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Players can take the first step towards joining the elite of world golf by earning a place on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia through Qualifying School at Moonah Links Resort in April.
Entries are now open for both First and Final Stage to be played in consecutive weeks at Moonah Links Resort on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
First Stage will be held across both the Open Course and Legends Course at Moonah Links from April 9-11 with Final Stage to follow on the Open Course from April 14-17.
The reward on offer is playing rights for the 2025-2026 season; the opportunity is a place on the DP World Tour for the top three finishers on the Order of Merit at season’s end.
Kiwi Kazuma Kobori was an amateur when he conquered Q School in 2023. Less than two years on, he has won three times on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, contested two major championships and is now in his rookie season on the DP World Tour.
Those to secure status at Q School in 2024 included Jack Buchanan, Jordan Doull and Ben Henkel who have four wins between them this season already.
“The pathway from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia to global tours and major championships is now clear and Qualifying School is the first step on that path,” said General Manager of Tournaments & Global Tour Relationships for the PGA Tour of Australasia, Nick Dastey.
“Kazuma showed what is possible when you give players that opportunity and how quickly they can advance their careers.
“Players such as Jordan Doull, Corey Lamb, Jack Buchanan and Ben Henkel have made a big impression on our Tour this season after coming through Q School.
“We’re excited to see who tees it up at Moonah Links in April and secures their place on Tour for the 2025-2026 season.”
While the introduction of the Future Tour has allowed amateurs to secure status on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia through strong showings the previous season, Q School is the primary pathway to begin a professional career.
“We have been able to showcase our best amateur talent through our Tour events but Q School is where they can earn Membership and lock in playing opportunities for the next 12 months,” Dastey added.
“Rather than heading overseas, our best young players can now start their careers in Australia and play their way onto global tours, just as Kazuma did.”
Co-sanctioning of the BMW Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open with the DP World Tour increases the importance of Category status for those already on tour and who wish to improve their Category through Q School.
Entry for Q School is now open with a deadline of March 25 for First Stage and April 1 for Final Stage.
For more information and to enter, click here
Kade McBride narrowly missed the chance to join his good friend and housemate this week, Jake McLeod, as a course record holder on the Creek Course at 13th Beach Golf Links today, but will be content with the title of first-round leader at the 2025 Vic Open.
Finding his best form again after a patchy start to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, McBride shot a bogey-free round of 10-under-par 62 that he described as “10 out of 10 stuff” to lead New Zealander Josh Geary by two shots.
McBride and McLeod, who holds the Creek record on 61 alongside Ryan Ruffels, are sharing a house at nearby Ocean Grove this week with fellow Queenslanders Louis Dobbelaar and Anthony Quayle – the quartet combining for 25-under the card on Thursday.
McLeod was tied for third at 7-under 65 through day one and Dobbelaar and Quayle were also well placed at 4-under as the field took advantage of benign morning conditions on the Bellarine Peninsula.
It’s not expected to remain calm tomorrow, especially in the afternoon when gusts up to 50 kph are forecast. A repeat of today where 18 players shot 66 or better is unlikely.
McBride won’t be too worried about the weather forecast, however, as he revels in being back in contention after being equal sixth here last year.
“I know Jake McLeod has the course record here at 11-under-par because he talks about it pretty regularly and I’m staying with him this week as well,” McBride said.
“I was thinking about it. ‘I was like, I can’t wait to break Jake’s course record’.”
McBride’s birdie putt on his final hole, the par-4 ninth, to shoot 61 hit the edge from around five metres away.
“I hit a really good putt and it looked like it was in until about the last two feet and then slid a couple feet by,” he said.
‘”That was one of the better rounds of golf I’ve played in terms of the golf shots throughout the day and holing putts – it was all 10 out of 10 stuff.”
“(But) I’m going to say nothing to Jake because he’s still got the wood over me.”
McLeod’s 65 continued his positive start to 2025 which has seen him lead the three Webex Players Series events – Perth, Victoria and Murray River – at various stages without being able to clinch a drought- breaking win.
McLeod and his team have spent time reviewing his near-misses and the Queenslander remains upbeat about coming so close to his first win since 2018.
“Been in contention the last few weeks, which was nice,” McLeod said.
“It’d obviously be nice to get the job done, but it’s always good putting yourself up there as much as possible. Hopefully (I) can get one of those soon.”
“I don’t think I did a very good job in Rosebud at all, but I thought I did a good job on Sunday in Perth and last week at Cobram it was just one of those days. I felt like I played good on the Saturday again, and then the Sunday the putts hit the edges instead of going in for me, which was how it goes sometimes.
“I think I’m getting better in those situations.”
Geary’s 64 on the Beach Course was the best score in the afternoon and the best on the layout which will host the final 36 holes.
He came home in 6-under-par 30 including birdies on his final three holes.
Defending champion Brett Coletta shot a 3-under-par 69 on the Creek course.
LIVE SCORES: www.golf.org.au; www.pga.org.au; www.wpga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The Vic Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Fresh from clinching the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit title, John Catlin from the United States will lead the strongest Asian Tour field to date at this year’s New Zealand Open.
The New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport, is set to take place at the prestigious Millbrook Resort from February 27 to March 2. Last month it confirmed players will be competing for a share of the NZD $2 million prize pool.
Catlin, who secured his maiden Order of Merit victory last season, was in sensational form throughout the year, with a string of standout performances that saw him hit the top spot in the rankings. Victories at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF, along with six other top-10 finishes meant he claimed the season-long Merit title ahead of Kiwi Ben Campbell.
“I’m incredibly proud to have secured the Order of Merit title last year. The consistency I was able to achieve was arguably the best patch of golf in my career so far,” Catlin said.
“I’m really excited to be coming back to Queenstown for the New Zealand Open. It’s a tournament I’ve always wanted to win, and the competition this year will be as strong as ever. The course at Millbrook Resort is stunning, and I’m excited to return.”
Catlin’s season also saw him take home the Kyi Hla Han Award for Player of the Year on the Asian Tour. It’s the second time he has won the award, and was the icing on the cake for an incredible season which included a 59 on day three in Macau. It was the first sub-60 shot ever on the Asian Tour.
“We are thrilled to welcome John back to the New Zealand Open,” said Tournament Director Michael Glading.
“His success last season was extraordinary, and it’s great that John is making his way back to Queenstown for the first time since 2020. He is definitely one to watch at Millbrook Resort.”
Catlin isn’t the only high-profile Asian Tour player heading to Queenstown, with seven of the top 12 in the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit making the trip to Central Otago.
Queenstown’s own Campbell will be joined by the likes of Jazz Janewattananond (Thailand), M.J. Maguire (U.S.A.), Miguel Tabuena (Philippines), Taichi Kho (Hong Kong), Steve Lewton (England), Jbe’ Kruger (South Africa), Jeunghun Wang (Korea) and Travis Smyth (Australia).
Another feature of this year’s Asian Tour entries is the inclusion of Scott Hend, a close runner-up at the New Zealand Open last year, and Liang Wenchong, one of China’s most successful golfers with 21 wins worldwide.
“It’s great to have so many top players from the Asian Tour in the field this year, from such a wide variety of countries. This is a real feature of the Asian Tour and we are delighted to partner with them,” said Glading.
The 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport will tee off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between February 27 and March 2. For more information, please visit nzopen.com.
New Zealand Open 2025 – Asian Tour Entries
Two-time winner Jack Buchanan is back on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia at the Vic Open this week with the goal of solidifying his lofty position on the Order of Merit.
The WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia champion sits in fourth place in the standings despite not banking any points in his last two starts and then missing Webex Players Series Victoria last month due to illness.
A return to the winner’s circle at 13th Beach Golf Links this week would lift the former Australian amateur representative above Lucas Herbert into third place and consolidate his hold on a DP World Tour card for the 2025/26 season.
“I’ve put myself in a really good spot now, so I just have to have a few good weeks,” Buchanan said of his approach to the rest of the Tour season.
“I really just have to find some form similar to the way it started and finish it off.
“I would say number one (on the Order of Merit) is the goal or just as long as I can play to my best ability and put in all the work that I can do, then that’s all I can do really.
“The game’s actually in a pretty good spot. I was a little bit unwell before, so I wasn’t able to play Rosebud.
“I Just need to get some more reps in, so hopefully this week will see some more results.”
Like Buchanan, former Queensland PGA champion Aaron Wilkin and 2021 Gippsland Super 6 winner Jack Thompson have made the trip from the International Series event in India last week to the Bellarine.
It’s the first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia start for the season for Wilkin and Thompson who campaign on the Asian Tour.
Buchanan and Thompson missed the cut in India while Wilkin finished T57.
Australians made their presence known on the major tours this past week as the 2024-2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season approaches crunch time.
Sydney’s Cam Davis conjured a shot that sent social media into a tailspin on his way to a share of fifth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as West Australian Minjee Lee produced her career-low round on the LPGA Tour – 10-under 62 – with an Odyssey Golf broomstick putter in play for the first time.
This week sees the men’s and women’s Vic Open championships played at 13th Beach Golf Links while internationally, the LIV Golf season kicks off in Saudi Arabia, the PGA TOUR is at the WM Phoenix Open, the DP World Tour is in Qatar and Cassie Porter makes her LPGA debut as one of seven Aussies playing the Founders Cup in Florida.
10. Kelsey Bennett (New entry)
At a career high of 319 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking after finishing tied for 14th at Webex Players Series Murray River. Can improve on that even further with a good result at this week’s Vic Open as she readies herself for a rookie season on the Ladies European Tour.
9. Jordan Doull (Last week: 9)
The Webex Players Series Perth champion was tied for 10th at Rosebud and tied for 19th at Cobram Barooga to continue his push towards the Order of Merit rewards on offer at season’s end. Has risen 578 places in the Official World Golf Ranking since the start of the year.
8. Anthony Quayle (8)
Moved up one spot on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit to seventh despite a disappointing finish at Webex Players Series Murray River where he finished tied for 32nd. Arguably the hottest player on the Australasian Tour without a win this season.
7. Minjee Lee (New entry)
With the broomstick putter in the bag for the first time, Lee shot a career-low 10-under 62 in the final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida. The two-time major winner needed just 51 putts across the final two rounds to start her year with a tie for fourth, her best result since the Blue Bay LPGA in March last year.
6. David Micheluzzi (6)
Currently at a career high of 191 in the Official World Golf Ranking as he continues to grow in confidence on the DP World Tour. Book-ended his tie for 49th at the Bahrain Championship with rounds of 69 and is entered to play this week in Qatar.
5. Elvis Smylie (4)
The BMW Australian PGA champion returns to action on the DP World Tour this week at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters after a missed cut at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and skipping the Bahrain Championship.
4. Jason Day (3)
Holds firm at No.32 in the world ranking on the back of a tie for 13th at Pebble Beach. In a positive sign moving forward, Day shrugged off some recent frustrations with the putter to rank 20th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.
3. Adam Scott (2)
Posted the low round of the day in the final round at Pebble Beach to climb into a tie for 22nd. His bogey-free 8-under 64 tied his lowest 18-hole score in 17 career rounds at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
2. Cam Davis (5)
Climbed eight spots to No.44 in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of his tie for fifth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Produced a contender for shot of the year on the 72nd hole and has finished top 20 in three of his four starts this season on the PGA TOUR.
1. Hannah Green (1)
A three-time winner in 2024, Green began her 2025 LPGA Tour campaign with a solid tie for 20th at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
One of Australian professional golf’s oldest events, the Vic Open, returns to 13th Beach Golf Links on the Bellarine Peninsula this week with Brett Coletta and Ashley Lau defending their men’s and women’s titles.
The tournament that spawned the mixed-gender format celebrates its 12th year at 13th Beach in 2025 with men and women, professionals and amateurs, once again playing on the same course, but for separate trophies, with each purse worth $200,000.
And they’ll tackle two different courses – three rounds on the Beach and one on the Creek for those who make the halfway cut. Both are par-72 layouts at the mercy of the winds that come off the adjacent Southern Ocean.
Founded in 1958, the men’s Vic Open has an illustrious group of winners that includes the likes of major winners Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Gary Player, David Graham, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch and, in recent years, Min Woo Lee, Michael Hendry and Dimi Papadatos.
Meanwhile, the women’s tournament, founded in 1988, can boast an equally impressive past champions list highlighted by Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Celine Boutier and Jiyai Shin, the 2023 winner who headlines this year’s field.
Now based predominantly in Japan, Shin is trying complete a rare Australian Open-Vic Open double after triumphing in the national championship at Kingston Heath and Victoria in December, her last tournament appearance.
Her main competition this week may come from LPGA Tour star Jenny Shin, who now spends a good part of the year in Australia.
In the men’s field, there are seven winners from this year’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, headed by two-time champion Jack Buchanan who sits in fourth place on the Order of Merit list.
Numbers seven through 10 on the OOM list – Anthony Quayle, Corey Lamb, Jordan Doull and Jak Carter – will also tee it up chasing valuable points as the season heads towards its conclusion in March.
One noticeable change for the players this week is the lengthening of the par-4 15th hole on the Beach Course, with the tees pushed back from where they have been in recent years. It now plays 342m for the men and 292m for the women.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: Ashley Lau and Brett Coletta
PRIZEMONEY: $400,000
LIVE SCORES: www.golf.org.au; www.pga.org.au; www.wpga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The Vic Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 2pm-7pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
HEADLINERS
Jiyai Shin – 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open champion
Brett Coletta – 2024 Vic Open men’s champion
Ashley Lau – 2024 Vic Open women’s champion
Jack Buchanan – 2024 WA PGA and Webex Players Series SA champion
Jenny Shin – LPGA Tour member
Kelsey Bennett – 2024 The Athena champion
Matthew Griffin – 2024 Heritage Classic champion
Lydia Hall – 2012 Ladies British Masters winner
There are just six events left to decide who will secure cards to the DP World Tour in 2026 as the 2024-2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season approaches its exciting climax.
While the Order of Merit champion receives an exemption into The Open Championship in addition to a DP World Tour card, there are a range of international playing opportunities for those who finish inside the top 15 at season’s end.
Queenslander Blake Proverbs climbed 17 spots to 14th on the Order of Merit on the back of his playoff victory at Webex Players Series Murray River on Sunday as runner-up Jason Norris leapt 43 places to 24th.
As the countdown to the season finale intensifies, here are the six players to watch in the final six tournaments of 2024-2025.
Anthony Quayle
Current OOM position: 7th
Battling a rib injury, Quayle leap-frogged Newcastle’s Corey Lamb into seventh spot on the Order of Merit despite a disappointing finish at Webex Players Series Murray River.
Top-five in five of his previous six starts, Quayle shot 2-over 74 in the final round at Cobram Barooga Golf Club to drop into a share of 32nd.
Expect it to be only a temporary setback; a win this season seems almost inevitable.
Lucas Herbert
Current Order of Merit position: 3rd
After confirmation that he will make a fourth and final start for the season at the 104th New Zealand Open starting February 27, Herbert (pictured, centre) remains in the hunt to snatch the Order of Merit title.
Currently 530 points behind two-time winner this season, Elvis Smylie, the Ford NSW Open winner would need to win in Queenstown to secure the No.1 spot and that exemption to Royal Portrush.
Can’t be discounted for a player who was runner-up in the NZ Open in 2020.
Corey Lamb
Current Order of Merit position: 8th
An uncharacteristic missed cut on the Murray River saw the man they call ‘Chops’ drop to eighth on the Order of Merit.
A two-time runner-up this season to go with three further top-10 finishes, the Branxton ball-striker is one win from forcing his way into the top five.
Lamb (pictured, left) trails fifth-placed Curtis Luck by just 60 Order of Merit points and has a handy 80-point buffer from Webex Players Series Perth champion Jordan Doull.
A win on the run home could be life changing.
Jake McLeod
Current Order of Merit position: 26th
There has been too much good golf of late from the 2018 Order of Merit champion to not expect something special in the coming two months.
Sitting in 59th position going into the Christmas break, McLeod (pictured, right) has had at least a share of the lead in each of the three tournaments played in 2025 to date.
Fourth at Webex Players Series Perth, tied for 10th at Webex Players Series Victoria and now tied fifth at Webex Players Series Murray River, McLeod needs only to put four rounds together to start knocking on the door of the top 10.
Jordan Doull
Current Order of Merit position: 9th
Runner-up to Jack Buchanan in the second event of the season, Doull joined the Order of Merit race in earnest with his playoff win over Haydn Barron at Webex Players Series Perth at Royal Fremantle.
He followed that up with a tie for 10th at Rosebud and tie for 19th at Cobram Barooga to keep the top three within reach.
It might take another win – or two! – but Doull can do it.
Jack Buchanan
Current Order of Merit position: 4th
The past two Order of Merit champions – David Micheluzzi and Kazuma Kobori – both did so with three wins in the season; it might take Jack Buchanan four if he hopes to do the same.
Victorious this season at the WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia, Buchanan has skipped the past two events on home soil after starting 2025 with a missed cut in Perth.
With challengers amassing behind him, Buchanan could use a switch in momentum starting this week at 13th Beach Golf Links.
Current Order of Merit top 10
1 Elvis Smylie 1,247.56 (7)
2 Cameron Smith 735.68 (4)
3 Lucas Herbert 717.06 (3)
4 Jack Buchanan 620.11 (10)
5 Curtis Luck 523.44 (4)
6 Marc Leishman 488.00 (2)
7 Anthony Quayle 467.75 (9)
8 Corey Lamb 463.24 (11
9 Jordan Doull 381.73 (13)
10 Jak Carter 360.26 (9)
(Minimum of four events required to be eligible on final OOM)
It took three extra holes as temperatures soared at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, where Blake Proverbs outlasted Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia veteran Jason Norris to claim his first Tour win at Webex Players Series Murray River.
Proverbs (64) began the day three shots back of overnight leader and fellow Queenslander Jake McLeod at 19-under, but produced his third straight sub-65 round to be tied with Norris at 23-under for the tournament. The pair breaking the 21-under-par tournament scoring record set by Kazuma Kobori last year.
Playing in the final group, eventual third place finisher Cholcheva Wongras had a putt on 18 to join the play-off, but as it slid by and she tapped in for par and 22-under, the chances of a third WPGA Tour of Australasia winner at Cobram Barooga were dashed.
West Australian youngster Adam Brady carded a final round 63 to finish alone in fourth position, his best finish on Tour to date, while next week’s Vic Open defending champion Ashley Lau posted a stunning 62 to finish in a share of fifth at 19-under with McLeod (71).
Four players finished tied-seventh at 18-under, including west Australian Ryan Peake who had a 62 of his own, as well as women’s amateur Lion Higo (66).
With two eagles and four birdies through 11 holes today, it looked as if Norris had done more than enough for his experience to carry him down the stretch.
With four birdies and an eagle of his own to start the back-nine, Proverbs playing in the group behind Norris wasn’t going down without a fight, however.
Both players bogeyed the tough par-3 16th, but while Norris was able to convert a short birdie on 17, Proverbs’ slid by from a similar distance.
Finding the right rough off the tee on 18, Norris was forced to hack out sideways. Pitching his third to 15-feet, he cooly rolled the par-saving putt in to post the clubhouse lead.
Needing a birdie to win, Proverbs’ lengthy attempt came up short, but the putt wasn’t in vein as it would end up helping him in the very near future.
Back down 18 for the first extra hole, Norris knocked it in close while Proverbs’ was in a similar position middle of the green. This time the putt had had just enough on it and curled in the front edge, but as the hospitality tent roars settled, Norris converted his close putt to match and back the players went to the 18th tee.
The second extra hole came and went quickly, both on the fairway, both on the green, both with two putts. Back to 18 tee they went again.
This time Norris again found the thick stuff to the right of the fairway and was forced to hack sideways again. With the adrenaline pumping, Proverbs’ wedge bounced off the hospitality tent but came back to 25-feet giving him the upper hand.
Norris did his best pitching it to 10-feet, but as his putt for a four slid by, Proverbs easily got down in two and the champion was finally decided.
“It felt really weird just having that little one footer, just knowing that that was for the win,” Proverbs said.
“I thought I’d be a lot more shaky, which I don’t know if it’s a good thing that I wasn’t, but no, it was a pretty good feeling to roll that last one in.”
Having played on the Tour for five years, Proverbs has had a number of close calls, with almost ten top-five finishes. An ever consistent presence, Proverbs was ecstatic to finally get one over the line.
Starting his Murray River campaign with a 1-over 71, Proverbs proceeded to post 62-63-64 to storm home.
“I actually played okay on day one, that’s the thing. I just got no putts to go in,” he said of Thursday’s round.
“Ever since then it felt good. Driver felt good, putter felt good. And the wedges, the wedges were pretty strong all week.
“I reckon I’ve only hit two bad chip shots over the week.”
As temperatures rose above 40 today, playing extra holes was less than ideal.
“I’ve never drank so much water in my life. I think I almost drowned myself out there.”
It’s likely Proverbs would’ve gone another 18 however if it meant he’d get his hands on his first Tour trophy.
Tom Ryan triumphed by ten shots in the All Abilities championship, redemption for the Victorian after finishing runner-up last week at Rosebud.
In the Juniors, Sophie Mann outlasted fellow Victorian Olive Spitty in another three-hole playoff.
While Jake McLeod leads at 19-under, Victorian Cameron John’s 11-under 60 in the morning on Saturday got the Cobram Barooga members off their seats as they watched their Old Course’s record broken at Webex Players Series Murray River.
Starting the day at 6-under for the tournament, John elevated himself all the way into a tie for third with Jye Pickin at 17-under.
The final grouping of McLeod and Cholcheva Wongras, who were tied at the top to start the day, have separated themselves by one shot, with Wongras in solo second at 18-under.
Queenslander Blake Proverbs sits in solo fifth at 16-under after another stunning round of 63, playing his last 36-holes in 17-under after a 72 to open his Murray River account.
Former Tour winners Michael Hendry and Jason Norris are a further shot back at 15-under, with another Kiwi Tyler Hodge at 14-under, and the only amateur to make the cut Lion Higo the next best woman at 13-under alongside three others.
Wasting no time, John got his third round off to the perfect start with an eagle, the reigning National Tournament champion saying he felt on right from the start.
“The first tee shot was pretty good, and I was just like, ‘oh, that felt good’,” John said with a smile.
“The only average shot I hit all day was on the eighth hole. These rounds don’t happen often, and you’ve got to capitalise when you play like that.”
And capitalise he did, making a birdie two on the third, before a second eagle on the par-5 sixth, then further birdies at seven and eight had John make the turn in 7-under.
“When I was, I think I was seven through eight, and the boys were laughing, they were like, ‘you’re a million under already!’.
“To be honest, the last two days I’ve done the exact same thing, I just kind of rolled the putts by the edge.
“I hit a few irons off the tees and normally I’m quite aggressive but stuck to the plan and it was nice to get rewarded for that.”
With a sub-60 score on his mind, John kept the foot down and proceeded to make four more birdies on his next eight holes, meaning he needed one more on 18 for the magical 59.
Finding the right edge of the green, a downhill 12-foot slider awaited John, as the healthy crowd from the hospitality tent behind the green watched on in anticipation.
“I’ve never been more nervous on a Saturday,” he said.
The putt slid by low, and although a 59 would have been sweet, John is just happy to have got himself back into contention.
This is the third time John has set a course record in a Tour event, previously in Kalgoorlie at the WA PGA, and on the Legends Course at Moonah Links in the Vic PGA.
McLeod shot a tidy 5-under 66 on Saturday, and apart from a untidy three-putt on the last, he could not have asked for much more as the mercury touched 40 late in the afternoon.
“When it got real still on some of those tee blocks here, it was really hot, but pretty good conditions to play if it was just a few degrees cooler,” said McLeod, pleased to be in an air-conditioned room.
“Did a pretty good job on the back nine I thought from holes 10 to 15 especially, and then sort of just my speed in the last few holes wasn’t great, but holed a couple of nice ones too.
“Unfortunately missed the last one at the end, but yeah, games feeling good.”
Knowing it’s likely someone could have a round similar to John’s tomorrow, McLeod says the gameplan is to stay aggressive and continue giving himself as many chances to make birdie as possible.
“It’ll be a tough test tomorrow, but I think that’s the mindset.”
While accustomed to playing in extreme heat, the 40-degrees Wongras played through today is unlike the humid conditions of Thailand.
“It was nice playing out there, in the heat it was just so crazy,” Wongras said.
“It was just hot and dry, so back home, it’s hot and humid, so it’s a bit different.
“It’s really hard to play golf out there.”
With an eagle on ten, and a birdie on 11, it looked as if Wongras may make a late charge and claim the lead for herself, however a bogey and six pars coming in proved otherwise.
“What I did today was just enjoy the moment, have fun, talk to Jake (McLeod). He was a nice guy to play with, it was a pretty nice round,” said Wongras.
“Tomorrow I’m going to go out and have another round of golf and then just stick to the game plan and then try to birdie as much as I can.”
Victorian Tom Ryan leads the All Abilities at 10-over after round one, while another Victorian in Olive Spitty leads the juniors at 1-under.
The low scoring continued on the second day of Webex Players Series Murray River, as Thailand teenager Cholcheva Wongras and Queensland’s Jake McLeod continued their love affairs with the Old Course at Cobram Barooga to share the lead at 14-under.
By firing a second-straight 7-under 64, Wongras was able to hang on to her lofty leaderboard position, while McLeod’s 8-under was a two-shot improvement on his day one round, the former Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner relishing the hot conditions.
The two leaders are quite the pair. Wongras, a 17-year-old who is just establishing herself very early in her career, and 30-year-old McLeod who is working hard to get back to his best and has been prominent in all three Tour events so far in 2025.
South Australian veteran Jason Norris is just one back at 13-under after an 8-under 63 of his own today. After nine consecutive pars to begin his Murray River campaign yesterday, Norris has played his last 27-holes in 13-under, including going out in 6-under today.
At 52, Norris is 35 years older than his teenage challenger Wongras, meaning the top three players on the leaderboard span over three generations.
Anthony Quayle, Jye Pickin and Bray Watt are all a further two shots back at 11-under, Quayle in prime position to get after the win he desires over the weekend.
After a top-five finish in Perth and grabbing a share of 11th after being an early leader last week at Rosebud, McLeod’s consistent play has continued on the Murray.
“Played nicely today,” said McLeod. “We had really good conditions … there’s no wind and it’s nice and warm, so just how I like to play golf.”
McLeod’s back nine was electric today, starting with three straight birdies from 10 through 12, before making two more in a row to finish his day.
“If you get a good tee shot away on both of them, they’re big scoring chances,” he said of the closing two holes.
“I hit a decent drive up 17, but hit my wedge to about 18 feet and holed a nice putt there.
“Then on the last I hit a 9-iron to about four feet. That was a nice way to finish.”
Since his breakout year in 2018 which saw him top the Order of Merit, McLeod has struggled to return to the winner’s circle despite a few close calls.
“It’s nice to be in contention again on the weekend for the third tournament in a row now,” he said.
“I’ve learned a fair bit over the last couple of tournaments as well, so hopefully I can capitalise on that and do a better job.”
While Wongras, who turned pro at just 15, managed to match her first round 64, today she did it with no bogeys on the card, but said the day wasn’t completely stress-free.
“I think I made two or three big saves,” she said. “I’m quite happy that I didn’t drop any shots today though.
“The course was just like yesterday, everything was so good and the greens were super smooth.
“The people here are so nice, the environment, the tournament here is just super nice. I’m so happy to be here.”
Wongras won twice on her home Thai LPGA Tour in 2024, and also had a solid week at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open finishing tied-24th.
Having also secured playing rights on the TLPGA in Taiwan for the upcoming season by way of winning the qualifying tournament, Wongras will split her time in a number of countries, but said winning on the WPGA Tour of Australasia is up there on her goals.
“I’m quite happy about my round, so tomorrow just stick to the game plan and try not to think too far ahead,” she said.
Two of the biggest movers on Friday were Malaysia’s Ashley Lau, whose bogey-free 63 lifted the Vic Open champion to T10, and Queenslander Blake Proverbs, who after a 1-over 72 yesterday, bounced back with a round-of-the-day 9-under 62, moving him from a tie from 91st to T14.
The cut was made at 4-under, with 58 players making it through to the weekend.
