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A four-hole birdie blitz has propelled Minjee Lee to a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the US Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina.
Lee’s round of four-under 67 gives her a three-round total of 13-under and her 200 strokes through 54-holes betters the previous lowest mark in a US Women’s Open of 201 set by Juli Inkster in 1999.
The West Australian finds herself in the polar opposite position to when she came from seven strokes back to win her first major at the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship but playing in such a manner that has experts predicting a runaway win.
The past three US Women’s Open champions at Pine Needles – including Karrie Webb in 2001 – all held the 54-hole lead and NBC Golf Central lead analyst Brandel Chamblee is expecting Lee to continue that trend.
“I just don’t see a threat to Minjee Lee other than Minjee Lee, and I don’t even think that’s a threat,” Chamblee said post-round on ‘Live From the US Women’s Open’.
“It’s $US1.8 million, the US Open, a second major championship, these are normal things to have enter your mind for anybody but I just don’t see a stumbling block for Minjee Lee tomorrow.
“Every now and then a player will come along who is uniquely prepared and focused for a major championship.
“They are talented enough to execute a game-plan, they’re patient enough to stick to that game-plan and they move slow enough – they are Zen-like – to be seemingly impervious to major championship pressure.
“When I think of Minjee Lee, that’s the type of player I think of.
“She looks to me that she is going to run away and hide from this field.”
Not only does Lee have a three-stroke buffer to American Mina Harigae (70) but there is a further three strokes back to Bronte Law (68) in outright third with major champions Lydia Ko (66), Jin Young Ko (71) and Anna Nordqvist (72) part of a six-way tie for fourth at six-under.
It is the first time that the 26-year-old has held the 54-hole lead at a major championship but has promised to continue to chase birdies when the time is right.
“Totally different. Evian I was in go-mode trying to make as many birdies as I could, trying to catch up, but it is the US Open,” Lee said of the comparison to her major breakthrough last year.
“A three-shot lead is a nice cushion but it’s not enough to let your heart come down.
“I’m just going to be focused on my own game and take one shot at a time. On the par 5s I can be pretty aggressive and some of the shots you have wedges in so on those holes you can be pretty aggressive.”
Although the day ended with a handy advantage, Lee had to repel an early two-shot swing to regain the lead.
Her three-putt bogey at the par-3 fifth and Harigae’s birdie gave the American a two-shot lead, a lead that Lee halved with a bounce-back birdie at the par-4 sixth.
Harigae’s bogey at seven brought Lee back tied at the top but the American edged ahead once more with a birdie at eight.
The pair traded birdies at the par-4 ninth and were tied again when Lee went back-to-back with birdie at the par-5 10th.
For the second time in the round there was a two-shot swing at the par-4 11th, Lee’s birdie and Harigae’s bogey giving the Aussie a two-shot advantage heading into the meat of the back nine.
She extended that lead to three with her fourth birdie on the trot at 12 and despite two missed opportunities to further pull away safely parred her way home, closing out her third round with an up-and-down from the front of the 18th green.
Ten years on from her US Junior Girls triumph and seeking to become the third Australian winner of the US Women’s Open alongside Webb (2000, 2001) and Jan Stephenson (1983), a second major victory would elevate Lee into rare company.
“This golf course has a history of producing legendary winners and blow-out wins,” Chamblee added.
“I look at this leaderboard and Minjee Lee, she’s sneaking up on legendary status. She’s going to creep into that no doubt. By the time she finishes she might well be a legend but this time tomorrow night we might well be talking about another blow-out victory.”
Lee’s fellow West Australian Hannah Green is tied for 20th following a third round of one-over 72 that featured an eagle at the par-5 15th but also a triple bogey at the par-4 17th, Grace Kim in a share of 60th after a 75 on day three.
West Australian Minjee Lee will take a share of the lead into the weekend of a major for the first time in her career after a second round of five-under 66 at the US Women’s Open at Pine Needles.
Seeking to emulate Karrie Webb’s North Carolina triumph of 21 years ago, Lee had back-to-back birdies on three separate occasions in Round 2 to join American Mina Harigae (69) at nine-under through 36 holes.
They have a two-shot buffer from Korea’s Hyejin Choi (64) and three-time major champion Anna Nordqvist (68) with world No.1 Jin Young Ko (67) and Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad (71) tied for fifth at six-under.
Approaching 12 months since her major breakthrough at the Amundi Evian Championship, Lee has never before held a share of the lead at the halfway point of a major championship.
Although she didn’t speak to Webb prior to arriving at Pine Needles, she said post-round that she will call upon her experiences as a past recipient of the Karrie Webb Scholarship where she witnessed Webb’s major preparation first-hand.
“It was just really cool because that was kind of the very first experience I had at the US Open and to be with Webby, it was just even better,” Lee said of her US Women’s Open debut at Pinehurst in 2014.
“It was just nice to see how she goes about things and just to hang out with her is really cool in general.
“She has a really set routine. When she does her workout or when she has her massage, then it’s just at certain a particular time.
And then when she’s having dinner, she will socialise and then have her quiet time.
“It’s just very routine in that aspect.”
Playing in the afternoon wave, Lee expected the Pine Needles layout to be firmer, faster and affected by a strengthening wind but overcast conditions prevented the greens from drying out and quickening up.
Lee needed to take relief from the cart path right of the first green before playing a deft pitch to 10 feet and converting for a birdie at the opening hole.
The 26-year-old backed that up with a superb approach to three feet to set up a second straight birdie at the par-4 second, adding further birdies at eight and nine to make the turn in four-under par.
A three-putt bogey at the par-4 14th was Lee’s only backward step on Friday but she hit straight back, holing a putt from 10 feet at the par-5 15th and converting a putt from 13 feet at the par-3 16th.
A superb up-and-down at 17 ensured Lee would stay level with Harigae heading into the third round where the Australian insists she will continue to adopt a clinical approach to her shot execution.
“I’m not sure how the conditions are going to change and what time I’m playing, but I’ve been taking one shot at a time,” Lee added.
“The golf course can really catch up to you quickly, so just trying to take whatever I have in front of me as I go and whenever I have a birdie opportunity try to take advantage of that.
“That’s what I’m going to focus on and just do whatever I can that is in my control.”
Hannah Green kept her hopes of a second major championship alive with a second round of even-par 71 to be one-under as Grace Kim (72) advanced to the weekend in her first appearance at the US Women’s Open.
A wayward tee shot that accidentally hit American Aaron Wise on the head was the talking point of Cameron Smith’s even-par second round of the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Smith, who is two-under and seven shots behind leader Will Zalatoris, sliced his drive on the second hole to the right of the fairway and it sailed onto the adjacent seventh where Wise was unfortunately struck without the ball bouncing.
Thankfully Wise was able to complete his round after he experienced some ringing in his head for about 20 seconds before feeling back to normal again. Smith and his group loudly called “Fore” but the blustery conditions made it difficult to hear, Wise’s playing partner Joel Dahmen said.
It was a day where things just did not go right for the world number four.
The Queenslander bookended his front nine with near-mirror image birdies from close range to reach four-under and at that stage it appeared as if he would go close to playing partner Zalatoris.
Things began to unravel after the turn however, when Smith’s approach shot at the 10th hit the left edge of the green before it trickled down the slope into the rough and he was unable to get up-and-down for par.
Another bogey was put on the card when he took two shots out of the greenside bunker at the 15th, but arguably the most frustration came with two missed birdie putts from inside eight feet to close out the round – especially after a majestic second shot from the edge of the creek on the 18th.
Despite those setbacks the 28-year-old remains in the mix, sitting in a tie for tenth, with a platform to make a weekend charge like he did in his wins this year at the Players Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Kiwi Ryan Fox is the next best performing Australasian at even-par, while Lucas Herbert (+1), Jason Day (+3), Marc Leishman (+3) and Cam Davis (+4) have all progressed to the weekend.
Min Woo Lee (+5), Adam Scott (+7) and Matt Jones (+10) all missed the cut.
Cameron Smith required a mid-round reset and Lucas Herbert flirted with the Round 1 lead as the Aussie pair finished day one inside the top 10 at the 2022 US PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma.
Playing ahead of the super-group of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, Smith used three straight birdies after making the turn to post two-under 68 in the morning wave, Herbert matching his countryman’s first round total in more challenging afternoon conditions to sit three shots off the lead.
McIlroy’s five-under 65 went unmatched on day one, Will Zalatoris (66) and Tom Hoge (66) sharing second spot one shot clear of Matt Kuchar (67), Abraham Ancer (67) and Justin Thomas (67).
The Victorian had drawn to within one of McIlroy with a birdie at the par-5 fifth but dropped a shot at the next, failing to get up-and-down from the back fringe at the 218-yard par-3 sixth.
He made par at his next two holes before another bogey at his final hole, the par-4 ninth, dropped Herbert back into a nine-way tie for seventh.
Beginning his championship from the 10th tee, Herbert made an instant impact on the leaderboard.
He made birdies at 10, 13 and 14 to edge past Smith as leading Aussie, falling back to two-under with a bogey at the par-4 15th.
Three pars followed to round out his front nine before birdies at one and three – and a bogey at two – elevated Herbert back to the front page of the leaderboard.
With a best finish in the majors of a tie for 31st at the 2020 US Open, Herbert was thrilled to have made such a strong start in one of the game’s showpiece events.
“I’ve played enough of these major championships now where I feel like I know what it is that I need to do to play well,” said Herbert, who compared Southern Hills to courses of the Melbourne Sandbelt with which he is so familiar.
“I haven’t been able to play the way I would have liked in the majors I’ve played so far but feel like I’ve got more of an understanding of what I need to do to have a chance to compete on Sunday.
“Definitely would have taken two-under at the start of the day. This place is not easy.”
Contending in major championships is nothing new for Cameron Smith.
He played in the final group on Sunday at Augusta National last month yet his hopes of doing something similar at Southern Hills were almost derailed after just nine holes.
Birdies at 11 and 13 were offset by a double-bogey at the par-4 12th and when he dropped shots at 16 and 17 was two-over as he made the turn.
A drink of water and a mental reset did the trick however as the Queenslander made five birdies in his next seven holes to drag himself inside the top 10 heading into the second round.
“It was definitely one of those rounds that could have got away from me quite quickly,” conceded Smith, whose seven birdies matched McIlroy for the most in Round 1.
“Another couple over on that back nine, I’m probably out of the golf tournament. So nice to rally.
“Just a little bit of a mental reset. Felt as though I’ve played some pretty good golf on my front nine, but unfortunately a couple times with gusts of wind and stuff like that, you can make some pretty quick bogeys and doubles around here if you’re not careful.
“Just took that into account, a quick mental reset, and I knew I was hitting the ball well; just need to go out there and do it.”
Kiwi Ryan Fox extended his outstanding form on the DP World Tour into his first major of the year, his even-par 70 made up of four birdies and four bogeys to be tied for 28th.
Champion seven years ago, Jason Day hit just 56 per cent of greens in regulation but scrambled to a one-over 71 as Marc Leishman and Cam Davis both began their PGA Championship campaigns with rounds of two-over 72.
Matt Jones and Min Woo Lee are both tied for 79th following rounds of one-over 73 but Adam Scott’s hopes may have sunk with his tee shot at the par-4 17th, his quadruple-bogey eight on top of his double bogey six at 10 doing the bulk of the damage in his seven-over 77.
US PGA Championship – Round 1
1 Rory McIlroy (65)
T7 Lucas Herbert (68)
T7 Cameron Smith (68)
T27 Ryan Fox (70)
T38 Jason Day (71)
T56 Cam Davis (72)
T56 Marc Leishman (72)
T78 Matt Jones (73)
T78 Min Woo Lee (73)
T130 Adam Scott (77)
Round 2 tee times AEST
10.05pm* Min Woo Lee, Ryan Brehm, Wyatt Worthington II
10.38pm* Adam Scott, Shane Lowry, Brooks Koepka
10.55pm Marc Leishman, Martin Kaymer, Keegan Bradley
11pm* Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Harold Varner III
11.50pm Lucas Herbert, Chad Ramey, Austin Hurt
4.20am Cam Davis, Matt Kuchar, Rikuya Hoshino
4.25am* Cameron Smith, Viktor Hovland, Will Zalatoris
4.53am Matt Jones, Richard Bland, Garrick Higgo
5.15am Ryan Fox, Shawn Warren, Pablo Larrazabal
Cameron Smith is no stranger to massive galleries but in the first two rounds of this week’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Oklahoma the world number four will be thrust onto the periphery of Tigermania.
The 28-year-old played in the group in front of Tiger Woods on Thursday and Friday at The Masters last month – where he said he felt like a fan at times watching Woods – and the organisers have once again kept him close to the 15-time major champion as this time around Smith will be in a featured group behind Woods, Jordan Speith and Rory McIlroy.
“I think there can be a lot of external noise especially with crowds and just a lot more moving parts I guess. So yeah, just another thing to really think about,” Smith said.
“I wouldn’t say I change anything. Just probably make sure, you know, spend a little bit more time worrying about what’s happening outside to make sure when you’re inside, inside that shot, everything’s perfect.”
Smith’s ability to block out the distractions and remain focused is set to be bolstered this week by a combination of rest and work with his trainer and psychologist in the build-up to learn from past mistakes at this event – the only major where he is yet to register a top-20 finish.
“Yeah, I think the PGA is probably the one that I’ve struggled with the most. It’s typically set up, very demanding off the tee,” Smith said.
“I don’t think that’s really been my strong suit out here ever. A lot of work the last week on the driver. Trying to get it straight rather than trying to get a little bit more distance out of it. Yeah, just more opportunities from the fairway I think is what I need, especially around here. The rough can be pretty penal.
“I think the course has got a good mix with long and short holes. I think it’s going to be quite windy, so there might be a few other woods or longer irons off the tee. It’s a bit of a thinker’s golf course around here. I really like it.”
The Queenslander began plotting his way around the course, which last hosted this major championship in 2007 when Woods lifted the Wanamaker trophy in stifling heat, earlier in the week and was quickly reminded of home.
“I played nine holes yesterday afternoon and played all 18 morning. I think the golf course is great. I think it’s going to be a really good test. I love the surrounds of the greens rolling off, same slopes of golf we play back in Australia,” Smith said.
“I like that the grass is a little bit longer around the greens. I think some guys that aren’t really good around the greens get away with putting a lot, so I think that will test them that way this week.”
Adam Scott will also be in a featured group this week playing with fellow major champions Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, while Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Min Woo Lee, Matt Jones, Cam Davis and winner of the 2015 PGA Championship Jason Day round out the Australian contingent.
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA Championship
Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Defending champion: Phil Mickelson
Past Aussie winners: Jason Day (2015), Steve Elkington (1995), Wayne Grady (1990), David Graham (1979), Jim Ferrier (1947)
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Smith
TV schedule on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports:
Korn Ferry Tour
Advent Health Championship
Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri
Defending champion: Cameron Young
Past Aussie winners: James Nitties (2011), Michael Sim (2009)
Top Aussie prediction: Brett Drewitt
Challenge Tour
Challenge de Espana
Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, Spain
Defending champion: Santiago Tarrio
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Blake Windred
Epson Tour
IOA Golf Classic
Alaqua Country Club, Longwood, Florida
Australasians in the field: Stephanie Na, Robyn Choi, Julienne Soo, Sarah Jane Smith, Karis Davidson, Amelia Garvey, Hira Naveed, Gabriela Ruffels, Grace Kim, Soo Jin Lee
Defending champion: Allison Emery
Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017)
Top Aussie prediction: Gabriela Ruffels
Ladies European Tour
Jabra Ladies Open
Evian Resort Golf Club, Évian-les-Bains, France
Defending champion: Pia Babnik
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Whitney Hillier
Japan Golf Tour
Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament
Toride Kokusai Golf Club, Tsukubamirai, Japan
Defending champion: Shaun Norris
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Brad Kennedy
Australian Golf’s new home is officially open, bringing to life a project that was more than 10 years in the making.
The Australian Golf Centre in Sandringham, new headquarters for both Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia, was officially opened today by the Premier of Victoria, the Honourable Daniel Andrews, in what amounts to a landmark moment in the history of the sport in this country.
Mr Andrews was joined by key figures in the Australian golf industry at the opening, including seven-time major championship winner Karrie Webb, OAM, with the unveiling a plaque commemorating the opening and also announcing the latest recipients of the Victorian Government’s Golf Scholarship Program which encourages people to pursue careers in the golf industry.
The $18.8 million Australian Golf Centre at Sandy Golf Links includes a state-of-the-art high- performance facility, cafe and administration facilities for both the key bodies, as well as Sandringham Golf Links golf course and driving range which is operated by Royal Melbourne.
The moving of both sets of staff into the centre is viewed as a groundbreaking moment for a sport that is seeking to align and cooperate like never before.
The Victorian Government has been the major supporter of the project, which included a redevelopment of the Sandy Links golf course as well as the new Australian Golf Centre, contributing $15.3 million of the total cost.
“We have reimagined Sandy as one of the greatest public access golf facilities anywhere in our state and indeed in our nation,” Mr Andrews said.
“We have delivered a first-class outcome, all of these teaching facilities, practice facilities, elite competition, but also so many young people – perhaps under the watchful eye of a grandparent or parent or school programs – are going to fall in love with this magical game right here because of what’s been built here.”
Project principal and Golf Victoria Chair Stephen Spargo said he was extremely proud to see a long-time vision for Golf Victoria come to life.
“This is the vision that Golf Victoria has had for a long time to bring golf together in one place and we are immensely grateful to the Victorian Government, all of the Victorian clubs and their members for the support they have shown for this very important venture.”
PGA of Australia Chair Rodger Davis said the move was bold and a significant moment in time for the industry and our sport.
“The PGA of Australia has a 111 year history in this country and particularly in this state as the pioneers of professional golf domestically and globally.
“Our facility in Sandhurst Club is world class, but this was an important opportunity for the PGA of Australia to work closer than ever before with Golf Australia for the betterment of our sport and membership.”
Golf Australia Chair Andrew Newbold explained what the project means for the inaugural National Strategy for Australian Golf which was developed by the game’s bodies and came into effect this year.
“The Australian Golf Centre is the living embodiment of our vision for the game in Australia.
“The collaboration between Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia here allows us to work together to tell our story better and attract new fans to the game, while the various offerings of this public facility provide an example of how we can attract new golfers and grow our core.”
Royal Melbourne Golf Club Captain and Sandringham Golf Links Management Director Andrew Kirby said that Royal Melbourne’s partnership with Sandy was a model for other clubs to follow.
“I’m very passionate about the public courses because they very strongly push juniors and women into the game. A lot of the community can play here where it’s a bit more casual and get a start.”
Staff of Golf Australia, previously headquartered in South Melbourne, and the PGA, which had its national head office at Sandhurst on the outer south-eastern fringe of Melbourne, moved into the new facility together late last year.
The Australian Golf Centre was first mooted in 2010, with the Victorian Government contributing $10 million towards the cost in 2014, and numerous sites considered until Bayside City Council in 2018 issued a planning permit for the new facility. Works began in May, 2019 and the project was completed in September last year.
Rising amateur Hayden Hopewell hopes to remove the asterisk from his 2020 WA Open triumph by staging a successful defence this week at Royal Fremantle Golf Club.
Twelve of the top 20 on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit will tee it up in Thursday’s opening round of the 2021 Nexus Advisernet WA Open, a far cry from the fields that have contested the two most recent state opens in Western Australia.
Not since Zach Murray’s victory as an amateur in 2018 has the WA Open featured as an Order of Merit event on the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule but one of Australian golf’s most celebrated state opens comes out of COVID-19 with a stellar collection of players.
It has been 18 months since Hopewell edged Haydn Barron by a shot at his home course of Royal Fremantle, a championship played with only WA-based players due to COVID border restrictions.
Runner-up to Michael Sim in 2019 at Cottesloe, Hopewell knows a Freo repeat would erase any doubt about his victory in 2020.
“Obviously the field wasn’t as strong as it’s going to be this week,” Hopewell concedes.
“I’ll give it a good crack. Winning in 2020, because of COVID and stuff, obviously a win this week would topple that.
“It would be great to make a few people proud by winning it again.”
It would also provide food for thought for a 20-year-old eyeing off a progression to the pro ranks.
Currently third in the Future Tour Affiliation standings for amateurs participating in PGA Tour of Australasia events, Hopewell remains in contention to earn a Tournament Exemption Category for the 2022/2023 season.
But he is adamant there is more he wants to achieve as an amateur before making the move, starting with a month in unfamiliar territory.
“There are a few goals I have in mind and one of them is to play as many pro events as I can and compete like I have been,” said Hopewell, who was tied for second behind Hannah Green at TPS Murray River and tied for ninth at TPS Sydney.
“I’ve actually been scaring a few titles which is nice but there are a few places I haven’t travelled to yet which I will be travelling to this year to get a feel for a few other different countries.
“I’ve only really been to the US a couple of times, Japan and Dubai but heading to the UK this year to play the St Andrews Links Trophy, British Amateur and European Amateur.
“I wanted to give myself two or three cracks at the Asia-Pacific (Amateur Championship) and US Amateur and a chance of getting a win because obviously if you win those a few doors open for you.”
First invited to join Royal Fremantle by Min Woo Lee almost a decade ago, Hopewell has the added advantage this week of staying in the family home just five minutes from the course.
With older sister Ariel once again on the bag and a Royal Fremantle membership at his back, the latest from the Ritchie Smith stable is ready to make full use of home course advantage.
“I know this course like the back of my hand. Always feel comfortable around here and with the home crowd it should be even better,” added Hopewell, a member at Royal Fremantle since 2013.
“From what I’ve heard, people think it’s pretty tight but I play here a lot and I don’t really feel like it’s tight.
“Around the greens if you can keep your up-and-down game pretty strong you’ll be in a good position come Sunday.
“If my name gets up the leaderboard there’ll be even more people watching me play which always spurs me on.
“With my sister on the bag I think we’ll make a good, strong team out here.”
The Nexus Advisernet WA Open starts on Thursday at 7.10am AWST at Royal Fremantle Golf Club. Entry is free for spectators all four days.
Laid-back Jay Mackenzie secured a career-changing maiden victory on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia at Kalgoorlie Golf Course today, just a few months after a bout of the shanks threatened his future.
Mackenzie, 22, from Lennox Head on the north coast of New South Wales, shot an outstanding final-round 68 to pull away from Austin Bautista, with whom he shared the overnight lead, and win by two shots at 19-under par.
The victory secures his job for two years and, he admitted later, might coax him out of the old van he tends to sleep in when he plays on the eastern seaboard.
“I might not have to sleep in my car as much!” he said afterward when he was asked about the implications of the win. “I’ve got a job for another two years so it means a lot.”
A delightful bump-and run chip from 40 metres and a two-metre birdie putt at the 72nd hole sealed the deal for the man from Ballina Golf Club, after a double-bogey five at the par-3 17th hole had endangered his position.
With Bautista just a shot back coming down the 18th and having a short birdie putt himself, Mackenzie buried the putt to secure a win that will give him two years’ exemption to play the Australasian Tour.
His previous wins in four years as a professional were pro-ams, but today – in a virtual matchplay situation with Bautista – was another level.
The description ‘laconic’ does not do justice to Mackenzie, who carries a tattered bag with torn head covers.
“I felt pretty good,” he said. “I tried to laugh at everything and not worry about anything. It seems to work for me.”
The pair began the last round with a three-shot buffer and were never threatened at the top. It was just a matter of who would get the upper hand between them, and it was quite some battle. Bautista began the day firing with three early birdies and led by two after a bad drive cost Mackenzie a shot at the second. Then Mackenzie parried back with birdies at the sixth and seventh to take the lead, and it was Bautista who began to wobble.
At the ninth, Mackenzie made a remarkable par-save from the red dirt beside the green, and by the time he rolled in a birdie from two metres at the 14th, his lead was three. Then the 17th, a long, tough par-3 arrived, and his tee shot bounced hard and off the back of the green, down a swale and leaving him with a tough shot.
His chip skated off the other side of the green, and by the time he tapped in for a double bogey, his lead had been trimmed to one.
“I was fine,” he said about his mindset. “I still had a one-shot lead. I just had to play a good (last) hole and I was able to do that.”
Bautista, who also was seeking his first Tour win, was three-under through four holes but ultimately shot a two-under par 70, missing his short birdie attempt at the last and watching an opportunity go begging, more generally. He finished at 17-under, a shot ahead of third-placed Kiwi Ryan Chisnall.
“He (Bautista) came out swinging,” said Mackenzie. “I holed a few good putts, heaps of good putts, actually. They just fell my way.”
The story of Mackenzie’s season is worth telling. He missed a string of cuts early, afflicted with the dreaded golfing disease that makes the ball go sideways. “I was hitting shanks every third shot, hozzling it constantly, and I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
Then at the TPS Murray River event at Cobram Barooga, he made the cut on the number, and a corner was turned.
“Since then I’ve just felt like my game’s slowly getting out of having serious swing problems. I can’t even explain it. This week I hit everything pretty good. I don’t even know how.”
As for the van that is somewhat famous on the tour, it may be headed for early retirement. This week in Kalgoorlie, he stayed in a billet with some locals. He might even get a new bag, he said, and the van gets a little cold.
“I’ve got an old troop carrier,” he said. “I got that off my grandfather, and I think it’s done about 600,000 kays. It keeps ticking over and it saves me a lot of money. It’s pretty comfortable. It gets a little chilly sometimes.”
Mark it down as the day Jay Mackenzie came in from the cold. He even won the Road to Outback four-ball competition with his amateur playing partner Iain Koch.
The Tour now moves to Perth for the Nexus Advisernet WA Open at Royal Fremantle starting on Thursday.
Click here for final scores and prizemoney.
When people think of Kalgoorlie, they do not normally also think of Canberra, except if you are Josh Armstrong who leads the CKB WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie Golf Course by two shots at the halfway mark.
Armstrong, 22, followed up his seven-under par round in yesterday’s afternoon heat with another round of 65 in this morning’s cold conditions.
The stark contrast in the weather took Armstrong back to his early days in the nation’s capital and he took full advantage of his familiarity to remain bogey-free for the tournament.
“Growing up in Canberra kind of helps,” he said with a laugh.
“Believe it or not, the ball actually wasn’t travelling any different for me. Maybe some others it was but it was a pretty easy transition.
“When I wasn’t in position, I was able to play pretty safe and manage well. I think I played pretty smart when I needed to and made the most of it when I was in a good position and could attack a little more.
“I was working with my sports psych about a week ago saying that I want to be more reactive to what’s in front of me and I’ve obviously been doing a really good job of that. Just trying to stay where I am and do what I need to do at that point in time.”
The New South Welshman is “pretty impressed” by Kalgoorlie in his first visit to the city nearly 600 km east-northeast of Perth, but his sights are set on the United States.
Armstrong is currently 21st on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit standings and he is focused on obtaining the top-15 spots which earn entry into the second round of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying.
“That is one of the main reasons I’m pushing is because that is where I want to go play,” he said.
“Makes life so much easier if you can skip the first stage. Q-School is arguably one of the toughest weeks in golf so I am trying to have a good three weeks and see how high up I can get.”
To stay on top this weekend however, Armstrong will have to contend with a strong chasing pack.
Overnight leader Austin Bautista is in second place after shooting 68 today to move to twelve-under for the tournament, and like Armstrong, he is also bogey free so far.
West Australian Scott Strange and New South Welshman Jay Mackenzie are a further two shots back in a share of third, while Louis Dobbelaar (fifth) and Dimitrios Papadatos (tied sixth) are in the mix and are hunting vital Order of Merit earnings.
The third round of the CKB WA PGA Championship will be broadcast on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports from 2:30pm-5:30pm AEST.
Defending champion Jarryd Felton is optimistic about his chances of taking out another CKB WA PGA Championship when the tournament begins on Thursday at Kalgoorlie Golf Course in Western Australia.
Felton enters the tournament in top form, having overcome torrential weather and a playoff to win the TPS Sydney in March, following on from a top-10 finish at the Queensland PGA Championship in January.
A Perth native, Felton’s previous success at the course may prove pivotal across the weekend.
“Obviously I have a nice track record around here,” said Felton, who was runner-up in 2019 and tied fifth in 2018.
“I enjoy playing here, it’s a pretty tough track so you’ve just got to stay patient and play within yourself.”
A good start to the year means Felton is within striking distance of the top three in the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit standings, and a DP World Tour card is firmly in his sights.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on my mind,” Felton added. “Obviously the top 10 guys here, it’s all kind of on their minds, but we’ve got a job to do this week and it’s to try and play the best you can.
“If that results in a win then we will take it and move forward but we will just try and jump that Order of Merit as much as we can.”
Felton credits linking up with mental coach Sean Lynch for his turnaround in form, which comes after a two-year period in which he struggled to play consistent golf.
“It’s been a pretty good couple of months for me. I transitioned over to working with Sean Lynch, my new mental coach, so we’ve been working pretty hard on a few select areas and I feel like my game is trending in a nice direction,” said the 27-year-old.
There could be plenty of movement in the Order of Merit standings this week, with just $37,000 separating Andrew Dodt in third and Jordan Zunic in 10th, while Anthony Quayle (fifth) and Brad Kennedy (eighth) will be absent due to commitments on the Japan Golf Tour, giving the remainder of the top 10 an opportunity to make a move. The first-prize cheque in Kalgoorlie is $36,000.
For the first time this season, the top three finishers receive playing cards for next season’s DP World Tour.
Queenslander Jed Morgan is a runaway leader at the top at $188,000 after his win in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in January and it is unlikely that he will be shifted from that spot with only the Nexus Advisernet WA Open and the Northern Territory PGA Championship remaining on the schedule over the next two weeks.
Both those events carry $150,000 prize pools giving the chasers a slim chance of making up the necessary ground.
This week’s WA PGA is the 2021 edition of the event after border restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic forced its postponement late last year. Felton’s win in the 2020 edition was almost 17 months ago.
But with golf back on the radar, restrictions relaxed and the Graham Marsh-designed course in picture-perfect condition, the players are all genuinely excited about the prospects of the next few days as the season approaches its climax.
First tee-offs on Thursday are at 6.40am and the third and fourth rounds will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, starting at 2.30pm on Saturday and midday Sunday AEST.
Click here for Round 1 tee times
