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Jeff Guan has provided a detailed account of the sickening injury that has cost him complete vision in his left eye and derailed his promising career.
One of Australian golf’s brightest young talents, Guan suffered a serious fracture to his left cheekbone and eye socket after being struck by a ball during a pro-am late last month, just a week after making his debut on the US PGA TOUR.
In a heartfelt statement (below), Guan explained the sequence of events leading to the accident, describing how a routine moment on the course turned into a nightmare.
“As my group teed off on the third tee, I drove up to my playing partner’s ball,” he recalled.
After playing his shot, Guan turned toward the cart and was putting his club back in his bag when disaster struck.
“The instant ringing and pain rushed to my head, and I dropped to the ground.”
The severity of the injury was immediately apparent. Guan was rushed to Moruya Hospital and then later airlifted to Canberra for emergency treatment.
Guan underwent two surgeries in quick succession, with specialists at the Sydney Eye Hospital working tirelessly to save his damaged eye.
The injury is complex. Besides the loss of sight, multiple fractures occurred around the lower eye socket, extending into the cheekbone and forehead. Guan will likely require more surgery in the coming months to repair some of the damage.
After weeks in intensive care in unimaginable pain and anxiety about his future, Guan revealed that despite a brief glimmer of hope when his eye pressure stabilised, he had already lost complete vision in his left eye.
The road to recovery will be long and uncertain, with an estimated six to 12 months of healing required. Doctors have told the 20-year-old he cannot even think about swinging a club for at least six months.
The accident has left the Golf Australia Rookie Squad member reeling both physically and emotionally, as the realisation his years of dedication and dreams of a career on tour are now in jeopardy.
“I was utterly distraught… It has come at a tremendous cost and has significantly affected me and my family.
“How in the world am I supposed to recover, return, and be the same player I was?” Guan said in his statement.
Despite the uncertainty, Guan expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support he received from family, friends, and the golfing community.
“I don’t think I would be where I am right now without all the encouragement,” he said, adding that he remains determined to overcome this trauma with his characteristic resolve.
“I will be back,” he vowed. And if Guan’s renowned perseverance is any indication, this story is far from over.
An Australian Sports Foundation fundraising page has been established to help Jeffrey. All donations to ASF projects are tax-deductible.
Donate here – Support for Jeffrey Guan
Jeff Guan Statement:
As most of you are aware, I was hit in the left eye with a golf ball during a pro-am last month.
Many of you want to know what happened, as there has been very little good news over the past four weeks. I have been waiting for the assessment report on my eye to release information.
I remember this: As my whole group teed off on the third tee, my playing partner and I (whom I shared the cart with) hit our drives on the right-hand side of the fairway.
I drove up to his ball, and he hit his second shot (about 30 metres behind my ball).
After he had hit, there was no sign of anyone or anything on our side behind us, so I drove us to my ball. It took roughly 45 seconds for me to prepare and execute my shot.
As I turned towards the cart to put my club away, that was when I was struck.
The instant ringing and pain rushed to my head, and I dropped to the ground. Voices sounded pretty muffled, and the next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance being transported to a hospital with skin patches containing high doses of Fentanyl.
I was taken to Moruya Hospital for scans, then airlifted to Canberra for immediate treatment whilst also being assessed by an eye specialist.
I had my first surgery that night; I was in unbearable pain, and anxiety about my future was swirling in my mind.
A day later, I was transferred to the Sydney Eye Hospital to undergo another surgery, more tests and further treatment.
The best eye specialists and nurses were arranged for my immediate appointment. After the second surgery, I spent the next two weeks in intensive care. This stay was critical to make sure my eyeball was stable.
My eye pressure was way too high to be in any state of ordinary, and I had lost vision completely in my left eye.
I couldn’t do much; sleeping was difficult, let alone walking or eating. Any activity that required energy meant I was in excruciating pain.
It wasn’t until the third week that I received the news that my eye pressure suddenly decreased towards the norm, and the eye looked much more stable.
Though this was the first piece of positive news, my doctors told me that my injury was severe, with several fractures around the eye socket, and recovery would take at least six months to a year.
During my nights in hospital, I almost drowned in thoughts about the injury and my future in the sport. Not only was I utterly distraught by the news I had received, but the whole situation made me very depressed and somewhat angry.
As you can imagine, this whole situation not only came at a tremendous cost but has also significantly affected me and my family emotionally and mentally.
The thought of all my years of hard work and training, plus my family’s sacrifice, had just been thrown out the window.
The frustration is unbearable. Why did this happen?
How in the world am I supposed to recover, return, and be the same player I was, or even better?
I had no idea. I was devastated and felt so lost.
It didn’t help that I was in constant pain, and the days spent in the hospital felt endless.
Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have a huge support group around me, and I can’t thank all of them enough for the support I have received in recent weeks.
I wouldn’t be where I am right now without all the encouragement and assistance I have received.
As a kid, I have always had a lot of perseverance and persistence.
I will continue to work hard and do my best to achieve my dream.
These four weeks have been the toughest of my life, but I am stronger mentally and will be ready to conquer any obstacle in the future.
Again, I can’t thank everyone enough who reached out to help rebuild my strength physically and emotionally.
I will be back.
Much love, always, Jeff.
Follow the 2022 Open champion, Cam Smith, as he returns to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for the first of four tournaments this season.
His opening round at the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club gets underway from the 10th tee at 6.45am (Qld time) on Thursday.
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, maximum 31 degrees
Playing partners: 2024 Cameron Smith scholarship holders Wes Hinton and Kayun Mudadana
We are underway
Cam Smith’s start to the QLD PGA doesn’t get off to a great start with his drive headed left into the water, but after a drop it’s a good approach to middle of the green with 20ft left for his par four.
One hole in the books
The par putt for Smith slips by left of the hole and leaves a 2ft clean up bogey and it is on to 11th for his second hole of the day with a solid crowd following in the warm morning air on a perfect day for tournament golf.
Green in Regulation
The long par-3 11th sees Cam safely aboard the green with his tee shot but a long putt upcoming to the front left pin. A 40ft birdie attempt upcoming for the major champion playing alongside two of his scholarship winning amateurs.
Par from long range
After lagging his birdie attempt to three feet, Smith holes a testing short putt to secure his first par of the day as he moves to the par-4 12th.
Another par at 12
After hitting another tee shot slightly left and finding the rough, it was a great approach shot to 10 feet behind the hole for Smith.
The birdie putt from 10ft comes up a couple rolls short of the hole and he knocks it in for par to stay at 1-over through three holes as the crowd continues to watch on with great interest at Nudgee.
Close call for birdie at 13
Taking his drive down the left side to open the green up at the par-4 13th, Cam gives himself the best look at birdie so far today with a second shot to 6ft.
His birdie putt hits the left lip but doesn’t fall, it’s another par for Smith as he stays 1-over and five shots back of Jack Harrison, with the Victorian off to a hot start of 4-under through six holes.
Time to scramble at the 14th
It is another drive left of the fairway at the longest par-4 on the back nine, with Smith’s ball nestling down in the Kikuyu. He is able to advance it only as far as the front bunker, with his legendary short game needed to make par.
Even with a short game as good as Smith’s, the plugged lie in the face of the bunker was a tough ask. He splashes out to 25ft and will face a testing putt to save his par.
And in it goes! The first big cheer goes up from the crowd as Smith makes his long par putt.
More rough to navigate at the 15th
It is the first par-5 of the day for Smith and his drive is left again and finds the rough, with the Kikuyu thicker in parts and the lie largely determining the strategy from here.
Looks to be time for some more short game magic for Smith at 15 after his second shot goes left up near the putting surface with plenty of elevation, as he and coach/caddie this week work to get the growing crowds in the right spot as he tries to navigate the 532-metre hole.
A decent pitch up to the putting surface leaves 15ft for Smith for birdie to get his round back to even par.
The birdie try comes up a foot short of the hole, story of the day so far for Cam. Par it is and he remains 1-over while more than 20 of the morning field are under par so far in their opening rounds.
Finding the fairway on 16
Smith has found the fairway on the par-4 16th, setting up a good chance to get it in there close for another birdie look.
From the right side of the fairway, Smith’s approach finds the putting surface and he has an outside look at birdie from 22-feet.
And it’s in!!! Smith rolls in his first birdie of the day which gets his round back to even par and might be the spark the champion needs.
With back-to-back eagles, West Australian Ryan Peake has jumped into the lead at 3-under, Smith with some ground to make up.
Middle of the fairway on 17
Off the back of his long birdie conversion, Smith has piped his drive down the middle of the fairway on the 500-metre par-5 17th, and will have a shot at the green in two.
Choosing to layup to 75m, Smith has left himself with great chance to knock one close and setup a chance at back-to-back birdies.
In textbook fashion, Smith’s wedge approach spins in tight to six feet, setting up a great chance at another birdie.
It’s in again! Back-to-back birdies sees Smith enter red figures for the first time in this championship and sees him on his way to posting a number on his back nine.
Artistic flair on 18
Absolute special bit of creativity from Smith on 18th green, after he his tee shot on Nudgee’s famous closing par-3 found the back left of the green.
Smith putted away from the hole from back left, up into the fringe on the right side of the green, feeding down to 2 feet. Then young Wes Hinton followed suit and finished just inside Smith’s ball.
A par means Smith makes the turn in 1-under.
Positive start to his back nine
A regulation par on the first, was followed by a nice birdie putt on the second from five feet for Smith.
A two -putt par on hole three followed, and smith is now 2-under on his day.
Recovery for the ages on the fourth
Finding the pine straw to the right of the par-5 fourth fairway, Smith has played an extraordinary hook shot through the trees down the adjacent hole and back 20 metres short of the green.
Just a short pitch in left Smith with 5 feet for birdie.
It’s in again, Smith is charging now at 3-under.
Another par-5 special at the fifth
With two perfect shots, Smith has found the 485m par-5 fifth in two.
With 35 feet for eagle, Smith rolled his attempt close and tapped in for yet another birdie. At 4-under Smith is now tied for the lead.
Safely in the fairway on the sixth
Playing back into a stiffening wind, Smith’s drive safely finds the fairway, 160m left in.
SHORT GAME MAGIC! Smith’s legendary touch around the greens is on show, the star chipping in for birdie on six. Three on the trot!
5-under on his day, Smith is just one back of leader Billy Dowling.
Back to regular programming on the seventh
After finding the right side of the fairway with his drive, Smith’s 40m pitch over the bunker left him 12-feet for birdie.
The putt just slid by, tapping in for par.
The crowds are out in force watching the champ this morning, providing fantastic support with two holes to play.
A fightback complete
Two final pars on eight and nine coming in has Smith finish five-under on his day, one shot back of leaders Phoenix Campbell and Billy Dowling.
After a slow start, Smith played his final 12 holes in 6-under, and will be looking to continue that scoring on Friday at Nudgee.
Phoenix Campbell’s title defence has entered a new realm as Cameron Smith prepares to play the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club for the first time in almost a decade.
The first of four events that Smith will play on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this summer, Smith’s inclusion has elevated a tournament that dates back to 1926 to a level not seen since the 1980s when the likes of Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch, Peter Fowler and Peter Senior all won in a nine-year span.
Campbell made some history of his own 12 months ago when he became the first amateur to win the Queensland PGA Championship and returns two starts into his career as a professional.
He knows that with Smith in the field, going back-to-back is an even greater challenge.
“It is going to be awesome. I’m super excited,” said Campbell, who was tied second last week at Webex Players Series South Australia.
“I’m hoping to tee it up with him sometime this week, if not the next coming weeks.
“I think it’s great for the event. There’s going to be a lot more people out watching, which will surely lift the event and make it more fun to play in front of people.”
Cameron Smith continues to give back to junior golf, via @TonyWebeck.#QldPGA | @visitbrisbane | @NudgeeGolfClub1 https://t.co/lu43asRKog
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 28, 2024
Back in Brisbane for the first time in a month after playing the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan, coming through stage one of Korn Ferry Tour School in Florida and finishing top-10 in his professional debut last week in South Australia, Queenslander Quinn Croker is also excited to tee it up in the same event as Smith this week.
Croker was part of the Royal Queensland Golf Club grounds crew at last year’s Australian PGA Championship but now gets to share the fairways with Smith at Nudgee.
“To see him come home, it almost feels like you can test your game against his,” said Croker.
“Obviously it depends on the type of week he has. If he has a very good week, it’s probably going to be better than your very good week. But you kind of hope that maybe Sunday your name’s right next to his and you get to play the final round with him.”
The final two rounds of the Queensland PGA Championship will be broadcast live on both Fox Sports and Kayo with coverage to run from 12:30pm-5:30pm AEDT Saturday and Sunday.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Phoenix Campbell (Victoria)
PRIZEMONEY: $250,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: Queensland PGA Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 12:30pm-5:30pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 12:30pm-5:30pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
HEADLINERS
Cameron Smith – The 2022 Open champion and three-time winner of the BMW Australian PGA Championship. Smith captained the Ripper GC team to the team title for the 2024 LIV Golf season.
Jack Buchanan – 2024 WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia champion. Current leader of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
Anthony Quayle – Winner of the 2021 Queensland PGA Championship and 2020 Queensland Open
Phoenix Campbell – Defending champion and tied for second in his second start as a professional last week at Webex Players Series South Australia
Elvis Smylie – 2024 WA Open champion and current Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader
Rhein Gibson – Two-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour
Daniel Gale – 2023 Webex Players Series Hunter Valley champion and 2021 Queensland PGA runner-up
They’ve slept under his Florida roof, travelled on his private jet and now Wes Hinton and Kayun Mudadana will share centre stage with Cameron Smith at this week’s Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club.
The first of four events that Smith will play on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this summer, the Queensland PGA Championship has been elevated significantly by The Open champion’s presence.
No one will have a better view for the first two rounds, though, than Hinton and Mudadana, this year’s Cameron Smith Scholarship recipients.
As this year’s scholarship winners, Hinton and Mudadana spent a week with Smith in September, honing their games under his tutelage in Florida before watching the Queensland legend in action at LIV Golf Chicago.
The pair played three rounds with Smith while they were in the US and now get a taste of what it’s like to play inside the ropes with thousands of golf fans watching every shot they hit.
“Playing golf with Cam before this is really beneficial because we were both really nervous to play with him because Cam’s going to see every single shot we hit,” said Hinton, a Brisbane native who plays out of Keperra Country Golf Club.
“If he hits a bad shot, he’s going to see it and you don’t want to hit bad shots in front of him.
“But now that that’s happened, you’re more used to it. It’s accepting that you will hit bad shots and you’ve just got to live with it.
“There’s going to be a lot more nerves. It’s going to be about trying to accept that, turn those nerves into excitement.
“It’s a privilege to be playing under that sort of pressure.”
Estimating that the biggest crowd he has played in front of is “maybe 20 people”, Mudadana is ready to embrace any pressure that accompanies such an illustrious grouping.
“I don’t really get too distracted by it, I just try to play my best,” said Mudadana, a member at New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney. “Just to show them how good I can be.
“I don’t really get too nervous by it.”
While they now get to see Smith go to work inside the ropes, both Hinton and Mudadana said their greatest takeaway from their time with the three-time BMW Australian PGA champion was his intention during practise… and how he disconnects in his down time.
“When Cam is practising, he’s very engaged in his practise – more than anyone in the whole world I’ve heard,” said Hinton, who won the Cameron Smith Junior Classic at Wantima Country Club in 2022.
“When he’s practising , he’s fully involved in it and then he gets away from the game. But when he’s there, he’s training better than anyone.”
“Watching how he practises and uses his time and just what he does besides golf to distract him from golf,” said Mudadana of what he observed. “Not always just being a hundred per cent golf.
“It was pretty cool to watch what he does in an off week and practise even at the tournament. How he prepared for it was pretty cool.”
Both have tried to find that balance since returning to their home clubs while at the same time honing some of the short-game wizardry that Smith shared during their time together.
They’re shots that might come in handy as they seek to turn two rounds with their idol into two further bonus rounds on the weekend.
“I thought maybe he might be pretty serious when he wants to practise and we’d have to do our own thing, but he really taught us and took us on board,” said Mudadana.
“He gives back a lot to Golf Australia’s junior golfers, which is really good. Not many other guys do that.”
“He was very active in helping us learn,” added Hinton.
“When we went out to the chipping green, he would come out and check in, give us some tips.
“He helped mine and Kay’s technique a lot, how to hit certain shots, how to play out of the rough and stuff like that. Short game tips was definitely the most helpful.”
A course-record round of 8-under 62 has earned South Australian Jack Buchanan a second victory of the season at the Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett at Willunga Golf Course.
Ten strokes off the lead after 3-over 73 on day one and five back when he teed off on Sunday, Buchanan played his final 48 holes in 17-under par for a 14-under total.
After a wait of more than an hour, it would prove to be more than enough, finishing three clear of Victorian Phoenix Campbell (64), Hunter Valley’s Corey Lamb (68) and Kathryn Norris (69), who chipped in for birdie on the final hole to cap the best week of her young career.
Norris and overnight leader Brett Rankin (73) both made steady starts playing in the final group before faltering around the turn.
Norris made bogey at both nine and 10 as Rankin made double-bogey at 10 and bogey on 11.
Fast out of the blocks with consecutive birdies at one and two and an eagle from 15 feet at the par-5 fourth, Buchanan soon gained the ascendancy.
Playing six groups ahead of the final group, the 22-year-old kept the foot to the floor.
Despite a dropped shot at eight, he made the turn in 5-under and then added another birdie on 10.
Jack Buchanan claims victory at the 2024 @Webex Players Series @southaustralia after setting a new course record 🏆#WebexPlayersSeries pic.twitter.com/udvwvQB2zw
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 27, 2024
He assumed the outright lead with a birdie on 13 to get to 13-under, only to fall back to 12-under with a three-putt bogey at the par-3 14th.
It would be just a slight stumble as Buchanan responded with birdies at 15 and 16 to reach 14-under, making two superb par saves on both 17 and 18 to set a mark that would remain unmatched.
It is Buchanan’s second win in three weeks on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, his win a fortnight ago at Kalgoorlie proving crucial down the stretch at Willunga.
“I think it made a huge difference,” Buchanan said of the confidence he gained from his win at Kalgoorlie.
“I said to my caddie, Patty, on 16 after I hit that iron shot, I said, ‘Kal’s made a big difference to me.’
“Just a little bit of self-belief and knowing that you can actually do it when you need to.”
Conceding that he was not in the best frame of mind when he bogeyed four of his final six holes on Thursday to be 10-strokes off the lead going into Round 2, Buchanan knew he needed a good start to the final round to be any hope.
“Five shots back, I didn’t really know,” added Buchanan, who now moves into top spot on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
“I said to my caddie, if we start off hot, you never know. That’s kind of what I did and just ran with it.
“I wasn’t overly happy (after Round 1) to be fair. Just a couple of three-putts. I feel like I lost my concentration a bit but hit it flawless since then.
“Just strived to play as good as I could every day.”
Two weeks after his historic G4D Tour win in Spain, Steve Alderson made it consecutive Webex All Abilities Players Series South Australia victories at Willunga, finishing three strokes clear of Wayne Perske with Tom Ryan one shot further back in third.
“I had a lot of local people wanting me to do well and just back up what I did in Spain,” said Alderson.
“I just didn’t want to crash and burn and just be like a one-hit wonder basically.
“It was quite tough coming down the stretch for me. My brain was in overload. I found it hard to hold back the tears on the last couple of holes, but had a big enough lead which helped to just to get the job done.”
In the Webex Junior Players Series South Australia event, Kooyonga Golf Club’s Malachy Marshall added to his SA Boys’ Order of Merit win with a seven-stroke victory over Billy White.
Adapting to parenthood and a new putter has put Brett Rankin in position for a drought-breaking victory at the Webex Players Series South Australia.
The Queenslander had five birdies in a bogey-free round of 5-under 65 to reach 11-under, one shot clear of Kathryn Norris (64), Ben Eccles (65), Chris Fan (68) and Jake Meenhorst (69).
Norris matched Cory Crawford for the round of the day and will play alongside Rankin in the final group, seeking to join Hannah Green, Sarah Jane Smith and Min A Yoon as women to have won a Webex Players Series event.
She will first have to hunt down Rankin, who made birdies at 10, 12 and 17 to edge ahead as he seeks a second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory to go with his 2019 NT PGA Championship win.
Winner of the World Sand Greens Championship at Binalong Golf Club last month, Rankin was top six at both the PNG Open and WA PGA Championship thanks in part to a new LAB putter that has been in the bag for the past six months.
“I really struggled the last two seasons with the putter and then last year was a bit of a process of adapting to having a newborn,” said Rankin, who had wife Nicole and daughter Dakota in the gallery on Saturday.
“It was just trying to find the right times to practise, how much time I could practise. Some tournaments I felt like I was a bit underdone and then I just really struggled with the mental aspect of the putting.
“I made a significant change around March this year. I’ve gone to an arm-lock (grip) and a LAB putter and it’s done wonders.
“I’m picking up about 2.5 shots per round putting and it shows. That’s 10 shots and I’m shooting 10 to 15-under every tour event now.
“Ball-striking, I’ve been pretty strong for a few years now, but the putting is definitely the turning point for me.”
Like Rankin, Norris has added confidence to her ability to fly the flag for the WPGA players entering the final round.
Not only that, after a career-low 64, she has belief that her game is good enough to beat the boys on Sunday.
“If I play like I did today and hole some putts, which obviously is tricky out there, I can definitely be in the mix,” said Norris, who caddied for her partner Jordan Doull in the final group at Kalgoorlie a fortnight ago.
“It’s obviously there. See how I handle it and see what goes my way.
“I’m sure a lot of the girls will be cheering me on because it is hard work. We don’t hit it that far. And even with our head starts, we’re still struggling to keep up with the men.
“I’m sure I’ll have some backing.”
A high five to cap off an eagle finish 🦅#WebexPlayersSeries | #TheChaseIsOn pic.twitter.com/wOIFf4XOKM
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 26, 2024
The 2023 champion at Kalgoorlie, Eccles re-entered the conversation with a stunning finish.
After turning in 3-under, Eccles dropped a shot at the par-4 15th but holed a 12-footer for birdie at the par-3 16th and then chipped in from just short of the green for eagle at the par-4 18th for a 65 and just a one-stroke deficit.
“I feel pretty good about where I’m at,” said Eccles.
“Head’s in a good space so it was nice to play obviously that way and finish that way.
“The game felt pretty good all day to be honest.”
Willunga local and defending champion Steve Alderson (75) has a two-stroke lead in the Webex All Abilities Players Series SA event while Billy White (72) and Malachy Murphy (72) share a four-stroke lead over the field in the Webex Junior Players Series SA tournament.
The final round will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo from 1pm-6pm AEDT on Sunday.
Kiwi pair Kerry Mountcastle and Jake Meenhorst have surged to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway mark of the Webex Players Series South Australia at Willunga Golf Course.
Mountcastle (pictured) became the latest player to match the course record of 7-under 63 while Meenhorst came home with five birdies in his final seven holes for a 6-under 64 to join his countryman at 9-under par.
They have a one-stroke lead from Round 1 leader Chris Fan (69) and last year’s runner-up Andrew Campbell (67) with Quinn Croker (66), Jasper Stubbs (68) and veteran Matt Millar (65) a further shot back in a tie for fifth.
A total of 52 players made the cut of 1-under, Kathryn Norris the best of the four WPGA Tour players who advanced to the weekend at 4-under.
Winner of the Gippsland Super 6 last summer, Mountcastle is a familiar face on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia while Meenhorst is kick-starting his professional golf career having spent four years at the University of Tennessee.
Starting Round 2 on the back nine, Mountcastle had the course record at his mercy when he went out in 6-under 28.
He holed a putt from eight feet to begin with a birdie on 10, converted from six feet at 11, holed 20-footers for birdie at both 14 and 15 and then stiffed his approach into the par-4 16th to make it three straight.
With his wedge-game dialled in, Mountcastle hit his second shot to 18 to three feet for his sixth birdie but traded two bogeys with three birdies on his back nine to post 7-under.
“Finally hit a few good golf shots,” said Mountcastle, who has finished tied 33rd and tied 35th the past two weeks.
“I’ve been close the last couple of weeks. Hit some good shots but then followed up with some really bad ones.
“Just haven’t been able to get anything going but managed to capitalise on those good golf shots today.”
Just two Kiwis leading the charge in @southaustralia 🤩🇳🇿#WebexPlayersSeries | #TheChaseIsOn pic.twitter.com/Bh0cBtKOyJ
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 25, 2024
Playing on the same limited category that Mountcastle used to great effect 12 months ago, Meenhorst is seeking to make the most of every opportunity.
He made the cut at last week’s WA Open and now finds himself in a share of the lead in his fourth start for the season.
“It was kind of a little monkey on the back, missing some cuts out here,” Meenhorst said of making the cut at Mandurah Country Club.
“Once I got the first one, I feel like I kind of belong out here now.
“It’s been pretty awesome posting some good numbers this week.”
Conceding last year’s runner-up finish to Austin Bautista was the one that he let get away, Campbell again finds himself in position to push for a maiden PGA Tour of Australasia title.
One-under through 16 holes on Friday, Campbell pulled to within one of the lead with two closing birdies and is now ready to take advantage of the chance that eluded him a year ago.
“One of the biggest takeaways for me was I just learned how to win a golf tournament, even though I didn’t,” said Campbell.
“Lots of good memories and I’ve definitely grown a lot as a golfer in a year’s time from going through that.
“Just going to keep putting myself in position and I know something will come my way soon.”
Norris only narrowly missed the cut at her home club a week ago and could have been within one of the lead if not for costly double-bogeys each of the first two days.
“You feel like you should be birdieing most of the holes and then it just gets you every now and then,” Norris said.
“You just so quickly can make a mistake and all of a sudden it bites you.
“Just trying to iron out the mistakes and take my pars when I need to and then cash in on the other holes.
“Definitely into the weekend, just play steady and wait for the opportunities to arise.”
The main field will be joined by competitors in both the Webex All Abilities Players Series and the Webex Junior Players Series on Saturday, a junior to join two pros in each of the final 12 groups.
The final two rounds are broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo with Round 3 coverage to begin at 3pm AEDT and the final round 1pm on Sunday.
Photo: David Brand
New South Welshman Chris Fan has equalled the Willunga Golf Course course record to take a two-stroke lead at the Webex Players Series South Australia.
Playing in one of the final groups of the day, Fan navigated the cool, gusty winds to post 7-under 63 and establish a two-stroke lead from rookie Jasper Stubbs (65), 2023 runner-up Andrew Campbell (65) and wily veteran Jason Norris (65).
Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Elvis Smylie (66) is one of four players at 4-under, picking up from where he left off at the WA Open a week ago to be well positioned heading into Round 2.
The top of the leaderboard is new territory for Fan, however, who has a best finish of tied for 20th at the Queensland PGA Championship 12 months ago.
His Thursday 63 was one shy of his career best of 62 set in Round 2 of The Heritage Classic in January, building on the work he has done with coach Ben Paterson at Avondale Golf Club in Sydney.
🚨 EQUAL COURSE RECORD ALERT 🚨 #WebexPlayersSeries | #TheChaseIsOn pic.twitter.com/QjtNhzJ7QD
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 24, 2024
Two-under through nine holes, Fan made four birdies in five holes after making the turn, taking advantage of the par-5 17th with a final birdie to be the first to reach 7-under.
“I felt like I’d hit some really good shots on the front nine. It was nice to see those putts start to drop on the back nine,” Fan said.
“Once you get into that sort of rhythm where you keep giving yourself opportunities, you sort of think they’re bound to fall eventually.
“As long as I keep trying and doing my best, I’ll be happy with myself.”
Tied for second one shot back of Austin Bautista last year, Campbell prepped for his second crack at Willunga with a round at Royal Adelaide Golf Club on Wednesday.
It proved to be a good approach as he went bogey-free to once again be in the frame for a maiden PGA Tour of Australasia title.
“I did change my game plan to last year, just a couple holes,” he admitted.
“I’m attacking a little bit more, but with the wind conditions, you’ve just got to keep it on the short stuff around here.
“You’d love to hit driver as much as possible, but realistically, it’s not that type of course.
“Put it in position and keep yourself out of trouble.”
A total of 36 players finished the first day in red figures, Jordan O’Brien (69), Danni Vasquez (69) and Kathryn Norris (69) the best of the WPGA Tour of Australasia players in Round 1.
It was yet another encouraging start for Smylie, who shrugged aside the mental fatigue from last week’s breakthrough win to once again occupy a spot near the top of the leaderboard.
“There’s still messages that are coming through from last week, so it’s definitely nice to wake up to that,” said Smylie.
“But I know that there’s still a job to do. Everyone starts from square this week and I’ve got off to a really good start. Six birdies, two bogeys for 4-under and really liking the course.”
Round 2 tees off at 7:30am local time Friday with the final two rounds to be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
Photo: David Brand
One of the new young stars of world golf, South African Aldrich Potgieter, and American crowd favourite Harry Higgs are locked in as two of the first overseas entrants for next month’s BMW Australian PGA Championship,
Potgieter (pictured) will play his first professional tournament in the country where he developed his game while Higgs comes to Australia for the first time on the back of two Korn Ferry Tour wins this year to regain his PGA Tour status.
They will be joined by another KFT winner this year, Chilean Cristobal Del Solar, who has been inspired to play in Australia by countryman and reigning Australian Open champion Joaquin Niemann.
Just 20-years-old, Potgieter is headed for the PGA Tour in 2025 after a huge year on the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT) in 2024, including becoming the youngest winner in the Tour’s history, beating the record held by Jason Day, when he won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in January.
Although he was born in Mossel Bay on South Africa’s Southern Cape, Potgieter moved to Perth with his family when he was a child, eventually becoming a member of Golf WA’s High Performance Program.
A member at the Joondalup course, he won the South Australian Junior Masters by nine shots in 2020, the 2021 WA Amateur and was second in the 2021 Australian Boys’ Amateur before, at just 17, becoming the second youngest winner in the history of the British Amateur Championship.
The two-shot win in The Bahamas, thanks to a closing 65, was followed by two other top-10 finishes to see Potgieter finish 29th in the end-of-season standings.
“Growing up in WA, I always enjoyed watching the big tournaments each summer every year in Australia,” Potgieter said.
“I can’t wait to get to Royal Queensland and experience everything about the BMW Australian PGA Championship. There’s plenty of the guys I came through the amateurs with who are now professional who I’m looking forward to catching up with.
“And then there’s the challenge of going up against players like Jason Day, Cam Smith, Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis.”
The affable Higgs, who has won twice on the KFT in 2024, has been a popular figure on the PGA Tour where his best results have included two runner-up finishes and T4 at the 2021 US PGA Championship.
“Australia has always been on the destination list for Kailee and I,” Higgs said.
“We love travelling and seeing new parts of the world.
“It’s all worked out for me to come down to play both of the Aussie majors this year which I’m sure is going to be a great experience.
“It will be a real honour to play in both the Australian Open and Australian PGA in front of the Aussie fans.”
Del Solar’s 2024 highlight was a four-shot victory in The Ascendent, his fifth worldwide success.
“Seeing my great mate Joaquin (Niemann) play so well in Australia last year and hearing from him how much he enjoyed the country, the golf courses and the atmosphere of the events, made it an easy decision to come down and experience it for myself,” he said.
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.
Quinn Croker knows he left some money on the table last season.
As he shored up the final phases of his amateur career, Croker made nine starts on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, making the cut in each one and finishing inside the top 10 four times, his best result a runner-up finish at the Heritage Classic.
“I don’t know the exact figure, but I know that I did miss out on a little bit of money last year,” Croker reflected.
“Hopefully it just banked up and maybe I’ll be able to get it this year.”
The exact figure was $48,042.76 of prize money not received.
But as Croker prepares to make his professional debut at Webex Players Series South Australia at Willunga Golf Course this week, the 22-year-old views it as an investment he needed to make.
“I finished maybe ninth at the NT PGA and obviously I played solid, but I didn’t feel like I played out of my skin,” Croker said.
“The last finish that really stuck at home for me was The Heritage playing with Matty Griffin and Jak Carter in the final round.
“‘Griffo’ went on to have 23-under that week and I finished second so that made me think that if I play good, there’s definitely an option to winning some of these events.
“That kicked home and that was very confidence boosting.”
A week later Croker won the Australian Amateur Championship at Yarra Yarra Golf Club before embarking on a final international amateur expedition to America that yielded two top-three finishes, including runner-up at the prestigious Southern Amateur.
He advanced through First Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q School last week and has now set his sights on maximising the Future Tour membership that provides direct entry to the PGA Tour of Australasia this season.
“I definitely feel like I’m ready to be out here,” said the Toowoomba-born Croker.
“It’s just now I’m actually a professional now. I’m not an amateur doing it.
“Even if you’ve proved yourself as an amateur, which I did out here last year, it just feels different now. Now I feel like every shot matters more.
“I know it’s still the same golf shot, it’s still executing what you can, but it feels like it matters more because there’s just that little bit more pressure.”
Crediting his parents for their early guidance, Croker says the move into Brisbane to start working with Chris Gibson at Royal Queensland Golf Club was critical in turning potential into professionalism.
“He really started to push me in the right direction to make sure I was doing things how I should be,” he added.
“Then I was in QAS (Queensland Academy of Sport) and they’ve helped me over the last four years along with Golf Australia. They really dial in what it is to be a professional.
“They’ve been instrumental to where I am now. Hopefully in the next couple of years I’m able to show that it was worth it.”
Webex Players Series South Australia is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo on Saturday (3pm-6pm AEDT) and Sunday (1pm-6pm AEDT).
