Crawford comes back from the brink

Unsung Queenslander Cory Crawford has produced his own comeback for the ages with a one-shot victory in the Vic PGA Championship at Moonah Links.

More than seven years after his one and only Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory – in Port Moresby in May, 2017 – he has logged his second win after at least two years of struggle with a back fracture that was not originally diagnosed.

The 32-year-old who plays out of Sanctuary Cove holed a right-to-left 12-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole which turned out to have secured the victory at 14-under par.

But before he knew that the championship was his, he had to hit the driving range to keep warm while American Tyler McCumber came down the par-5 18th on the Open course.

McCumber was at 13-under and needed birdie for a playoff. The Floridean missed the green left with his long iron second shot, chipped up to just more than two feet, and had that putt for four to extend the contest.

But inexplicably, the man who has played 60 times on the US PGA Tour and who had looked the winner for much of the day, missed the putt and could only make a par.

Out on the range 100 metres away, the news passed through to Crawford, who had played superbly shooting a final-round 68 with seven birdies.

He was presented with the Jack Harris Cup by Marilyn Harris, the daughter of the late tour star and six-time winner of this event.

Much of the attention fell to potential miracle man Anthony Quayle, who had been penalized seven strokes in round one because of a mistake over preferred lies, and who shot a closing 69 to finish 12-under and in third behind Crawford and McCumber.

But it was Crawford who wrote the better redemption story on the day.

Victorian Darcy Brereton, who shot the equal-low round of the day, a 4-under 68, was tied-fourth at 11-under with overnight joint leader Jason Hong and WA’s Braden Becker.Crawford said he was on his “third restart” from a tough couple of years with the injury.

“A lot’s gone on. It’s been pretty difficult at times. To be in this is pretty special,” he said afterward.
Injuries have prevented him from playing much golf at all in the past few years since he injured his back in the gym. The injury turned out to be a fracture of the T10 vertebrae but the diagnosis came later, after he had attempted to play through the pain.

“It’s still a management process,” he said. “I’m still at the stage where if I move the wrong way it can come back again. But every day that doesn’t happen I’m getting further and further away from going back to where I was.”

Five or six players were deep in contention throughout a pulsating final day in difficult, 30km/h winds, but beyond bogeys at the fourth and sixth, the Queenslander was brilliant. He picked up shots at 8, 9, 12 and 13 with brilliant approaches to the green and then at 16, another lasered iron gave him the birdie that put him in front.

Crawford described himself as being “on my third restart” from the back issue, but today he felt vindicated for all the work he has done.

“I’ve worked really hard with (coach) Terry Price on trying to improve the ballstriking. It feels really good to hit some good shots under the pump,” he said.

He also paid tribute to caddie for the weekend Blake Proverbs, his fellow tour pro, especially for guidance over the putt on 18. Crawford had his read of a little right-to-left, but called Basic over to confirm it.

“Under pressure sometimes it can get a little hazy, but he was awesome. To have that bit of reassurance was awesome, and we hit a great putt.”

McCumber was the nearest-pursuer and he at one point had a two-shot lead through 12 holes. The American had flown to Australia to get some golf after his own long period of injury troubles, and he appeared on track for a win.

But he slipped out of the lead with a bogey at at the 15th, lipped out for birdie downhill at the par-3 17th hole and then could not make the birdie he needed at 18. Like Quayle, he would have reflected on the fact that in round one, he was penalized two strokes for taking preferred lie mistakenly.

Joint overnight leaders Jye Pickin (75 today) and Jason Hong (73) quickly slipped back into the pack with Pickin sliding to tied-eighth.

Quayle threw everything into his redemption story, but he fell two short.

“I’m sure when I reflect on this in a little bit of time, I’ll be really proud of this week,” he said.

Meanwhile Victorian pro James Gibellini and Tim Snow won the teams event, the Victorian Amateur Challenge, at 33-under par.

PHOTO: Cory Crawford celebrates his second main tour win. Image: Daniel Pockett

Rookie pro Jye Pickin and another New South Welshman, Jason Hong, will take the joint lead into the final day of the Vic PGA at Moonah Links tomorrow but it is a jam-packed leaderboard.

Pickin conjured an excellent third-round 68 on the Open course today to join midway leader Hong at 12-under par and give himself the chance of a first victory as a professional.

But American star Tyler McCumber is at 11-under and only a shot back after a 67 today, and three players – Queenslander Cory Crawford, WA’s Braden Becker and South Australian Lachie Barker (67 today) are only a shot farther back at 10-under.

Queenslander Anthony Quayle, who has recovered from an astonishing seven-stroke penalty called on himself in round one to haul himself back into the tournament, is among those at 9-under and in sight of a victory for the ages.

Newcastle’s Pickin, 24, turned pro in May this year after an outstanding amateur career in which he represented NSW and Australia with distinction. But coming from the coast, he is no stranger to the fierce winds that whipped across the Mornington Peninsula late today and which are forecast to return on Sunday.

He has had three scores in the 60s and has coach Khan Pullen on the bag.

“I like playing in wind,” he said. “Playing in the wind and even the rain to a certain point keeps me present.”
His previous best finish is tied-fifth in the Webex Players Series SA earlier this season, and he is feeling a level of comfort midway through his first season.

“Playing a few events with all the guys has got me playing some good golf and getting me up on the leaderboards,” said Pickin. “I’ve been more motivated the last six months than I’ve ever been and I’m trying to work off the back of that.

“The biggest thing is to play a few of these events as an amateur the last few years, really having that experience and not being in foreign territory. I knew a few guys, I knew the sort of level of competition was at. When I did come out here this year, I was able to roll with a bit of momentum that I did have.”

Hong rolled in an eight-footer for birdie at the 18th today to shoot 71 and push himself into the last group for round four, so he will sleep on good memories.

“I spoke to my caddie, I said ‘I really want to be in the final group,’ he said afterward. “It was downhill left-to-righter, right in the middle.”

But the Sydney pro, who only reached the field through Monday qualifying, said he needed to work on his swing. “I hit it everywhere today. I probably hit six or seven greens today and I was able to shoot 1-under. My putting and chipping saved me today. I don’t want to be doing that tomorrow.”

McCumber’s 67 was impressive in what began as calm conditions but ended up in a 40 km/h mini-gale. The American, 33, will be returning to the PGA Tour in America next season but he has been through a tough period with surgery on both hips and his left shoulder.

“It’s been a long time off of golf,” he said. “I’ve had three major surgeries. I came over to get some ’reps’ and play some tournament rounds. The PGA Tour of Australasia was good enough to offer me some invitations to play and I’m grateful for that.”

With 14 players within three shots, it promises to be a cliffhanger tomorrow. As for Pickin, he knows he will be nervous, but he embraces it. “They’ll be there no matter what. But I’m pumped to be in the last group and happy to be on the first tee tomorrow.”

PHOTO: Jye Pickin plays himself into the final group with his 67 today.

Anthony Quayle is within reach of the comeback of the century at the Vic PGA Championship – the Queenslander having had to carry the load of a whopping seven-shot penalty he called on himself in round one.

Quayle today told how he called the penalties – for illegal taking of preferred lies on four shots – as soon as he realized that he had erred on Thursday, and said how embarrassed that he was to make such “a rookie mistake”.

His opening 66 turned into a 73 but with rounds of 67 on Friday and 66 today, he is at 9-under for the tournament, an astonishing story of resilience. Through three rounds he is just three shots from the lead.

“It’s a mistake that’s totally on me and I totally own it,” he said after today’s 6-under round.The drama started on the 15th green in round one on Moonah Links at the Open course on Thursday.

The 30-year-old professional, who plays mostly in Japan, had just been asked by his playing partner, Tyler McCumber, if preferred lies were in play, and answered that yes, they were, and “I’ve been doing it all day”.

McCumber ultimately was penalized two shots as well for playing from a preferred lie.

At this point, he re-read a document handed out to all players by the Tour, which stated that preferred lies would be allowed on a portion of the third fairway.

The problem was, he had originally read the document as allowing preferred lies across the whole course.

“The fairways were decent,” he said. “You could see how maybe we needed preferred lies because there were a lot of collection areas with divots. Our last three tournaments on tour have been preferred lie. The document I was handed is a little half-page document that is highlighted ‘preferred lie’ and highlighted scorecard length.

“It’s a massive rookie error on my part. I had just assumed on this tour we play preferred lie a lot. I just didn’t think too much more of it. I’m kicking myself now. Turns out on that document it only said it was preferred lie on the third hole in the blue painted area. I guess that sort of sat more in the fine print of the document.”

Quayle could not even play on without addressing the issue. So at 15 green, he asked to speak to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia referee and Tournament Director Heath McLeod. “I didn’t feel comfortable hitting another shot without addressing it. I felt like I’d done something really wrong. As soon as I realized, I felt sick in the stomach, I thought I’d done something terribly wrong.”

McLeod told Quayle that he would be penalized two strokes for hitting from the wrong place on three of his shots, and one stroke for the other (because he replaced the ball in the same place, just a few centimetres off the green). In one instance, he told McLeod that he very likely placed his ball back in the same spot. “But I couldn’t be 100 percent certain, so I opted to take the two shots (penalty).”

McLeod said: “We’re proud of how Anthony’s handled it. As soon as he realised his mistake, he’s called me over, and went through it out at No. 15 green.

“He took responsibility for his actions straight away and we worked through the four separate occasions he had breached the rules and he accepted the penalty without any fuss.

“It’s just shows the character of Anthony really. To have something like that happen on Thursday, to put it behind him and come out and play some great golf the last two days is great to see.”

Quayle has contemplated it all and played brilliantly since.

“After I had a bit of time to process what happened on Thursday night, I sort of grew the opinion that ‘let’s treat this as a bit of a challenge and see what we can do. Making the cut with a seven-stroke penalty is going to be impressive’,” he said.

“After I made the cut, now it’s ‘finish as high as I possibly can because it’s going to be pretty impressive wherever I finish this week’. I sort of want the story to be as good as it can be going forward. It could be one that I remember for a long time.”

PHOTO: Anthony Quayle on his way to a 66 at Moonah today. Image: Daniel Pockett

Jason Hong has had a long week already at Moonah Links, including a practice round last Sunday and a pre-qualifying round on Monday from which he found his way into the Vic PGA Championship field.

But the Sydney professional is developing a love for the linsky Mornington Peninsula lay-outs, and he will sleep on the halfway lead at 11-under par after two superb rounds.

Hong, 26, shot a 5-under 66 today on the Legends course to go with his opening 66 on the Open course, and at 11-under he has opened up a lead of a shot from Queenslander Cory Crawford in the $250,000 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event.

If he wins it would be his first on the tour and it would give him playing rights that he craves. As it stands, he is hanging out in Sydney and waiting for tour school to come around next year.Hong has been exceptional in what have been unusually benign conditions at Moonah, with light winds.

He played his first 34 holes of the tournament without a single bogey – a streak only broken when he dropped a shot at the par-4 17th today on the Legends.

He made a long birdie putt on the sixth, and chipped in for another on the seventh, and it was all a far cry from his early chapters as a touring pro, struggling on the PGA Tour Americas and the Canadian Tour.

“I feel like my game’s improved a lot since last year, but no one would really know because I haven’t had the opportunity to play and perform,” said Hong. “I’ve finally got an opportunity this week and I’m taking it.”

After six years of college golf in America, Hong turned pro and won a stage of tour school on the Canadian Tour, but he has lost all his playing rights, a situation that would be rectified by a win at Moonah this week. “It’s pretty much ‘win or go home’,” he said.

It has been a steep learning curve for Hong. “You’re travelling so much and just learning to be a pro. It’s still something I’m trying to get used to. I’ve got a couple of years of experience, and I’m just trying to learn as fast as I can. I’ll probably be back here for a year or so and then see if I can get back to America.”

Queenslander Crawford is the closest at 10-under after his 67 on the Legends course today. WA’s Brayden Becker, who holed out for an eagle from 112 metres on the par-4 eighth hole of the Legends, is outright third at 9-under, a shot ahead of a group that includes first-round leader Corey Lamb (71 today on the Open course).

Lamb was disappointed to tread water with the course playing “the easiest I’ve seen it”, but embellished his round by holing a 30-footer for birdie at the last. “It wasn’t a great day,” he said. “Got away with a birdie at the last to shoot 1-under.”

A double bogey 6 at the par-4 14th hole did not help, after his approach plugged in the front bunker and compounded the trouble with a three-putt.

The tournament favourite David Micheluzzi is at 3-under through two rounds after an even-par 71 on the Legends today.

The Victorian Amateur Challenge for teams is led at 20-under by Deyen Lawson and Phil Bannister.

PHOTO: Jason Hong on his way to a 66 on the Legends course today. Image: Daniel Pockett

Corey Lamb came to public notice in a tournament he did not win, the Ford NSW Open this season, but he is out front in the Vic PGA Championship after an opening 64 on the Legends Course at Moonah Links today.

Lamb, 23, went head-to-head with Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert at Murray Downs a few weeks ago, with Herbert coming out on top. He finished equal runner-up, assumed a certain cult hero status, and the experience has been emboldening for him.

“I’ve taken a lot out of it. It’s definitely helping me play how I’m playing,” he said today after nailing seven birdies in a bogey-free round, and sprinting home through the back nine in 30 in perfect conditions for round one on the Mornington Peninsula.

The Hunter Valley product leads by a shot from a cluster of players at 6-under – Queenslanders Dylan Gardner and Cory Crawford, Victorian Connor McDade and New South Welshman Jason Hong and Western Australian Josh Greer, who all played the tougher Open course.

Tournament favourite David Micheluzzi opened with a 3-under 69 on the Open course and is well placed moving to the Legends on Friday. Another of the marquee group, Jack Buchanan, struggled to a 76.

But it was Lamb’s day. “It was weird, I hit it really close on probably the first seven holes and only holed two of the putts,” he said. “I got a bit cranky there, but then everything started going in.”

Moonah Links is familiar to him having graduated from Q School here a couple of years ago, and he knows that all players need to capitalize when they get their run at the slightly easier Legends course. Exactly as he did today. “I hit the ball so good, on any course today, I think I would have played really well.”

A former NSW and Queensland Amateur champion and an Australian All Schools champion, he has largely struggled to make an impact as a pro until this year, with his good result at Murray Downs and a T2 at the Webex Players Series SA.

Prior to this week he was seventh on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit; effectively he is fifth because Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert have not hit the required number of four tournaments played, and they are ahead of him. The top three at the end of the season in March will pick up DP World Tour playing rights, and it is on his radar.

“I haven’t played too good the first couple of seasons,” he said. “This year I’m finding out what works for me leading up. I’m looking at that (Order of Merit). That’s for sure.”

Lamb also leads the Victorian Amateur Challenge teams event with playing partner Andrew Colliver after they posted a net 58.

Micheluzzi was off the pace until he conjured a barnstorming finish, chipping in for birdie at 17 and then wedging up close for another birdie at 18. It is his 14^th tournament in the past 17 weeks, but he is hanging tough. “I should be more tired than I am but once it’s ‘clubs up’ I think I’m going to be done for a few weeks,” he said.

The player with the biggest regrets would have been WA’s Jordan Doull, whose opening even-par 71 on the Legends was remarkable. Doull was 9-under through 11 holes and in the mix for something sub-60. He then gave all those shots back in the last seven holes including a quadruple bogey at the par-4 15th hole.

PHOTO: Corey Lamb drives at 18 on his way to 64 at Moonah Links today. Image: Kirsty Wrice

David Micheluzzi is about to enjoy a privilege afforded to the best PGA Professionals – the honour of defending a title. In this case, at the Vic PGA Championship at Moonah Links on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula beginning Thursday.

It’s 12 months since he reeled everyone in on the final day at Moonah to secure the title, coming from seven shots behind.

It was not his first win – he had earlier secured the WA PGA, the NSW Open and the Webex event in Sydney in his groundbreaking 2022-23 season – but could not find a way to defend those titles because of his playing schedule.

This time he is back as the winner and on familiar ground, at courses (the Open and the Legends) that he has played dozens of times. Plus with the pro-am element to this week brought by the Victorian Amateur Challenge, it means that he will play in a team with two good friends.

At the end of a long and arduous year travelling around the world on the DP World Tour, it has a good vibe to it. “It’s just good seeing the boys again and it’s a more relaxed environment. Just go out, play some golf and enjoy the end of the year.”

Micheluzzi has taken good strides since he won here last year, playing 24 times on his first full-time crack at the DP World Tour, making €609,000 and pushing his world ranking to 228th. His passport is chock full and “almost done”, but he is not looking for an out; he is renowned as a grinder, happy to play five or six weeks in a row.

“It’s been good. I’m slowly coming to terms with it becoming normal. At the start, it was like ‘I don’t feel like I belong yet’, whereas after Munich (where he was runner-up in the BMW Open), that’s when it kicked in.”

That performance took him inside the top 70 on the tour, and ultimately he made it all the way to the Abu Dhabi tournament in November, which means that in 2025, he will be in all the bigger European events. This time last year, he was at home working with coach Marty Joyce on lowering his ball flight to fit the majority of the courses on the DP World Tour.

“I’ve gotten better,” he said. “The results maybe haven’t shown it. I haven’t won this year, but at the same time, I feel like the golf game has developed from playing all different countries. My ball flight’s better, everything’s better. Now it’s doing all the little things to try and win a tournament. That’s what I have to focus on.

“I needed to change some things with my game to suit where I’m playing. This week is how I like it, low-running shots, ‘linksy’. My ball flight’s got higher. I had to because everything’s softer over there. It may not be tailored for it this week, but I’m working on things for next year.”

Micheluzzi will have a break after this week, but not for long. He’s playing the Sandbelt Invitational before Christmas, he’s entering the New Zealand Open and The National tournament to end the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season in March.

At 28, it feels like 2025 could be a big year for him. “I’m just playing bigger events, that’s all. I feel like I’m the same person.

“I want to try and make Dubai (the DP World Tour championship, for the top 70 players). I want to be a little more consistent with everything. It was a good year, a good learning experience. I was very up and down but in the last eight weeks, I’ve been more consistent.”

Micheluzzi is one of the marquee players in the field this week alongside the likes of two-time winner Jack Buchanan, Jasper Stubbs who was tied-third at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open last week and Queenslander Anthony Quayle.

The final two rounds of the Victorian PGA Championship will be broadcast live on both Fox Sports and Kayo with coverage to run from 3pm-6pm Saturday and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.

The majors may be over for another summer but the 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season remains in full swing with the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links Resort.

The pro-am format that brings the tour’s best players together with golf-obsessed celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment on the spectacular Mornington Peninsula has proven to be a popular change.

This year, those stepping out of their comfort zone to share the stage with pro golfers include acclaimed Hollywood actor Michael Pena, three-time Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott, AFL legends Dermott Brereton and Brendon Fevola and Melbourne Storm NRL star, Ryan Papenhuyzen.

They aren’t the stars of this show, though, with the likes of defending champion David Micheluzzi (pictured), Jack Buchanan, Jasper Stubbs and Anthony Quayle all seeking to advance their position on the Order of Merit.

The final two rounds of the Victorian PGA Championship will be broadcast live on both Fox Sports and Kayo with coverage to run from 3pm-6pm Saturday and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: David Micheluzzi (Victoria)

PRIZEMONEY: $250,000

LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au

TV COVERAGE: Victorian PGA Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

*All times AEDT.

Round 3: Saturday 3pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

FORMAT

The tournament will be contested over 72 holes of stroke play for the professionals with a separate team competition called the Victorian Celebrity Amateur Challenge played in conjunction. The field of 120 professionals will be paired with an amateur partner and play one round on both the Open and Legends courses at Moonah Links. The leading 50 professionals and ties will qualify for the final two rounds while in the teams event, the top 24 teams advance to Round 3 which is then pared back to the top eight for the final round. The final two rounds will both be played on the Open Course.

HEADLINERS

David Micheluzzi – Fresh off qualifying for the DP World Tour Playoffs in his rookie season, Micheluzzi was fifth at the BMW Australian PGA Championship and made the cut at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open. Micheluzzi came from six strokes in the final round to beat Ben Eccles by a shot 12 months ago.

Jack Buchanan – Continued his breakout season with a top-25 finish at the Australian Open. Winner of both the WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia this season already, Buchanan is currently fourth on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

Jasper Stubbs – The 2023 Asia Pacific Amateur champion was in contention for Australian Open glory late on Sunday at Kingston Heath. In just his sixth start since turning professional, Stubbs’s tie for third saw him climb 766 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Nathan Barbieri – The winner of Qualifying School at Moonah Links in April, Barbieri started the season with three top-20 finishes, the best of which was a tie for sixth at the WA Open at Mandurah.

Anthony Quayle – Tied for third at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, Quayle has returned home to play the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia as a way of relaunching his international career.

CELEBRITIES

Michael Pena – A passionate golfer, Pena’s Hollywood acting credits include Best Picture Academy Award winning films Million Dollar Baby and Crash along with highly acclaimed films End of Watch, The Martian and Ant-Man.

Dylan Alcott: Three-time Paralympic gold medallist and 2022 Australian of the Year

Dermott Brereton: AFL legend and five-time Hawthorn premiership winner

Brendon Fevola: Carlton great who is a two-time Coleman Medal winner and three-time All-Australian selection

Ryan Papenhuyzen: The Melbourne Storm NRL star was the Clive Churchill Medal winner in Melbourne’s 2020 grand final victory

Simon Marshall: Horse-racing identity who had 15 Group 1 wins as a jockey

RECENT CHAMPIONS

2023: David Micheluzzi
2022: Andrew Martin
2021: Blake Windred
2020: Chris Wood (Feb 2021)
2019: Campbell Rawson
2018: Aaron Pike
2017: Damien Jordan
2016: Ashley Hall
2015: Aaron Townsend

COURSE RECORD

Open Course: 62, Jim Herman (2010 Moonah Classic)
Legends Course: 62, Cameron John, Dimi Papadatos (2020 Vic PGA)

COURSE DESIGNER

Open Course: Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett
Legends Course: Ross Perrett

Holding off a group of home favourites desperate to win the Stonehaven Cup, American Ryggs Johnston scored the biggest win of his professional career at the 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath today.

The first American champion since Jordan Spieth claimed his second title in 2016 added his name alongside a list of illustrious countrymen that includes Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gene Sarazen.

Johnston (65-68-68-68) was a three-shot winner at 18-under, with West Australian Curtis Luck finishing as runner-up after a final round 4-under 68. His weekend tally of 11-under coming after a 71-68 start.

Luck held the lead late in his round, however after three weeks of consecutive golf, the man from Cottesloe admitted he was running out of steam, and bogeys at 17 and 18 ensued.

Victorians Marc Leishman and Jasper Stubbs shared third place at 14-under, after both, like Luck, looked to threaten at certain points on Sunday.

Johnston, Luck and Leishman claimed the three 2025 Open Championship spots and can start planning for Royal Portrush,, Stubbs missing out due to Leishman having a better world ranking.

Having not won a four-round event since his high school days, Johnston gained his DP World Tour status just weeks ago through Qualifying School, and has now solidified his position.

“Getting a win and hopefully getting into more tournaments and just knowing that I’ve secured pretty legit status now, it’s great,” the 24-year-old said.

Having a look at the Stonehaven Cup while the media spoke with women’s winner Jiyai Shin, Johnston was able to take in the plethora of who’s who in golf that is etched into the Stonehaven Cup.

“It’s just really cool to be in that group,” he said. “I’m just pretty honoured to be able to put my name on it now too and I’ll cherish this moment forever.”

Johnston made his intentions clear early, pouring in a putt from off the first green for eagle, and backing it up with a birdie the third.

A trio of bogeys and another birdie had the American turn in 1-under, and at that point as the leaderboard tightened, a healthy group still had chances.

It was the back nine where Johnston made the championship his own however, coming home in 3-under with the wind and the rain intensifying, and playing for the most significant result of his young career took serious grit.

“On 14, I kind of hit it right again and wasn’t in a great spot and I got myself out of trouble and made a nice 12-15 footer for birdie there,” said Johnston of the defining moment for him.

“Then made a longer one on 15 and that’s kind of when I was really like, all right, you can win this tournament.

“It was definitely a little stressful. The weather was kind of up and down. It was really nice for 15 minutes and really bad for 15 minutes.

“I knew I was right in it and then when I walked up to 17 green, I finally saw the leaderboard and saw I had a three-shot lead and then I could take a little bit of a breath.”

Runner-up Luck said: “The finish wasn’t ideal, but at the end of the day I was not really hitting balls three months ago, so I don’t think I can complain too much.

“I’ve been pretty rusty the four events I’ve played down here in Australia and I think that probably showed down the stretch and I was doing my best to clinging on, but it got the better of me.

“I think I make it pretty hard on myself quite often, so if I could clean up those areas, yeah, I still believe absolutely 100 percent that I could be right up there with the best.”

After being in the lead for most of the tournament, home favourite Lucas Herbert (74) wound up in six-way share of fifth at -12. His challenge fell away with three bogeys and no birdies on the back nine, leaving the Ripper GC team member a frustrated man as he walked off 18.

Joining Herbert in the group six shots back were defending champion Joaquin Niemann (72), BMW Australian PGA winner Elvis Smylie (72) and fellow Aussie Harrison Crowe (71), Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Wenyi Ding (72) and a charging Kiradech Aphibarnrat (68).

Smylie made a mini run with three straight birdies on the front nine but couldn’t find his Royal Queensland magic over the closing nine.

However, the 22-year-old consolidated his lead at the top of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia standings before he heads off to the Nedbank Challenge on the DP World Tour.

Meanwhile, after his runner-up finish at the PGA, Cam Smith ended his Summer of Golf by finishing equal 39th at 3-under.

With his Australian Summer of Golf campaign over, Cam Smith has expressed his desire to repeat the visit back home again on the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

Smith’s run of four tournaments, which was hugely appreciated by everyone connected with Australian golf, started at the Queensland PGA at Nudgee, continued at the Ford NSW Open at Murray Downs and BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland and ended at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath.

Although a win proved to be elusive, with two runners-up finishes the best results, he did thrill the crowds with his golf, helping to build crowd figures, broadcast ratings and media coverage.

“I would love to,” Smith said today when asked if would repeat this year’s well received longer return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

“I think I’ve got to take that as it comes. As everyone knows now we’re expecting (a baby in March), so I think that’s going to have a big thing to do with it, which was really part of the reason why I wanted to do it this year.

“But we finish (LIV Golf) again in the middle of August, so there’s no reason that I can’t play at least one or two more again.

“I’ve loved doing it … so whether it’s the same two (Tour events) or a different two, I don’t really know, but yeah, I would love to do it again.”

Smith signed off with a birdie at the last of his 288 holes for the Australian summer, posting a round of 71 at Kingston Heath for an Open tally of -3 and a tie for 41^st, well short of his goal to win the Stonehaven Cup for the first time.

After an opening round of 65 at Victoria Golf Club, he had moved to 11-under midway through his second round before a back nine of +5 put a severe dent in his chances.

“I guess that back nine on Friday really just kind of hurt and it was kind of hard to get over. I was frustrated and angry that whole night. Got a terrible sleep, up all night thinking about it,” he said.

“I feel like I did a lot right, particularly the three weeks before this, and yeah, when you have nine holes like that, when it kind of comes out the blue like it did, it’s just really frustrating, particularly the spot I was in.

“I didn’t really need to do too much more to be in the golf tournament, so it’s just really frustrating.”

Jasper Stubbs is on familiar territory, with family and friends on hand, and he is lapping up the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

Not only that, he has put himself in contention with his third-round 68 at Kingston Heath, a chance of a win in his first few months as a professional.

Victorian Stubbs, 22, sits just two shots from the lead entering the final round on Sunday having turned pro only this season.

“I mean, my last event before this wasn’t the best, but I spent some time getting back to where I know my good golf is, and this for me around Sandbelt golf is just me playing my good golf,” he said. “So it’s not unusual. I don’t feel out place at all. So it’s a nice feeling this early on in my career.”

Stubbs plays out of nearby Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, and has not wanted for support.

“I’ve got some of the guys from my golf course, PK out this week. My mum and my dad have been out this week. And yeah, golf coaches, friends, family, it’s been great to have them out and staying 10 minutes away with mum’s cooking is pretty nice as well.”

Another young Australian dreaming the dream is Elvis Smylie, last week’s BMW Australian PGA Championship victor who has backed up strongly and sits tied-third with Stubbs at 12-under par.

The 22-year-old started out hot – three birdies in the first six holes on Saturday – but then his tee shot plugged in a bunker at the par-3 eighth, and he double bogeyed the ninth to lose momentum.

But he never let it slide completely, which is a measure of his new maturity.

For the first time, he had his own mascot, an Elvis impersonator behind the green at the 15th.

“I mean, you can’t miss that outfit, so I ended up lagging my putt down from like 15, 20 feet and then I threw the ball right to him because it’s pretty cool seeing that stuff though,” he said. “That was probably one of the highlights of the day actually, besides the golf.”

Some commentary about his pace of play – Cameron Smith alluded to it on Friday – did not bother him either.

“I’m not putting too much emphasis on it,” he said. “I mean, I felt like I did a really good job today at making sure that I was always the first person to walk first off the tee box, and I did a good job with my pace today.”

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