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An eagle from five feet at the par-5 eighth has propelled Victorian Bradley Kivimets to his first two-day win on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
An opening round of 7-under 65 saw Kivimets trail Lucas Higgins by one heading into the second round of the IMS Moranbah Pro-Am at Moranbah Golf Club, the first event in the six-leg Mining Towns Series.
Birdies at his first and third holes in Round 2 was the ideal start, a pitching wedge to five feet to set up eagle on eight proving crucial at day’s end.
“I had a bogey a few holes before that so it kind of got me back to 3-under for the day,” Kivimets said.
“I didn’t know where I stood at that time in the grand scheme of things but that sort of got me back on track and then I managed to kind of keep going from there.”
Kivimets posted 5-under 67 in Round 2 for a 12-under total, enough to finish one clear of James Mee (66-67), Ben Henkel (67-66) and Brendan Smith (69-64).
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Round 2 began on the second hole for Kivimets and jumped straight out of the blocks with a birdie at the 495-metre par 5.
He followed that up with a birdie on four only to take a step back with a bogey on six.
The eagle on eight turned momentum Kivimets’ way, birdies at 10, 13 and 14 giving him enough of a buffer to absorb a final bogey at the par-4 15th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Played well from inside 120, which you kind of need to do around here,” said Kivimets.
“Some of the longest stuff was a bit scrappy at times, but it didn’t cost me too much.
“Anytime I had 8-iron or less in, I was able to have a pretty good look at it and made a few putts. Kept momentum going at times and didn’t put myself in too much trouble.
“This is win number five, first two-day event that I’ve ever won. The other four that I’ve won were single day events so it’s nice to win one that’s more than 18 holes.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Bradley Kivimets 65-67—132
T2 James Mee 66-67—133
T2 Ben Henkel 67-66—133
T2 Brendan Smith 69-64—133
5 Riley Taylor 66-69—135
T6 Caleb Bovalina 66-70—136
T6 Dillon Hart 67-69—136
NEXT UP
The Mining Towns Series continues with the Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Pro-Am on Friday while the two-day Roy Hill Golf Classic Pro-Am begins at Port Hedland Golf Club.
The 15-time major champion knows his son is closer in age yet Aussie Min Woo Lee was a welcome addition to Tiger Woods’ group for a practice round ahead of Thursday’s US Open at Pinehurst.
Originally scheduled to play with fellow Aussies Jason Day and Jason Scrivener in Tuesday’s practice round at Pinehurst’s famed No.2 course, Lee instead jumped ship to partner up with Woods and Max Homa, Woods’ son Charlie tagging along as ‘player support’.
In his pre-tournament interview after their round, Woods revealed that Min Woo and Charlie had previously been in regular contact, the chance to spend a few hours in each other’s company one that Woods was conscious to savour.
“He (Charlie) was very excited today to watch Max and Min Woo and watch them hit golf balls,” said Woods, a three-time US Open champion.
“They’ve talked to him quite a bit, especially Min Woo and him.
“I think they’re closer in age than I am to anybody else. It’s great for us to be able to share these moments together.”
In good company @TigerWoods 🐐 pic.twitter.com/3OBLSPb3Xq
— Min Woo Lee (@Minwoo27Lee) June 11, 2024
The chance to watch Woods plot his way around green complexes that will likely prove crucial in determining this year’s US Open champion should prove invaluable for Lee.
The ‘turtleback’ greens are notorious for spitting approach shots to collection areas that frame each putting surface, Lee and coach Ritchie Smith placing a particular emphasis on his short game in the lead-up to Pinehurst.
It is an area of his game that he revels in – who can forget his chip-in for eagle in the final round of the 2023 Australian PGA Championship – and one which Lee knows he will need to lean on this week.
“When you miss a lot of greens like myself, you’ve got to learn how to chip,” Lee joked on “Aussies at the US Open”on Fox Sports.
“The chip-ins just come naturally. As a kid I put myself in terrible positions and would try to make an up-and-down or try to hole it. I just like chipping in; I’ve got a lot of confidence in chipping.
“Most of the preparation is that bump-and-run shot. There’s not too many courses where there’s too many turtlebacks and I have heard there’s a lot.
“I might not hit it as much as I think but just to have it in the bag is a 1 per center.”
Aiding Lee’s preparation is Smith’s familiarity with Pinehurst, having been in attendance as coach of Oliver Goss at the 2014 championship won by Germany’s Martin Kaymer.
The 25-year-old put new shafts in his irons three weeks ago and, with six top-30 finishes in his past eight major starts, is learning what it takes to compete in the majors.
“It’s stressful but it’s also fun,” said Lee, who tees off at 10:02pm Thursday night alongside Sahith Theegala and Nicolai Hojgaard.
“That’s why we practice. We want to be in these majors and play as good as we can.
“Trying to peak, schedule-wise, for the majors, I don’t know how to prepare to peak but that’s something I’m trying to work on.”
Lee is one of six Aussies in the field at Pinehurst, all of whom are hoping to join David Graham (1981) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006) as Australian champions of the US Open.
It is a busy week also for the women’s game with Aussies in action in all four events being played around the world.
Min Woo’s sister Minjee Lee heads the five-strong Australian contingent at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan while Kelsey Bennett joins Kirsten Rudgeley, Amy Walsh and a returning Whitney Hillier at the Ladies Italian Open on the Ladies European Tour. Amateur Belinda Ji and Stephanie Bunque are playing the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge on the LET Access Series and Cassie Porter will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins on the Epson Tour alongside Su Oh, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Amy Chu at the inaugural Otter Creek Championship.
Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEST
US Open
Pinehurst Resort (No.2 Cse), Raleigh, North Carolina
Round 1
9:18pm* Cameron Smith
10:02pm Min Woo Lee
10:13pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)
10:35pm* Cam Davis
2:30am Jason Scrivener
3:03am Jason Day
3:58am* Adam Scott
Round 2
8:45pm* Jason Scrivener
9:18pm* Jason Day
10:13pm Adam Scott
3:03am Cameron Smith
3:47am* Min Woo Lee
3:58am Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:20am Cam Davis
Defending champion: Wyndham Clark
Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1981), Geoff Ogilvy (2006)
Prize money: $US20 million
TV times: Live 8:30pm–10am Thursday, Friday; Live 12am-10am Sunday; Live 11pm-9am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo
LPGA Tour
Meijer LPGA Classic
Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Michigan
10:10pm* Minjee Lee
10:21pm Hira Naveed
10:21pm* Gabriela Ruffels
3:10am Grace Kim
3:54am* Robyn Choi
Defending champion: Leona Maguire
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US3 million
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday; Live 6am-8am Saturday, Sunday; Live 3am-6am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo
Korean PGA Tour/Japan Golf Tour
Hana Bank Invitational
Namchuncheon CC, Chuncheon, South Korea
9:10am* Junseok Lee
9:20am Matthew Griffin
1pm* Anthony Quayle
Defending champion: Jiho Yang
Past Aussie winners: Junseok Lee (2022)
Prize money: KRW1.3 billion
Ladies European Tour
Ladies Italian Open
Golf Nazionale, Italy
Australasians in the field: Whitney Hillier, Kirsten Rudgeley, Momoka Kobori (NZ), Kelsey Bennett, Amy Walsh
Defending champion: Morgane Metraux
Past Aussie winners: Corinne Dibnah (1991, 1994), Denise Booker (1995)
Prize money: €300,000
Korn Ferry Tour
Wichita Open
Crestview Country Club, Wichita, Kansas
10:16pm* Tim Wilkinson (NZ)
10:58pm Rhein Gibson
11:08pm* Brett Drewitt
12:01am* Daniel Gale
3:10am* Dimi Papadatos
4:13am* Steven Bowditch
Defending champion: Ricky Castillo
Past Aussie winners: Jeff Woodland (1992), Bradley Hughes (2004), Mathew Goggin (2011)
Prize money: $US1 million
Challenge Tour
Kaskáda Golf Challenge
Golf Resort Kaskáda, Brno, Czech Republic
6pm Hayden Hopewell
6:20pm* Jeffrey Guan
11:10pm* Connor McKinney
11:20pm Blake Windred
11:20pm* Tom Power Horan
Defending champion: Martin Simonsen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €270,000
Epson Tour
Otter Creek Championship
Otter Creek Golf Course, Columbus, Indiana
Australasians in the field: Amelia Garvey (NZ), Cassie Porter, Fiona Xu (NZ), Su Oh, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Amy Chu
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US300,000
LET Access Series
Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge
Panorama Golf Resort, Czech Republic
Australasians in the field: Belinda Ji (a), Stephanie Bunque, Hanee Song (NZ), Munchin Keh (NZ)
Defending champion: Marta Martin
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €42,500
Legends Tour
Paul Lawrie Match Play
Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Hertfordshire
5:03pm Michael Long (NZ) v Andrew Raitt
5:47pm Peter Fowler v Clark Dennis
6:58pm Peter O’Malley v Robert Coles
7:20pm Scott Hend v Jean-Francois Remesy
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
The next major arrives this week when the US Open heads back to Pinehurst No.2 after a decade. Six Aussies and one Kiwi will tee it up, including Adam Scott whose amazing streak of playing in major championships continues, and here is all you need to know.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Wyndham Clark (US)
PRIZEMONEY: US$24 million
LIVE SCORES: www.usopen.com
TV COVERAGE: The US Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo with Fox Sports 503 a dedicated US Open channel the entire week.
*All times AEST.
Round One: Thursday 8:30pm–10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Two: Friday 8:30pm–10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Three: Sunday 12am–10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 11pm–9am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
CAM DAVIS
World ranking: 68
Age: 29
Professional wins: Four
Best finish at the US Open: MC (2023)
The lowdown: Davis was one of the final names into the US Open via Final Qualifying and the New South Welshman did it in style, defeating childhood hero Adam Scott in extra holes in Ohio.
The PGA TOUR winner’s form to get his start here shows why Davis is a chance to breakthrough at a major, while his course suitability also augers well.
The Melbourne Sandbelt qualities suit Davis’ ball striking strength, as shown in his 2022 Sandbelt Invitational victory, while his straight driving is a valuable asset at any US Open.
JASON DAY
World ranking: 21
Age: 36
Professional wins: 19
Best finish at the US Open: Runner-up (2011 & 2013)
The lowdown: Day continues to top the Aussie men on the world rankings, and this week shapes as arguably his best chance at claiming another major title.
Already with five top-25s to his name in 2024, Day owns the same number of top-10s at the US Open, including a share of fourth at Pinehurst No.2 back in 2014.
Off the tee and on the greens has been where Day has been at his best this year, with the combination will suited to the layout this week, however, the Queenslander’s iron play will need to be a little sharper with the constant danger awaiting around the turtleback greens.
RYAN FOX
World ranking: 60
Age: 37
Professional wins: 17
Best finish at the US Open: T41 (2018)
The lowdown: The Kiwi has been showing signs of just what he is capable of in America of late, with Fox sharing seventh at the Canadian Open after ties for fourth at the Myrtle Beach Classic and Zurich Classic.
Missing more cuts than he has made at the US Open, Fox will arguably never find a venue that is a better match for his game than Pinehurst, which has a strong national connection as the site of Michael Campbell’s 2005 US Open triumph and Danny Lee’s US Amateur victory in 2008.
Long off the tee, Fox’s proximity to the hole has been one of the reasons for his good play of late, yet it is the putter that has arguably been the most valuable club in his bag. If the flatstick continues to behave, Fox could add another chapter to the Kiwi history at the cradle of American golf.
MIN WOO LEE
World ranking: 36
Age: 25
Professional wins: Four
Best finish at the US Open: T5 (2023)
The lowdown: Min Woo’s form line into this week suggests he is primed for perhaps his biggest moment in a young career that continues to impress.
Tied for 22nd at The Masters, Lee has not finished worse than a share of 26th at the PGA Championship and will be rested having made his last start at the end of May.
Known to love the big stage, the West Aussie’s best major result came at last year’s US Open and he is yet another of the Australasian contingent that should find Pinehurst very much to his liking.
The driver has been a weapon for Min Woo so far this year, which will be an important ingredient for the winner this week, while Lee will surely be inspired by the play of older sister Minjee two weeks ago at the US Women’s Open.
ADAM SCOTT
World ranking: 61
Age: 43
Professional wins: 32
Best finish at the US Open: T4 (2015)
The lowdown: Barely missing the world ranking cutoff to earn a spot in the lead up to the US Open, Scott went back to Final Qualifying only to miss out thanks to Davis’ play in a play-off. Fortune has favoured Scott though, and now in the field he will play his 92nd consecutive major championship.
Now that the storyline of consecutive majors is done, expect Scott to be all business at a venue he knows well and has brought some of his best to previously.
Tied for 28th in 2005 and sharing ninth in 2014, Scott is clearly comfortable at Pinehurst that will remind him of the courses at home where he has had success, and he has been on site since last week getting reacquainted.
The Queenslander’s play at qualifying showed his form is trending in the right direction, with his iron play the only statistical category that is currently holding him back from winning again.
JASON SCRIVENER
World ranking: 369
Age: 35
Professional wins: One
Best finish at the US Open: MC (2018)
The lowdown: Playing just his fifth major, Scrivener will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Michael Campbell who also qualified at Walton Heath and went on to win at Pinehurst No.2.
It has been an inconsistent year to date for the South African born West Australian, yet Scrivener’s accuracy off the tee and strong ball striking will hold him in good stead this week.
Having never played Pinehurst, Scrivener has been studying old US Open film to prepare and a missed cut in Sweden last week will have allowed an early arrival. Playing an all Aussie practice round Tuesday will have been a nice change for Scrivener, who has spent much of the past 12 months as the lone Australian at DP World Tour events.
CAM SMITH
World ranking: 72
Age: 30
Professional wins: 12
Best finish at the US Open: Fourth (2014 & 2023)
The lowdown: After bursting onto the global stage at this event in 2015, Smith largely struggled at the US Open until last year when finishing fourth at Los Angeles Country Club.
Recording his eighth major championship top-10 at this year’s Masters, Smith has shown signs of his best this year, including with two second place LIV Golf finishes among three top-10s.
Arrives after a final round 80 in Houston last week, the Queenslander’s last start can be ignored when considering his chances this week based on course suitability and his ability to rise for the majors.
Continues to be one of the finest putters in the world, and the creativity that Pinehurst encourages will challenge and excite our most recent major winner.
THE COURSE
Hosting its fifth men’s major championship, Pinehurst No.2 will once again be one of the key players this week when it measures 7,548 yards and plays to a par of 70.
Donald Ross not only designed No.2 (Pinehurst has nine 18 hole courses), but the renowned American golf course architect lived on site and continued to work on and refine the layout over many years.
Commonly known as “The Cradle of American Golf”, Pinehurst is located in North Carolina, with the No.2 course renovated in 2011 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to incorporate sandy waste areas and tufts of wild grasses that make driving a key element to success.
Settling in even more since Martin Kaymer won here in 2014, the course will be firm and fast this week, with the turtleback greens set to repel any shots played to the incorrect section.
A closing four-hole stretch consisting of two long par-3s and stern par-4s will be the ultimate examination of any potential champion.
HEADLINERS
Scottie Scheffler – Reigning Masters champion and five-time PGA TOUR winner in 2024
Xander Schauffele – 2024 PGA Championship winner and six-time top-10 US Open finisher
Brooks Koepka – 2023 PGA champion and five-time major winner
Rory McIlroy – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship winner and 2011 US Open champion
Tiger Woods – Three-time US Open winner
Wyndham Clark – 2023 US Open winner
Bryson DeChambeau –2020 US Open winner and 2024 PGA Championship runner-up
Dustin Johnson – Two-time major winner and T4 at 2014 US Open
The tell-tale signs were there as soon as Grant Williams walked in the door to take over the Head Golf Professional and Golf Operations Manager roles at Busselton Golf Club 2.5 hours south of Perth.
A new pair of shoes on the member walking in to pay their Saturday comp fees.
A new hybrid in the bag of the member at their latest lesson.
Expanding the retail offering at Busselton was one of Williams’ very first priorities… and now he had proof of where members felt they were not receiving the full service.
“Everyone from a regional area who goes to a city, goes to a big golf shop,” says Williams.
“I asked a member where he got his new 5-wood and his answer was, ‘I was up in Perth last week.’
“That was just happening all the time so expanding the range really was a no-brainer.
“We have a premium golf course, so why not premium service and products in the golf shop?
“Regional golf courses seem to concentrate on cheaper-end products and only enough to display the product but no real stock.
“They’re always having to order stock for the members rather than having it readily available.”
Awarded the WA PGA Club Professional of the Year at the WA Golf Industry Awards in March for a range of initiatives he has introduced at Busselton the past two years, Williams went beyond simply stocking the pro shop with more gear.
To encourage members to shop close to home, Williams set about creating a shopping experience that matched what they would find in a major department store in Perth.
“Even with little space I modelled the shop on a high-end golfing experience by simply displaying everything more clearly,” Williams says.
“At some regional clubs the golf shop can begin to look a bit old and tired but it doesn’t take much to transform the look and feel of a real golf shop experience.
“If you order 12 putters from Taylor-Made, you ask if they have a putter stand you can use for the display.
“You’d be amazed at how many people will pick up a putter if it’s displayed well and well-positioned within a golf shop.”
While he hopes these initiatives have played a part in Busselton’s membership growing from 630 to 900 in just two years, Williams acknowledges that timing plays its part.
In the wake of COVID, Busselton itself has grown significantly and golf has been booming across the country.
It was a classic case of preparation meeting opportunity, but Williams has done everything he can to turn that good fortune into an atmosphere where new members feel welcomed and valued.
And reassured that they won’t find a better deal in the big smoke.
“If somebody comes in and says that they can get the same pair of shoes $30 or $50 cheaper somewhere else, I’ll match it,” adds Williams, who spent 20 years working in numerous clubs throughout Europe.
“We never make a loss doing that. We sometimes don’t make much money, but my philosophy there is we don’t just turn over a pair of shoes, but we make a member happy.
“We’ve had 200 brand new lady beginner golfers come through here in the last five months, and they’re all new to golf. We show them all the aspects of golf; the first tee, the clubhouse facilities, we give them a welcome pack which gives them everything they need to feel welcome and at home.
“Having stock makes the shop come alive.
“There’s a new range of shoes; a new line of summer or winter clothes, stock is constantly changing.
“There’s something happening all the time, and that’s important.”
Australian Jason Scrivener will call on the memories of Kiwi Michael Campbell’s unlikely win almost 20 years ago in his return to the major championship arena at this week’s US Open at Pinehurst No.2.
Scrivener is among the six Aussies in the field in Raleigh, North Carolina this week, a number bolstered by the late reprieve that will enable Adam Scott to play his 92nd consecutive major championship.
For Scrivener, this week’s US Open represents just his fifth start in golf’s showpiece events and his first since the 2022 Open Championship where he was invited in to share countryman Cameron Smith’s epic victory celebrations at St Andrews.
Admitting that juggling becoming a father to two boys in the past three years has impacted his results on-course, Scrivener arrives at Pinehurst an even greater outsider than Campbell 19 years earlier.
Ranked No.80 in the world, Campbell came fifth at Final Qualifying at Walton Heath in London to play his way into the 2005 US Open field. Two weeks later, he held off a man who would win six majors between 2005 and 2008 to etch his name into golf history forever.
Like Campbell, Scrivener had to earn his spot at Walton Heath and has fond memories of the Kiwi’s historic victory at Pinehurst.
“I remember watching it purely because I remember Tiger was chasing him down,” recalled Scrivener, who enters the US Open ranked No.369 in the world.
“Obviously I’d watched quite a lot of Michael Campbell, he used to come down to play in Australia a lot, so I remember it quite vividly.
“I’ve been watching a little bit of those old US Opens there, it looks amazing.”
Last time Tiger played at Pinehurst, Michael Campbell pulled one of the all-time upsets in golf history at the 2005 U.S. Open. 😳🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/uuFk9Uwenp
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 2, 2024
Tied for eighth at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in December, Scrivener has only one top-20 finish on the DP World Tour this year, a tie for 17th at the Jonsson Workwear Open in South Africa.
The 35-year-old knows his game is a long way from where it was in 2021 when he finished tied 23rd at the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island and climbed to a career high of 95 in the world but believes the nature of the No.2 layout at Pinehurst can play to his strengths.
“It looks like it suits an Aussie, firm and fast and a little bit of (Melbourne) Sandbelt to it,” said the West Australian.
“I think it somewhat suits me. If it was a bomber’s course that was going to be thick rough, long, it wouldn’t have helped me at all. The fact that, just looking at it, it doesn’t look like it’s the longest course, looks like there’s a bit of run in the fairways and narrow fairways, which suits me.
“And also, you have to be quite precise into the greens, which is one of my strengths.
“If I can play well and play to my ability, then I think the course should suit me.”
.@ScrivJ is tipping a strong week for the Aussies at the @usopengolf at @PinehurstResort 👊🇦🇺#USOpen pic.twitter.com/ofXeb0ayZo
— Golf Australia ⛳️ (@GolfAust) June 11, 2024
Aiding Scrivener’s preparation will be a practice round on Tuesday with his Zurich Classic partner of 2022, Jason Day, and fellow West Australian, Min Woo Lee.
Given his relatively new move into fatherhood, Scrivener intends to use the practice round to not only get to know Pinehurst but glean anything he can from father-of-five Day on how best to manage family and life on tour.
“I know he had a tough couple of years, trying to adjust off the course and on the course, and it’s good to see him back to where he should be,” said Scrivener.
“Playing the European Tour, there’s so much travel that’s involved, so just trying to get the balance between being a good dad and spending time with my family and then trying to be as good as possible.
“I just feel like it’s been a bit of a perfect storm in terms of not playing my best and struggling with my game a little bit and then just trying to find a good balance with things off the course as well.
“It’s been tough, but I feel like I’m getting through it and just learning as we go, how to deal with it.”
The US Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Photos: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images (Scrivener); Andy Lyons/Getty Images (Campbell)
Premium golf gear brand OGIO has joined Australian Golf as its Official Luggage Partner in a new two-year agreement that expands its parent company Callaway Golf’s contribution to the game.
With a product range that includes travel bags, backpacks, golf bags, chill coolers and travel covers, OGIO has become an Official Partner of all three of Australian golf’s national bodies – the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
OGIO is owned by Callaway Golf whose commitment to supporting Australian golf was renewed and extended last year when it signed a new three-year agreement – the first by an golf equipment partner with the Australian Golf family and the country’s major professional tournaments.
Commercial Director Australasia, PGA of Australia, Michael McDonald said: ‘We are thrilled that our Australian Golf partnership with Callaway continues to grow through this expansion into luggage with OGIO.
“OGIO’s luggage is innovative and has a unique fun style that we are excited to both be aligned with, and also bring to life through the combined assets of Australian Golf.”
Callaway Golf South Pacific Managing Director Matt Meredith said: “All of us at Callaway Golf South Pacific are excited to further our strong partnership with the Professional Golfers Association of Australia, the WPGA Tour of Australasia and Golf Australia. OGIO is now the official luggage partner of all three.
“For over 35 years, OGIO has been making innovative and extreme luggage and golf bags in particular. What a perfect product and brand to be the official luggage of golf in Australia.”
Undisputed king of the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series, Tim Hart, will begin his quest for a sixth straight title on Tuesday at a course that has treated him well.
The two-day IMS Moranbah Pro-Am tees off at Moranbah Golf Club on Tuesday morning, marking the start of a six-event Series worth a total of $135,000 in prize money and the lure of a $6,500 bonus for the overall winner.
For the past five years that has been Hart, who since making his Mining Towns Series debut 10 years ago has four wins at Moranbah, three at both Emerald and Middlemount and two each at Blackwater and Tieri.
While he has enjoyed success at each stop along the Mining Towns schedule, Hart admits he has a special affinity for Moranbah having won each of the past four tournaments dating back to 2019.
“For some reason, every year there I always just tear it up and I think I’ve won the last four at Moranbah,” Hart said.
“I guess it’s like anywhere you go back and you have good memories. Even if you’re not playing too well or striking it too well, if you go back to a course you’ve done well in the past, you always seem to find something there.
“For me, when I’m hitting driver well, I can take advantage and when I’m not hitting it so well around those sort of courses you get away with a lot.
“You can just aim one side of the course and you’re always going to have a shot or you can manoeuvre something.”
The Mining Towns Series takes on special significance for Brendan Smith, who splits his time playing events on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with a full-time job working as a warehouse supervisor for the Oaky Creek coal mine outside Tieri.
When golf’s travelling circus rolls into Tieri, Smith serves a number of roles, serving as a player liaison, working to prepare the golf course each day and then teeing it up in his home event.
“You sort of blow them away a little bit with what the clubs produce, what they put on for them,” said Smith, who met his current employers while playing the Middlemount Pro-Am and is the defending champion at Blackwater.
“We try and treat them like kings and queens really because we want them to come back. If they don’t come back, we’ll still have an event, but it wouldn’t be the same.”
2024 Mining Towns Series
June 11-12
IMS Moranbah Pro-Am $26,500
June 15
Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Pro-Am $14,000
June 19-20
JET Group Tieri Pro-Am $29,000
June 22-23
Lunar Mining Emerald Pro-Am $26,500
June 26
JET Group Clermont Pro-Am $13,000
June 29-30
Blackwater Pro-Am $26,500
Brady Watt had to put down his celebratory beer and better Braden Becker in a playoff in a thrilling finish to the $35,000 Bennco Karratha Pro-Am at Karratha Country Club in WA’s Pilbara region.
A one-stroke leader after Round 1, Watt posted 10-under par with a second consecutive round of 5-under 68.
But after a bite to eat and halfway into his first post-round beer, Watt had to switch back into game mode as Becker made his charge.
The 2022 WA Open champion birdied his final three holes in a course-record round of 9-under 64 to force the tournament into extra-time.
HOW THE PLAYOFF UNFOLDED
After putting his beer aside, Watt headed back out on course to go toe-to-toe with Becker.
The pair both hit good drives but it would be Watt who took command with a brilliant approach shot.
Perhaps infused with additional adrenaline, Becker’s wedge shot went through the back of the green and he was unable to get up-and-down, Watt two-putting from five feet for his second win of the season.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I had a look at the scores with three to go and I saw I was a couple clear,” said Watt.
“I saw Braden had a few holes left but on the app you can’t see which holes he had to go.
“When I birdied 18 to finish, I thought I was probably going to win by one or whatever so I had some food, had a beer.
“To have a playoff, it’s so awesome. It’s a great thing to be a part of and to get all the members out and watch it. Anyone that did see it, it’s such a cool spectacle.
“Everyone just wants to see good shots. We both hit two good drives and he hit a pretty good wedge shot that went over the back. I hit a really nice shot in there and he made five, but he didn’t really hit a bad shot.
“That ending is a fitting way to finish such a great event.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Brady Watt 68-68—136
Won on first hole of sudden death playoff
2 Braden Becker 72-64—136
3 Rick Kulacz 69-69—138
T4 Scott Barr 72-67—139
T4 Scott Strange 71-68—139
6 Jordan Doull 74-66—140
NEXT UP
The annual Mining Towns Series in Central Queensland begins on Tuesday in Moranbah while the WA swing will continue this weekend at Port Hedland for the Roy Hill Golf Classic.
Golf store proprietor and local Mackay legend Anthony Johnson joined the hottest players on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with a share of victory at the Roy Powell Security Pioneer Valley Pro-Am.
Just 35 minutes from the Golf King Superstore that he operates in Mackay, Johnson treated a rare pro-am appearance like a Sunday members comp with his mates.
It proved to be a prudent approach as his score of 7-under 65 matched Lexus Townsville Classic winner John Lyras and Mackay Pro-Am champion Brett Rankin for a winning total.
The trio finished one stroke clear of in-form players James Mee (66) and Darcy Boyd (66) along with Ben Henkel (66), five players finishing in a tie for seventh at 5-under par.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Coming in hot after his dominant win at Mackay, Rankin began his round at Pioneer Valley Golf Club with two early birdies at 16 and 17.
He added three further birdies on the front nine but after a bogey on 12 needed a birdie on his final hole, the par-5 15th, to post 7-under.
Lyras found himself 1-over after an opening bogey on 10 but got it back at the next hole and then collated three further birdies before heading to the front nine where the birdie blitz continued.
He had five birdies and a bogey on the par-4 fifth to finish his round at 7-under.
Johnson began his round at the 12th hole and was 3-under through four after a birdie on 13 and eagle at 15.
The two-time Mackay Open winner kept bogeys off the card as the scoring somewhat stalled but finished in a flurry, making birdies at six, seven, eight and 11 for a 7-under total.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Obviously made a nice putt for eagle on the sixth from 30-odd feet, but didn’t really get into too much trouble, which was surprising,” said Johnson.
“I’ve got a wife, kids, mortgage, generally weekends involve basketball and tennis. Nothing’s about me anymore so it’s good to for a change to play on the weekend.
“I was lucky enough to play with three of my buddies today, so it was just basically a normal Saturday. We were playing for drinks at the end like we do every week. I was more worried about not losing money to them rather than winning the event.
“Happy to hole a few putts and be in the winner’s circle again. It doesn’t happen too often, but yeah, it was good.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 John Lyras 65
T1 Anthony Johnson 65
T1 Brett Rankin 65
T4 Darcy Boyd 66
T4 Ben Henkel 66
T4 James Mee 66
T7 Harvey Young 67
T7 Tyler Duncan 67
T7 Jye Pickin 67
T7 Brendan Smith 67
T7 Aaron Townsend 67
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series now moves into the annual Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series, starting on Tuesday with the two-day IMS Moranbah Pro-Am.
Australian Cassie Porter’s dream of graduating to the LPGA Tour is one step closer to becoming a reality after a maiden Epson Tour victory at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Trailing by two heading into a windy final round at Battle Creek Country Club, Porter used three straight birdies around the turn to play her way into contention.
A fourth birdie for the day at the par-5 15th elevated Porter to 7-under, a total she thought she shared with two others.
The 21-year-old was, in fact, two strokes clear, providing the buffer she needed to absorb a closing a bogey and still record a one-stroke win with close friend and former Tour player Stephanie Na on the bag.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m feeling amazing,” said Porter, a member of the Golf Australia Rookie Squad and winner of the 2023 Melbourne International on the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
“It was really cool to do it here this week with Steph, my caddie. I leaned on Steph so much today.
“I said to her probably on the 11th hole after I made a good par, ‘Hey Steph, like I’m really nervous’ and she was like, ‘Why?’
“Steph was amazing. She’s like my sister. Honestly, I’ve done a lot of work on my mental game recently, and you know, this week, the wind was really, really testing.
“It was nice to be able to put that to the test and get a good result out of it.”
Final leaderboard at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/Jh9Vpa6LRb
— Epson Tour (@EpsonTour) June 9, 2024
Even par starting the back nine in Round 2, Porter generated momentum heading into Sunday with a 3-under par finish to her second round.
As the leaders struggled in the blustery conditions on Sunday, Porter opened with seven straight pars before the run of birdies that led to a 3-under 69 and 6-under total.
In her second year on the Epson Tour and coached by PGA Professional Daniel Morrison on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Porter now moves into second spot in the Race to the Card that awards the top 15 promotion to the LPGA at season’s end.
Amidst Porter’s joy was disappointment for both Kelsey Bennett and Scott Hend.
Playing on the Ladies European Tour Access Series and European Legends Tour respectively, both Bennett and Hend began their events with course records.
Bennett opened with 63 at the Montauban Ladies Open in France and led by one heading into the final round, dropping back into third with a closing round of 74.
Hend and England’s Robert Coles both broke the course record with matching 11-under 60s in Round 1 of the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy, Hend bouncing back from a 76 on day two with a final round of 66 to finish second behind American Clark Dennis.
Victorian Cameron Percy’s third-place finish at the American Family Insurance Championship is his best result in his first month on the PGA TOUR Champions while Lucas Herbert’s tie for sixth was the best of the Aussies at LIV Golf Houston.
Results
Epson Tour
FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship
Battle Creek Country Club, Michigan
1 Cassie Porter 73-68-69—210 $US30,000
T2 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 73-68-70—211 $13,273
MC Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 75-74—149
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 72-77—149
MC Soo Jin Lee 73-77—150
MC Su Oh 78-74—152
MC Amy Chu 77-77—154
PGA TOUR
The Memorial Tournament
Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio
1 Scottie Scheffler 67-68-71-74—280 $US4m
T33 Jason Day 73-75-69-77—294 $106,500
T50 Cam Davis 73-72-77-79—301 $51,500
LPGA Tour
Shoprite LPGA Classic
Seaview (Bay Cse), Galloway, New Jersey
1 Linnea Strom 69-70-60—199 $US262,500
T12 Stephanie Kyriacou 65-70-70—205 $25,365
T27 Hannah Green 71-68-68—207 $12,687
T60 Hira Naveed 67-69-75—211 $4,700
T63 Robyn Choi 66-72-75—213 $4,383
MC Sarah Kemp 69-71—140
MC Grace Kim 71-71—142
MC Karrie Webb 73-75—148
WD Karis Davidson 71
DP World Tour/Ladies European Tour
Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed
Vasatorps Golfklubb, Helsingborg, Sweden
1 Linn Grant 67-68-71-65—271 €312,188.68
T63 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 70-71-73-73—287 €5,050.11
MC Jason Scrivener 72-72—144
Japan Tour
BMW Tour Championship
Shishido Hills Country Club, Ibaraki
1 Hiroshi Iwata 71-65-67-68—271 ¥30m
Won on first hole of sudden death playoff
T24 Brad Kennedy 71-70-69-71—281 ¥1.23m
T56 Michael Hendry (NZ) 73-69-75-71—288 ¥357,000
MC Anthony Quayle 72-74—146
PGA TOUR Champions
American Family Insurance Championship
University Ridge GC, Wisconsin
1 Ernie Els 71-64-69—204 $US360,000
Won on first hole of sudden death playoff
3 Cameron Percy 70-70-67—207 $172,800
T7 Mark Hensby 73-67-69—209 $76,800
T7 Greg Chalmers 71-68-70—209 $76,800
T19 Steve Allan 70-69-73—212 $31,760
T22 John Senden 72-70-71—213 $23,093
T31 Rod Pampling 76-69-69—214 $15,840
T42 David Bransdon 74-72-70—216 $10,320
T42 Michael Wright 72-69-75—216 $10,320
T47 Stuart Appleby 75-68-74—217 $7,920
T64 Richard Green 73-74-74—221 $3,000
Challenge Tour
Challenge de Cadiz
Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, Spain
1 Jonathan Goth-Rasmussen 69-69-66-69—273 €43,200
T50 Blake Windred 72-72-71-71—286 €1,058.40
T60 Connor McKinney 69-69-75-76—289 €810
T74 Hayden Hopewell 69-72-79-79—299 €445.50
MC Andrew Martin 72-74—146
MC Tom Power Horan 74-74—148
Korn Ferry Tour
BMW Charity Pro Am
Thornblade Club, South Carolina
1 Ryan Gerard 64-66-63-66—259 $US180,000
MC Rhein Gibson 64-75—139
MC Dimi Papadatos 73-72—145
MC Brett Drewitt 77-68—145
LET Access Series
Montauban Ladies Open
Golf de Montauban, France
1 Helen Briem (a) 70-70-69—209 —–
3 Kelsey Bennett 63-74-74—211 €4,770
T16 Stephanie Bunque 71-75-72—218 €814.50
MC Munchin Keh (NZ) 74-78—152
MC Wenyung Keh (NZ) 78-75—153
MC Laura Hoskin (NZ) 80-79—159
LIV Golf
LIV Houston
Golf Club of Houston, Houston, Texas
1 Carlos Ortiz 66-68-67—201 $US4m
T6 Lucas Herbert 69-68-69—206 $608,333
T24 Marc Leishman 67-75-70—212 $182,500
T39 Matt Jones 68-74-73—215 $136,500
T48 Cameron Smith 71-69-80—220 $90,000
50 Danny Lee (NZ) 70-72-79—221 $60,000
Legends Tour
Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy
Costa Navarino, Greece
1 Clark Dennis 66-66-66—198
2 Scott Hend 60-76-66—202
T18 Peter Fowler 71-67-71—209
T32 Michael Campbell (NZ) 71-71-71—213
T32 Michael Long (NZ) 71-67-75—213
Korean PGA Tour
KPGA Championship
Seoul, South Korea
1 Jeon Garam 63-70-69-65—267
T31 Changi Lee (NZ) 70-72-70-68—280
T31 Matthew Griffin 68-71-71-70—280
T40 Kevin Chun (NZ) 67-75-69-70—281
T52 Junseok Lee 69-72-72-72—285
WD Wonjoon Lee 70-66-77—213
