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The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) confirmed today that the New Zealand Open will join the Open Qualifying Series offering one entry into the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush
The entry will go to the winner (or leading non-exempt player) of the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport later this month.
Tournament Chairman John Hart is delighted that the hard work put in has seen the New Zealand Open join the Open Qualifying Series and hopes we will see another Kiwi on golf’s biggest stage.
“This certainly signals that our event has continued to grow in stature on the world stage and we are delighted that the R&A have opened the door for us to be a part of the Open Qualifying Series. This has been one of the tournament goals for some time, and it’s great to see it now come to fruition” said Hart.
“My thanks to Golf New Zealand, the R&A and our Tour partners for all their efforts in making this happen.
“This will act as extra motivation for our Kiwi professionals to not only win the New Zealand Open but then to make their mark at Royal Portrush next year. We certainly hope that this is the year that sees another Kiwi winner.”
Sir Bob Charles, the only New Zealander to have won The Open Championship, commended the tournament on this achievement.
“I’m very pleased that the R&A have recognised the growth that the New Zealand Open has achieved in recent years, and I have no doubt that the winner will cherish this opportunity to tee it up at Royal Portrush next year,” said Charles.
Golf New Zealand CEO Jeff Latch is thrilled by the announcement, calling it a defining opportunity for the sport in this country.
“This is a massive moment for golf in New Zealand. To have a direct pathway from Queenstown to The Open at Royal Portrush is huge – not just for the players, but for the prestige of the event itself.
“It reinforces our place on the global stage and provides a dream opportunity for a rising star to compete for the Claret Jug.”
As per official Open Qualifying Series criteria, the tournament winner or leading player not already exempt at the New Zealand Open in Queenstown next year will earn a place at the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush to be held on July 13-20.
The New Zealand Open tees off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between February 27 and March 2. For more information, please visit nzopen.com.
The stars are coming out to play as our Aussies continue to exert their influence on the world stage.
A three-time winner last season, Hannah Green had her first top-five finish of the new LPGA year at the Founders Cup in Florida as NSW Open champion Lucas Herbert kicked off the LIV Golf season with a tie for fourth in Riyadh.
The chef, Min Woo Lee, brought the heat to the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open on his way to a tie for 12th as Kelsey Bennett continued her strong form on home soil with a tie for fourth at the Vic Open.
There are Aussies in the mix everywhere you look, and they’re just getting started.
10. Anthony Quayle (Last week: 8)
Handled the hurricane that swept through 13th Beach better than most on Sunday, climbing into a share of 12th courtesy of a round of 1-over 73. Remains seventh on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and in the hunt for one of three DP World Tour cards at season’s end.
9. Min Woo Lee (New entry)
Quietly building into his work in 2025. Tied for 17th in his first two starts in Dubai and at Pebble Beach, Lee brought his world-renowned showmanship to the WM Phoenix Open. He sent the crowd into a frenzy with a near ace at the par-3 16th on Saturday on his way to a tie for 12th.
8. Lucas Herbert (New entry)
Led the charge for Ripper GC in the LIV Golf season opener in Riyadh. On the back of his NSW Open and tie for fifth at the Australian Open, Herbert was in the hunt for a first LIV Golf individual win right up until the final hole, ultimately finishing in a tie for fourth.
7. Kelsey Bennett (10)
Kelsey’s climb up the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking is set to continue after the 2025 Ladies European Tour rookie was tied for fourth at the Vic Open. Has finished inside the top seven in each of her past four starts on the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
6. Elvis Smylie (5)
A second straight missed cut on the DP World Tour for the BMW Australian PGA Championship. Due to return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia where he continues to lead the Order of Merit at the New Zealand Open in a fortnight’s time.
5. Minjee Lee (7)
Rounds of 68-69 across the weekend saw Lee finish in a share of 28th at the Founders Cup in Florida. On the back of a top-five finish first up at the Tournament of Champions, it is another building block in a bigger and better 2025 campaign.
4. Jason Day (4)
Skipped the WM Phoenix Open after finishing tied for 13th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Holds his spot at No.32 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
3. Adam Scott (3)
Like Day, took the week off ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational. At No.24, remains Australia’s highest-ranked player on the Official World Golf Ranking.
2. Cam Davis (2)
Producing a level of consistency on the PGA TOUR befitting his talent. The New South Welshman missed the WM Phoenix Open after earning a share of fifth with an all-world birdie on the 72nd hole at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
1. Hannah Green (1)
Giving every indication that she intends to follow-up her three-win season last year with more of the same in 2025. Tied for 20th in the LPGA season opener, Green was tied for fourth at the Founders Cup. Her next event will be the defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore starting February 27.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
It took just two starts for Hannah Green to earn her first top-five finish of the LPGA Tour season as Lucas Herbert opened his year on LIV Golf with a tie for fourth at LIV Golf Riyadh.
In the mix on the back of rounds of 65-66 in rounds two and three, Green endured a frustrating final day on the greens to post 2-under 70 and secure a share of fourth at the Founders Cup in Florida.
Tied for 20th in the season-opener with new caddie David Buhai on the bag, Green is content with her first two weeks of the 2025 season but is headed home to Perth for a training block with coach Ritchie Smith ahead of the defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship title in Singapore.
“I don’t typically play these events,” said Green of the slight change to her schedule.
“I’ve made the trip over, so it’s nice to have had some good results, but also see what I need to work on to get ready for Singapore for a title defence.
“I’m going to try and catch up with my coach as much as possible. Try and see him at home before we both head on the road.
“I think I need to play a little bit more while I’m home. I felt like when you’re on the range you always hit it good, when you’re on the putting green. Just experience some wind or whatever it may be.
“Trying to play a little bit more before I get to Singapore is probably my goal.”
Herbert is also headed home to Australia this week with a focus on both individual and team success at LIV Golf Adelaide before playing the NZ Open in Queenstown.
The 29-year-old shot 64 in Round 2 under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club to play his way into the final group for Round 3.
He endured a rollercoaster round that included one eagle, five birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey at the 10th that seemingly took the win out of reach.
A brilliant second shot set up eagle at the par-5 13th which Herbert followed up with three consecutive birdies at 15, 16 and 17.
Trailing 2022 Australian Open champion Adrian Meronk by two playing the final hole, Herbert took an aggressive approach but made bogey to drop to a tie for fourth.
With all four scores now counting, it was a strong start to Ripper GC’s team title defence, the quartet of Herbert, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones earning a spot on the podium.
Photos: James Gilbert/Getty Images (Green); Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images (Herbert)
Results
PGA TOUR
WM Phoenix Open
TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Cse), Scottsdale, Arizona
1 Thomas Detry 66-64-65-65—260 $US1.656m
T12 Min Woo Lee 70-66-68-67—271 $195,500
T63 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-66-71-72—281 $19,964
DP World Tour
Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
Doha GC, Doha, Qatar
1 Haotong Li 69-67-67-69—272 €409,592.05
T25 Daniel Hillier 71-70-70-74—285 €21,804.75
MC Kazuma Kobori 73-71—144
MC Danny List 77-68—145
MC David Micheluzzi 75-71—146
MC Daniel Gale 74-74—148
MC Jason Scrivener 76-74—150
MC Elvis Smylie 74-78—152
LPGA Tour
Founders Cup presented by US Virgin Islands
Bradenton Country Club, Bradenton, Florida
1 Yealimi Noh 68-64-63-68—263 $US300,000
T4 Hannah Green 70-65-66-70—271 $86,932
T28 Minjee Lee 70-72-68-69—279 $15,923
T39 Gabriela Ruffels 72-68-73-68—281 $10,122
T48 Lydia Ko (NZ) 74-68-70-71—283 $6,595
T48 Fiona Xu (NZ) 70-70-72-71—283 $6,595
T48 Stephanie Kyriacou 70-72-69-72—283 $6,595
T56 Hira Naveed 70-68-72-74—284 $5,887
MC Karis Davidson 72-74—146
MC Cassie Porter 74-81—155
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Riyadh
Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia
1 Adrian Meronk 62-66-71—199 $US4m
T4 Lucas Herbert 68-64-70—202 $900,000
T6 Marc Leishman 67-68-68—203 $534,500
T15 Ben Campbell (NZ) 68-69-69—206 $292,500
T25 Wade Ormsby 68-72-69—209 $185,000
T25 Cameron Smith 67-72-70—209 $185,000
T33 Matt Jones 74-68-69—211 $145,572
T33 Danny Lee (NZ) 68-74-69—211 $145,572
Team Scores
1 Legion XIII 50-under
T2 Ripper GC 39-under
T2 Rangegoats GC 39-under
PGA TOUR Champions
Trophy Hassan II
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco
1 Miguel Angel Jiménez 70-69-69—208 $US400,000
2 Steven Alker (NZ) 69-70-71—210 $220,000
T9 Richard Green 76-71-70—217 $60,000
T14 Scott Hend 71-73-74—218 $42,550
T14 Greg Chalmers 72-71-75—218 $42,550
T28 Mark Hensby 72-75-74—221 $19,800
T39 Rod Pampling 74-79-71—224 $12,250
T47 Stuart Appleby 80-74-73—227 $8,000
T53 Cameron Percy 78-69-81—228 $6,125
Ladies European Tour
Lalla Meryem Cup
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Blue Cse), Morocco
1 Cara Gainer 71-70-69—210 €67,500
Won in sudden-death playoff
MC Momoka Kobori (NZ) 79-71—150
MC Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 76-75—151
Korn Ferry Tour
Astara Golf Championship
Country Club de Bogota, Bogota, Colombia
1 Kyle Westmoreland 70-64-61-70—265 $US180,000
T13 Rhein Gibson 68-65-68-70—271 $17,583
T26 Harry Hillier (NZ) 64-72-69-68—273 $7,476
HotelPlanner Tour
Cell C Cape Town Open
Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa
1 Jamie Rutherford 69-69-67-69—274 €57,282.65
T4 Sam Jones (NZ) 70-69-69-70—278 €13,010.57
T47 Hayden Hopewell 72-69-69-76—286 €2,204.57
MC Haydn Barron 77-70—147
After a windswept final round he described as “super, super tough”, New Zealand’s Josh Geary clinched the 2025 Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links, his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title in almost 12 years.
The leader after rounds two and three, Geary would never have thought a closing 6-over-par 78 to finish on 13-under-par would be good enough. But it was, by four strokes over West Australian Connor McKinney.
Only three men shot under-par rounds on Sunday – two-under-par 70s from McKinney, New Zealand’s Kerry Mountcastle, who took equal third, and local favourite Ben Eccles, who soared to a share of eighth.
Former Vic Open champion Michael Hendry (74) and NSW’s Austin Bautista (79) also had a share of third.
The afternoon of unyielding, buffeting winds from the Southern Ocean blew the scoring average for Sunday to 76.5 shots.
“It’s the hardest round of golf I’ve had to play,” the new champion said.
“It’s hard enough trying to close out a tournament, let alone in those conditions which meant literally you can make any score from anywhere.
“If you’d asked me if I shot 78 tomorrow if I’d still have a four-shot margin, I’d tell you you’re dreaming, but that’s just how hard it was.
“I’m super happy, obviously, and stoked to get it done.”
It was always going to be extremely difficult for Geary to match his near-faultless first 54 holes, a double-bogey on his final hole of the Creek Course on Friday were his only dropped shots in rounds of 64-65-68.
He bogeyed the first hole on Sunday but was impressively under par for the day after back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth.
It was at the par-four eighth, playing as the toughest hole of the day at almost a shot over par, where Geary’s round threatened to unravel – a penalty drop after a wayward approach shot into the greenside bush and three putts leading to a triple-bogey.
But a bounce-back birdie on No.9 ensured he would take a five-shot lead into the final nine holes of the tournament.
As his potential challengers fell away, the 2013 WA Open champion only had to avoid a catastrophe. Five bogeys on the way to the clubhouse didn’t create too many concerns.
“Even when you got downwind, you couldn’t hold the greens. You’d have a sand wedge and 180 metres and it’s going through the back of the green,” Geary said.
“I was just trying to keep it out of the real trouble.”
McKinney’s 70 allowed him to climb from a tie for 23rd overnight to second place, his best finish on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, just surpassing his tie for second at the 2023 WA Open.
The Scottish-born West Australian turned in 3-under 33 and finished his round with a total of four birdies.
Defending champion Brett Coletta (Vic) closed with a 72 to end in a share of 18th place.
The next Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournament is Webex Players Series Sydney, starting on Thursday, February 20.
The ultra-steady play of New Zealander Josh Geary has him in the box seat to win the 2025 Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links on Sunday.
A two-shot leader at the start of the third round, Geary adopted a conservative approach and played exceptional bogey-free golf in difficult, windy conditions to record a 4-under-par 68.
Chasing a first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory since the 2013 WA Open, he moved to 19-under for the tournament and a four-stroke advantage over NSW’s Austin Bautista (69).
NSW Amateur champion Declan O’Donovan (71) showed great resilience after a tough start to stay in the hunt at 14-under, while another shot behind is the Queensland duo of Kade McBride and Aaron Wilkin, who both posted 4-under 68s.
Thanks to birdies on the fourth, 10th and 13th holes, Geary was as many as five shots up before a late rally from Bautista slightly improved his chances of winning on Sunday.
“I’m really happy with the way I handled myself today,” Geary said after closing his day with a birdie at the last.
“My long game hasn’t been great, so a lot of times I played quite conservative, but you sort of could today.
“It was windy enough for 4-under to be a good score and to keep the bogeys off the card was good.
“Got a bit loose near the end but it was just hard. It was very hard.”
Back in contention for the first time in more than a year, Bautista has been in a similar mindset to the leader.
He’s had just one bogey and one double-bogey in the first 54 holes, the double coming on the par-4 14th on Saturday, but he bounced back with birdies on 15 and 17.
Bautista has been adopting the “when it’s breezy, swing easy” approach to playing in the winds on the Bellarine, which proved to be a real challenge late on day three and will be a factor again in the final round.
“I’ve focused really hard just on just tempo and transition and noticed a big difference,” the 2023 Webex Players Series South Australia champion said.
“I remember when I’m playing well, that is the tempo. It’s just funny when you start playing bad, you’re just trying to hit it so hard.”
In his first start on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season, Wilkin’s 68 included birdies on three of his last four holes to get him into the mix for his second Tour title.
“Hit it very well in the wind. Had a lot of chances, but also had to save a few for par, so I sort of just hung in there,” the former Queensland PGA champion said.
“It’s great to be in contention. That’s why I’ve come back and played.
“I love this golf course and the tournament set-up is really, really cool. I’m going to have to produce a pretty good one tomorrow by the looks of it but you never know.”
First-round leader McBride described his 68 as “about as bad a score as I could have shot out there today”.
“It’s always nice to have a chance. That’s all you want. And then you’ve just got to make sure the cards fall your way,” the Queenslander said.
The big morning moves came from Victorian Todd Sinnott (64) and Tasmania’s Simon Hawkes (66) who both moved to 11-under-par and a share of seventh.
After making the halfway cut on the number, Sinnott’s bogey-free round included just 31 strokes on the back nine, while Hawkes collected seven birdies with just the one dropped shot.
Defending champion Brett Coletta (72) made it through to Sunday’s play at 4-under.
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.
A new force is emerging on the PGA Legends Tour with Kiwi Dominic Barson winning for a second time this season in dominant fashion at the St Clair Legends Pro-Am in Dunedin.
A three-stroke winner at the Pegasus Legends Pro-Am, Barson shot 7-under 64 at St Clair Golf Club to win by five strokes from in-form Queenslander Murray Lott (69) with three players sharing third place at even par.
Fifth at Legends Tour Q School last January, Barson joined the Tour late last year and had top-10 finishes at Moss Vale and Pymble.
He got through First Stage of PGA TOUR Champions School in the US and now looks set to challenge for the Order of Merit title in 2025.
Barson made the perfect start to his round at St Clair, opening with a bogey at the par-5 14th.
That was followed by birdies at 15, 18 and one to be 5-under through six holes.
He backed up a birdie at 5 with three on the trot from the eighth hole to reach 9-under par, bogeys at two of his final three holes reducing the winning margin by two.
Leading scores
1 Dominic Barson 64
2 Murray Lott 69
T3 Brad Burns 71
T3 Ben Jackson 71
T3 Roland Baglin 71
February 5
Powell, Lott share honours at Gleniti
A birdie on his final hole has seen Victorian Paul Powell match Murray Lott’s total of 3-under 69 and share victory at the Gleniti Legends Pro-Am near Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island.
Starting from the 11th hole, Powell had birdies at 13, 17 and one before dropping back to 2-under with a bogey at the par-4 third.
After three birdies and three bogeys in his opening seven holes, Lott started the front nine at Gleniti Golf Club even par but peeled off birdies at two, four, six and nine to be 4-under and two strokes ahead.
But Lott’s bogey on 10 and Powell’s birdie at the same hole saw the pair finished locked together at 3-under.
Lott and Powell both finished one stroke clear of a quartet of players at 2-under.
Leading scores
T1 Paul Powell 69
T1 Murray Lott 69
T3 James Kupa 70
T3 Brad Burns 70
T3 Mark Sandri 70
T3 Martin Pettigrew 70
February 4
Barson wins by three at Pegasus Pro-Am
Kiwi Dominic Barson displayed the type of form that got him into Final Stage of PGA TOUR Champions Q School to take out the Pegasus Legends Pro-Am at Pegasus Golf Club near Christchurch.
The third individual event of the New Zealand swing to kick off the 2025 PGA Legends Tour season, Barson made it a win for the locals with a superb round of 6-under 66.
The 50-year-old made it through to Final Stage last November by finishing tied for 15th at First Stage, level with Australian Brendan Jones who went on to secure his card at Final Stage in Arizona.
Although Barson was not successful in earning full playing rights for 2025, the experience appeared to pay off as he bounced back from an early bogey to post five birdies and an eagle to finish three clear of Brisbane’s Murray Lott (69).
There was a three-way tie for third with Waihi Legends Pro-Am winner Guy Wall tied with Brad Burns and Martin Pettigrew.
Leading scores
1 Dominic Barson 66
2 Murray Lott 69
T3 Brad Burns 70
T3 Martin Pettigrew 70
T3 Guy Wall 70
6 Christopher Massie 71
February 3
Australia retains Charles-Nagle Trophy
The Charles-Nagle Trophy remains in Australian hands after an enthralling contest that went down to the final match at Harewood Golf Club.
With Sir Bob Charles on hand to present the winning team with the trophy, the Aussies got off to a fast start as Brad Burns and David Fearns completed a 5&4 win over Dominic Barson and Martin Pettigrew.
The Kiwis got a point on the board thanks to Dean Sipson and Craig Mitchell’s 4&2 win over Ben Jackson and Roland Baglin, the match square at 1.5 points each when Guy Wall and Murray Lott halved their match with Dell Bain and Peter Giles.
The final result would hinge on the last match, Scott Ford and John Onions prevailing over Malcolm Wells and Mike Gainsford 3&2 to secure the win for the Australians.
Final scores
Brad Burns/David Fearns def. Dominic Barson/Martin Pettigrew (NZ) 5&4
Dean Sipson/Craig Mitchell (NZ) def. Ben Jackson/Roland Baglin 4&2
Guy Wall/Murray Lott halved Dell Bain/Peter Giles (NZ)
Scott Ford/John Onions def. Malcolm Wells/Mike Gainsford (NZ) 3&2
February 2
Massie stuns with NZ PGA Seniors Pro-Am win
Two superb rounds have earned Queenslander Chris Massie a maiden PGA Legends Tour win at the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools NZ PGA Seniors Pro-Am Championship at Hamner Springs Golf Club.
In his second year on the seniors circuit, Massie opened up a two-stroke lead with a round of 6-under 62 on day one and then followed that up with a 4-under 64 in Round 2 for a 10-under total.
Massie’s best finish in his rookie season was a tie for 13th at Tin Can Bay but he showed few signs of nerves as he held off Murray Lott (64-63) by one stroke with Brad Burns (64-66) and Dominic Barson (64-66) three shots further back in third.
Leading scores
1 Chris Massie 62-64—126
2 Murray Lott 64-63—127
T3 Brad Burns 64-66—130
T3 Dominic Barson 64-66—130
5 Ben Jackson 67-67—134
January 30
Wall has his way at Waihi Legends
Pymble’s Guy Wall made the perfect start to the 2025 PGA Legends Tour season with a two-stroke victory at the Expol Waihi Legends Pro-Am at Waihi Golf Club.
It is the third year in succession that the Legends Tour season has kicked off on New Zealand’s North Island and the second time in three years that Wall has won the season-opener.
A winner at Hanmer Springs two years ago, Wall shot 6-under 66 at Waihi to claim victory from West Australian Rob Farley (68) with Kiwi pair Dell Bain and Dominic Barson sharing third with rounds of 2-under 70.
Leading scores
1 Guy Wall 66
2 Robert Farley 68
T3 Dell Bain 70
T3 Dom Barson 70
T5 Justin Hooper 71
T5 Ben Jackson 71
Kiwi Josh Geary’s preparation for another New Zealand Open tilt later this month may just include victory at the 2025 Vic Open.
Rounds of 64-65 on the first two days at 13th Beach Golf Links have handed Geary a two-stroke lead over NSW amateur Declan O’Donovan (65-66) as he tries to secure his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title since the 2013 WA Open.
Not that there hasn’t been success in recent years. The 40-year-old has won the Order of Merit on the Charles Tour in his homeland the past two seasons, including claiming four event titles.
“My plan was to come over here and get ready for the New Zealand Open in a few weeks and the New Zealand PGA,” Geary said.
“I wasn’t feeling great about the way things felt coming into this week and, to be honest, some of the long stuff’s still pretty rough. But I managed to get it around and the scoring clubs are really sharp.”
Geary played 35 holes without a bogey across the Beach and Creek courses the past two days.
He was leading by five shots when he made double-bogey on his final hole, the par-4 18th on the Creek, when he missed the green to the right.
Two chips later, he was facing a bogey putt that lipped out.
“It all kind of turned to custard on one hole. To be honest, it was kind of coming,” said Geary.
“I had a few loose ones out there so it wasn’t that surprising.
“It just would’ve been nice to have it earlier on and finish on a better note. It always makes lunch taste a bit off.
“I’ve got a pretty poor history over on the Creek course. It was nice to get a good score there today, regardless of the last hole.”
Playing in his eighth Tour event as an amateur, O’Donovan has continued the form that took him into the last group of the final day of the Australian Amateur Championship at Commonwealth Golf Club followed by successfully defending his NSW Amateur title and then claiming the Avondale Amateur.
He played in the final group in Round 3 of the Queensland PGA Championship last November and has made just one bogey through 36 holes at 13th Beach.
“I’m not going to change anything,” the 21-year-old said of his plans for the weekend.
“My mate (Sean Ryan) and I have been doing a really good job. We’re just focusing on my processes and trying to stay away from the result as much as possible and I think I’ll just try to have as much fun as I can.”
Sharing third place at 12-under-par are two former Tour winners, South Australian Lachlan Barker (66-67) and NSW’s Austin Bautista (65-67).
With just one bogey across the two days, Bautista is delighted to be back in the mix at the weekend. The Sydney professional has endured a difficult run, with just one top 10 on Tour since his victory at the 2023 Webex Players Series South Australia.
“This is where I want to be. I mean, this is why I play golf,” Bautista said of his lofty position on the leaderboard.
“You want to be in the mix and be in contention. So yeah, definitely very excited about it.
“I’ve been working really hard. It’s definitely not just one thing with golf. I find that it’s not by chance you have good golf that comes out of nowhere.”
Overnight leader Kade McBride (Queensland) followed up his opening 62 with a second round of 1-over 73 in the afternoon wind on the Beach course to sit at -9-under overall.
Defending champion Brett Coletta (Vic) safely made the weekend play with rounds of 69-71, but is 11 shots from the lead. Order of Merit No.4 Jack Buchanan (72-69) is 12 behind.
Among those to miss the halfway cut at -3 were Order of Merit No.8 Corey Lamb (71-75) and two-time Vic Open champion Dimi Papadatos (73-75).
The final two rounds will be played on the Beach Course.
The leading group will tee off at 2pm on Saturday.
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.
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
Royal Fremantle Golf Club’s Ritchie Smith has been acknowledged as Western Australia’s best coach for a second time at the 2024 WA Sport Awards presented by SportWest.
Held at Optus Stadium in Perth on Thursday night, Smith was named Coach of the Year ahead of WA men’s cricket coach, Adam Voges and WA Institute of Sport Swimming Head Coach, Ben Higson.
Nominated twice previously, Smith was named Coach of the Year in 2021 and received the honour again after a year in which he had three players represent Australia at the Paris Olympic Games, guided Hannah Green to three wins on the LPGA Tour and saw Elvis Smylie win both the WA Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Named PGA National Coach of the Year – High Performance at the PGA Awards in November for a third time, Smith’s stable continues to grow and flourish.
He has coached both Green and Minjee Lee since they were just 12 years of age, Minjee’s younger brother Min Woo making it three out of four Smith athletes wearing the green and gold for the Australian golf team in Paris.
“I’ve known Richie since I was 12 years old, since I first got into the junior squad for the Interstate Matches,” said Minjee after her third Olympic selection.
“Obviously he’s got great coaching skills, but he also knows us inside out so he knows exactly what to say when we need to hear it or words of encouragement or when we’re doing well.
“He just knows how to keep us grounded as well.
“It just shows how good his relationship is with all of us, having three out of the four in the Olympic team.”
Green enjoyed one of the greatest years by an Australian on the LPGA Tour in 2024 and finished just one shot out of a playoff for a medal at the Olympic Games.
An influential figure on WA golf for more than a decade, Smith’s reach continues to grow.
He and his team put the finishing touches to Queenslander Elvis Smylie that has already yielded a DP World Tour card and he is currently working on resurrecting the career of Victorian Su Oh.
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.
