A host of Australia’s best up and coming female talent will be out to join the likes of Hannah Green and Sarah Jane Smith as a Webex Players Series winner at this week’s Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett.
Returning to Willunga Golf Course in the scenic McLaren Vale region of South Australia for the second straight year, this week marks the first in the five-event Webex Players Series on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
Not only does it showcase men and women playing against each other on the same golf course for the same prize purse but incorporates the Webex All Abilities Players Series and the Webex Junior Players Series across the weekend.
After stellar amateur careers, Queensland pair Quinn Croker and Justice Bosio will make their respective debuts as professionals while WA Open champion Elvis Smylie will be eager to bolster his position at the top of the Order of Merit.
South Australian hopes will rest with WA PGA champion Jack Buchanan, WA Open runner-up Jak Carter, LET Access Series winner Kristalle Blum and rising amateur stars Amelia Whinney and Raegan Denton.
Play begins on Thursday morning with the final two rounds broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Austin Bautista (New South Wales)
PRIZEMONEY: $200,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: Webex Players Series South Australia 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)
HEADLINERS
Elvis Smylie – 2024 WA Open champion and current Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader
Jack Buchanan – 2024 WA PGA champion
Kristalle Blum – 2021 The Athena champion, 2022 LET Access Series winner
Daniel Gale – 2023 Webex Players Series Hunter Valley champion
Adam Bland – Japan Golf Tour and Canadian Golf Tour winner
Justice Bosio – 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur competitor making pro debut
Jak Carter – Fleurieu local and 2024 WA Open runner-up
In a dramatic final day at Mandurah Country Club, Elvis Smylie has claimed his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia win at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open in its 100th year and remarkable conditions.
For the second straight week on Tour, extra holes were needed to decide the champion, with Smylie edging out eventual runner-up Jak Carter on the first play-off hole after both were tied at the top at 19-under after 72 holes.
Also playing in the final group, local West Australian hope Curtis Luck finished in solo third one back at 18-under, with Victorian Matias Sanchez fourth at 15-under.
It was all about the final group today however, with all three players trading the lead at various points, and with scoring made difficult on the final day as the rain settled in over Mandurah, no player further back in the field was able to make a charge.
While overnight leader Carter started slow with two early bogeys, both Luck and Smylie started charging early and found themselves tied at the top.
A Carter birdie at six kept him in the hunt, as all three players played the next seven holes in even par. Keeping the friendly golf going, all players birdied 14, Smylie remaining two shots ahead of Carter and one of Luck.
Smylie and Luck made their first bogeys of the day on 16 and 17, Smylie’s lead now cut to one over both his playing partners coming up 18 after multiple delays due to the weather.
Both Smylie and Luck found the green safely with their second shots, but faced lengthy birdie putts which neither would convert, while Carter hit his second to a metre and drained the birdie putt to force the play-off in high winds and intermittent rain.
Heading back down 18, Carter took the honour and leaked his tee shot right finding a bare lie in the trees and some casual water he eventually got relief from, before Smylie piped his first down the right-centre finding the short grass.
A punch into the left greenside bunker was the best Carter could manage, while Smylie stepped up and almost holed his wedge, spinning it to two feet and placing one hand on the Roy Paxton Bowl.
As Carter holed out eventually for bogey, all there was left to do for Smylie was roll in his short putt and make his first Tour win official.
For those who have watched Smylie grow up, this win is a long time in the making, and the Queenslander’s relief as that final putt dropped was evident as he took his cap off and let out a primal scream to the skies.
“It means absolutely everything,” said Smylie. “I’ve been busting my backside out here for the last three years and to be able to get my first win, it means absolutely everything.
“I’m just so grateful and appreciative for all the people that have been by my side since day one, and the people that have me right now, I wouldn’t be in this position without them.”
Speaking to the wedge that sealed his victory, Smylie says he turned to a club that has been faithful to him all week.
“I actually used the exact same club that I used on 16 in the third round to hole-out with. So definitely have some good vibes with the 50-degree wedge at the moment,” he said.
“Hit a nice low flighted wedge shot and I’m not sure exactly where it landed. It’s an elevated green, but obviously hit it to about two foot and really nice knock it in and notch my first win that way.”
With Hannah Green winning on the LPGA tour today, it makes it two worldwide wins for Ritchie Smith coached players on the same day, Smylie revealing that his game has gone to another level under the star West Australian coach.
“It speaks volumes to the quality of coach that Richie is and the amount of great players that he has in his stable is really strong and I really enjoy being in that environment and practising and training with him,” said Smylie.
Coming off a third place finish at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX-Civil & Logistics, Smylie now shoots to the top of the Order of Merit, with Jack Buchanan having a solid week to only drop to second.
Young West Australian Ollie Marsh was the low amateur of the tournament, taking home the prestigious Terry Gale Cup, while NSW’s Lochie Smith made it back-to-back wins in the All Abilities championship.
Searching for his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory, Jak Carter holds the 54-hole lead at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open in its 100th year, after a third-round 6-under 65 at Mandurah Country Club.
Starting his day one behind overnight leader Zach Maxwell, Carter continued to attack the pin with his wedges and short irons, including at the last where he rolled in a final birdie putt to snatch the outright lead at 18-under.
Also searching for his first Tour win, Elvis Smylie will begin the final round one-shot behind Carter at 17-under, after a 65 of his own today highlighted by a hole-out eagle on 16 which catapulted him up the leaderboard after a slowish start.
Joining Carter and Smylie in the final group on Sunday will be 2016 WA Open champion Curtis Luck, who fired a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, putting himself in a great position at 15-under to capture a second Roy Paxton Bowl.
Overnight leader Maxwell was unable to advance his charge significantly in the third round and sits fourth at 14-under, with Victorian Matias Sanchez solo fifth at 12-under after a tidy 69 today.
The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Carter was unstoppable with his wedges, and all week, a trend he would love to continue tomorrow.
“I’m flagging the wedges real tight, which is just making the game a whole lot easier,” he said.
When he is playing well and in contention, Carter says he gets into a real flow-state, able to block out everything around him and just focus on his game.
“I started the day at 12-under and then I looked at the leaderboard and I was like ‘how am I at 17-under?’,” he said
“It happens more often when I’m playing in the last groups.
“Whenever I am playing in these situations I’ll just completely switch off to everything, and the only thing I’m trying to focus on is just to make sure that I’m one shot better than the group.”
After Carter spent most of Saturday extending his lead, a three-shot swing on the 16th courtesy of the Smylie hole-out, which Carter said “Never looked like missing”, meant the pair were tied at the top coming down the final two holes, before Carter separated himself again on 18.
Smylie describing his eagle two on the par-4 in a very matter of fact manor … “It was 98 metres, I flighted a really nice 50-degree, and I knew as soon as it came out it was going to be pretty good.”
Carter had a breakout season on the Tour last year, but despite several top-10 finishes, could not break through for his first win.
Tied sixth at both the WA Open and Webex Players Series Murray River, third place finishes at the Gippsland Super 6 and Queensland PGA Championship, as well as a tied-second at the Heritage Classic, Carter is desperate to finally breakthrough tomorrow and has certainly set himself up well.
Other than Smylie, Carter’s main challenge will come from local hope Luck, who is showing no signs of rust despite not playing much tournament golf at all in 2024.
“I still don’t really know what to say about the form. I guess I’m just riding a bit of luck at the moment,” the West Australian said.
“My wedge play and putting’s been quite good, so if I hit a couple more fairways, keep it inside the tree line, I think we’re in a good place.”
It was eight years ago that Luck triumphed at the WA Open as an amateur and recalls how important it was getting him to where he is today.
“I mean obviously that was an exciting week that really kicked off my professional career, so very thankful that it happened and it’s a very nice memory for me to have,” he said
“I would love to hit some more form I had at that point in time. That’d be really great.”
Slightly further down the leaderboard at 11-under is last week’s winner Jack Buchanan, who had a 65 of his own today in the first group of the day, and may pose an outside threat.
“I’m going to have to,” Buchanan said on improving on his Saturday score. “I reckon I can though, I didn’t make a bogey the last two days, so it’s been good.
“Just got to go out there with the same game plan, try and make as many birdies as I can.”
If Buchanan were not able to make it back-to-back wins tomorrow, he’s getting behind fellow South Australian Carter, although says he will be trying to set the pace ahead.
“If I don’t win, if I wanted anyone to win it would probably be him, but I hope I can chase him down. We’ll see what happens.”
Young Queenslander Zach Maxwell has backed up his impressive opening round with a 5-under 66 at Mandurah Country Club to snatch the outright lead at the halfway mark of the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open in its 100th anniversary.
Playing in one of the final groups on Friday, Maxwell stole the lead from overnight leader Jak Carter (68) late on day two. Sitting at 13-under, he is one ahead of Carter, with the pair joined in Saturday’s final threesome with Elvis Smylie.
A shot back of Carter on 11-under, Queenslander Smylie will head out in the last group of a third round for the second straight week after one of the low-rounds of day two, a 7-under 64.
A quartet of players, Matias Sanchez, Josh Armstrong, Connor McDade and Curtis Luck tied-fourth at 10-under, with Luck riding the home support for a 64 of his own today that included a back nine of 29.
Luck’s presence on the leaderboard perhaps an ominous one after the former amateur standout played holes 13-17 in 6-under on Friday afternoon as he returns from injury, with the 2016 champion falling one short of 2015 WA Open champion Daniel Fox’s 8-under 63 round of the day to sit solo eighth at 9-under.
The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Despite the likes of past champions Fox and Luck and leaderboard regulars such as Smylie forming part of the chasing pack, Maxwell feels right at home at Mandurah Country Club thanks to his best friend living around the corner.
“Ever since I was playing the Perth events as an amateur, I would always base myself in Mandurah and practise here, so I feel like I’ve known the boys and somewhat grown up here,” Maxwell said.
Having taken the Mandurah back-nine apart on day one, Maxwell did the majority of his scoring on the front nine today, demonstrating that he can make shots up all over the golf course.
“It was the same formula as yesterday,” he said. “I was beyond patient out there, did nothing on the front nine and thankfully swapped it around and went nuts on the other nine today.
“I’m just grateful that I got the right tools to hold myself in there and get it done.”
When asked about his grouping with Carter, who is also looking for his first win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Maxwell gave a response likely many on the Tour would when asked the same question.
“I love Jak,” he smiled. “He’s probably going to make this the cruisiest final pairing for a round three, couldn’t ask for a better pairing to go into some TV coverage and just be there having some fun with Jak.”
Maxwell’s suggestion of the relaxed atmosphere alongside Carter showcased by the South Australian’s planned approach for Saturday.
“We’re just going to head out tomorrow and just, I don’t know, just going to head out tomorrow and just keep playing some good golf hopefully, just see what happens,” Carter said.
“I’d absolutely love it to just go nine (under), nine (under),” he added referencing his opening round being repeated twice over the weekend.
Smylie also looking for a continuation after picking up five shots on the four par-5s today courtesy of his new more aggressive approach under coach Ritchie Smith that paid dividends last week and through 36 holes this week.
“I’m taking advantage of the par-5s just like I did last week in Kalgoorlie off the tee,” Smylie said.
“I’m hitting a lot of fairways and obviously therefore I’m hitting a lot of greens. I’m setting myself up for a lot of birdie opportunities and yeah, I mean I really like the course.”
No one knows the course better than local boy Jason Scrivener, who again had a strong following all day at his home club but was unable to build on his blistering opening round, with playing partner Luck now the frontrunner of local hopes in the West.
Jak Carter had a morning to remember on day one of the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet 100th WA Open, breaking the championship course record at Mandurah Country Club to grab the solo lead after day one.
Carter’s 9-under 62 on day one gives him a one-shot lead over three players, Connor McDade, Zachary Maxwell, and local Mandurah hope Jason Scrivener all tied second at 8-under.
Another player making memories on day one was West Australian Ryan Peake, with a perfect 8-iron leading to a hole-in-one on the 149-metre fifth on his way to a 7-under 64, sitting in solo fifth.
Singapore’s Ryan Ang and Matias Sanchez one shot further back in a tie for six, with defending champion Simon Hawkes, Mandurah member and 2021 winner Braden Becker and Josh Armstrong on 5-under.
Much of the scoring came from the morning groups today at Mandurah, and out early, Carter capitalised on the benign conditions.
The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
“I’d say the majority of the day I was just flagging anything from inside sort of 120 metres, I was hitting those to inches,” Carter said.
“It was just a nice solid day with shorter clubs, the wedges were good today.
“The course is mint, I absolutely love it, it’s pure.”
Starting birdie-eagle, Carter was out for the course record early, and further birdies at four and five continued the charge.
A dropped shot at seven looked like it may slow the South Australian down, however it was evidently quickly forgotten, Carter not recording another bogey for the day. He stormed home with a 5-under 30 on his back-nine, including a near tap-in on the last.
Despite a strong rookie-season last year on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Carter is yet to secure his first win, a milestone he is eager to tick-off.
“Absolutely starving,” he said of his hunger for that first win. “Just got to keep just rocking up and yeah, who knows what’ll happen.”
Hot on Carter’s tail is Scrivener, whose back fence borders the course and has returned home from the DP World Tour with a keenness to flex his muscles on the course he knows so well.
Playing in a West Australian all-star grouping alongside Curtis Luck and Haydn Barron, Scrivener had much of the Mandurah faithful following him and was pleased to see so many members out supporting.
“I wasn’t sure what we were going to get early on a Thursday, but it was nice to see a few of the members out there and a bit of family,” Scrivener said.
“I was a little nervous to start the day, obviously at my home course there’s a fair bit of pressure on me. Built into the round nicely though and yeah, happy with the day.
“Waking up this morning in my own bed was weird doing warmup in my gym at home and just little things like that. It’s just unusual when most of the year I’m away, but to be honest it was really cool.”
Playing a social round with another Mandurah local in Braden Becker a few months ago, Scrivener managed a 13-under 58 at Mandurah, and although some low scores have come in already this week, he doesn’t believe a round like that will be seen during the tournament.
“No,” he laughed. “That was a one-off and my best score around here by quite a few.”
An iconic Queensland restaurant will be recreated overlooking the 18th green at Royal Queensland Golf Club as an exciting new feature of this year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Combining world-class golf with Brisbane riverside venue Tillerman Seafood Restaurant and Bar and prominent restaurateur Andrew Baturo, Tillerman on 18 will redefine the tournament’s off-course experience.
The 52-seat pop-up purpose-built restaurant will deliver a four-course menu comprising some of Queensland’s best and freshest seafood – available across two lunch sittings – over each day of the championship.
As well as enjoying unmatched views over Royal Queensland’s closing hole where the Joe Kirkwood Cup winner will be crowned on Sunday afternoon, all Tillerman on 18 guests will receive complimentary course entry and a reserved grandstand seat at the Dabble Party Hole to utilise pre or post-lunch.
Baturo, who is also a keen golfer, said: “Tillerman is excited and honoured to be pairing up with this year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
“A premium seafood dining experience alongside this prestigious golfing event is a match made in heaven – or Queensland. Same thing really!
“November is my favourite time of the year to play disastrous golf and eat some delicious seafood.
“We can’t wait to see our regulars on the golf course and, of course, meet some new ’soon-to-be’ regulars at the 18th.”
Tillerman on 18 will showcase some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, cooked to perfection by Tillerman Head Chef, Kevin Gallo.
“Start with blue swimmer crab and finger lime on warm brioche, then move onto your entree of Moreton Bay bug dumplings in our wonderful bisque,” he said.
“For mains, select the crispy-skinned Coral Coast barramundi swimming in Tillerman’s signature Meunière sauce.
“Tillerman on 18 will have everything that Tillerman on the river is known for – amazing, fresh seafood, incredible hospitality, resort-style interiors and, of course, iconic views.”
PGA of Australia Chief Commercial Officer, Michael McDonald said: “We’re always looking to innovate and grow the fan experience at the BMW Australian PGA Championship and we are delighted to welcome Andrew and the Tillerman team who will provide a fantastic dining experience with a real Queensland flavour.
“Whilst the golf is always front and centre, delivering a restaurant at a major event of this level has been high on our priorities for a while now.
“We know that many golf fans are also fans of high-quality dining experiences so Tillerman on 18 is a perfect offering for us.
“With 52 seats per sitting, we expect it to be exclusive experience like no other.”
Bookings for tables of two, four or six can be made across two sittings:
• Lunch Sitting 1: 11:30am – 1:15pm
• Lunch Sitting 2: 1:45pm – 3:45pm
Book your place here: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=pgatill24
Photo: Andrew Baturo with Tillerman on 18 ambassador Katherine Galvin
Just days after rounding out his illustrious amateur career with two successful weeks in Japan, Victorian Phoenix Campbell will make his debut as a professional golfer at this week’s Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet 100th WA Open at Mandurah Country Club.
Courtesy of his stunning win at last year’s Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club, Campbell has a two-year exemption on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, which he says takes the pressure off slightly for his debut season.
“I’m sitting pretty comfortable at the moment, but yeah, I’m just going to keep playing my game and keep developing, keep learning,” said the Yarra Yarra Golf Club member.
“I’m not going to put too much emphasis on getting anywhere straight away. I just want to keep growing and learning and becoming a better player and I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Campbell took out the 2024 Master of the Amateurs and earlier the 2023 Riversdale Cup. More recently he was the low Australian player at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, and the low amateur at last week’s Japan Open.
However the win at Nudgee almost 12 months ago was certainly the highlight of Campbell’s amateur career.
“It’s still pretty surreal. It all happened really quick. I remember having a pretty rough first day I played, but just nothing really dropped,” Campbell reflected.
“I was around the cut line I remember, and then my good mate, Ben, was actually complaining about it, and I just told him, I said, ‘mate, we’ve got to stick around, I’m going to win this week’.
“I was adamant I was going to have a good week.”
The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Many expected Campbell to turn professional immediately after that triumph and make use of his new category, but the Victorian is happy with his decision to wait.
“I gave myself the opportunity to have a few more experiences overseas with different courses and different places, meet new people,” Campbell said.
“Obviously I’ve been leading into this for a long time now and done a lot of work to get here.”
Despite arriving in Perth late on Tuesday night from Japan, Campbell is comfortable with the Mandurah layout, having finished fourth in a Mandurah Amateur a couple of years ago.
“It will be good to see it in the Pro-Am today and just kind of refresh me on what the course looks like,” he said.
“I’m pretty excited to get going. I’m going to try and take it as easy as possible today. I’ve got an afternoon tee time tomorrow so I can sleep in a little bit, which is good.”
Campbell will tee off in round one alongside Matias Sanchez and Harry Hillier at 12.25pm (WA time).
The second week of the Western Australian swing of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia heads to Mandurah Country Club this week for the 100th staging of the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open.
With names like Ian Baker-Finch, Greg Norman and Gary Player etched into the Roy Paxton Bowl, the WA Open has a long and proud history, with recent stagings often unearthing the next big Australian talent.
In celebration of its 100th year, nine past champions of the event will be in the field at Mandurah. From Tour regulars Simon Hawkes and Braden Becker to overseas based players like Korn Ferry Tour player Curtis Luck and even the likes of three-time champion Kim Felton, all would love to add to their tally.
The tournament has also attracted DP World Tour players Haydn Barron and Jason Scrivener, who despite being two of Western Australia’s brightest stars, have not managed to triumph in their home Open, something they would love to change.
Another two players to watch this week will be youngsters Jack Buchanan and Jordan Doull who battled it out in the playoff last week at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics, especially Doull who recently joined Mandurah as a member.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Simon Hawkes (Tasmania)
PRIZEMONEY: $175,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 4pm-7pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 2pm-7pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
THE COURSE
Mandurah Country Club’s original layout was designed by Murray Dawson and opened in the early 1960s as a 9-hole sand greens course, later upgrading to an 18-hole grass green facility with a renovation completed in the late 1990s by Greg Simmonds.
Incorporating new fairway and greenside bunkers, the result is a challenging par-71 known in the region for its pure Santa Ana couch fairways and bentgrass greens.
Trees line the doglegging fairways while the bunkering around the raised greens will pose a threat this week to the players, who would be best to heed the advice of local Becker and keep their approach shots below the hole on the elevated putting surfaces.
A new championship course record was set earlier this year, when Declan Hoskin fired a 67, but word is that many of the players in the field this week have gone very low around Mandurah in social rounds.
HEADLINERS
Jack Buchanan – 2024 WA PGA champion
Jason Scrivener – 2017 NSW Open champion and DP World Tour player
Curtis Luck – 2016 WA Open champion and Korn Ferry Tour player
Braden Becker – 2021 WA Open champion
Haydn Barron – DP World Tour player
Ben Eccles – 2023 WA PGA champion
Jordan Doull – Runner-up at 2024 WA PGA
Will Bruyeres – 2024 PNG Open winner
Dimi Papadatos – Four-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner
Cameron John – 2023 winner of The National Tournament
Phoenix Campbell – 2023 QLD PGA winner and new pro
Reflecting on his win at the 2021 Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open, Braden Becker says staying at home and sleeping in his own bed went a long way in keeping him comfortable that week and gave him the extra edge he needed when the final day went down to the wire with Hayden Hopewell.
Not only is Becker sleeping in his own bed this week, but he’ll be also contesting the 100th WA Open on his home course at Mandurah Country Club.
Having been at Mandurah since he was a junior, Becker also completed the PGA Membership Pathway Program there and still works at the club, even helping a member with a club fit after his practice round on Monday.
“I would’ve played here, I don’t know, somewhere 1,500 to 2,000 times at least,” said Becker of his home track.
“I think the course looks great, they’ve definitely got the greens up and the fairways look fantastic, super smooth.
“Obviously it’s not very long golf course, but it’s very tight, and knowing where to miss is super important.”
The Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
His breakout win in 2021 at Royal Fremantle solidified Becker’s status on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, however despite having consistent seasons, he has been unable to re-enter the winners’ circle since hoisting the Roy Paxton Bowl.
Becker played both the opening events of this season, following up his T35 finish at the PNG Open with a T35 in Kalgoorlie last week in Kalgoorlie, but says he is happy where his game is at.
“The game’s sort of trending in the right direction, so I’m happy with that,” he said. “Obviously I really wanted to peak this week just, because it is what it is, being at my home course.
“I’m happy with how I’m driving the ball, happy with how I’m putting and chipping, so all the aspects of the game are there, just got to just minimise my own mistakes, pick the right holes to make a mistake.”
While Becker will have a significant advantage over most of the field this week, he’s not the only one, with a flurry of Mandurah locals hoping to hoist their home state’s open in its historic 100th year at their home course.
WPGA Tour of Australasia player Kathryn Norris is another Mandurah hopeful, and is one of four women in the field this week continuing a strong tradition of Western Australia’s top women golfers teeing it up in the state open.
Norris’s partner, who was playing so much golf at Mandurah that he has recently joined the club himself, Jordan Doull will be another player the Mandurah members will be backing this week.
Bursting onto the scene with a runner-up finish last week at Kalgoorlie, Doull will be looking to go one better at his new home club in addition to Mount Lawley, where he is among the star members that includes Hannah Green and Hira Naveed.
Arguably Mandurah’s best hope for a local winner however is Jason Scrivener, who is returning to contest his state open fresh off securing his DP World Tour card for another season.
Scrivener’s house is just over the fence from the 10th green at Mandurah, and like Becker, could probably play this course with his eyes closed. The pair played a casual round together a few months ago, with Scrivener lipping out on the 18th green to eventually card a 58.
Come Sunday, the balcony overlooking the 18th at Mandurah will be full, and if one of their fellow members is leading down the stretch, Becker says the scenes will be a sight to behold.
“I think anyone from here could do it, you definitely will see some scenes,” he said. “Everyone will run on the green and it’ll be a pretty wild celebration night.
“If it’s me, I might have to change my Monday flight, I might have to fly out Wednesday, but I mean it would be the best feeling ever.”
South Australian Jack Buchanan has claimed a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics at Kalgoorlie Golf Course.
On a day in which three players began with a share of the lead and contenders came and went throughout an absorbing afternoon, Buchanan (66) and West Australian Jordan Doull (67) both finished at 17-under-par, forcing an extension to their duel in the desert.
After a disastrous tee shot on the 72nd hole that led to a closing bogey, Buchanan took the first playoff hole by the scruff of the neck with a bomb down the centre of the fairway.
Doull was forced to scramble his way to the green after his tee shot missed the fairway left yet looked to have stolen the win when he made his birdie putt from just outside 15 feet.
Buchanan then had to make his own putt for birdie from six feet, finding just enough of the left edge to send the playoff down 18 for a second time.
The fairway again proved difficult to find from the tee, Doull’s hopes taking a hit when he was forced to play his second shot backwards to the safety of the fairway.
Although both players found themselves in the bunker to the right of the green, Buchanan had one shot up his sleeve, converting his putt from 10 feet for the birdie that would clinch victory.
Jack Buchanan is the #WAPGA Champion for 2024 🏆@CityofKalBould pic.twitter.com/JlwJmyigAp
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 13, 2024
“After I finished, I just accepted that no matter what happened, it was a good week,” said Buchanan.
“Lucky enough to get in a playoff and get it done.
“It was pretty nervy but it happened in the end.
“This means so much. Getting over that first hurdle makes you believe that you can do it more.”
Less than five months into his professional career, Doull began the day tied at the top with Elvis Smylie and Cameron John but it was Buchanan who quickly took the ascendancy.
Less than a year since turning professional, Buchanan made five birdies in his first seven holes to establish a three-shot lead only to three-putt the par-3 eighth and make double-bogey.
Playing his first event as a professional, Singapore’s Ryan Ang joined Buchanan at the top of the leaderboard early in the back nine yet suffered a setback of his own when he dropped shots at both 13 and 14.
Back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 saw Doull join Buchanan at 15-under, his South Australian opposite responding with a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 13th to edge one clear once again.
It quickly became a two-man shootout as the pair traded birdies to keep the likes of Ang (65), Smylie (68), John (69) and Brett Rankin (69) at bay.
A birdie on 17 sent Buchanan to the 72nd tee with a two-stroke lead yet Doull’s birdie on 16 and Buchanan’s closing bogey gave the West Australian a putt to win on the final hole.
Heartbreakingly for Doull, he left his 12-foot birdie try short, sending the pair back to the 18th tee for extra holes.
Smylie looks set for a big season after his third-place finish while Ang impressed on debut, sharing fourth place with John.
No need for the putter on this one for Ryan Ang#WAPGA | #TheChaseIsOn | @CityofKalBould pic.twitter.com/oLsBpecCuj
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) October 13, 2024
“I just wanted to make the cut to be honest and make the first paycheck,” said Ang, whose 65 was the low round on Sunday.
“Obviously exceeded my expectations by a lot, but really proud of how the work’s paid off and set a good start to the season.”
In the WA PGA All Abilities Championship played in conjunction across the weekend, Sawtell Golf Club’s Lachlan Smith celebrated his first All Abilities victory.
Photo: Alex Verhagen/PGA of Australia