On the back of securing his PGA TOUR Champions card for 2025, the 2023 New Zealand Open champion, Brendan Jones, has confirmed he will return to Queenstown for his favourite event of the year.
The 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport tees off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between February 27 and March 2.
A fantastic ambassador for both Queenstown and the New Zealand Open, Jones’ 2023 victory in Queenstown came after he survived the cut on the number, and then played “the two best shots of my life” to make crucial birdies on the final few holes helping him claim the title.
Speaking about the New Zealand Open Jones says he “wouldn’t miss it for anything” and is looking to add his name to the Brodie Breeze trophy once again.
“The New Zealand Open is the first event I add to my schedule every year. It’s a fabulous event and not only myself, but every one of the players can’t wait to be part of it.”
“Not only is it the best event of the year in my opinion, but the location and hospitality are something we don’t experience anywhere else in the world.”
Jones, who turns 50 on March 3, the day after the final round at the New Zealand Open, believes the experience and pressure from the PGA TOUR Champions Q-School has helped put him in great shape, both physically and mentally for returning to Queenstown.
“The Q-School process is quite tough and really tests your all-round game. Having had a few injuries this year, it’s been great to see my fitness and mentality back up to the level I want them to be at. Hopefully, these experiences will help me push on at Millbrook.”
Jones also made note of the success that Steven Alker, who is also confirmed to be playing at the New Zealand Open in 2025, has had in recent years on the PGA TOUR Champions and will be hoping to emulate his success.
“Obviously Steve has had a couple of wonderful seasons on the tour and I will definitely be having a few conversations with him in Queenstown. Maybe some of his magic will rub off on me.”
New Zealand Open Tournament Director, Michael Glading is delighted that Jones will be returning, and is also excited to see how he goes next year on tour.
“I think Brendan will do really well on the PGA TOUR Champions as he has the tools in his locker to win again, as he demonstrated so well in Queenstown in recent years,” Glading said.
For more information, please visit nzopen.com
Superstar siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee hope to uncover and mentor the next generation of Aussie golf stars when the Webex Players Series Perth tees off at Royal Fremantle Golf Club on Thursday.
The pair of Paris Olympians will go from headline act to tournament hosts at the course where they developed their games, eager to share what they have learned about the golf course itself and their paths to the top of world golf.
Minjee, 28, is a two-time major champion with 10 career LPGA Tour wins while Min Woo is entering his second year on the PGA TOUR and whose four career wins include the 2023 Australian PGA Championship and 2021 Scottish Open.
It’s a far cry from their formative years in Perth, yet a major motivator in their decision to take on hosting duties for the first Webex Players Series event in their home state.
“It’s a real privilege for us to be able to host, especially in our home state and obviously at our home club, Royal Fremantle,” said Minjee.
“I’ve been here since I was eight years old, so for a tournament like the Webex Players Series to come to Royal Fremantle is a really big deal.”
Min Woo was a 14-year-old amateur when he played the WA Open for the first time in 2012, a tournament that was won by 18-year-old amateur Oliver Goss.
It is why he is so excited to not only provide a platform for elite amateurs and young professionals, but those who will contest the Webex Junior Players Series over the course of the weekend.
“We were lucky enough to play all the professional events before we turned pro and have that experience before we got to the big stage,” said Min Woo, a three-time winner on the DP World Tour.
“That definitely helped get us to where we are now. I’m really excited to see the juniors playing as well. That’s a new thing that’s been happening and I think a lot of good names will come out of it.
“It’s very inclusive to have all the juniors, men, women and All Abilities playing and definitely what we wanted to be part of promoting.”
A 30-time host of the WA Open and host venue of the 1960 Australian PGA Championship, Royal Fremantle Golf Club will mark its 120-year anniversary in 2025.
With such a storied history and the breeding ground of some of Australia’s greatest golfers, Royal Fremantle General Manager, Lucy Guppy, believes it is a fitting way to commence celebrations in a milestone year for the club.
“Royal Fremantle Golf Club is a club with a very proud history but also one that is committed to providing the best experience for a diverse membership,” Ms Guppy said.
“By having men, women, juniors and All Abilities competitors playing, the Webex Players Series is golf’s most inclusive tournament and we couldn’t think of two more appropriate hosts than Minjee and Min Woo.”
For participants who have never played Royal Fremantle, Min Woo says they can expect a golf course that offers up a mix of scoring opportunities and challenging pars.
“If the ‘Fremantle Doctor’ comes through, it can play windy, but then there’s also a lot of scoring opportunities,” said Min Woo.
“It’s definitely a fun course for everyone. I love coming back here. Make some birdies, but there’s also a few tough holes to get us in that frame of mind for the tough courses on tour.
“It’s a really nice mixture and if the greens are nice, it’s going to be a really good time for everyone who’s playing.”
The Webex Players Series is a playing opportunity for women and men professionals and elite amateurs, competing in the same field for the same prize purse in mixed pairings.
For the final two rounds, they are joined by competitors in the Webex All Abilities Players Series and Webex Junior Players Series.
The tournament runs from January 9-12 and entry is free for spectators all four days.
The final two rounds will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo from 4pm-7pm Saturday and 2pm-7pm Sunday AEDT.
Perth will welcome its strongest women’s professional field in more than a decade and showcase Australia’s up-and-coming male players when Royal Fremantle Golf Club hosts the Webex Players Series Perth from January 9-12.
Hosted by superstar siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee, Webex Players Series Perth brings men and women together on the same golf course playing for the same prize purse, the inaugural Perth edition worth $250,000.
It is the second of five Webex Players Series events on the 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia with confirmed entries including home-grown West Australian stars and a host of internationals with impressive credentials.
WA trio Haydn Barron, Hayden Hopewell and Kirsten Rudgeley all spent 2024 playing in Europe, Rudgeley narrowly missing out on an LPGA Tour card in finishing 12th on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.
Joining Rudgeley in the women’s field will be LPGA Tour-bound Queenslander Cassie Porter, 2024 LPGA Tour rookie Yue Ren of China, Vic Open and Malaysian Olympic representative in Paris, Ashley Lau, and West Australians Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Jess Whitting and Kathryn Norris.
Whitting and Norris both have top-10 finishes in previous Webex Players Series events while Porter graduates to the LPGA Tour next year after finishing 10th on the Epson Tour points list.
The last time WA was witness to such high-quality women’s golf was when Dame Laura Davies, World Golf Hall of Famer Jan Stephenson and current WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn played the Handa Australia Cup at Nedlands Golf Club in 2011.
Given the quality of golfers WA has produced in the 13 years since, Lunn is thrilled to see top-class women’s golf back in the west.
“With the likes of Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Kirsten Rudgeley, the production line coming out of Western Australia in recent years is extremely impressive,” said Lunn.
“I have fond memories of playing the Handa Australia Cup at Nedlands, although I can’t believe it’s now 13 years ago!
“The depth of talent we have in the women’s game here in Australia at present is as good as I have ever seen it, and with the influx of international players that we saw last year I’m confident the girls will give the boys a run for their money at Royal Fremantle.”
The first event of the 2025 WPGA Tour schedule, Webex Players Series Perth marks the start to the second half of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
A two-time winner already this season and fourth on the Order of Merit, South Australian Jack Buchanan will continue his push towards one of three DP World Tour cards in Perth, as will Queensland PGA champion Phoenix Campbell.
Other notables in the men’s field include 2021 Australian PGA champion Jed Morgan, 2022 WA Open winner Deyen Lawson, six-time European Tour winner Brett Rumford and four-time PGA Tour of Australasia winner and Perth local, Jarryd Felton.
Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee will be played at Royal Fremantle Golf Club from January 9-12. The final two rounds will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo from 4pm-7pm Saturday and 2pm-7pm Sunday AEDT.
As most players were pondering what might be on the menu for Christmas lunch and how long they could put the clubs away, David Micheluzzi was preparing to play the Sandbelt Invitational, as well as an important desert swing on the DP World Tour.
Teeing it up at his home club of Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club on Sunday ahead of the Geoff Ogilvy-Mike Clayton brainchild event getting underway today at Commonwealth Golf Club, Micheluzzi would have felt very positive about his chances.
However, the Cranbourne boy couldn’t have pictured what would eventually transpire during his casual warm up game, with Micheluzzi birdieing his final three holes to record golf’s magic number of 59.
Although not in an official Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event like Connor McKinney just two days prior at the Gippsland Super 6, it still meant plenty to Micheluzzi who raised his arms and ran around the green after the final putt dropped and he finally broke the 60 barrier.
“I used all the putts yesterday and didn’t use any of them today, which was not smart. But any chance you have, any chance you have to shoot 59, you try and take it and I took it,” Micheluzzi joked after an even par opening round at the Sandbelt Invitational today.
“I think I’ve shot 61 at PK on both courses about a combined kind of 13 times. So I’ve been close here or there and got to do it with my mates as well.
“They’re guys that I grew up playing golf with and they were actually fortunate enough to see Ben Murphy’s 57 on the North. So the two guys that I played with yesterday have both seen 59s on both courses at ‘PK’, which was pretty cool.”
Making his score on the South Course, Micheluzzi made four birdies on the front nine to turn in 32 before he got hot coming home.
Birdieing the 10th and 11th, the 2022/2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion finished with some truly remarkable golf, the Victorian going birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie for a nine hole score of 27 and golf’s most elusive number of 59.
“The finish, we knew that I had to boot the last three and so we’re all trying to keep me not trying to lose my s*&t and just hit it in the right spots,” he said.”
“I holed a really good putt on 17 and we were just like, come on, let’s better your, let’s better your lasts. And then yeah, holed that putt and yeah, it was a lot of fun.”
Micheluzzi no doubt hoping some similar low scores continue at the Sandbelt Invitational where he shares 13th, five shots adrift of amateur co-leaders Kayu Mudadana and Ti Fox on 5-under.
It took 28 holes on Sunday at Warragul Country Club, but with the support of family and his best mates strolling the fairways alongside him, Victorian Ben Henkel has secured his maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory at the Gippsland Super 6.
Having grown up on the Bellarine Peninsula, playing his junior golf at both 13th Beach Golf Links and Metropolitan Golf Club, Henkel’s debut win is made all the more special being so close to home.
“It’s amazing and I was so fortunate,” said an emotional Henkel after seeing off Dylan Gardner in the final medal match play battle of Sunday.
“I’ve got some great mates that made the trip down, and my mum and dad. Been battling so hard with my game and everything, just fighting through it.
“I’ve had a lot of early mornings before work, after work, just really believing in myself to get a future out of this game. This is massive for me, massive.”
It can be marked down as a wire-to-wire victory for Henkel, who after rounds of 62-61-70, was atop the leaderboard alongside Corey Lamb and Gardner – two men he took down in today’s medal match play – after three rounds.
Gardner was the eventual runner-up, after a sea sawing affair in the final match against Henkel, and Lamb was able to triumph over Andrew Evans in the match for third place.
Even though he was able to sit out of the first round of today’s matches, courtesy of his 54-hole score, the final day was far from straightforward for Henkel.
A clutch up-and-down on the final hole was required to get the better of Gavin Fairfax in Henkel’s first match of the day, and he was tied with Jack Pountney heading to the final hole of his second match before a Pountney stumble.
His semi-final duel with Lamb, who was also desperately chasing his maiden win, is where Henkel was truly made to dig deep. Tied after the regulation six holes, both players headed back up the hill to the 100m knockout tee.
Knocking it in close, Henkel looked to have the match, but a missed putt meant an eighth hole was required. This time both players hit their tee shots close, with matching birdies the result. On the ninth hole of the match, it was Lamb who looked to have the upper hand knocking it inside Henkel. Pouring in a long range putt though, was enough to secure Henkel a final birth as Lamb’s putt slid by.
Requiring no extra holes on his way to the final, Henkel’s final challenger Gardner was the in-form man of the day, and as he birdied the first to Henkel’s par, it looked as if he may continue his charge.
Henkel struck back immediately however on the second with a birdie of his own, and as he poured in yet another putt on the uphill third, the Victorian suddenly had a one shot lead.
Both Henkel and Gardner pulled their tee shots on the fourth, both played provisional balls, but it was Henkel who looked to be in more danger.
Thinking it was out-of-bounds, Henkel went back to the tactic that has helped him ever since he strapped on his glove at the start of the week, the first time is has done so in close to seven years.
“Sticking to my processes and just sticking to my routine and just focussed on what I need to do in the moment,” he said.
Both balls were found, but as Henkel chipped out sideways on his way to bogey, Gardner was miraculously able to pitch his up and tap in for birdie. A two shot swing now had Gardner the one shot leader with two holes to play.
Taking differing routes to the par-5 fifth green, both Henkel and Gardner eventually had putts for birdie and this time Henkel was able to capitalise while Gardner missed out, meaning the pair were now tied heading to the final hole.
Away first, Henkel safely found the middle of the putting surface, before Gardner hit a towering draw into the back left pin setting up a great chance at birdie and the win.
Rolling it up close and securing par, Gardner’s putt for the win caught a piece of the cup but stayed out, and so the knockout hole was in play again.
Again finding the middle of the putting surface safely, Henkel left the door open for Gardner to get inside him again, but this time the Queenslander’s ball caught the left edge of the green and fed all the way down to the catchment area long left.
Failing to get up and down handed the trophy to Henkel, and it was finally time for the friends and family who made the trip down the highway to celebrate with the winner, who was left with a fractured vertebrae in 2019 following a car accident that meant even playing golf again was in the balance, let alone becoming a Tour winner.
“It was a really hard, tough time, especially after getting healthier from that and then heading into COVID and. A few years went by in the blink of an eye,” he said.
“Just fighting to get back into the game and finding the love for it again was the hardest.”
As a graduate of the Tour Qualifying School earlier this year, the win improves Henkel’s category significantly, and he looks forward to playing with less stress through the next few seasons, and eyeing the pointy end of the Order of Merit.
“I didn’t have the most solid start to the year and I think this just gets me over the line is some bigger events and obviously potentially sets up if I have a good half of the season for those spots on the DP World Tour spots, and advancing my career.”
In the junior Gippsland Super 6, Christopher Filipowicz triumphed over overnight leader Angus Hoey in the final match.
While Dylan Gardner, Corey Lamb and Ben Henkel have the bragging rights as the 54-hole leaders of the Gippsland Super 6 at 17-under, the third round today at Warragul Country Club was all about making the top 24.
Only the top-24 players make it through the Sunday’s medal match play finals, and so playing into the top half of today’s leaderboard was priority number one. Once that was achieved, making it into the top eight provided the added bonus of automatically advancing to round two of the Sunday matches.
A playoff was required to finalise both, as seven players finished tied 22nd at 8-under, and so back up 18 they went to battle it out for the final three spots in Sunday’s field.
Two-time Gippsland Super 6 champion Tom Power Horan was the first player to strike, pouring in a huge birdie putt to make sure he had a chance to capture a third title tomorrow.
“Yeah, it was good, obviously 60-foot down the slope,” Power Horan said of his final putt. “Not really expecting it to go in, but yeah, the 18th has been good to me a couple of times here, which is really nice.
“It’s a bit strange. I just haven’t been playing that well. I wasn’t really thinking of, well you think of winning but you just want play, but yeah three times would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
James Conran snatched the second spot, with birdie on the second playing of the hole, while Quinn Croker and Jarryd Felton required a third, and fourth playoff hole to determine who got the lucky last spot.
The 100m knockout tee was used on the 18th, and after both players made par the first time around, it was Felton who finally prevailed with par after Croker found the left trap and failed to get up and down.
The playoff for the final spot in the top eight took a mammoth seven holes, with Ryan Peake prevailing after him and Brett Drewitt duelled it out. Ben Eccles and Tim Hart bowed out of the playoff on the first couple of holes.
Having returned from playing the majority of his golf in the US this year, Drewitt fired an 8-under 62 today, and very nearly played himself all the way into the top eight.
After an 8-under 62 of his own, Gardner joined Henkel and Lamb atop the leaderboard, and after birdieing four of the six holes that are in play tomorrow, is feeling confident of going deep in the medal match play.
“Everything about the game was good. A little bit of an extra sleep in, which will be good tomorrow and yeah, see how it goes,” he said.
“Driver is one of my strengths, I tend to hit it pretty straight. That’s probably what I’ll play a lot tomorrow.
“I probably hit my driver straighter than I’ll hit my putter sometimes.”
The first part of the Junior section of the Gippsland Super 6 was also played today, with Angus Hoey topping the day with a 4-under 66. The top eight juniors from today have qualified for their final matches tomorrow which will be played in amongst the professionals.
See the full list of those playing Sunday below:
The low scoring continued on Friday at the Gippsland Super 6, as the course record at Warragul Country Club was updated on multiple occasions and the first sub-60 score in Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia history was recorded.
Even after a 9-under 61 and 17-under total, leader Ben Henkel was overshadowed today in Warragul, with young West Australian Connor McKinney recording the first 59 in Australia in close to 20 years.
At 12-under after his heroics, McKinney sits in fourth at the halfway mark, with Tim Hart and Corey Lamb Henkel’s closest challengers tied second at 14-under.
Sydneysider Jason Hong is fifth at 10-under, before a trio of players, including Anthony Quayle, are tied sixth at 9-under.
First it was Hart, who after firing a 62 in the early morning at Warragul, put his name right alongside Henkel, who achieved the same course record score yesterday. Then, McKinney stormed home to blow both men out of the water, or off the top of the honour board.
What makes McKinney’s score all the more remarkable, is that after 27 holes, he was sitting right around the cutline at 3-under par, before playing his final nine holes in 9-under, or 26 shots.
Finishing his day on the short par-4 ninth, McKinney required an eagle to break 60, and after a perfect drive to 12-feet, the Scottish-born West Australian coolly poured it in.
“I made a good putt on one, a good sort of tricky putt. Parred two. A nice 10-footer on three, two putts and four, another one on five,” he recalled.
“My bunker shot on six nearly went in. It was pretty unlucky not to. That’s all right, I won’t complain.
“Seven hit it close. Eight, I actually holed a bunker shot, it looked like it was never missing.
“To match it altogether today and finish like I did, yeah, I’m pretty stoked with that.”
Playing just a few groups behind McKinney, Henkel quietly went about the business of consolidating his overnight lead, again sporting his now famous new glove.
Making the turn in 4-under on Friday, Henkel got to work early in catching up to Hart who had set the pace early, but the Bellarine Peninsula local was eager to regain the outright lead it seemed as he began a back nine charge.
Three consecutive birdies from holes ten through 12 achieved just that, but one shot wasn’t enough, as the 24-year-old kept his foot on the gas.
Two final birdies on 16, and then the tough closing par-3 18th, had Henkel sign for a 61, incredibly bettering his blistering opening round 62.
“Just fairways and greens today, probably a bit better obviously than yesterday, but just solid golf.,” he said.
“Went for the greens on some of the short holes and again, just right side and had the fat part of the green to chip up and putt up to, and then just struck it really well with my irons. “
After going low two days in a row, Henkel wasn’t surprised to see someone come in with a 59, and says he expects the remarkable scoring to continue through the weekend.
“It’s playing mint, the course is in great nick. You can bounce it up, spin them, you can do what you want. The course is set up for it and it’s playing awesome.”
After a frustrating start to his Tour season, Hart is happy to be back up the top of the leaderboard, the burly Queenslander’s aggressive style of play seeming to be favourable in Gippsland.
“After a big stretch of tournaments that we’ve had and not getting results, it’s very easy to get down and negative, so I’ve been trying really hard just trying to stay positive,” he said.
“Everyone’s good out here so you have to just keep making birdies and for me it’s always been just keeping the mistakes off the card.
“I always make enough birdies, I just make those mistakes. I’ve managed to just keep that to a minimum the last two days and hopefully I’ll do that again tomorrow and get into the match play and see how we go.”
Making today’s halfway cut was just the first milestone for players this week, with only the top-24 players after round three making it through to Sunday’s medal match play finals, tomorrow is truly moving day in Warragul.
For the first time since 2005, a scorecard of 59 has been signed in an Australian Tour event, with West Australian Connor McKinney responsible for the magical round today at the Gippsland Super 6.
Brad McIntosh was the man close to 20 years ago at the Von Nida Tour’s Queensland PGA at Emerald Lakes. McKinney’s score marking the first sub-60 score on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in its current form.
What makes the score all the more remarkable is that McKinney made the turn in a modest 2-under on the par-70 Warragul Country Club layout, before playing his final nine holes in 9-under, or 26 shots.
This nine-hole score is almost certainly the lowest in Australia, and has a place as one of the lowest tournament nine holes globally too.
Many have come close to the elusive 59 on PGA Tour of Australasia, including Paul Gow (2001 Canon Challenge), Ernie Els (2004 Heineken Classic), Alistair Presnell (2010 Victorian PGA) and Lawry Flynn (Webex Players Series Sydney 2022), but none have been able to wipe that final shot off the card.
After a 1-under 69 in round one, McKinney was 3-under after 27 holes and sitting right on the cutline at the halfway mark of the Gippsland Super 6, something he needn’t worry about now.
“Ten shots better today, slight improvement,” the Scottish-born Perth local joked.
“To match it altogether today and finish like I did, yeah, I’m pretty stoked with that.”
His second nine consisted of seven birdies and an eagle, which came on his final hole, McKinney admitting it took him a little while to realise he had a chance at breaking 60.
“The ninth I hit driver just all over the pin and I saw it finish 12 feet away and I was like, ‘Oh wait, this is for 59’. So, I tried to just calm myself a bit and just rolled it straight in,” he said.
Prior to the ninth, McKinney was finding the cup from anywhere, except on the second where he left a birdie putt short. Incredible to think it could have been even lower.
“I made a good putt on one, a good sort of tricky putt. Parred two. A nice 10-footer on three, two putts and four, another one on five,” he recalled.
“My bunker shot on six nearly went in. It was pretty unlucky not to. That’s all right, I won’t complain.
“Seven hit it close. Eight, I actually holed a bunker shot, it looked like it was never missing”.
McKinney’s unbelievable second round rockets him up to fourth on the leaderboard at 12-under, five back of leader Ben Henkel, who is having a week to remember himself with scores of 62-61 to start his week in Warragul.
On a day where there was no shortage of low scoring at Warragul Country Club, it is Victorian Ben Henkel who stands tall above the rest atop the Gippsland Super 6 leaderboard after day one.
After playing the last six years without a glove, Henkel decided to give it a go in a practice round earlier this week and has kept it on today, helping him on his way to an opening course record 8-under 62.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia rookie holds a one shot lead over fellow youngsters Jason Hong and Corey Lamb tied second, before a large group of players sit tied fourth at 6-under.
Among the group is Sydneysider Jye Pickin, who has been lingering around the top of the leaderboard in several Tour events this season but has been unable to breakthrough for a win as yet in his debut year.
Beginning his day on the tenth at Warragul, Henkel got into his work early with a birdie at 11 followed by an eagle at the par-5 12th. Two further birdies had him turn in 5-under, with the course record already in his sights.
A bogey at the fairly straight-away first halted the scoring, but only momentarily, as Henkel resumed his charge immediately storming home with four more birdies at three, four, six and nine.
“Been playing really solid lately, hitting a lot of greens, a lot of fairways, just waiting from them to drop and today they started to,” he said.
“Every time I went for a shot I was on the good side of the green and I think that’s pretty important around here. You can be pretty shortsighted on some of those slopes.
“Had a good caddie, good local caddie Max who helped me with a few things.”
Courtesy of the junior pro-am on Tuesday afternoon, Henkel found a last-minute caddie in Warragul junior Max, who provided some insightful advice on the interesting layout.
Rising through the amateur ranks with professional golf always on the horizon, Henkel’s ascension was dramatically altered following a car accident in 2019.
Suffering a fractured vertebrae, Henkel was sidelined from golf for 12-months, the sport becoming a distant priority throughout recovery. He is certainly making up for lost time now.
Having missed the cut at the Vic PGA at Moonah Link last week, the same venue he was successful at during Qualifying school earlier in the year, Henkel was quick to shift his focus to this week.
“It’s my first time here, so I came down and played Monday and Tuesday, just get two 18s in and see the place. Felt pretty comfortable standing on the 10th tee to start the day.”
It has been an interesting first year on Tour for Henkel. He played well in his debut at the PNG Open for a top-10 finish, but since then it has been a lot of middle of the road results.
“It’s been really great, really challenging,” Henkel said of his first year on Tour. “The kicking in the bum that I needed has been playing around that cut line for most of the events.
“Being around the bubble has been hard but it’s been good too, it’s made me a bit hungrier to play well and be up the top of the leaderboard.”
With Lamb and Hong just one back, and Pickin and co. within touch too, there are plenty of players all vying for the same glory at Warragul, a first Tour win.
Lamb is perhaps the man who desires it the most. After finishing runner-up three times, and twice this year, he knows it’s not far away.
“Just got to keep playing solid and then in the match play anything can happen,” said Lamb.
For Hong, while hungry for that first win all the same, the trophy would come with the added bonus of playing rights, which is gold for the Sydneysider who has just returned from college golf in the States.
“The dream is to get a win this week and then set myself up for January and the rest of the season through to the next,” said Hong.
“If not, I’m just going to have to keep Monday-ing in and yeah, just kind of go from there. But Q School in April, that’s the biggest thing.”
Emerging cult hero Corey Lamb knows that a first professional win is not a matter of if, but when, and there’s no time like the present.
Those that have been following Lamb’s journey, first through the amateur ranks and now on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, have a growing sense of expectation that a breakthrough is imminent.
With two runner-up finishes already this season at Webex Players Series South Australia and alongside Cameron Smith at the Ford NSW Open, it is a view the Hunter Valley product shares.
His consistent season continued last week with a top-10 finish at the Victorian PGA Championship, solidifying his place inside the top 10 of the Order of Merit.
Currently sitting in seventh position, Lamb is the highest-placed player in this week’s Gippsland Super 6 field and likes his chances at Warragul Country Club.
“I know I can do it, it’s just a matter of it happening,” said the 23-year-old.
“Warragul really suits me. I like the greens and it’s pretty short. I mean, I chip and putt really good, so I think if I can get it around the greens, I should go well.”
Admittedly a little tired coming into his fifth event on the trot, Lamb says the confidence he has found in his game this season has allowed him to conserve energy when required.
“I did a lot of good practice before the season started and I was pretty confident in my game,” he said.
“I’m playing really well, so it’s been good to not have to play as much. If you’re struggling, you need to do a more practice, but I’m sort of getting away with not doing as much.
“I know my game well enough, so it’s all about just recovering and being ready come Thursday.”
Despite playing well in Warragul last year, Lamb missed out on advancing to the Sunday medal match play, an opportunity he is eager not to miss out on again this time around.
“I’ve always loved match play and I’ve actually played really good when I have played match play back in my amateur days,” he said.
In 2019, Lamb took out the Queensland Boys Amateur and the NSW Junior Championship in consecutive weeks, but a maiden professional win has eluded him.
His consistency is carrying him forward though, and Lamb knows that if he keeps banging the door down, eventually it will give way.
“The process is just keep doing what I’m doing and everything will come when it wants to.”