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Despite admitting his score could be substantially better, David Micheluzzi shares the lead at the 2024 Sandbelt Invitational on 3-under with amateur Kayun Mudadana ahead of the final round at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Signing for a 2-under 69 at Woodlands Golf Club on Wednesday, 2022/2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner Micheluzzi will be chasing a second triumph at Royal Melbourne after claiming the Master of the Amateurs at the famed course in 2018.
Micheluzzi admitting that if things were to go his way tomorrow it would be extra special due to his relationship with tournament host and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy.
“It would also be really cool if I did, because Geoff has been a mentor, how he’s helped me out quite a bit, but he’s helped me out more than people know it with turning pro and what to expect,” Micheluzzi said.
“To have a major champion like him giving that advice. You can’t pay for that kind of stuff, that experience. So that would mean the world if I did get up … it would be sick.”
The Sandbelt Invitational itself is designed around the same concept of experienced players interacting with younger ones across men and women from both pro and amateur ranks.
Some, like Mudadana, clearly comfortable in the environment, where parts of the learning is through conversation while also visually from the likes of Richard Green, who fired the equal low round of the day.
The left hander’s 65 only matched by Cameron John, with Green at 1-under for the tournament and one shot back of fellow Victorian Matias Sanchez after his 1-under round at Woodlands.
Green continuing to knock the rust off his game after only playing nine holes with his dog for company since ending his tremendous 2024 PGA TOUR Champions campaign, where he came agonisingly close to a win.
“I’ve had good coaching over the last probably five or six years with Darrell Brown, and we’ve worked on a lot of things that have squared my golf swing up,” Green said of his impressive play despite a break.
“As opposed to prior to that I was all over the place. My game’s up and it’s down and it’s up and it’s down. Whereas my game’s more on an even keel and a lot closer to playing really well.
“To win would be great for my confidence going into next year and in some way wouldn’t surprise me with how I’ve played this year, to be honest.”
Perhaps surprising some as co-leader through 54-holes, Mudadana is certainly not planning on making way for Micheluzzi, Green or Sanchez, who as a Royal Melbourne member would love to lift the trophy on Thursday.
A New South Wales Golf Club member who has been spending his time on the driving range with the course closed for renovations, Mudadana looked likely to lead on his own with 18 holes to play until the closing stages of his 1-under 70.
“I was playing good. I was 5-under through 15 and hit a bit of a shocking tee shot of 16 and made triple,” Mudadana said.
“Just worrying about playing good golf and sort of enjoying the course. It’s been a lot of fun when you’re just not really worrying about it and yeah, just that’s how I sort of play it,” he added when asked about the names he sits ahead of that includes a congested group behind Green.
Sandbelt local Matt Griffin, 36-hole leader Ryan Peake and NSW Amateur winner Declan O’Donovan, who was tied for the lead until a triple-bogey at the 18th, all at even par and sharing fifth.
Cam John the next best at 1-over and one in front of American-based amateur Niall Shiels Donegan and one of Woodlands’ favourite sons Steve Allan.
Amateur Annika Rathbone in a share of 11th at 4-over and leading the women’s contingent, with Amelia Harris and Shyla Singh two shots back and Tour player Karis Davidson on 7-over trying to claim the women’s trophies.
Harris getting a good window into what the field faces tomorrow as they attempt to deny Micheluzzi another win after playing the third round with the man who shot 59 in preparation for this event.
Preparation that alongside Micheluzzi’s assessment of his week so far provides an ominous warning for his competition.
“I really, almost every day this week, felt like I should have been five or six (shots) better every round, which speaks volumes of all the swings, changes and the confidence I’ve got in all my swing changes.”
Full scores available at www.sandbeltinvitational.com
Fresh off his best Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia finish of the season at the Gippsland Super 6, West Australian Ryan Peake has taken the halfway lead at the Geoff Ogilvy hosted Sandbelt Invitational.
Moving to Yarra Yarra Golf Club from Commonwealth, Peake emerged best from another tough day on the Melbourne Sandbelt when the wind blew and he signed for a 2-under-par 68 to reach 4-under overall.
Peake leading by one from amateur Declan O’Donovan, with Asian Tour player Kevin Yuan and overnight co-leader Kayun Mudadana at 2-under before a trio of Victorian pros in David Micheluzzi, Matias Sanchez and Harry Goakes round out the under par scores on 1-under.
Battling through fatigue one of the challenges for Peake as he reaches the Christmas break after travelling around Australia and beyond, with the left hander also having to overcome two bogeys at the second and third on Tuesday.
“I think obviously a lot of guys were happy to finish last week. Everyone’s just mentally fatigued. They’re worn out,” Peake said.
“Myself, this is the first year I’ve had a category, so it’s the first year I’ve been able to play that massive run of summer events. I’m getting tired, but when I got the opportunity to play I was like, ‘Well I can just push my body a little bit more’.
“It’s top courses that you never want to turn down to play, but I think it’s going to be the perfect warm down for me as well because it’s a little bit more of a relaxed event.”
Noting the atmosphere of the unique event where male and female professionals and amateurs compete alongside one another, Peake spoke after his round of trying to instil confidence in the amateurs as well as enjoying the Sandbelt region having not fully appreciated the famed courses first time around.
“When I came into this week, honestly, I just wanted to embrace the Sandbelt,” he said.
“I took it for granted when I was younger, so I wanted to come out and just observe the architecture.
“At the start of the year, I was working as a greenkeeper at Royal Perth doing some of Michael Clayton’s redesigns out there. So actually getting to see that side of things … they have a vision of what it looks like, so being a part of that as well now is just quite cool to actually soak it all in and know exactly know it’s all about.”
Hailing from Avondale Golf Club in Sydney’s north, O’Donovan might not be quite looking at the venues as much as Peake as he continues a special summer that included playing the opening two rounds of the Ford NSW Open with Lucas Herbert and Cam Smith as the reigning NSW Amateur champion.
Speaking of the learnings from that week, O’Donovan’s opinion of this week and further chances to gain insights from more experienced players in a competitive environment falling exactly into line with the goals of Ogilvy and fellow tournament creator Clayton.
“It doesn’t change at all,” O’Donovan, who had the equal low round of the day (65) with Goakes, said of his goal entering this week. “I mean probably even I’d have even more of a feeling of wanting to win because there’s bigger names than most amateur events.
“There’s a tonne of guys that I want to beat this week, but I think if I just focus on what I’m doing, I worry about other scores later on.”
It was a similar thought for his fellow Sydney amateur Mudadana who admitted he didn’t even look at the leaderboard after leaving the course on Monday, before following up his 5-under first round with a 3-over 73 to sit in a tie for third.
“The last year I’ve really learned how to just grind it out and even if you’re having not the best day, sort of have an okay score,” Mudadana said.
“Being low amateur is definitely a good goal. I’d really hope to get that and hopefully play some good golf. But yeah, playing alongside the pros, just trying my best to play as good as them, if not better, is really good opportunity here.”
In his first year as a pro, and after a tough run on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Goakes is enjoying the chance to play competitive golf on the Sandbelt where he grew up as a Royal Melbourne member. His round of 65 including nine birdies and even a par with a dreaded shank on the 13th.
Two shots further back on 1-over is amateur Amelia Harris, who leads the women’s contingent of both pros and amateurs having first come to prominence at this event in 2021 when 14 years old and playing with Peter Fowler.
Yarra Yarra member Harris one in front of adidas Australian Amateur winner Shyla Singh with Karis Davidson another shot back on 3-over.
“Obviously I’m trying to win. That’s the goal that everyone else has, but have fun as well and do my best because all the best amateur girls are here,” Harris said.
“I knew it was going to be a tough week, so hopefully a couple good days. The next couple days will be good and see where I end up.”
Those next couple of days will see the tournament head to Woodlands Golf Club for the first time on Wednesday before the conclusion on the West Course at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where Peake’s Sandbelt appreciation could go to another level if he continues with the play that has delivered the 36-hole lead.
Full scores at www.sandbeltinvitational.com
Perth will welcome its strongest women’s professional field in more than a decade and showcase Australia’s up-and-coming male players when Royal Fremantle Golf Club hosts the Webex Players Series Perth from January 9-12.
Hosted by superstar siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee, Webex Players Series Perth brings men and women together on the same golf course playing for the same prize purse, the inaugural Perth edition worth $250,000.
It is the second of five Webex Players Series events on the 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia with confirmed entries including home-grown West Australian stars and a host of internationals with impressive credentials.
WA trio Haydn Barron, Hayden Hopewell and Kirsten Rudgeley all spent 2024 playing in Europe, Rudgeley narrowly missing out on an LPGA Tour card in finishing 12th on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.
Joining Rudgeley in the women’s field will be LPGA Tour-bound Queenslander Cassie Porter, 2024 LPGA Tour rookie Yue Ren of China, Vic Open and Malaysian Olympic representative in Paris, Ashley Lau, and West Australians Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Jess Whitting and Kathryn Norris.
Whitting and Norris both have top-10 finishes in previous Webex Players Series events while Porter graduates to the LPGA Tour next year after finishing 10th on the Epson Tour points list.
The last time WA was witness to such high-quality women’s golf was when Dame Laura Davies, World Golf Hall of Famer Jan Stephenson and current WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn played the Handa Australia Cup at Nedlands Golf Club in 2011.
Given the quality of golfers WA has produced in the 13 years since, Lunn is thrilled to see top-class women’s golf back in the west.
“With the likes of Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Kirsten Rudgeley, the production line coming out of Western Australia in recent years is extremely impressive,” said Lunn.
“I have fond memories of playing the Handa Australia Cup at Nedlands, although I can’t believe it’s now 13 years ago!
“The depth of talent we have in the women’s game here in Australia at present is as good as I have ever seen it, and with the influx of international players that we saw last year I’m confident the girls will give the boys a run for their money at Royal Fremantle.”
The first event of the 2025 WPGA Tour schedule, Webex Players Series Perth marks the start to the second half of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
A two-time winner already this season and fourth on the Order of Merit, South Australian Jack Buchanan will continue his push towards one of three DP World Tour cards in Perth, as will Queensland PGA champion Phoenix Campbell.
Other notables in the men’s field include 2021 Australian PGA champion Jed Morgan, 2022 WA Open winner Deyen Lawson, six-time European Tour winner Brett Rumford and four-time PGA Tour of Australasia winner and Perth local, Jarryd Felton.
Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee will be played at Royal Fremantle Golf Club from January 9-12. The final two rounds will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo from 4pm-7pm Saturday and 2pm-7pm Sunday AEDT.
As most players were pondering what might be on the menu for Christmas lunch and how long they could put the clubs away, David Micheluzzi was preparing to play the Sandbelt Invitational, as well as an important desert swing on the DP World Tour.
Teeing it up at his home club of Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club on Sunday ahead of the Geoff Ogilvy-Mike Clayton brainchild event getting underway today at Commonwealth Golf Club, Micheluzzi would have felt very positive about his chances.
However, the Cranbourne boy couldn’t have pictured what would eventually transpire during his casual warm up game, with Micheluzzi birdieing his final three holes to record golf’s magic number of 59.
Although not in an official Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event like Connor McKinney just two days prior at the Gippsland Super 6, it still meant plenty to Micheluzzi who raised his arms and ran around the green after the final putt dropped and he finally broke the 60 barrier.
“I used all the putts yesterday and didn’t use any of them today, which was not smart. But any chance you have, any chance you have to shoot 59, you try and take it and I took it,” Micheluzzi joked after an even par opening round at the Sandbelt Invitational today.
“I think I’ve shot 61 at PK on both courses about a combined kind of 13 times. So I’ve been close here or there and got to do it with my mates as well.
“They’re guys that I grew up playing golf with and they were actually fortunate enough to see Ben Murphy’s 57 on the North. So the two guys that I played with yesterday have both seen 59s on both courses at ‘PK’, which was pretty cool.”
Making his score on the South Course, Micheluzzi made four birdies on the front nine to turn in 32 before he got hot coming home.
Birdieing the 10th and 11th, the 2022/2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion finished with some truly remarkable golf, the Victorian going birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie for a nine hole score of 27 and golf’s most elusive number of 59.
“The finish, we knew that I had to boot the last three and so we’re all trying to keep me not trying to lose my s*&t and just hit it in the right spots,” he said.”
“I holed a really good putt on 17 and we were just like, come on, let’s better your, let’s better your lasts. And then yeah, holed that putt and yeah, it was a lot of fun.”
Micheluzzi no doubt hoping some similar low scores continue at the Sandbelt Invitational where he shares 13th, five shots adrift of amateur co-leaders Kayu Mudadana and Ti Fox on 5-under.
Bringing together men and women from both professional and amateur ranks, the Sandbelt Invitational saw the younger brigade take centre stage on day one at Commonwealth Golf Club on Monday of the Geoff Ogilvy hosted event.
Leading by three from a group including LPGA Tour player Karis Davidson and Asian Tour regular Kevin Yuan, New South Wales amateurs Ti Fox and Kayun Mudadana made light work of the high temperatures and strong winds to fire matching rounds of 5-under 67.
Aged 16 and 18 respectively, the pair seemed unperturbed by conditions veteran player David McKenzie told his amateur playing partners was “as hard as golf gets”. Fox going bogey-free around the redesigned host of day one as he did a few weeks ago at the NextGen Amateur Tour event, while Mudadana played his first 18 holes since winning the same event due to his home club New South Wales Golf Club being closed for renovations.
“I was definitely confident. I felt good pretty much all week coming into this,” Fox said.
“Had a couple low ones back at home and yeah, last month I was here I shot 5-under bogey-free and I’ve done it again. So quite happy with that.”
Alongside Davidson and Yuan, are rising Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia rookie Jordan Doull and his fellow West Australian Ryan Peake, as well as another amateur Max Moring on 2-under.
Playing alongside Mudadana in the first group of the day at 6:40am to avoid the afternoon heat, 2002 Australian Open winner Steve Allan and newly 18-year-old Queensland Amateur Sarah Hammett sit on 1-under alongside 2024 The National Tournament winner Cameron John, Sandbelt local Matt Griffin and yet another amateur in Morten Hafkamp.
“My group was really good today. Everyone played pretty well,” Hammett said.
“I think it was good to see other people make heaps of birdies and kind of give me more, I guess, not motivation, but to keep going and try and make some more birdies as well.
“The format as well, being able to play with some of the men is just such a different game. And yeah, just cool to see.”
Although all vying for the overall title, which features Brady Watt, Cameron Davis and Daniel Gale on the honour roll, the unique event also offers up trophies for each category, with Fox and Mudadana surely looking towards the main event as a first port of call.
“There’s a lot of good pros here, so being able to have some good scores and being up there with them is really good and good feeling,” Mudadana said.
The son of a golf professional, Fox seems comfortable in the company, but will be wary of the likes of David Micheluzzi on even par, even if he says he “used all the putts” on a 59 at home club Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club on Sunday.
The DP World Tour player not planning much of a Christmas break as he prepares for the European circuit’s Middle East swing early in the new year, while also paying his dues this week at an event that offers all the players a unique perspective of the game they have all dedicated their lives to.
“Last year I had Q School and I committed to this (Sandbelt Invitational) and found out Q School was on that same time and obviously went to Q School, so I didn’t get to play this event last year,” Micheluzzi said.
“So felt like I owed Geoff (Ogilvy) a favour in the nicest way possible. It’s always just been a great event.
“I played the first time they’ve held it and it’s always been great. And Geoff’s been very kind with me from amateur golf to professional golf. He’s helped me out a lot so it’s the least I can do for him.”
Micheluzzi sits alongside four others, including fellow Victorians Matias Sanchez, Connor McDade, Molly McLean and Patrick O’Connor.
The mixed group of players headed to Yarra Yarra Golf Club for Tuesday’s second round before Woodlands Golf Club hosts the third round and the five winners will be awarded the spoils on the famed West Course of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Full scores at www.sandbeltinvitational.com
A closing birdie on the final hole of Round 1 proved to be the winning moment for Brad Burns at a rain-shortened Queensland Senior PGA Championship.
A sodden Maroochy River Golf Club could take no more rain on Monday, 30mm overnight adding to the 20mm on Sunday and a further forecast of 40mm on Monday forcing the closure of the golf course and abandonment of the second and final round.
It also marks the end to the 2024 PGA Legends Tour season, Andre Stolz claiming the Order of Merit in emphatic fashion with more than $129,000 in prize money, $10,000 more than his record season in 2023.
It matches Burns’s record of four consecutive Order of Merit titles, Burns pleased to make it seven wins for the year despite injury issues.
“The body’s been a bit ordinary the last six months and it’s a good way to finish for the year,” said Burns.
Burns shot 5-under 67 on Sunday to finish one stroke clear of John Wade, Michael Wright and Adam Henwood with Peter Lonard (69) and Richard Gilkey (69) sharing fifth.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Given the challenge of the conditions and rain delays, Burns played superbly to go bogey-free.
He and Peter Lonard were the only two players not to drop a shot over the course of their round, the first of Burns’s five birdies coming at the par-4 15th after starting from the 12th hole.
Burns picked up a second birdie at the par-5 17th and then picked up shots at the two par 3s on the front nine.
But it would take until his final hole for Burns to edge ahead, his final birdie coming at the par-5 11th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s tragic we couldn’t get down for the second round but the course is great the way it held up under the water,” said Burns.
“We had a lot of rain overnight and it was very wet out there yesterday and windy.
“It was a very nice putt on the last to sneak one ahead, especially when you knew it was going to rain the next couple of days.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Brad Burns 67
T2 John Wade 68
T2 Michael Wright 68
T2 Adam Henwood 68
T5 Peter Lonard 69
T5 Richard Gilkey 69
7 Chris Taylor 70
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour now breaks for Christmas with the 2025 season to begin with Qualifying School at Murwillumbah Golf Club on the New South Wales Northern Rivers from January 7-10.
Aussie duo Brett Coletta and Jack Buchanan are exempt into the International Series on the Asian Tour in 2025 after finishing top five at the LIV Golf Promotions in Saudi Arabia.
Coletta (pictured) and Buchanan produced identical rounds across the final three rounds to share fourth position, the top 10 exempt for the 10 International Series events that will feature on the Asian Tour in 2025.
Qualifying schools continue this week with a large contingent of Australasian players to contest both the Final Stage of Ladies European Tour Qualifying School in Morocco and Final Stage of Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand.
Queensland’s Justice Bosio secured her place at Final Stage by finishing top of the leaderboard at one of the pre-qualifiers, New South Wales amateur Belinda Ji brilliantly bouncing back from an opening round of 83 with rounds of 69-69 to also advance.
West Australian Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Kiwi pair Amelia Garvey and Wenyung Keh also survived the pre-qualifier to join Kelsey Bennett at Final Stage.
There are a total of 20 Australians and two Kiwis looking to secure status on the Asian Tour across two courses in Thailand, Round 1 of five to tee off on Tuesday.
Photo: Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf
Results
PGA TOUR
PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry
Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
1 Lanto Griffin 67-72-69-63—271
T36 Harry Hillier (NZ) 73-68-69-72—282
T72 Rhein Gibson 70-74-69-73—286
T117 Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 71-76-68-75—290
Grant Thornton Invitational
Tiburón Golf Club, Naples, Florida
1 Patty Tavatanakit/Jake Knapp 58-66-65—189
6 Lydia Ko/Jason Day 62-67-67—196
16 Gabi Ruffels/Scott Dunlap 65-76-64—205
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Promotions
Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia
1 Lee Chieh-po 67-64-68—199
T4 Brett Coletta 67-67-70—204
T4 Jack Buchanan 67-67-70—204
T14 Ben Campbell (NZ) 64-71-70—205
T17 Danny Lee (NZ) 66-69-73—208
MC Travis Smyth 68
MC Wade Ormsby 69
MC Jak Carter 69
MC Nick Voke (NZ) 70
MC Daniel Gale 70
MC Brett Rankin 71
MC Matthew Griffin 71
MC Maverick Antcliff 71
MC Phoenix Campbell 72
MC Jed Morgan 73
MC William Bruyeres 74
Round 1 draw
Ladies European Tour
Lalla Aicha Q School Final Stage
Royal Golf Marrakech & Al Maaden Golf Marrakech
7:40pm Justice Bosio
8:20pm Wenyung Keh (NZ)
8:30pm* Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
9:10pm Amelia Garvey (NZ)
9:10pm* Belinda Ji (a)
9:30pm* Kelsey Bennett
Asian Tour
2025 Asian Tour Qualifying School – Final Stage
Lake View R&GC (A & B Cse) & Lake View R&GC (C & D Cse), Hua Hin, Thailand
A&B Course
11am Todd Sinnott
11:10am* Lawry Flynn
11:30am Lachlan Barker
11:40am Zach Murray
12pm Jack Thompson
3:10pm Andrew Campbell
3:20pm Jason Norris
3:20pm* Jasper Stubbs
3:30pm Jordan Zunic
3:40pm* Denzel Ieremia (NZ)
4:10pm Josh Greer
C&D Course
11am Darcy Brereton
11:30am Marcus Fraser
11:40am* Brett Rankin
11:50am James Marchesani
12:10pm* Zach Maxwell
3:20pm Andre Lautee
3:40pm Phoenix Campbell
3:30pm* Tyler Wood (NZ)
3:40pm* Brady Watt
4:10pm* Will Florimo
4:20pm* Andrew Martin
Now in its fourth year, the Sandbelt Invitational will once again conclude the home golf action for many of Australia’s current Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia players alongside some veterans and rising amateurs.
Created by the Geoff Ogilvy Foundation, the man the foundation is named for, and former touring pro turned course designer Mike Clayton, the event is designed to offer players at varying stages of their careers the chance to learn from one another.
The other main focus of the event is of course to utilise and showcase the magnificent Melbourne Sandbelt and its world-renowned golf courses, with the tournament moving across four venues each year, while also awarding an overall winner, men’s and women’s professional champions, as well as men and women amateur trophies.
2023 CHAMPIONS: Daniel Gale (Overall and Men’s Professional), Robyn Choi (Women’s Professional), Phoenix Campbell (Men’s Amateur), Jazy Roberts (Women’s Amateur)
LIVE SCORES: www.sandbeltinvitational.com and daily reports on all the action from Jimmy Emanuel on www.pga.org.au
THE COURSES:
Almost as big a focus as the players teeing it up, four Melbourne Sandbelt courses will again shine in the lead up to Christmas with the Sandbelt Invitational moving from Commonwealth, Yarra Yarra, Woodlands and The Royal Melbourne golf clubs this year.
Welcoming the event for the first time, Commonwealth Golf Club will get one of its first chances to truly showcase the work of a Renaissance Golf led renovation of Charles Lane’s original work that has restored one of the great Sandbelt venues to past glory.
A regular host of events like the men’s and women’s Australian Opens, adidas Australian Amateur and more, Commonwealth will get things underway early on Monday December 15 before action moves to Yarra Yarra Golf Club.
Another Sandbelt venue to improve under Tom Doak’s Renaissance design group, Yarra Yarra has been a mainstay host venue for this event where the new routing and its highly rated collection of par-3s have regularly impressed players and fans, who can enter all four days for free.
The third day will see another first time host in Woodlands Golf Club, an often overlooked and underrated Sandbelt gem.
Now engaging Clayton, Devries & Pont as advising architects, Woodlands has remained largely unchanged from its typical Sandbelt roots and will no doubt shine this week.
Welcoming the final round for the second consecutive year, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club’s famed West Course will host this year, unlike last year’s final round on the East.
Considered the finest course in Australia by many, the West Course was the work of Dr Alister MacKenzie and largely shaped what the Melbourne Sandbelt is today, with Tom Doak advising the club on its world class course ongoing.
HEADLINERS:
David Micheluzzi – Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner and DP World Tour player
Matthew Griffin – Eight-time winner around the world
Karis Davidson – LPGA Tour player
Su Oh – 2022 WPGA Championship winner and former LPGA Tour player
Tom Power Horan – DP World Tour player
Richard Green – PGA TOUR Champions player
Cameron John – 2024 The National Tournament winner
Jazy Roberts – 2023 Sandbelt Invitational Women’s Amateur Winner
Caitlin Peirce – Former top-ranked amateur and new professional
Ben Eccles – 2023 WA PGA Championship winner
Stephen Allan – 2002 Australian Open champion
It took 28 holes on Sunday at Warragul Country Club, but with the support of family and his best mates strolling the fairways alongside him, Victorian Ben Henkel has secured his maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory at the Gippsland Super 6.
Having grown up on the Bellarine Peninsula, playing his junior golf at both 13th Beach Golf Links and Metropolitan Golf Club, Henkel’s debut win is made all the more special being so close to home.
“It’s amazing and I was so fortunate,” said an emotional Henkel after seeing off Dylan Gardner in the final medal match play battle of Sunday.
“I’ve got some great mates that made the trip down, and my mum and dad. Been battling so hard with my game and everything, just fighting through it.
“I’ve had a lot of early mornings before work, after work, just really believing in myself to get a future out of this game. This is massive for me, massive.”
It can be marked down as a wire-to-wire victory for Henkel, who after rounds of 62-61-70, was atop the leaderboard alongside Corey Lamb and Gardner – two men he took down in today’s medal match play – after three rounds.
Gardner was the eventual runner-up, after a sea sawing affair in the final match against Henkel, and Lamb was able to triumph over Andrew Evans in the match for third place.
Even though he was able to sit out of the first round of today’s matches, courtesy of his 54-hole score, the final day was far from straightforward for Henkel.
A clutch up-and-down on the final hole was required to get the better of Gavin Fairfax in Henkel’s first match of the day, and he was tied with Jack Pountney heading to the final hole of his second match before a Pountney stumble.
His semi-final duel with Lamb, who was also desperately chasing his maiden win, is where Henkel was truly made to dig deep. Tied after the regulation six holes, both players headed back up the hill to the 100m knockout tee.
Knocking it in close, Henkel looked to have the match, but a missed putt meant an eighth hole was required. This time both players hit their tee shots close, with matching birdies the result. On the ninth hole of the match, it was Lamb who looked to have the upper hand knocking it inside Henkel. Pouring in a long range putt though, was enough to secure Henkel a final birth as Lamb’s putt slid by.
Requiring no extra holes on his way to the final, Henkel’s final challenger Gardner was the in-form man of the day, and as he birdied the first to Henkel’s par, it looked as if he may continue his charge.
Henkel struck back immediately however on the second with a birdie of his own, and as he poured in yet another putt on the uphill third, the Victorian suddenly had a one shot lead.
Both Henkel and Gardner pulled their tee shots on the fourth, both played provisional balls, but it was Henkel who looked to be in more danger.
Thinking it was out-of-bounds, Henkel went back to the tactic that has helped him ever since he strapped on his glove at the start of the week, the first time is has done so in close to seven years.
“Sticking to my processes and just sticking to my routine and just focussed on what I need to do in the moment,” he said.
Both balls were found, but as Henkel chipped out sideways on his way to bogey, Gardner was miraculously able to pitch his up and tap in for birdie. A two shot swing now had Gardner the one shot leader with two holes to play.
Taking differing routes to the par-5 fifth green, both Henkel and Gardner eventually had putts for birdie and this time Henkel was able to capitalise while Gardner missed out, meaning the pair were now tied heading to the final hole.
Away first, Henkel safely found the middle of the putting surface, before Gardner hit a towering draw into the back left pin setting up a great chance at birdie and the win.
Rolling it up close and securing par, Gardner’s putt for the win caught a piece of the cup but stayed out, and so the knockout hole was in play again.
Again finding the middle of the putting surface safely, Henkel left the door open for Gardner to get inside him again, but this time the Queenslander’s ball caught the left edge of the green and fed all the way down to the catchment area long left.
Failing to get up and down handed the trophy to Henkel, and it was finally time for the friends and family who made the trip down the highway to celebrate with the winner, who was left with a fractured vertebrae in 2019 following a car accident that meant even playing golf again was in the balance, let alone becoming a Tour winner.
“It was a really hard, tough time, especially after getting healthier from that and then heading into COVID and. A few years went by in the blink of an eye,” he said.
“Just fighting to get back into the game and finding the love for it again was the hardest.”
As a graduate of the Tour Qualifying School earlier this year, the win improves Henkel’s category significantly, and he looks forward to playing with less stress through the next few seasons, and eyeing the pointy end of the Order of Merit.
“I didn’t have the most solid start to the year and I think this just gets me over the line is some bigger events and obviously potentially sets up if I have a good half of the season for those spots on the DP World Tour spots, and advancing my career.”
In the junior Gippsland Super 6, Christopher Filipowicz triumphed over overnight leader Angus Hoey in the final match.
A session in a hyperbaric chamber has helped Adam Henwood complete a two-stroke win at the $30,000 Sunshine Coast Masters at Twin Waters Golf Club.
Playing his 63rd and penultimate event of the PGA Legends Tour season and battling a rib injury, such was Henwood’s experience in the hyperbaric chamber he intends to make one a permanent part of his recovery.
“I’m going to buy one as soon as I sell my house and put it in the truck I’m going to build,” said Henwood after his ninth win of the season.
“I’ve spent some time in some and as soon as I head south, I’m going to spend two hours a day in one for about 20-30 30 days and see if I can get rid of this rib injury every day.”
A three-stroke leader after day one, Henwood held off a late charge by two-time PGA TOUR Champions winner Rod Pampling (66) to complete a two-shot win with a two-round total of 11-under, Murray Lott taking outright third with rounds of 69-68.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Bogey-free in Round 1, Henwood laid down an early marker to the rest of the field with birdies at two of his opening three holes.
He would turn in 2-under on the back of six straight pars and then moved to 10-under with a birdie at the par-4 10th.
As Pampling made his move up the leaderboard, Henwood went on another seven-hole par stretch before conjuring a brilliant up-and-down at the par-5 18th to build a more comfortable cushion.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“When I came down the last, I didn’t ask or look at the scoreboard until I hit my second shot,” said Henwood.
“I had a bum yardage so I thought, I can’t get there and the pin’s on the front. That’s a horrible up-and-down if you’re just short.
“I decided to hit it over near the hazard on the right to use the width of the green but when I got there I had an even worse shot than just off the front because of the way the green is shaped.
“Then I asked what the scores were and when they said 9-under I was like, Oh no, I could really bugger this up.
“It was a tough shot but I hit an awesome shot to three feet so then that was done.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Adam Henwood 65-68—133
2 Rod Pampling 69-66—135
3 Murray Lott 69-68—137
4 Simon Tooman 68-70—138
T5 Marcus Cain 68-71—139
T5 Richard Gilkey 72-67—139
T5 Andre Stolz 70-69—139
NEXT UP
The 2024 PGA Legends Tour comes to an end from Monday with the 36-hole Queensland Senior PGA Championship at Maroochy River Golf Club worth $30,000.
