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Danni Vasquez has joined a short list of women to win on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with a share of victory at the Biloela Pro-Am at Biloela Golf Club west of Gladstone.
Playing in the afternoon groups, Vasquez and Anthony Choat both shot 8-under 64 to finish one stroke clear of Jay Mackenzie (65) and another women’s PGA Professional in Emma Ash (65).
There has been an influx of women PGA Professionals and WPGA Members playing the Queensland swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series this season, Vasquez the first woman to have a win since Grace Lennon’s joint victory at the Eastwood Pro-Am in Melbourne in 2019.
“Monkey off my back. Finally got a win,” said Vasquez, who was fourth at the Clermont Pro-Am two weeks ago.
“I knew it was coming. I’ve been playing well the last few months, but I just haven’t had everything click in one round. Today it happened.”
It was something of a drought-breaker, too, for Choat, the New South Welshman enjoying his first pro-am success since the Stuart Appleby Cohuna Pro-Am last September.
“I’ve been chopping and changing, trying to get better the last few years and things are starting to stabilise,” said Choat.
“To actually be out there in contention, to be really way under par and to be thinking about only making birdies and trying to shoot 10, 11, whatever under, it’s really, really good.
“I feel really good about my game and have for a while, but it’s nice to actually shoot a good one and get a result.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Playing in the group ahead of Vasquez, Choat went backwards before going forward, making bogey at his opening hole, the par-4 fifth.
He rebounded with birdies at seven and eight before unleashing on the Biloela back nine, peeling off six birdies and three pars for a back nine of 6-under 30.
His ninth and final birdie came at the par-3 second, coming up just short of a birdie on his final hole that would have secured an outright win.
Vasquez had to come up with an up-and-down of her own to match Choat’s score of 8-under.
Unlike Choat, Vasquez was fast out of the blocks with birdie at her first hole, the par-5 fourth.
She added a second at the short par-3 eighth and then eagled the par-5 ninth to head to the 10th tee 4-under par.
There were birdies at 12, 14, 17 and 18 before three closing pars to round out a bogey-free 64.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Danni Vasquez: “I knew because it was my last par 5 of the day, I knew I had to do something but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself. I knew the chip that I had was tough, but I knew if I just landed it on the fringe, it would roll up to a hole-able length. Ended up holing my five-footer which I was very happy about.”
Anthony Choat: “It was an amazing day. I know I’ve been hitting the ball. I haven’t been scoring great, but I knew it couldn’t be too far away. When the putter started to get hot, I was just like, don’t watch a leaderboard. Let’s go make as many birdies as we can.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Anthony Choat 64
T1 Danni Vasquez 64
T3 Jay Mackenzie 65
T3 Emma Ash 65
T5 Bradley Kivimets 66
T5 Dean Jamieson 66
T5 Christopher Wood 66
T5 Harrison Wills 66
T5 William Bruyeres 66
NEXT UP
One of the marquee tournaments of the season starts on Wednesday with the $60,000 Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am at Rockhampton Golf Club followed by the inaugural Maryborough Pro-Am next Monday.
Victorian David Micheluzzi has taken a big step towards securing his future on the DP World Tour with a runner-up finish at the BMW International Open in Germany.
Just two weeks after leaving the KLM Open in despair at the state of his game, Micheluzzi led after Round 1 at Golfclub München Eichenried in Munich and stayed in the hunt until the very end.
Two strokes back at the start of Round 4, Micheluzzi (68) was unable to rein in Scotsman Ewan Ferguson (68), finishing tied with Englishman Jordan Smith (70) in second spot for his best result in his rookie season.
The 2022/2023 Order of Merit winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Micheluzzi has now moved up 63 spots to 57th in the Race to Dubai standings, the top 110 at season’s end to earn full status for 2025.
“It’s amazing how things can change so quickly in this game,” Micheluzzi said in an Instagram post.
“Two weeks ago, after the second round in Amsterdam, I had no idea where things were at and I came third last.
“I wanna say a huge thank you to (caddie) Ben Brewer for putting up with my s***; he is a big reason why things have changed so quickly!”
Birdie
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 7, 2024
Birdie
Eagle
Take a bow, David Micheluzzi! He's in the clubhouse at -16.#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/TovGVmz1GC
Producing the type of finish that became commonplace in his three-win season on home soil, Micheluzzi signed off on his best finish on the DP World Tour with a birdie-birdie-eagle finish, his 3-wood to six feet on the last one of the shots of the week.
Travis Smyth led the way for the 19 Aussies in action at the International Series Morocco but it was a Kiwi in Ben Campbell who left with the second Asian Tour victory of his career.
American John Catlin looked to have the title secured when he led by three with three holes to play but Campbell produced a stunning eagle-birdie finish to tie Catlin at 15-under and send it to a playoff.
It would take just one extra hole to decide the outcome, Campbell converting his birdie chance from 10 feet as Catlin missed from a similar range to complete a stunning comeback.
“I didn’t have my best out there today and I just kept saying to Mike (his caddie), I’ve just got to find something and just stay patient,” said Campbell.
“I went flag hunting on 16 and leaked it right, and hit a great bunker shot there. I said to Mike, if I can find a birdie-eagle, you never know. So I did that, and then to hole a putt like that in the playoff, it’s always good.”
A 63 in Round 2 was the cornerstone of Brad Kennedy’s tie for 12th at the Japan Professional Golf Championship while a pair of 66s on the weekend earned Jason Day a tie for 23rd at the John Deere Classic.
Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
John Deere Classic
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
1 Davis Thompson 63-67-62-64—256 $US1.44m
T23 Jason Day 69-67-66-66—268 $83,600
MC Harrison Endycott 68-71—139
DP World Tour
BMW International Open
Golfclub München Eichenried, Munich, Germany
1 Ewen Ferguson 67-64-71-68—270 €392,710.62
2 David Micheluzzi 66-70-68-68—272 €199,820.41
T17 Ryan Fox (NZ) 69-71-70-69—279 €29,876.81
MC Sam Jones (NZ) 69-73—142
MC Andrew Martin 72-71—143
MC Tom Power Horan 68-75—143
MC Haydn Barron 70-75—145
MC Jason Scrivener 73-72—145
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 73-74—147
Asian Tour
International Series Morocco
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), Morocco
1 Ben Campbell (NZ) 68-70-68-71—277 $US360,000
Won in sudden-death playoff
T5 Travis Smyth 69-69-70-73—281 $74,300
T28 Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 66-77-71-74—288 $16,560
T37 Wade Ormsby 71-75-71-73—290 $12,820
T42 Lachlan Barker 72-74-72-73—291 $10,900
T49 Doug Klein 74-71-72-76—293 $8,433.33
T62 Justin Warren 74-72-79-70—295 $5,800
69 Harrison Crowe 76-70-73-82—301 $4,600
MC Scott Hend 71-76—147
MC Todd Sinnott 78-69—147
MC Jed Morgan 77-70—147
MC Andrew Dodt 73-75—148
MC Maverick Antcliff 74-74—148
MC Deyen Lawson 74-74—148
MC Kevin Yuan 76-73—149
MC Aaron Wilkin 71-79—150
MC Sam Brazel 76-76—152
MC Zach Murray 72-81—153
MC Jack Thompson 76-78—154
MC Marcus Fraser 80-75—155
WD Brendan Jones 80
Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series – London
Centurion Club, London
1 Leona Maguire 66-72-73—211 €69,435.75
T42 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 74-76-74—224 €2,368.53
T51 Kirsten Rudgeley 78-73-75—226 €1,706.14
MC Stephanie Kyriacou 71-83—154
MC Whitney Hillier 80-76—156
Japan Golf Tour
Japan Professional Golf Championship
Fuji Country Kani Club (Shino Cse), Gifu
1 Yuta Sugiura 65-66-65-72—268 ¥30m
T12 Brad Kennedy 70-63-70-70—273 ¥3.18m
MC Michael Hendry 68-76—144
LET Access Series
PGA Championship Gothenburg
Albatross GolfKlubb, Sweden
1 Natacha Host Husted 70-72-69—211 €6,400
T10 Kelsey Bennett 71-81-68—220 €1,020
T15 Wenyung Keh (NZ) 72-75-75—222 €840
MC Munchin Keh (NZ) 77-82—159
WD Hanee Song (NZ 80
Hervey Bay Professional Chris Taylor produced two clutch shots when they mattered most to claim the two-day JRT Yeppoon Legends Pro-Am at Yeppoon Golf Club near Rockhampton.
Trailing Brad Burns by four heading into Round 2, Taylor holed a bunker shot for birdie at the par-4 18th to close out his front nine and then holed a putt from off the back edge of the ninth green – his final hole – for a one-stroke win.
With a round of 3-under 68, Taylor was the only player to break 70 on day two, his 4-under total enough to edge Burns (73) by one with David McKenzie (71) outright third at 1-under par.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Strong winds whipping along the Capricorn Coast made conditions challenging for all players in Round 2.
On the back of a 5-under 66 on day one, Burns began his second round from the second tee but after a birdie on six made a double-bogey on seven.
Birdies at 12, 14 and 16 had Burns in prime position to go wire-to-wire only for a bogey, double-bogey finish to open the door for Taylor.
After an early dropped shot at 11, Taylor’s birdie from the bunker saw him make the turn in 1-under, birdies at five and six keeping him within reach of Burns.
A bogey at the par-3 eighth was untimely but not fatal to his chances, his lengthy birdie putt on the final hole enough to clinch victory.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I finished par, bogey, birdie so it was a lucky win in the end,” said Taylor.
“Holed it from off the back of the green there and unfortunately Brad finished bad so take the wins as you can I suppose.
“It was very, very tough out there today. I don’t know how many people broke par today, but I probably think it wouldn’t even be a handful.
“I’m extremely happy with the way I played. Struck the ball nicely and shot 3-under in very windy conditions. Very happy.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Chris Taylor 70-68—138
2 Brad Burns 66-73—139
3 David McKenzie 70-71—141
4 Euan Walters 69-73—142
5 Andre Stolz 70-74—144
T6 Adam Henwood 72-73—145
T6 Brendan Chant 68-77—145
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour continues to move south down the Queensland Coast with the Bargara Legends Pro-Am starting Monday at Bargara Golf Club.
It was not how he drew it up on the tee but Victorian Nathan Page conjured the birdie he needed on the final hole to claim the 36-hole JRT Group Emu Park Pro-Am at Emu Park Golf Course near Rockhampton.
Winner of the North Queensland Series in May, Page followed up the equal best round of day one with a 5-under 67 in windy conditions in Round 2, his 12-under total enough for a one-stroke victory from Zach Maxwell (66) with James Marchesani (69) third at 10-under par.
In a field full of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regulars, Page needed something special on the final hole to edge clear.
Going to what had been a trusty cut off the tee all tournament, Page double-crossed himself and hit his tee shot onto the opposite fairway.
It was a mere blip, however, as he lofted a shot over the trees to two feet and the winning birdie.
“It was good to do it in the moment. It was a good feeling,” said Page.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Beginning his second round from the 17th tee, Page opened with three pars before unleashing a birdie barrage.
He had five birdies in the space of seven holes from the third hole, his momentum disrupted only by a bogey at the short par-4 sixth.
A bogey at the par-4 11th for the second straight day was another step back but a birdie at the par-5 13th and his miracle closer on 16 was all he needed to get the job done.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was good to back it up today in the bit of wind and shoot 5-under,” said Page.
“Just kind of got my putting going a bit more over the last couple of days than I have this whole trip.
“The mentality kind of shifts a little bit from going low. Just kind of damage control when it’s this windy. I was lucky to stick a few close I guess and make some birdies when I needed to.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Nathan Page 65-67—132
2 Zachary Maxwell 67-66—133
3 James Marchesani 65-69—134
T4 Lachlan Armour 65-70—135
T4 Lincoln Tighe 66-69—135
T6 Jay Mackenzie 67-69—136
T6 Caleb Bovalina 68-68—136
T6 James Conran 69-67—136
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads south on its Queensland swing on Saturday for the inaugural Biloela Pro-Am at Biloela Golf Course.
The 2024 NSW Open is set to shine when it heads to the magnificent Murray Downs Golf and Country Club in the NSW south-west from November 14 to 17, with Australia’s best golfers competing for a record-setting purse of $800,000.
Last held in March 2023, the NSW Open will also return to the spring/summer window for the first time in five years. This tournament and the entire men’s regional Open series is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW, was thrilled to announce this year’s prize purse and tournament date. “This year’s NSW Open presents a fantastic opportunity for us to ensure the tournament maintains its standing as the most prestigious State Championship on the Australian golf calendar.”
“Rich River proved to be a fabulous venue for last year’s Championship, and the crowds we saw throughout the week proved how thirsty the public are for elite tournament golf. We know Murray Downs will be just as successful,” Mr Fraser added.
Defending champion, Victoria’s David Micheluzzi, confirmed his status as one of the sport’s rising stars with his victory at Rich River. The win propelled him to the 2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown and a DP World Tour card for 2024.
With the NSW Open returning to a pivotal date on the calendar, this year’s champion could easily end up following in the footsteps of the Victorian.
PGA of Australia CEO, Gavin Kirkman, said the NSW Open would be a major highlight of the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
“The NSW Open has a wonderful history with an outstanding list of past champions, and we’re looking forward to seeing who adds their name to the trophy at Murray Downs, one of the wonderful courses we have in our regional areas,” Mr Kirkman said.
“It will kick off three huge weeks for our Tour, leading into the BMW Australian PGA Championship and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
“We are very appreciative of the NSW Government and Golf NSW’s outstanding ongoing support of our Tour and professional golf in general as we continue to grow the game across our region.”
Tournament Facts
Host venue: Murray Downs Golf and Country Club
Dates: 14 – 17 November 2024
Prize fund: AU$800,000 (Min)
Website: www.nswopen.com
The past two winners of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit are on top after Round 1 on both the DP World Tour and Asian Tour.
A birdie-birdie finish catapulted 2023 Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi to the top of the leaderboard at the BMW International Open in Germany while 2024 champ Kazuma Kobori is tied for the lead with American John Catlin at the International Series Morocco in Morocco.
Both Micheluzzi and Kobori won three times to claim the Order of Merit crown, opening the pathway to international tours and major championships.
Micheluzzi is using the DP World Tour card that was one of his Order of Merit rewards while Kobori has received sponsor’s invitations to play on both the DP World Tour and Asian Tour ahead of his full status kicking in at the start of the 2025 season.
After a frustrating start to his DP World Tour rookie campaign in which he made just five cuts in his first 11 starts, Micheluzzi showed signs of life with a tie for 10th at last week’s Italian Open.
He carried that form into Golfclub München Eichenried where he once again turned to his stellar short game and white-hot putter to shoot 6-under 66 and lead by one from Scot Ewen Ferguson, South African Casey Jarvis, England’s Frank Kennedy and American Patrick Reed.
“I think last week was my fifth cut made this season so I’m just trying to find my feet out here a little bit,” said the 27-year-old Victorian.
“Now everything is starting to feel a little bit more comfortable and I’ve just got to do what I do best and that’s play good golf.
“I got here from playing good golf in Australia and I’ve just got to keep doing that.”
How it stands after the opening day in Germany 📊#BMWInternationalOpen
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 4, 2024
Kobori finds himself in Morocco thanks to his good golf in Australia, too.
Battling illness earlier in the week, the 22-year-old Kiwi had just one practice round at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat but showed an instant affinity for the layout, matching Catlin’s 7-under 66 in his International Series debut.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed it because I didn’t even touch a club Tuesday,” said Kobori.
“You should have seen the shots I was hitting on the range this morning.
“That being said, and once I got underway, I started to hit it quite nicely.
“I don’t know it all just came together when I needed it to.”
How it stands after Round 1 of the 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗼 ⛳https://t.co/QQChqRqIrM #InternationalSeries #ThisISEverything #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/ldu4cOT2po
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) July 4, 2024
I was a strong start in both tournaments for the Australasian players in the fields.
Order of Merit runner-up in 2023, Tom Power Horan, is just two shots behind Micheluzzi while 2019 Order of Merit winner Ryan Fox and fellow Kiwi Sam Jones are in a tie for 12th at 3-under par.
Fellow New Zealander Ben Campbell (68) trails Kobori by two shots after Round 1, Travis Smyth the best of the 19 Aussies in Morocco in a tie for 11th at 4-under par.
Photos: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images (Micheluzzi); Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour (Kobori)
Australian veteran Sam Brazel has turned to a former baseball great to build a body that can withstand the rigours of professional golf late into his 40s.
Brazel is among the 19-strong Aussie contingent teeing it up at the Asian Tour’s International Series Morocco this week, the first time the event has been held since Jazz Janewattananond triumphed two years ago.
Including the co-sanctioned New Zealand Open, it is Brazel’s fourth start on the Asian Tour in 2024 having regained his card by finishing 16th at Final Stage of Q School in January.
That performance was a continuation of good form on home soil that yielded a top-10 finish at the ISPHS HANDA Australian Open in Sydney and gave the 45-year-old the belief that he can still compete at the highest level.
Battling the same groin injury that has sidelined Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster, Brazel turned to 2000 Olympian Matt Buckley earlier this year to not only aid injury prevention, but add the speed that’s needed to keep up in the modern game.
“I’ve never really been one to go to the gym or look after my body that well so enlisted a guy that I’ve known for 25 years,” said Brazel of Buckley, an exercise physiologist and co-owner of Pure Fitness Alstonville in northern New South Wales.
“I’ve only been doing it the last three months or so and I’m just starting to see some benefits of it.
“We generally do a morning session and then I go and practice in the afternoon. I can definitely see a correlation between having that dynamic warmup prior to practice and how that makes a huge difference to the way I swing the club and the pace at which the club moves.
“It’s that mental side of it too, just a different health aspect to it, feeling better within myself for actually doing it.”
The 2016 Hong Kong Open remains Brazel’s lone victory on a major tour yet he has been a perennial contender both on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour.
He has top-10 finishes in both marquee Australian events the past two years and was tied for ninth at the World City Championship in Hong Kong in March last year.
It’s been enough to convince him that, when fit, his best remains good enough.
“The end of the Aussie summer last year was probably a fair indication of where I’m at with my golf,” said Brazel.
“I put a fair bit of effort into trying to have a good summer here in Australia and I really enjoyed that.
“I didn’t play so well at the Aussie PGA on the final day, but the Aussie Open was solid enough.
“Golf game’s good, mentally I’m good. I still feel like I can compete, so I’m going to keep plodding along while ever I feel like I can be competitive.”
On the back of a top-10 finish at the Italian Open 2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi leads the five-strong Aussie charge at the BMW International Open in Germany and LPGA Tour player Stephanie Kyriacou joins Kirsten Rudgeley and Whitney Hillier at the Aramco Team Series event in London.
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
John Deere Classic
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
11:46pm* Harrison Endycott
3:49am Jason Day
Defending champion: Sepp Straka
Past Aussie winners: Mark Hensby (2004), John Senden (2006)
Prize money: $US8 million
TV times: Live 2am-9am Friday, Saturday; Live 2am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
BMW International Open
Golfclub München Eichenried, Munich, Germany
4pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)=
4:30pm Jason Scrivener
4:30pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
4:40pm Sam Jones (NZ)
5:10pm Haydn Barron
5:10pm* Tom Power Horan
5:20pm* David Micheluzzi
5:30pm Andrew Martin
Defending champion: Thriston Lawrence
Past Aussie winners: Peter Fowler (1993)
Prize money: $US2.5 million
TV times: Live 8:30pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 11pm-2am Saturday; Live 9pm-2am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Asian Tour
International Series Morocco
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), Morocco
4:20pm* Brendan Jones
4:30pm* Travis Smyth
4:50pm* Ben Campbell (NZ)
5:10pm Kevin Yuan
5:20pm Jed Morgan
5:30pm Maverick Antcliff
5:40pm Deyen Lawson
6pm Justin Warren
9:20pm Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
9:30pm* Aaron Wilkin
9:40pm Wade Ormsby
10pm Scott Hend
10pm* Harrison Crowe
10:10pm Jack Thompson
10:20pm Todd Sinnott
10:20pm* Andrew Dodt
10:30pm* Zach Murray
10:40pm Sam Brazel
10:40pm* Marcus Fraser
11:10pm* Lachlan Barker
11:20pm Doug Klein
Defending champion: Jazz Janewattananond (2022)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2 million
TV times: Live 11pm-3am Thursday; Live 12:10am-3am Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 11pm-1am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; 8am-10am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series – London
Centurion Club, London
4:51pm Kirsten Rudgeley
9:39pm Stephanie Kyriacou, Momoka Kobori (NZ)
10:27pm Whitney Hillier
Defending champion: Nelly Korda
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US500,000
TV times: Live 12:30am-4:30am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 12:30am-4.30am Friday; Live 9:30pm-1:30am Friday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
Japan Golf Tour
Japan Professional Golf Championship
Fuji Country Kani Club (Shino Cse), Gifu
8:55am Brad Kennedy
9:05am Michael Hendry (NZ)
Defending champion: Kensei Hirata
Past Aussie winners: Adam Bland (2015)
Prize money: ¥150 million
LET Access Series
PGA Championship Gothenburg
Albatross GolfKlubb, Sweden
4:44pm Kelsey Bennett
5:17pm Munchin Keh (NZ)
5:28pm Wenyung Keh (NZ)
9:12pm Hanee Song (NZ)
Defending champion: Chiara Tamburlini
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €40,000
The ISPS HANDA Australian Open will return to the famed Melbourne Sandbelt in 2024, Golf Australia announced today.
To be played from November 28 to December 1, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will again feature its unique combined format with players in the men’s, women’s and all abilities tournaments over two courses, showcasing the best of Australian golf.
Kingston Heath Golf Club will host all four rounds, while The Victoria Golf Club will share the hosting duties for rounds one and two.
The Sandbelt region hosted the inaugural combined event in 2022, when The Victoria Golf Club was the primary host club with Kingston Heath in support. It was the first time in 20 years that the Sandbelt had hosted the men’s national Open.
The men’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open will again be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, and will follow the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Queensland, providing two weeks of premium golf in Australia.
Meanwhile, the women’s Australian Open will be sanctioned by the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the 2024 event will include the fifth Australian All Abilities Championship (AAAC) featuring the top-12 ranked Golfers with a disability as part of the G4D Tour, with the event supported in its entirety by Visit Victoria.
“The Victorian Government have been tremendous supporters of golf, and after working with us to bring the inaugural men’s and women’s Australian open to Melbourne, we look forward to continuing that partnership with this return to Melbourne,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
“The Melbourne Sandbelt is a unique treasure in world golf, with a long history of hosting tournaments and producing worthy champions.
“We are delighted that this year’s ISPS Handa Australian Open will showcase not only our best men’s and women’s players but two of the country’s finest courses in Kingston Heath Golf Club and The Victoria Golf Club.”
In 2024, the champions will emerge from fields of 156 men and 84 women, competing for prize money of $3,400,000 AUD.
As was the case in 2023, there will be one cut made to both the men’s and women’s fields after 36 holes of play. All players making the cut will earn a cheque, with male and female professionals earning the equivalent figure per finishing position, while the Australian All Abilities Championship is set to conclude on Saturday with the Stonehaven Cup and Patricia Bridges Bowl decided on Sunday.
“Returning to Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Clubs for the Australian Open will deliver a fascinating test for our players, both men and women, and offer a tremendous opportunity to welcome Australian and international players after successful campaigns around the world,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.
“Steeped in history and the sites for many great Australian golf moments, both courses will no doubt create interest at home and overseas, as will our fortnight of DP World Tour co-sanctioned events for our men where the best players from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia can test their games against some of the world’s best.”
Broadcast on Foxtel, Kayo, Nine and 9Now, where record numbers were achieved during last year’s Australian Open, the 2024 tournament will also provide a preview for the 2028 Presidents Cup that will be held at Kingston Heath Golf Club.
This year’s tournament also marks the 120th anniversary of the first men’s event played and the 50th anniversary of the first women’s tournament held at Victoria, with a long list of some of the best players in the game and Australian legends on both honour rolls.
“It has been a magnificent year so far for our players competing both at home and overseas, and the Melbourne Sandbelt is a fitting location to celebrate the Women’s Australian Open’s 50th anniversary,” WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said.
“Maintaining the joint format allows great visibility for our players, while the field size ensures high quality competition for our historic national Open as we continue to grow the depth of players, with the hope of expanding the women’s field in years to come.”
Acting Minister for Tourism Sport and Major Events in Victoria Ros Spence said: “We’re proud to bring some of the world’s best golfing talent – and fans of this iconic tournament – back to Melbourne for the 2024 Australian Open – boosting businesses, jobs and our state’s economy.”
Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said: “Golf is a major driver of activity in our sector with its capacity to drive year-round visitation, delivering approximately $1 billion with golfers from around the world wanting to experience Melbourne’s Sandbelt courses.
“Victoria is pleased to welcome the 2024 Australian Open and we look forward to seeing the tournament contribute to our visitor economy.”
Part of a two-week swing of DP World Tour events in Australia, following the BMW Australian PGA Championship, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will help launch the new season for the Tour for the third straight year.
“We are delighted the DP World Tour will return to the world-renowned Melbourne Sandbelt for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at the start of our 2025 Race to Dubai,” Chief Tournament & Operations Officer at the DP World Tour Ben Cowen said.
“My thanks go to ISPS HANDA for their continued commitment to Australia’s national open and to Golf Australia for their work in showcasing golf as a sport for everyone with the staging of the men’s, women’s and All Abilities events across the same week.
“Our Strategic Alliance with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia helps to provide important global pathways for our memberships, allowing players to reach the highest levels of the game, and the co-sanctioning of events like these is an important aspect of that partnership.”
Captain of Kingston Heath Golf Stephen Montfort said: “Kingston Heath Golf Club has a rich and proud history of hosting internationally recognised events and we are honoured to be hosting the 2024 Australian Open.
“After being a part of the historic first joint-event in 2022, there is a great deal of excitement around the club with this year’s role as primary host venue. From an Australian Open in 2024, to the Presidents Cup in 2028, showcasing Kingston Heath Golf Club to golf fans around the world will be a tremendously proud moment for all our members and staff. We look forward to celebrating our three champion golfers at the conclusion of this great event.”
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An emotional Jack Wright has paid tribute to his late uncle after taking out the Brisbane MG Royal Queensland PGA Associate Pro-Am at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Monday.
With prize money in excess of $27,000, the tournament broke the record for the richest one-day Associate Pro-Am in the history of the PGA of Australia, Wright winning close to $5,000 with a superb round of 6-under 66.
Starting his round from the fifth tee alongside Zach Ion and Tiger Boontang, Wright stumbled out of the blocks with an opening bogey.
A run of four straight birdies from the ninth hole to the 12th quickly turned momentum his way, the second-year Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club Associate’s bogey on 13 the only other dropped shot for a one-stroke win.
Campbell Jones had just the one bogey in his round of 5-under 67 to snare second, Ion taking third spot with 4-under 68.
For Wright, not only did the win ease some of the pain his family had felt just days earlier but provides a much-needed financial boost ahead of the defence of his NSW/ACT PGA Associate Championship at Tura Beach Country Club next month.
“I would like to dedicate the win to my uncle who passed away over recent days,” said Wright. “Today will certainly help our family who have been saddened for our loss.
“Being the winner of the biggest one-day prize purse in the history of PGA Associate Pro-Ams is really special to me and I am grateful to be able to hold such title.
“Myself and all of the PGA Associates are really thankful for the support Paul Norris as well as the Royal Queensland Golf Club has provided, not only us as a PGA Associates but for everything they do of professional golf.
“It costs a fair amount to travel to both the NSW and National PGA Associates Championships coming up later this year so this money will go a long way to taking the pressure off me to cover expenses in travelling down for them.”
History-making siblings Minjee and Min Woo Lee plan to immerse themselves completely in the Olympic experience as they prepare to represent their family and their country at the Paris 2024 Games.
It is now just four weeks until Min Woo will tee it up in his maiden Olympic golf competition while Minjee while participate in her third Games just six days later.
Although their paths may cross only briefly during the two weeks of competition – Minjee hopes to arrive in time to see Min Woo play his final round – both have indicated their desire to absorb everything an Olympic Games has to offer.
Just 20 years of age when golf made its Olympic return in 2016, Minjee was unable to visit the Olympic Village due to Covid restrictions when she represented her country for a second time at Tokyo 2020.
It is why she is so excited for the Paris 2024 Games and all they will have to offer.
“It was a little bit different in Rio because it was the inaugural year and then Tokyo was a Covid edition,” said Minjee in a call with Australian media on Wednesday.
“Paris will be a proper experience of how an Olympics should be.
“I’m really looking forward to going and seeing the Olympic village. I read some things on the Olympic information and it seems like there’s a great set-up there and I’m especially excited to see the gym. The gym is just always such a great set-up; it’s a gym person’s dream.”
While he has one experience playing at the host venue, Le Golf National, Min Woo is also looking beyond the golf course to enhance his Olympic experience, including participating in the Opening Ceremony that will be held on the River Seine.
“I’m going to be going to the Opening Ceremony as it’s just before our practice rounds,” said Min Woo.
“Very excited to see fellow Australians and other countries and we’re on a boat going around the river.
“That’ll be very cool to get to experience that and stay at the Olympic Village, which is awesome.”
Australia's Olympic golf team has been announced, with Jason Day and Min Woo Lee to represent the men, and Hannah Green and Minjee Lee in the women | @McJoshmclean pic.twitter.com/AbfI2xXnVY
— 10 News First Queensland (@10NewsFirstQLD) June 28, 2024
Little more than two years apart in age, Minjee and Min Woo become the 16th Australian siblings to represent Australia in the same sport at the same Olympic Games.
It is an illustrious list that dates back to Lillian and Frank Beaurepaire who competed in the swimming at the 1920 Games in Antwerp and why this particular tournament hits different.
“You’re playing for something bigger than just yourself, you’re playing for your country,” said Minjee, currently ranked No.11 in the women’s world rankings.
“I know every week in, week out we do represent Australia but we’re not playing for Australia.
“I feel like it’s just a little bit different and the atmosphere is just a little different.
“You’ve just got to be there to experience it. Min won’t quite understand right now, but once he goes there he’ll really be able to feel it.”
“There’s not many tournaments where you represent Australia and in a team environment, too,” added Min Woo, who moved up to 31st in the men’s world golf rankings after his runner-up finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
“We play for ourselves and our country of course in big tournaments, but especially coming every four years, it’s pretty special to rep Australia and try to do our best.”
