an opportunity for amateur golfers to compete alongside seasoned professionals at the Murray Bridge Golf Club course, known for its manicured fairways and challenging water and sand hazards.
Five Australians will reap the rewards of their performance across last year’s domestic season when they line up in this week’s Porsche Singapore Classic.
The start in the DP World Tour event for Matthew Griffin, Jak Carter, Brett Coletta, Cameron John (pictured) and Daniel Gale is a direct result of their finish on the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
A fortnight out from the completion of the 2024/2025 season at The National Golf Club, it is a timely reminder of what is on offer.
It was John’s victory at The National 12 months ago that saw him climb to seventh on the final Order of Merit and has paved the way to play the Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland and now this week in Singapore.
Sixth on last year’s Order of Merit, Carter also played the Dunhill Links and could advance his playing career immeasurably with a strong result this week.
The two most recent Order of Merit winners, David Micheluzzi and Kazuma Kobori, are also teeing it up at Laguna National along with West Australian Jason Scrivener and Kiwi Daniel Hillier.
The Australian influence is strong, too, at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau.
Ripper GC spearhead Lucas Herbert returns after finishing third in this event 12 months ago and is one of 13 Aussies in the field.
Adam Scott will lead the charge at the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship in Florida and there are nine Aussies playing the Hoag Classic on the PGA TOUR Champions.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Valspar Championship
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Cse), Palm Harbor, Florida
9:57pm Ryan Fox (NZ)
10:13pm* Adam Scott
3:01am Aaron Baddeley
3:23am Karl Vilips
3:56am Cam Davis
Recent champion: Peter Malnati
Past Aussie winners: John Senden (2014)
Prize money: $US8.7m
TV times: Live 10:30pm-9am Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503.
DP World Tour
Porsche Singapore Classic
Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Singapore, Singapore
10:50am David Micheluzzi
10:55am* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
11am Matthew Griffin
11:30am Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
11:55am* Brett Coletta
12pm Jak Carter
3:10pm Jason Scrivener
3:35pm* Cameron John
4:25pm* Daniel Gale
Recent champion: Jesper Svensson
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.5m
TV times: Live 4pm-8pm Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 1:30pm-6pm Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 1pm-6pm Sunday on Fox Sports 507.
Asian Tour
International Series Macau presented by Wynn
Macau Golf and Country Club, Macau
9:50am* Nick Voke (NZ), Denzel Ieremia (NZ)
10:10am* Matt Jones
10:45am Maverick Antcliff
10:50am* Travis Smyth
11:15am Jed Morgan
11:20am* Jack Thompson
11:25am Aaron Wilkin
11:35am Brett Rankin
2:35pm* Kevin Yuan
2:55pm* Todd Sinnott
3:30pm Lucas Herbert
3:35pm* Scott Hend
4pm Wade Ormsby
4:15pm* Lawry Flynn
Recent champion: John Catlin
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2m
TV times: Live 4:30pm-8:30pm Thursday, Friday; Live 4pm-7pm Saturday on Fox Sports 507.
PGA TOUR Champions
Hoag Classic
Newport Beach CC, Newport Beach, California
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Brendan Jones, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy.
Recent champion: Padraig Harrington
Past Aussie winners: Rodger Davis (2003)
Prize money: $US2m
TV times: Live 9am-11am Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 7am-10am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 507.
HotelPlanner Tour
Delhi Challenge
Classic Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, Haryana, India
12:40pm* Haydn Barron
1:50pm Sam Jones (NZ)
6:05pm Danny List
7:05pm* Hayden Hopewell
Recent champion: John Parry
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US300,000
Elvis Smylie’s life changed when he successfully got up-and-down on the last at Royal Queensland in November to secure the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
As soon as the putt dropped, the young Queenslander became a DP World Tour member, and had proved to the world that he could not only rub shoulders with his heroes, but out-do them when it mattered most.
Smylie had proved that to himself a month earlier however, with his breakthrough win at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open.
Those wins have helped Smylie hold onto a strong lead at the top of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit (OOM), however commanding as it may be, last month’s New Zealand Open champion Ryan Peake can still catch him with two events left.
At 1,356.36 points, Smylie is 372 points clear of Peake in second, but with 190 points on offer to the winner of this week’s Heritage Classic, it’s a long shot for Peake.
A strong showing will secure Smylie’s position atop the OOM, and tick off a season-long ambition.
“It was a goal that I set out last October when I started the season,” Smylie said. “It would be really special to be able to achieve that goal this week at The Heritage.
“To be able to say that you’ve won the Australasian Order of Merit, you are the best player throughout a calendar season, not many people have achieved that.
“I think that accolade that comes with the title is incredible, and then everything that comes with it is awesome as well.”
Having already secured his DP World Tour playing rights by way of his win at Royal Queensland, Smylie’s sights are on the other benefits of topping the OOM, including a spot in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Smylie pre-qualified for last year’s championship at Royal Troon, and his missed cut only fuelled his determination further to get back to the sport’s oldest major.
“If Royal Troon taught me anything, it’d be that I want to compete against these guys on a week-to-week basis and I want to play against the best players in the world,” he said.
“I love links golf and I want to test myself against the best, so I’m definitely motivated to get back there.”
Smylie finished middle of the pack at last season’s Heritage Classic, and so has been on the ground since Monday working through familiarising himself with the St John’s layout that he only saw for the first time in 2024.
“I’ve seen both sides of the course now. I played nine yesterday, nine this morning,” Smylie said on Tuesday at The Heritage.
“The course is pretty soft, but the greens can actually get quite speedy, so I think just hitting in the right tiers is really important around here.”
As a Golf Australia Rookie Squad member, Smylie has plans to base himself at the Golf Australia house in London for parts of this year, as he looks to take full advantage of his DP World Tour status around the globe.
“I’m going to China in the middle of April in a couple weeks’ time, and then everything kind of kicks off in Europe around late June onwards. That is when I’ll be basing myself in London.”
The Heritage Classic kicks off Thursday, and the final two rounds over the weekend are live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Moore Park Golf Club, one of Sydney’s premier public golf courses, has been added to the Trackman Virtual Golf library.
This milestone brings the iconic Sydney course to golfers worldwide, allowing them to experience its scenic fairways and challenging layout through Trackman’s cutting-edge simulation technology.
Trackman, a leader in golf performance and virtual golf technology, has meticulously captured the unique features of Moore Park Golf Club to ensure an authentic digital experience.
Golfers can now play the course virtually, whether for practice, competition or leisure, bringing a piece of Sydney’s golf heritage to players across the globe.
“Moore Park Golf has been the home of public golf in Sydney for more than 100 years and we’re extremely excited to have the course immortalised on Trackman,” said Mat Barnes, Moore Park Venue Operations Manager.
“The Trackman team have done an incredible job regarding the realistic playability of the course, and we can’t wait for golfers around the globe to enjoy a Sydney icon from their local Trackman range, Trackman indoor golf centre, or comfort of their own Trackman at home.”
With its stunning city skyline views, well-manicured greens, and strategic design, Moore Park Golf Club has long been a favourite among local and visiting golfers.
Now, through Trackman’s state-of-the-art simulation, the course’s signature challenges – including its strategic bunkering, undulating greens and tree-lined fairways – are accessible to golfers anytime, anywhere.
Trackman’s advanced technology ensures that every detail of Moore Park Golf Club is accurately represented, from the course’s elevation changes to the precise roll of the greens. This development provides a new way for golfers to refine their skills and experience the course in various playing conditions, offering an innovative approach to training and gameplay.
In addition to enhancing the playing experience for golf enthusiasts worldwide, the inclusion of Moore Park Golf Club in the Trackman Virtual Golf library highlights the growing influence of digital platforms in the golf industry. With more golfers seeking high-quality virtual experiences, Trackman continues to expand its library with world-class courses that offer players a realistic and engaging way to enjoy the sport.
Moore Park Golf Club is excited about the opportunities this partnership presents, from increasing global awareness of the course to offering a new and accessible way for players to engage with the game. The integration with Trackman’s Virtual Golf library aligns with the club’s commitment to innovation and excellence in golf.
For more information about Moore Park Golf Club, visit https://mooreparkgolf.com.au/
To learn more about Trackman and its Virtual Golf offerings, visit https://www.trackman.com/
With the exception of Min Woo Lee exciting Aussie golf fans through 36 holes of THE PLAYERS Championship, it was a relatively quiet week for our elite.
Sarah Kemp made a remarkable comeback to competitive golf at the Australian Women’s Classic, Lucas Herbert once again led the way for the Ripper GC boys in Singapore and Hayden Hopewell was tied for seventh at the Kolkata Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour.
This week, the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit is on the line at the Heritage Classic, the Ladies European Tour continues its Aussie swing with the Women’s NSW Open and there is a strong Australian influence on the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and Asian Tour.
10. Ryan Peake (10)
Enters the penultimate event of the 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season second on the Order of Merit and with a start at The Open Championship in his back pocket. Needs to win both this week’s Heritage Classic and next week’s The National Tournament to unseat Elvis Smylie and claim the Order of Merit crown.
9. Cam Davis (8)
An unhappy history at THE PLAYERS Championship got a new chapter with rounds of 76-80 to miss the cut for the fourth time in five starts. Will dust himself off and tee it up at this week’s Valspar Championship where he has missed the cut in each of his two appearances in 2019 and 2021.
8. Cassie Porter (7)
Was able to cool her heels back on the Sunshine Coast after a top-five finish in just her second start on the LPGA Tour. Returns to action next week at the Ford Championship in Arizona.
7. Min Woo Lee (9)
Had Aussie golf fans up and about when he played his way into a share of the lead through two rounds at THE PLAYERS. Yes, the weekend didn’t pan out exactly as he’d hoped but it’s clear that the 26-year-old is in a good space with major season just around the corner.
6. Elvis Smylie (6)
A two-time winner this season, Smylie will seek to emulate the previous two Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners with a third victory at this week’s Heritage Classic. It will be Smylie’s final appearance for the 2024/2025 domestic season.
5. Jason Day (4)
Top-10 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Day was a late withdrawal from THE PLAYERS with a stomach virus. Not in the field for the Valspar Championship.
4. Lucas Herbert (5)
A maiden individual LIV Golf title seems inevitable as Herbert continues his role as the Ripper GC spearhead. Finished tied for 14th at LIV Golf Singapore after shooting 74 in the final round..
3. Minjee Lee (3)
Boasts three top-15 finishes in four starts on the LPGA Tour in 2025, most recently earning runner-up honours at the Blue Bay LPGA. Will next be in action at the T Mobile Match Play from April 2-6.
2. Karl Vilips (2)
The Puerto Rico Open winner was 4-under through 14 holes of his maiden start at THE PLAYERS but made two bogeys and a double bogey to end Round 1 even par. Shot 78 in the second round to miss the cut but will remain in the spotlight having been drawn to play with Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth at the Valspar Championship.
1. Hannah Green (1)
Expect the world No.5 to return fresh and firing when she makes just her third start for the year at next week’s Ford Championship in Arizona.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
As the 36-hole leader, Min Woo Lee was poised to make the biggest step in his professional career at THE PLAYERS Championship this week, but his weekend ended up being a disappointment.
With closing rounds of 78-73, the West Australian eventually finished in a tie for 20th alongside Kiwi Ryan Fox, with Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun to return on Monday morning for a three-hole playoff to decide the champion.
Lee’s stunning 66 in the second round was the highlight of the week for the Australian contingent, as fellow Aussies Adam Scott, Karl Vilips and Cam Davis all failed to make the cut.
“This is a true test of everything in your game and it’s a great course to play before the Masters, for sure,” Lee told Australian Golf Digest.
“The Masters is right around the corner. Bay Hill last week was the toughest course of the year and (Lee missed the cut) and this week I showed my game is trending in the right direction.”
Victorian Lucas Herbert continued his strong run of form, finishing T14 at LIV Golf Singapore even with a closing 74.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell finished in solo third as 2023 ISPS HANDA Australian Open winner Joaquin Niemann took home yet another trophy to move to the top of the season standings.
Elsewhere, West Australian Hayden Hopewell notched a top-10 on the HotelPlanner Tour in India, finishing in a tie for seventh.
PGA TOUR
THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
1 *playoff between Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun to be played*
T20 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-70-72-70 — 284 $US240,250
T20 Min Woo Lee 67-66-78-73– 284 $240,250
MC Adam Scott 74-72
MC Karl Vilips 72-78
MC Cam Davis 76-80
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Singapore
Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
1 Joaquin Niemann 67-64-65 — 196 $US4m
3 Ben Campbell (NZ) 68-67-67 — 202 $1.5m
T14 Lucas Herbert 68-66-74 — 208 $287,000
T19 Cameron Smith 67-70-72– 209 $230,000
T32 Matt Jones 72-70-71 — 213 $151,600
T32 Danny Lee (NZ) 68-69-76 — 213 $151,600
T51 Marc Leishman 74-76-72 — 222 $55,000
HotelPlanner Tour
Kolkata Challenge
Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
1 Joshua Berry 72-62-70-73 — 277 €44,284.37
T7 Hayden Hopewell 69-68-71-72 — 280 €6,444.96
T57 Sam Jones (NZ) 71-72-72-75 — 290 €871.85
MC Haydn Barron 71-74
Epson Tour
IOA Golf Classic
Alaqua Country Club, Longwood, Florida
1 Gina Kim 65-69-68 — 202 $US 33,750
T47 Robyn Choi 70-72-72 — 214 $1,082
MC Su Oh 68-77
MC Caitlin Peirce 72-77
Karl Vilips made history by winning on the PGA TOUR in his fourth start, and is now headed for The Players Championship, with the West Australian’s efforts just one of the Australian moments to celebrate from a bountiful weekend.
Vilips set the tournament scoring mark at the Puerto Rico Open to claim his maiden title less than a year removed from graduating college (full story on his win HERE), while it was a runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour for Minjee Lee in China.
The older Australian and Kiwi brigade also representing strongly on the PGA TOUR Champions, where Steven Alker claimed another title and Greg Chalmers and Rod Pampling shared third.
For Minjee, her final round charge at the Blue Bay LPGA truly ignited late on the front nine, when the elder Lee sibling seemed to channel her brother Min Woo and his short game.
Mixing three bogeys with one birdie through six holes of the final round playing alongside fellow Aussie Cassie Porter, Minjee chipped in consecutively on the seventh and eighth holes and motioned to call ‘Dr Chipinski’ her brother’s widely used social media nickname.
“I never left,” she said when asked if there was a new Dr Chipinski in the family post round.
Continuing to look more comfortable with her new long putter, Lee added four more birdies on the back nine to finish at 11-under and six back of Japan’s Rio Takeda. Porter recording her best LPGA finish with a solo fourth place after closing with an even par round of 72.
Playing the Cologuard Classic on the senior circuit, Alker closed with a final round 66 to find himself in a playoff with Jason Caron. The Kiwi triumphing on the first extra hole to claim his ninth PGA TOUR Champions crown.
Falling just one short of the playoff, Pampling bogeyed the 17th hole to finish on 11-under, while Chalmers looked the man to beat as the players made their way to the finish.
Leading into the back nine, Chalmers bogeyed the 12th and 14th to fall back before scrambling for a par at the penultimate hole and just missing a 10 foot birdie try at the 18th hole to join the playoff.
“That’s just part of golf sometimes. It’s been a minute since I’ve been in that situation where I’ve had a chance to win an event,” Chalmers said.
“I think the more I can do it, the more comfortable I’ll be and the better I’ll do.”
Similarly flying the flag on the global stage was Jason Day, who was right in the mix late on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
Two shots back of the lead, Day’s ball found the water at the par-5 16th and eventually the bottom of the cup for a double bogey, with the Queenslander also dropping a shot at the last to share eighth.
Back in action for the first time since Adelaide, the all Australian Ripper GC team shared third place at LIV Golf Hong Kong, with Lucas Herbert the standout in the individual results. The Victorian closing with a 6-under round for a solo fourth place.
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
1 Russell Henley 72-68-67-70—277 $US4m
T8 Jason Day 76-64-69-74—283 $600,666
T36 Adam Scott 75-72-70-74—291 $96,750
MC Cam Davis 70-80—150
MC Min Woo Lee 78-73—151
Puerto Rico Open
Grand Reserve Golf Club, Rio Grande, Peurto Rico
1 Karl Vilips 65-67-66-64—262 $US720,000
MC Aaron Baddeley 72-75—147
LPGA Tour
Blue Bay LPGA
Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, Hainan Island, China
1 Rio Takeda 69-69-69-64—271 $US375,000
2 Minjee Lee 70-72-68-67—277 $230,318
4 Cassie Porter 69-68-72-72—281 $129,249
T44 Hira Naveed 71-70-76-76—293 $10,529
MC Karis Davidson 73-76—149
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 74-78—152
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Hong Kong
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong
1 Sergio Garcia 65-64-63—192 $US4m
4 Lucas Herbert 67-66-64—197 $1,000,000
T12 Marc Leishman 70-66-65—201 $312,500
T20 Cameron Smith 69-68-66—203 $202,500
T20 Danny Lee (NZ) 66-71-66—203 $202,500
T35 Matt Jones 69-69-67—205 $145,333
T35 Ben Campbell (NZ) 69-68-68—205 $145,333
DP World Tour
Joburg Open
Houghton GC, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 Callum Hill 69-66-69-62—266 €177,233.16
T3 Danny List 66-73-71-77—287 €1,547.32
MC Kazuma Kobori 70-77—147
PGA TOUR Champions
Cologuard Classic
La Paloma Country Club, Tucson, Arizona
1 Steven Alker (NZ) 69-66-66—201 $US330,000
T3 Rod Pampling 66-69-67—202 $145,200
T3 Greg Chalmers 64-67-71—202 $145,200
T18 Cameron Percy 71-69-68—208 $32,010
T20 David Bransdon 69-70-70—209 $25,828
T20 Mark Hensby 71-68-70—209 $25,828
T20 Matthew Goggin 67-69-73—209 $25,828
T33 Richard Green 75-67-70—212 $13,860
T44 Steve Allan 70-77-67—214 $8,800
T48 Stuart Appleby 70-74-71—214 $7,040
T60 Michael Wright 71-72-75—218 $3,300
T60 Brendan Jones 72-73-63—218 $3,300
Korn Ferry Tour
Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank
Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago, Chile
1 Logan McAllister 68-70-63-64—265 $US180,000
T57 Harry Hillier (NZ) 71-69-71-70—281 $4,100
MC Rhein Gibson 70-71—141
Epson Tour
Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf
Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, Florida
1 Laetitia Beck 71-68-66—205 $US37,500
T13 Robyn Choi 76-71-69—216 $3,868
T54 Caitlin Peirce 78-73-73—224 $1,054
MC Su Oh 81-76—157
Australian Karl Vilips has joined an exclusive club, with the 23-year-old winning the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open in just his fourth Tour start to become only the 12th player since 1970 to achieve that feat.
Named recently as the first signing to Tiger Woods’ apparel company Sun Day Red and last month as a new member of the Golf Australia Rookie Squad, Vilips entered the final round with the outright lead in Puerto Rico having graduated Stanford University less than 12 months ago.
A winner on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour last year, Vilips was challenged out of the gate on Sunday by Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen as he sought to join the likes of Seve Ballesteros in the four-tournament start winners club on the PGA TOUR.
Birdieing the par-4 third, Vilips then found some magic at the par-5 sixth when holing out his pitch for eagle before two more birdies to close out the front nine in 5-under.
The Australian, who spent parts of his childhood in Melbourne and Perth before completing his schooling in America, truly having to earn his victory on the back nine when he made his only bogey of the final day at the par-4 12th.
As Neergaard-Petersen was in the middle of making six straight birdies from the 10th hole, Vilips first dropped shot, and loss of the lead, seemed to kick the former child prodigy and now Colin Swatton coached player into gear.
“Bogey was pretty careless,” Vilips told Australian media after his win.
“I was pretty frustrated about that with a wedge in the fairway. I was thinking kind of just give myself a bit of a cushion on the leaderboard and then had to just forget about it. It’s already happened, can’t do anything about it and did a good job putting me back in the present.”
Making three consecutive birdies from the 13th, Vilips added another at the 72nd and final hole to reach 26-under and claim a three shot victory over Neergaard-Petersen.
“It’s a dream come true for me and my dad,” Vilips said paying tribute to his father, Paul, immediately after holing his winning putt.
“This is what we dreamed of as a kid.”
Vilips, whose maiden season on the PGA TOUR has been slightly hampered following the discovery of a bulging disk in his back around the time he returned home for a share of 46th at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, has now secured his playing rights for the next two years.
Setting a tournament scoring record with his 26-under-par total, Vilips will now also receive a start at the PGA TOUR’s showpiece event, next week’s The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, as well as the US PGA Championship in May.
Recently moving to Florida and making TPC Sawgrass his base, the Australian will not be as ill-prepared as many might think for his sudden start next week alongside some of the biggest names in the game.
“I just moved there, been at TPC for five months or four months now,” Vilips said.
“I’m going to be getting in late Monday night, so it’s going to be a bit of a short prep, but thankfully it’s my home course so I don’t really need to do too much. Just see how the greens are rolling, how the rough is. I just kind of get in the right mindset for it.”
Mindset has rarely been an issue for Vilips, who has worked relentlessly to become a PGA TOUR winner, with his calm and mostly mild mannered demeanour only cracking occasionally on Sunday. Firstly, when yelling “Come on” as he celebrated his final birdie, and again when speaking of his genuine excitement and realising a dream
“Even just like being in the final group is something I always wanted to do. Being in the final group of PGA TOUR events and then winning, it’s just everything,” he said.
“It makes me incredibly happy to hoist that trophy on the 18th green … It’s everything that I’ve dreamed of and in the moment, you have to kind of just put all that aside and focus on winning. But I’m sure when I’m back in my hotel I’ll just be smiling and calling my friends.”
Part of the phone attention no doubt going to a potential voice message from the icon that created his clothing sponsor, with Tiger one of the names to pop up during the whirlwind post round commitments.
“I caught a glimpse of it saying something and I’ll have to get back to it. I’ve been bombarded with texts and I’m so grateful for the support, but I’ll have to look back at it after this.”
Kiwi left-hander Tyler Hodge has held his nerve over the closing stages to clinch a one-stroke victory at the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship at Hastings Golf Club.
Leading by four strokes after a birdie at the par-5 10th, Hodge’s advantage from Queensland pair Tim Hart (67) and Shae Wools-Cobb (71) was reduced to three with a bogey at the par-4 11th.
Hart, Wools-Cobb and Kerry Mountcastle (66) all nudged one stroke closer with birdies of their own, Hodge’s lead shrinking to just one when he made a third bogey in the space of eight holes after three-putting the par-3 16th.
The two closing holes at Hastings Golf Club were playing directly into a hefty wind and Hodge came up short with his second into the par-4 17th.
He very nearly chipped in before tapping in for par to head to the 72nd tee with a one-shot advantage as Hart and Mountcastle sat safely in the clubhouse at 15-under par.
A bombed drive into the fairway was the first piece of the puzzle Hodge needed to complete before the 30-year-old hit his best shot of the day, a 7-iron from 161 metres to just 12 feet.
It was after watching playing partner Denzel Ieremia’s shot carry deep into the green that Hodge changed clubs, dropping back to 7-iron to all but seal his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory with a final round of 3-under 69.
He is the third Kiwi winner in the past four events (Josh Geary, Nick Voke) and the third left-hander to win this season (Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake) and does so in his second stint as a professional.
Originally joining the pro ranks in 2015, Hodge quit in late 2019 and had a year away from the game before returning to amateur golf and caddying for two seasons at Tara Iti.
In 2023 he decided to try again and now, two years later, he is a Tour winner with guaranteed status through until the end of the 2026/2027 season.
“That’s a very cool thought,” said Hodge, who had fiancée Tessa McDonald on the bag as he completed a career highlight.
“We’ll have some in-house conversations and stuff like that about what the future looks like playing golf.
“I had a couple of years off a few years ago and then kind of came back to the game and have been enjoying it.
“But she’s a tough old slog pro golf, so my fiancée and I have been having some chats about possibly giving the pro playing stuff away.
“We’ll have to have a bit more of a chat over the winter about that.”
Tied for second overnight, Hodge continued to forge ahead as the likes of Cameron Harlock (77), Jake McLeod (74), Denzel Ieremia (71) and Wools-Cobb (71) stalled on Sunday.
Challengers emerged from back in the pack in the form of Mountcastle and Hart, but both would ultimately fall one short of forcing a playoff.
It was Hodge’s performances on the Charles Tour in New Zealand last year that earned limited playing rights on the PGA Tour of Australasia this season, a tie for 11th at the Ford NSW Open enhancing his status and providing confirmation that a win was not beyond reach.
“I definitely haven’t played to my potential for most of the season,” said Hodge, who is now 22nd on the Order of Merit.
“That was a little bit of a highlight that week but still felt like I didn’t kind of have it.
“Just to kind of let it go this week and just whatever happens, happens, the game kind of came back to me a little bit naturally, I suppose.
“I’m almost a journeyman now. Golf is different. There’s a lot of learnings that you have to go through yourself.
“People can tell you about it and stuff like that, but you have to experience a few of those things and get through a lot of adversity.
“Slowly but surely got back into it and then obviously enjoyed it enough to have another crack at the pro stuff.”
Mountcastle and Hart shared second at 15-under par, one clear of Wools-Cobb, Anthony Quayle (69) and another Kiwi left-hander, Tim Wilkinson (67).
Photo: Ian Cooper/bwmedia.co.nz
