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Cam Davis’s week at the BMW Australian PGA Championship didn’t get off to the perfect start – his luggage went missing following his flight from the United States – but it’s how he finishes his week in Queensland that really counts.
The only Aussie to be victorious on the PGA TOUR this year would love to end 2024 by claiming the Joe Kirkwood Cup for the first time at Royal Queensland or add his name to the Stonehaven Cup for a second time at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne next week.
In the opening two rounds at the PGA he will get an up-close look at two of the other expected key contenders in a feature group with NSW Open champion Lucas Herbert and France’s Victor Perez
“I want to play my best,” the Sydneysider said of his approach to two big weeks back in his homeland.
“I feel like every tournament I tee it up in, I want to play my best, but there’s just a little extra desire to play well at home.
“I don’t try and put any extra pressure on myself, but I’m definitely trying to bring my best golf to each week that I play, whether it’s this week or next week.
“I’m really looking forward to two weeks with familiar accents around me and familiar golf courses. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Davis finished T7 at Royal Queensland last year, nine shots behind Min Woo Lee, and plans to be as aggressive as possible off the tee this week.
“There’s a lot of little bunkers that if you find them it’s a lot of trouble, but if you are aggressive off the tee and by hitting the driver pretty long, it really opens this place up to a lot easier shots into the greens,” he said
“Because the fairways are very wide I don’t feel like it’s super difficult to hit them, but you just want to avoid the little pot bunkers around the fairways and then it’s just putting.
“The last few years I’ve actually hit the ball pretty well, but you just have a couple of days where the putts don’t go in.”
Davis tees off at 11.10am (Qld time) in round one.
Three of the biggest names in Australian golf will go head-to-head from day one in a mouth-watering match-up to kick off the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
Defending champion Min Woo Lee, three-time champion Cameron Smith and the returning Jason Day will tee off in the second group off the 10th tee at 6:10am (Qld time) on Thursday morning.
It’s a dream draw for Brisbane golf fans and a tantalising heavyweight showdown that could go a long way to identifying who will raise the Joe Kirkwood Cup come Sunday afternoon.
Tied for second at last week’s Ford NSW Open and third at the Queensland PGA a fortnight ago, Smith is seeking redemption at Royal Queensland after missing the cut 12 months ago.
The 31-year-old was almost brought to tears as he made an early exit on Friday a year ago, the 2022 champ as motivated as ever to perform in front of his adoring fans.
“It was completely disappointing to play how I did last year,” said Smith.
“It was terrible. It was a terrible feeling. I think being a Brisbane boy probably even hurt a little bit more and it’s not very often I get to play in front of a home crowd.
“We have a few events here in Australia but I like to think this is my home event.
“It was a terrible feeling so that was definitely part of the motivation to get up and get ready for this week.”
Lee’s 2024 international campaign came to a close on Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship, his year highlighted by two runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR and an Olympic debut in Paris.
His victory at RQ 12 months ago marked the start of his ‘Let him cook’ phenomenon that spawned chefs hats and took the golf world by storm.
With the prospect of a million-dollar hole-in-one for fans on Saturday, the 26-year-old is excited to bring his infectious enthusiasm to Aussie golf fans once again.
“It’s a cool feeling to be back at the tournament where it first started, but I’m just trying to make the game cooler and fun,” said Lee, whose social media following has exploded in the past year.
“It can be boring at times but I’m trying to make it as fun as possible.
“There’s a lot of kids that look up to me and that’s one of the things that drives me to play good golf.
“The crowd here is amazing and I know there’s a lot of kids that come out, especially on the weekends.
“The best crowds all year round so just try to make it fun and cool and try to play good golf.”
While Smith and Day last played together in a practice round at The Masters in April, it will be an Olympic reunion of sorts for Day and Lee.
The pair forged a strong bond during their time together in Paris, Lee drawing on Day’s experience as a major champion and former world No.1 in order to elevate his own game.
“Jason’s been a very good friend and a good role model over the last few months since the Olympics and Presidents Cup,” said Lee, currently world No.48.
“I’ve learned a lot from him and I owe a lot. Just things that you would kind of learn down the road. He’s telling me what he’s done over the last, how many years he’s played and a lot of wisdom I guess.
“It’s great to have him in Australia. It’s been a while and hopefully we get to play together and show off.
“I really love and appreciate that he is down in Australia playing.”
Simth joked at the Queensland PGA that it had been “about 123 years” since Day last played in his home state but is also excited to have such a quality addition to the field.
“Jason and I are still relatively close. We talk a little bit,” said Smith.
“As a competitor, you want to compete against some of the best in the world. I feel like this week and next week we’ve got a really good field, so it is going to take a lot to win.
“Having those guys in the field that are known winners, when they’re there or thereabouts on Sunday definitely gives you something else to think about.
“It’s great. That’s really what you want.”
Other morning marquee groups announced on Tuesday are Australian Marc Leishman, American Harry Higgs and rising Danish star Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (6:20am) and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Aussie pair Anthony Quayle and Harrison Crowe (6:30am).
The afternoon groups are highlighted by French star Victor Perez and PGA TOUR winners Lucas Herbert and Cam Davis (11:10am), Kiwi duo Kazuma Kobori and Daniel Hillier with England’s Todd Clements (11am) and West Australians Jason Scrivener and Curtis Luck with Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (11:30am).
For BMW Australian PGA Championship tickets, go to ticketek.com.au
The Australian PGA Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Major Events Program and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
Photos: Dan Peled/PGA of Australia (Smith, Leishman); Scott Davis/PGA of Australia (Lee)
Queenstown local Ben Campbell is looking to make the most of his home-course advantage when the New Zealand Open, presented by Sky Sport, returns to Queenstown next year.
Campbell hopes his intimate knowledge of the two Millbrook Resort courses will give him the edge to claim the championship.
Campbell, who plies his trade across the Asian Tour and LIV Golf, has played some of his best golf at the New Zealand Open in recent years but has yet to see his name on the trophy and says he’s hoping to lean on his past experiences and local knowledge to gain a competitive edge over the rest of the field.
“It’s great having the New Zealand Open here in Queenstown. It’s my home, and it’s a real honour to be able to play in an internationally recognised event on my home course,” he said.
“I’ve gone really close on a few occasions, which has really helped push my game, mentally and technically, to the next level. It’s now about preparation and leaning on my knowledge of the course to hopefully be in the running once again.”
Campbell was part of the dramatic three-way playoff in 2017 when eventual winner Michael Hendry became the first Kiwi in 14 years to claim the title. Since then, international players have dominated the top spot on the leaderboard, a streak that Campbell is looking to break.
“There is always a good local crowd out supporting me and I am really looking forward to teeing it up again next year. The goal is to have my name as the next Kiwi on the trophy and I will be doing everything I can to make that happen.”
Tournament Director Michael Glading believes Campbell has the talent and experience to be the next New Zealand Open champion, and is excited to see him attack the championship courses at Millbrook Resort come February.
“Ben is a fantastic ambassador not only for Queenstown but for the New Zealand Open. He is always promoting the region and our event wherever he goes. To have him committed to the event is a real plus for us as an exciting player who will no doubt have a huge amount of local support.”
The 104th New Zealand Open will tee off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between February 27 and March 2, 2025. For more information, please visit nzopen.com
Seventy years a member of the PGA of Australia. Forty-five years as the Head Professional at Royal Queensland Golf Club. No person better encapsulates the union of Australia’s PGA Championship and Royal Queensland than Charlie Earp.
One of only four people to be elevated to PGA Immortal status, Earp is best known for guiding the game of a young Greg Norman, turning a raw talent from North Queensland into someone whose record as world No.1 has been bettered by only one golfer.
Yet Earp’s influence on Australian golf stretches far beyond the waters surrounding the Great White Shark.
Major champions Wayne Grady, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Karrie Webb and Cameron Smith have all spent time in Earp’s orbit, a man who applied the rhythm of horse-riding to how the body needed to move in the golf swing.
Days out from the start of the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship, Earp shares his unlikely rise from a dairy farm in northern New South Wales to one of the most revered members in the history of the PGA of Australia.
The second day that I set foot on a golf course was my first day of work to become an Assistant Professional under Reg Want, who was the Professional at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads Golf Club.
It was explained to me by my boss that you’re a professional, and you carry yourself like a professional because you are the backbone of the club. When the people first come in, you’re the guy they’re going to see. And you’re the guy that they’re going to see after they finish their game.
I used to ride horses a fair bit on our dairy farm and the coordination I learnt to work with the horse, not the horse work with me, helped in understanding what Reg was talking about with regards to the golf swing. It’s about finding the swing that suits them − for their body. There’s not two people in the world who swing the club the same. They’re all built differently, so you have to design a swing based on what they’ve got to work with.
The most important thing to me was to work on a pace. To get people to slow their swing down, you’ve got to find something for them to do. I would tell people that it’s like starting an outboard motor on a dinghy. You can pull it with your right hand and do it as quick as anything, because you’re trying to crank it over. Now do the same thing with your left hand and you can’t do it as fast. I used to get right-handed players to push the club back with their left arm. That would slow them down to a pace that suits them.
Norman Von Nida paved the way, a bit like Joe Kirkwood. I think he had 67 or 68 tournaments that he won over the years and he went over there without a pound to his name. He paved the way. I admired him so much for what he was capable of doing. He wasn’t a very big man but pretty strong in the arms and the legs. He set a great example. Always dressed very nicely, and he thanks Walter Hagen for that.
I really think the person who deserves more credit for what he’s done in the world of golf is Joe Kirkwood. He went overseas to America and he teed up with Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood was a big part of where the golf tour is today. The PGA of Australia is very lucky to have a person of that calibre to name our PGA championship after. He deserves more media, more respect.
When I first started at Royal Queensland, I wasn’t allowed in the clubhouse to have a drink or anything. You’d go out the back to be able to get a drink. I think we were the first golf club in the Commonwealth to allow the Professional into the bar.
I never seriously thought of leaving RQ in the 45 years that followed. Some of the guys asked me to go to Royal Sydney after Alex (Mercer) had finished there but they’ve been good to me. They’ve looked after me and been wonderful all the way through. It’s a wonderful club.
Greg (Norman) was so easy to teach. He was already a good golfer. I’d see him and might only say a few words while he was hitting balls. The good players are all easy to teach; it’s just finding out the solution that’s going to help them to get the result they want.
The story of Greg hitting a ball over the Gateway Bridge is absolutely true. Excuse me for dropping names but (Federal politician) Sir James Killen was with us. I said to Greg, ‘Do you reckon you could hit a ball over that bridge?’ He said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ We went back to where the original tee was for the 12th and he hit six balls, three over and three under. And they were still rising as they went over the bridge. The gantry was still working, building the bridge, and so there’s the bridge and then the gantry on top of that, and he hit them over the gantry.
Corinne Dibnah had a silky swing. She won a British Open and a European Open. I never got to see Ben Hogan. One of my wishes in life was to see Ben Hogan and meet Ben Hogan but I never met him.
Karrie (Webb) used to come down here and come away on a couple of state trips with us. She had mongrel. She was determined. I don’t know where she picked it up from – it might have been born in her – but her attitude was that ‘this is my tournament and you’re not going to take it away from me’.
It never felt like a job; it felt like a pleasure to me. To be doing something that you like and something that you love, what more do you want in life? Helping people to enjoy themselves. Couldn’t get anything better than that.
Some of the biggest names in Queensland sport will show off their golfing talents when they join the professionals from the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Wednesday’s pro-am at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
The list of celebrities teeing it up includes Brisbane Lions AFL premiership-winning duo Cam Rayner and Will Ashcroft, Brisbane Broncos NRL captain Adam Reynolds, the Dolphins’ Tonga representative Isaiya Katoa, Brisbane Heat cricketers Matt Renshaw and Max Bryant and Queensland Reds centre Isaac Henry.
There are also two Queensland State of Origin legends in Cameron Smith and Paul Vautin who will feature in the same group with DP World Tour and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia professional Daniel Gale and recently retired Broncos and Maroons winger Corey Oates.
The sporting stars are all in the morning field which tees off at 7am (Qld time) where they will be joined on the course by marquee players Jason Day, Cam Smith, Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Marc Leishman, Victor Perez and Jordan Smith.
The afternoon wave at 1pm (Qld time) is highlighted by Harry Higgs, Lucas Herbert, the past two Challenger PGA Tour of Order of Merit winners Kazuma Kobori and David Micheluzzi and former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.
Entrance to the pro-am is free for the general public and a great chance to see the stars up close before they reach round one of the $2 million championship on Thursday.
Free parking is available at Curtin Ave West, under the Gateway Bridge.
The BMW Australian PGA Championship will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as the NINE Network/9NOW.
For BMW Australian PGA Championship tickets, go to ticketek.com.au
The Australian PGA Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Major Events Program and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
One is on his first trip Down Under while the other is simply happy to be home as first players took to Royal Queensland Golf Club on Monday ahead of the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship starting Thursday.
In his long-awaited return to Queensland, former world No.1 Jason Day was one of the earliest on course on Monday morning, defending champion Min Woo Lee still en route after finishing tied for 24th at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
American Harry Higgs spent last week in Melbourne familiarising himself with the famed sandbelt while West Australian Haydn Barron cancelled his plans to play the Monday qualifier at Wynnum Golf Club after receiving one of the last two tournament invites on Sunday night.
Higgs achieved social media infamy when he and Joel Dahmen ripped their shirts off at the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open in 2022 in celebration of Higgs making par.
If he was to make a hole-in-one at the Dabble Party Hole at RQ on Saturday, fans in attendance will share in $1 million, Higgs promising to make it a moment to remember.
“There’s no telling what I would do,” Higgs said of a million-dollar hole-in-one.
“I have been a staunch, I’m never doing it again, and I feel pretty confident that I wouldn’t now…
“A million-dollar hole-in-one and then just a hole-in-one in general, I can’t say for sure that I would keep that promise that I would never ever do it again.”
Headed back to the PGA TOUR in 2025 after a two-win season on the Korn Ferry Tour this year, Higgs also means business in his Australian debut.
The 32-year-old played both Kingston Heath and Victoria last week in preparation for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and is ready to test his game in what he compared to major championship atmosphere.
“This week and next week I’m playing two major championships,” said Higgs.
“To see the folks that have basically, not noticed me, but maybe noticed me carrying my golf clubs through the hotels or whatnot, these two events are a big deal to them, so they should be a big deal to me.
“And it’s nice to travel to a different part of the world, play a little different golf and just see how you stack up and certainly play against still some phenomenal, phenomenal golfers.”
Barron is back at Royal Queensland after a rookie season on the DP World Tour that exposed him to every element of professional golf.
He narrowly missed out on retaining full playing rights at Qualifying School in Spain last week and was grateful to receive the invite that Lucas Herbert no longer needed after winning the Ford NSW Open at Murray Downs.
“I went and walked Wynnum yesterday and had a look around and kind of tried to get my head around a few of the tee shots,” said Barron.
“It looked pretty quirky but I managed to get the call-up last night, so straight in and straight here today, which is nice.”
The 28-year-old’s best finish in 2024 was a tie for ninth at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and he will likely spend the majority of 2025 on the secondary Challenge Tour.
It’s why two tournaments on home soil to start the 2025 DP World Tour season present such a unique opportunity.
“I’m not going to get a whole lot of opportunity on main tour now. It’s going to be predominantly Challenge Tour,” said Barron, whose best finish at Royal Queensland was a tie for 12th when Jed Morgan won in January 2022.
“Hopefully you can get some points up these next couple of weeks and try and make something happen.”
For BMW Australian PGA Championship tickets, go to ticketek.com.au
The Australian PGA Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Major Events Program and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
Australian brand SParms has joined Australia Golf’s commitment to championing a sun safety revolution by becoming the Official Sun Protection Supplier for the upcoming two Aussie majors, the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
SParms is renowned for its commitment to producing high quality wearable sun protection gear and more recently organic sunscreen ideal for wearing on the golf course.
Its iconic sun protection arm sleeves are already used by a wide range of players on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia.
For this summer’s majors, the sleeves have been added to the uniform for volunteers and staff in a bid to minimise the risks associated with prolonged UV exposure.
They will be protected from over 99.8% of UV rays where SParms UPF50+ certified products are worn. SParms’ proprietary material will also help keep them cool while they are on the golf course.
PGA of Australia and Golf Australia Chief Commercial Officer Michael McDonald said: “We are dedicated to equipping golfers, young and old, with better education and solutions to the dangers of prolonged UV exposure that every golfer faces.
“We are excited to work with SParms, an Australian-owned company promoting sun safety on and off the golf course.
“With about two in every three Australians diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70, the importance of sun protection for golfers is something we are keen to lend our voice to alongside a trusted brand in SParms as a leader in the sun protection sleeves market.”
The SParms range has changed the way hundreds of athletes and, in particular, professional golfers around the world from all tours protect themselves from the harsh UV rays of the sun.
Australian golf legend Karrie Webb said: “It’s so great to see that Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia is leading the way in taking greater measures to protect golfers from the harsh UV rays.
“As golfers are out in the sun all day, it’s so important that our sporting bodies recognise and bring awareness to better ways to keep sun safe.
“With SParms, golfers, event staff and volunteers will have peace of mind that their arms will stay protected whilst staying cool.”
Photo: SParms ambassador Daniel Gale
He carried the hopes of a nation at the Paris Olympics and French star Victor Perez has urged Australian fans to be patient with the ascension of defending BMW Australian PGA champion, Min Woo Lee.
Lee returns to Royal Queensland Golf Club this week ranked No.46 in the Official World Golf Ranking but without a win in the past 12 months.
Lee’s three-shot win at RQ last year was one of the most electrifying displays from an Aussie on home soil since Adam Scott’s masterful summer in 2013, the ‘Let him cook’ calling card bringing its own sense of expectation among fans.
Given his experience playing with Lee first on the DP World Tour and the past two years on the PGA TOUR, Perez believes it is only a matter of time before the 26-year-old solidifies his place as one of the world’s best.
“He has got incredible length, which obviously plays a massive strength in his game,” said Perez, who returns to the Australian PGA for the first time since 2018 ranked No.74 in the world.
“He’s got really good hands around the greens so he is kind of the total package.
“Sometimes people have really high expectations and I always want their guy to break through and get on the front of the scene and stuff like that, but it’s not like the guys he’s playing against aren’t good either.
“Sometimes a bit of patience goes a long way when it comes to breaking through.
“I don’t think he needs to particularly do anything different than what he’s currently doing and obviously experience is only going to add to his package.”
Few players will appreciate what Perez himself experienced at Le Golf National in August.
With enormous and patriotic galleries flanking the fairways, Perez had the honour of hitting the first tee shot of the men’s Olympic golf competition.
Four days later he had the French faithful frothing at the prospect of an Olympic medal, shooting 29 on the back nine to fall an agonisingly one shot shy of a medal playoff.
“It was an incredible experience. I don’t think the players, and me included, expected quite the turnout that it was,” said Perez.
“It was great for golf in general to give people hope and a chance. Obviously, I was making a run on the back nine and feeling like it was worth watching and following the French guy; it was obviously really biased towards me.
“It was really, really fun and just a great experience besides the fourth-place finish.”
The 32-year-old will spend the majority of 2025 on the PGA TOUR for the second consecutive year, the lure of a Ryder Cup debut looming large in the distance.
While reluctant to project that far forward, Perez admits that banking some DP World Tour points in Australia the next two weeks could be crucial in reaching his ultimate goal.
“I’ve been doing this enough now to know that it’s not something you can get in January, February, March, and even in April, May, June,” said Perez, who spent 10 days in Sydney with his Australian wife’s family and a week in Melbourne prior to arriving in Brisbane on Sunday.
“You’ve just got to keep playing and then kind of just see where the chips fall.
“It’s obviously going to be a big talking point, but having been in that loop twice already, I know what you’re supposed to do; I just haven’t been able to do it the last couple of times.
“This would be kind of a start of DP World, an opportunity to get some points on the board early when some of the guys are resting.
“There’s plenty of things coming that good performances are going to bring along so there’s lot to play for sure.”
For BMW Australian PGA Championship tickets, go to ticketek.com.au
The Australian PGA Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Major Events Program and Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Starting four shots back on the final day at Murray Downs, Lucas Herbert has clawed his way back to lift the Kel Nagle Cup at the 2024 Ford NSW Open by three strokes and claim his first win on home soil.
Signing for the low round of the day, a 4-under 67, Herbert finished the championship at 15-under, with the entire final group of Alex Simpson, Corey Lamb and Cameron Smith all tied second at 12-under.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Jack Buchanan and Kiwi Josh Geary sharing fifth on 9-under, while four players found themselves in a tie for seventh another shot further back.
In his first round of the week separated from his mate and Ripper GC captain Smith, Herbert was able to set the pace in the penultimate group as he went about making up ground early.
An unsuccessful equipment change on Saturday meant Herbert’s trusty putter was back in the bag, and it didn’t let him down, pouring in three birdies on his opening nine, including back-to-back on eight and nine.
“To be honest I was struggling with the putter all week,” he said. “I really didn’t feel comfortable the first two rounds, especially over left or right putts.
“Went to the putting green after the round on Friday and we knew then we were going to switch putters for the next day, unfortunately it looked like I was holding a rattlesnake out there for a while.
“Came off the course, grabbed the other one. I reckon I hit two putts and was like, yep, this is going back in tomorrow, and it just felt incredibly better.”
With Smith making two bogeys and turning in 1-over, Herbert had drawn level with the major champion, and the shootout he predicted – and hoped for – came to fruition, albeit in separate groups.
With another birdie on 13, Herbert stood tall as the outright leader for the first time on Sunday, and never looked back, steadily coming home in even-par from there as Smith and others misfired on the bid to catch him.
“I just set my expectations in the right places. Dom (Azzopardi) and I said walking to the first tee, like 2-under today is going to be a great score, hitting shots on the range and they’re getting smashed sideways,” Herbert said referencing Sunday’s strong winds.
“You just had to take your chances when you could get one close and then just scramble for pars as well as you could at all other opportunities.”
Already a PGA TOUR and DP World Tour winner, this is remarkably Herbert’s first win in Australia, and while it comes across the river in New South Wales and not his home state of Victoria, the proximity to Bendigo makes this one extra special for him.
“Very, very special to win in front of all my friends from Bendigo, some family in there as well,” he said
“To beat Cam starting four shots back on Sunday. Yeah, pretty special feeling.
“I was thinking that today a little, maybe a couple of times I let my mind slip a little bit and I was like, ‘geez, I’ve never won a Tour event in Australia’, like something of this stature. So very, very cool to tick that one off the list.”
With the first Aussie win under his belt, Herbert has his sights firmly on the next two weeks as he heads to the BMW Australian PGA Championship, and then onto the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
“The next two weeks are going to be stronger fields, tougher golf courses,” he said.
“I’m going to have to be sharper with the game, but we’re definitely on the right track if we’re producing the results we had this week.”
Photo: Golf NSW.
Cameron Smith has pulled away from the field today at Murray Downs after a 5-under 66, to secure a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Ford NSW Open.
While it has been Smith versus Ripper GC teammate Lucas Herbert all week, after a frustrating 1-over 72 from Herbert today, Smith will be joined by two new playing partners for Sunday’s round.
Hunter Valley’s Corey Lamb and 41-year-old Alexander Simpson, who plays much of his golf on the adidas Pro-Am series, will stroll the fairways with major-champion Smith tomorrow.
Lamb is Smith’s closest challenger at 13-under, the 23-year-old fired a 67 today to continue his quest for a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory.
While tied third with Herbert and Kiwi Josh Geary at 11-under, it is Simpson who makes up the final group after a steady 3-under 68 today to continue his magical week thus far.
With his biggest pay-day in professional golf currently $3600, Simpson is in uncharted waters. Having already demonstrated he has the game to match it some of the world’s best this week, one more low one is far from out of the question.
The penultimate grouping on Sunday consists of Herbert and Geary, alongside former NSW Open champion Harrison Crowe, who carded a 3-under 68 today.
While Herbert held a two-shot overnight lead, Smith was able to flip the script early, playing his first five holes in 4-under. The highlight an eagle on the par-5 fourth, his second knocked in close.
Three more birdies on the back nine for Smith, while Herbert made two frustrating doubles, meant his lead was continuing to stretch.
After looking like his game was on cruise control for 16 holes today, Smith tugged an iron off 17 tee and found the fairway bunker left.
As if to rub salt into the wound, an overhanging tree meant Smith’s backswing was impeded, and in the blink of an eye the 2022 Open Champion walked off with a double bogey of his own, just letting the rest of the field back in slightly.
“It was really a shame to not finish as good as I wanted to,” said Smith. “Did what I needed to do today and on 17 there it was just, I don’t know. I don’t even know what it was to be honest. It’s all a blur.”
It was the only mistake Smith made all day, and while it could have been more comfortable lead, the Queenslander knows any 54-hole lead is a blessing, considering he will have the rest of the field hunting him, including Herbert.
“Leading into the last day is where you want to be, you want to be there thereabouts. I just need to do more of the same as what I did today,” he said.
“With Herbie having the day he did today, I expect that he’s probably going to come out with a good one tomorrow.
One of the players out to hunt down Smith, and not daunted by the prospect, is his Sunday playing partner Lamb.
“I want to be the best, and you’ve got to play with the best to be the best,” Lamb said of his Sunday pairing.
Hunting his first Tour win, Lamb has come close, with back-to-back runner-up finishes at the last two Webex Players Series South Australia events.
Having taken out the NSW Amateur and Queensland Amateur in consecutive weeks in his junior years, Lamb has a winning mentality, and knows it is only a matter of time out here.
“I think if I can get off to a solid start, it’ll give me a lot of confidence to go through to just play good golf,” he said.
“I’ve played well the last three rounds, and I feel like I’ve sort of left a few out there.
“The last two days I could have went a bit lower, so hopefully they can all drop tomorrow and I have a perfect round.”
Photo: Golf NSW.
