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Anthony Quayle has added his name to an impressive honour roll, walking away with the Geoff King Motors North Coast Open by four shots.
The Queenslander carded a 3-under-par 67 to go with his open round course record 63 at Coffs Harbour Golf Club for a two-round total of 10-under.
Victorian Deyen Lawson finished in outright second place at 6-under, while Marcus Fraser and Matthew Millar shared third place a further shot back at 5-under.
After starting the final round with a share of the lead alongside Lawson, the tournament soon became an open affair when Quayle made a double on the third to gift Lawson an early lead.
It didn’t take long for the Queenslander to recover, and birdies on the par-five 6th and par-three 8th, were enough for the eventual champ to turn for home with his lead intact.
With the skies threatening to open up at any time and birdies hard to come by, it appeared the Coffs Harbour course was going to get the better of the field.
It was Quayle’s day, however, and when he turned for home, the fireworks began.
Birdies on the 11 and 13th stretched his lead to four, and when Quayle rifled his second shot to the par-five 14th, a nine iron from 157 metres to four feet, the lead was six, and the tournament was as good as over.
A bogey on the 16th was soon erased with a birdie on the next, and with a comfortable five-shot lead walking up the last, Quayle’s second bogey of the day meant the finish was all academic in the end.
“I felt really good going into today and into this event to be honest,” Quayle said after the win.
“I played pretty nice really. I made a double on our third, and I didn’t hole a lot of putts early, but got hot midway through the round, and started to hole a lot.
“Apart from the double I think I played pretty flawless golf.”
While Quayle was thrilled with the win, his second in 2020, he added he was just glad to be back playing competition golf again, adding that the forced break from competition had helped him re-assess some of life’s priorities.
“The break (COVID) has given me a new outlook on how I approach the game,” he said.
“I’ve played since I was seven, and I don’t think I have ever had longer than a three-week break since.
“It’s your life, and over this stretch here I’ve gained a little bit of perspective that while golf is important, it’s not everything.”
“It’s allowed me to be a little more fatalistic. If it goes my way, it goes my way. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Although new to the schedule in 2020, the North Coast Open has an honour roll which includes the names some of the greats of the game, including Gary Player, Kel Nagle, Norman Von Nida, Bruce Crampton and Bill Dunk.
Quayle was thrilled to know his name would be alongside theirs.
“This is cool, Very cool,” he smiled.
“You grow up watching those guys, seeing what they do, and think it is almost unattainable.
“Then to be able to see my name on the same trophy as them is pretty special.”
For their efforts, Canberra’s Matthew Millar, Queensland’s Kade Mc Bride and Ballina’s Jay Mackenzie have secured their place in the field for the $400,000 NSW Open at Concord Golf Club from 25th -28th March 2021.
View the final North Coast Open leaderboard at pga.org.au.
Images: David Teases, GolfNSW
Deyen Lawson and reigning Queensland Open champion Anthony Quayle share the lead after the opening round of the Geoff King Motors North Coast Open at Coffs Harbour Golf Club.
Playing in the same group, the duo carded matching 7-under-par 63’s in conditions perfect for scoring. They lead by two from New South Wales Justin Warren at 5-under with Queensland’s Christopher Wood and another NSW- based player, Andrew Evans in a tie for fourth at 4-under.
Quayle was on fire early, turning in three under par. A hole-out eagle on the 2nd, (his 11th) saw him vault to 5-under and out to a handy two-shot lead. Birdies on the 6th and the 9th (his last hole) were enough to ensure lunch was going to be a pleasant experience.
Quayle was a satisfied man with his opening round, although he admitted he was still a little bit sore after completing the Cancer Council’s Longest Day Challenge on Tuesday.
“I pulled up a little bit sore and sorry,” he confided. “I had reasonably low expectations, but the course is great, and I had good playing partners, so yeah, I finished nicely.”
Regardless of his thoughts on his chances, Quayle was glad to be in a share of the lead.
“No matter where you play or what you play in, and we haven’t had much to play in this year, it always feels nice to be in the lead or roundabouts,” he said.
“It gets the juices flowing a bit and gives you a chance to compete; hole a putt under pressure or when you need to.”
Lawson, playing alongside Quayle, wasn’t to be outdone. The European Tour member turned for home at 2-under just a shot back of Quayle.
After an untimely bogey on the second (his 11th) where Quayle made eagle, Lawson dropped to four behind. He quickly corrected the ship, however, with four straight birdies beginning at the next to get back to within a shot of the lead.
Birdies on the 8th (his 17th) and a remarkable hole-out from the sand on the last for another birdie were good enough to ensure the Gold Coast-based Victorian’s name was alongside Quayle’s on top of the leaderboard.
“Very happy with the round,” Lawson smiled. “Nine birdies, two bogeys, but I try not to remember them.
“Obviously I haven’t played a lot of competitive golf, but I’ve been doing lots of practice in the last couple of months and my game feels pretty good.”
“Anthony was going really low midway through the round, so I had to do something to keep up. He pushed me along.”
If Lawson had any concerns about rust creeping into his game with the lack of competition due to COVID, his grandstand finish certainly dispelled it.
“I hit a good shot into the 8th, I thought the putt was short, but it got there,” he added.
“Then on the last, I come up short in the bunker. I’ve been working hard on my bunker shots and was fortunate to hole it; a good way to finish.”
Twenty-nine players are at par or better after the opening round on the impressive Coffs Harbour layout.
With the weather predicted to be wet for tomorrow’s final round, officials have opted for a single, two-tee start with competitors playing in groups of four. Play will begin at 7.55 am with the leading group to tee of at 10.20 am.
View the full North Coast Open leaderboard at pga.org.au.
Images: David Tease, Golf NSW
Our Aussie women flooded the pointy end of the LPGA leaderboard in Texas in their final outing before the year’s final major.
Our Aussies in the field struggled at the penultimate PGA TOUR stop for 2020, with only Marc Leishman and Cam Smith featuring in next week’s 24-man teams event in Florida.
Newly-anointed Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year Steph Kyriacou returned home to Australia and missed the season-ending event in Spain, but our leading women in the US did us proud.
Five of our LPGA regulars cracked the top 25 in Texas with Metropolitan GC’s Su Oh leading the way.
The Victorian notched her best result on the women’s top circuit since February thanks to four birdies in her final 12 holes.
Oh is one of six Australians in the field for this week’s US Women’s Open alongside Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Sarah Jane Smith, Katherine Kirk and amateur Gabi Ruffels.
So for finding form at the perfect time, we congratulate our newest #AussieOfTheWeek Su Oh!
LPGA TOUR
Volunteers of America Classic
Old American Golf Club, Texas
Won by Angela Stanford (USA) at -7 by two shots
T11 – Su Oh, E, 73-70-72-69
T19 – Minjee Lee, +2, 75-70-71-70
T19 – Sarah Kemp, +2, 75-69-70-72
24 – Hannah Green, +3, 75-67-72-73
T25 – Katherine Kirk, +4, 74-76-67-71
T48 – Sarah Jane Smith, +8, 78-72-68-74
PGA TOUR
Mayakoba Golf Classic
El Camaleon Golf Club, Mexico
Won by Viktor Hovland (NOR) at -20 by one shot
MC – Aaron Baddeley, E, 72-70
MC – Rhein Gibson, +8, 77-73
MC – Marc Leishman, +9, 74-77
WD – Cameron Percy, E, 72-68
EUROPEAN TOUR
South African Open
Gary Player CC, South Africa
Won by Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA) at -18 by five shots
T40 – Austin Bautista, +2, 71-72-74-73
Golf in Dubai Championship
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE
MC – Scott Hend, +2, 75-71
Revelling in the success of fellow Aussies early in the year remains Scott Hend’s highlight but it is the disruption to the careers of young Australian professionals that the veteran fears will be the lasting impact of 2020.
The only Aussie in action on a world tour this week at the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, Hend intends to play every event he can before we close the book on one of history’s most challenging years.
The 2016 Olympian needs to string together strong showings this week and next to play his way into the top-70 for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai but given the uncertainty surrounding tournament entries Hend is leaving nothing to chance.
For many Aussies playing opportunities have been few and far between in 2020 and while the likes of Wade Ormsby, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Adam Scott cashed in early, others have had their careers put on hold.
“I’m really frustrated for the Aussie guys who play on the Asian Tour and I’m frustrated for the Asian Tour players,” said Hend, a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour.
“My biggest concern going back to April was always around how guys just starting their careers were going to be able to survive.
“Not being able to play because of the shutdown has sent some guys into a position where they were already sacrificing to come out and try and start their career. This has probably stopped some from becoming a professional golfer.
“There’s always a point in your career where it’s make or break. You give it up or you keep striving hard to go on and having a whole year with nothing to play is heartbreaking for some guys.
“You may not see some guys back out playing and that’s frustrating to say the least.
“I just hope that we can sort something out with tournaments everywhere because even sponsors are finding it hard to get a dollar together for some of these tournaments.
“I’m quite secure in my job but I worry about these other young Aussie guys and the Asian Tour guys who haven’t got the opportunity to play.
“I just don’t know how it’s going to unfold for those boys.”
Arguably the most travelled golfer for the past decade with 310 events around the globe since 2010, the disruption to the European Tour and virtual cancellation of the Asian Tour since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for Hend to produce his best golf.
The 47-year-old has played in excess of 30 events in each of the past five years but has teed it up in only 18 events to date in 2020.
Towards the end of the European Tour’s UK bubble Hend logged a tie for 11th at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and was top 10 two weeks later at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, evidence that the more he plays the better the results.
“It’s been tough for me because I haven’t played as many weeks in a row as I want,” said Hend, currently 99th in the Race to Dubai rankings.
“Usually I have a busy playing schedule and that’s how I play my best golf but it’s been very stop-start all year.
“I usually try and stay away from where all the players and caddies stay so that’s been another challenge, being inside the bubble. Having to have dinner at a certain time to conform with all the protocols we had to be able to play.
“All the little things add up after a while.
“Overall it’s been quite a poor year for results for myself but it’s been quite a poor year for a lot of things because of the situation.”
Despite conceding that his family’s inability to travel with him in 2020 has exacerbated the situation, Hend is adamant that any sacrifice is worth the effort, and hopes to end a year like no other with positive momentum to take into 2021.
“It’s always worth it. It doesn’t matter what the requirements are it’s always worth it,” said Hend, who took the opportunity to see the lions and rhinos of Kruger National Park adjacent to the host course earlier this week.
“It’s just how much you can sustain in your own levels of frustration and build-up.
“Some guys can handle it, some guys can’t.
“A good result this week or next week would go a long way to getting in (to the DP World Tour Championship). We’ve just got to sit back and see how many guys have decided they’re not going to come and play. The field is very up in the air.
“It would be lovely to play it but it’s not the be-all and end-all.”
Round 1 tee times (AEDT)
European Tour
Alfred Dunhill Championship
Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane, South Africa
9.40pm Scott Hend, Steven Brown, Keenan Davidse
Defending champion: Pablo Larrazabal
Past Aussie winners: Adam Scott (2001)
TV schedule: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 9pm-1.30am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503.
Scorecards rarely tell the best golfing tales – and Cam Smith’s couldn’t possibly do his Masters third round justice.
The Australian will head into the final round tomorrow in joint second place, four strokes behind the imperious Dustin Johnson, whose 16-under total ties Jordan’ Spieth’s record for the lowest 54-hole score at Augusta National.
But that Smith is even in the same conversation is absolutely remarkable given a torrent of statistics that the Queenslander swam so gallantly against today.
The most rudimentary numbers are that Smith played a bogey-free 69 today, with three consecutive birdies from the 13th hole.
As Johnson breezed momentarily six clear of the Aussie with a second 65 in three rounds – another Masters record – it appeared as though Smith’s tilt at a first major championship crown was finished.
The birdies gave him life, but what followed will surely give him a more important commodity – belief.
From a tough lie in the rough with a ball well above his feet right of the 16th green and with almost no real estate with which to work, Smith played a delicate mini-flop that trickled to about 10 feet before a seemingly nerveless downhill par putt fell to maintain his momentum.
He tested that monumentally with a flared drive up 17, so far right that he had to play his second further right up the 15th fairway to give himself room to pitch his third back into play.
But he did so much more, nipping it again to 10 feet and calmly rolling in another par bomb dead centre.
Then a blocked approach to the short-side bunker on the last hole with its back-right pin position threatened to derail him again.
Smith, though, had clearly thrown away the script by this time.
His sand blast inside three feet and yet another par-saving putt kept the dual Australian PGA champ’s scorecard without a blemish, enabling him to stay level with his Presidents Cup teammates Abraham Ancer and Sungjae Im.
That they’re four back is problematic, but from Smith’s perspective, there’s still improvement left in his game while Johnson was nearly perfect today.
Smith hit seven fairways; Johnson hit all 14.
Smith hit 11 greens in regulation; Johnson hit 16 and was on the fringe of another.
And they each had 27 putts – so impressive from the American given Smith was so often scrambling from far closer to the pin.
Johnson said, simply, that he “did everything well”.
“I drove it well, gave myself a lot of chances (and was) really solid all day,” said Johnson, who has a history of blown chances at major championships, but appears in career-best form with three wins this year, including the PGA Tour Championship.
“It’s hard not to think about (wearing the green jacket), but once I get on the first tee tomorrow, I’ll be thinking about that shot and nothing else.”
Smith knows the challenge of running down the world No.1, but he’s braced for it.
“It’s what we dream about really, it’s why we want to play,” said the 27-year-old, who admitted his first 12 holes today – all pars – had been “boring golf”.
“I really just can’t wait for tomorrow … I’ll obviously need a hot start and the back nine has been kind to me all week so hopefully it can be kind one more day.”
The other Australians to make the cut both moved up the leaderboard today, but not far enough to be mentioned in title calculations.
Marc Leishman had four birdies, but gave two bogeys back in his 70 that left him at four under in a share of 26th.
Adam Scott also made his share of birdies, but lost a series of long shots right late in his round and bogeys on the seventh and eighth left him with a 71 and a share of 29th at three under.
Both did enough to move up to a first tee start for the final round, with Scott off at 11.50pm AEDT and Leishman in the next group at 12.01am AEDT.
Smith will be in the second-last group out off the first tee at 1.18am AEDT in a final round that will finish almost four hours before its normal timeslot to accommodate American television coverage of the NFL.
Australian Cameron Smith produced a stellar finish to join a four-way tie at the top of a star-studded leaderboard following the second round of the Masters at Augusta National.
It sounds crazy, but Cam Smith has made two late day two charges to the top of the Masters leaderboard.
Smith started the day a nondescript even par with eight holes to play in a rain-marred round one and promptly caught fire with five birdies from holes 2-9.
But that was just a hint of the crazy ride on which he was about to embark that ended with the Australian in a share of the lead at nine under alongside Mexican Abraham Ancer and Americans Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.
On another day of hot scoring, a host of players yet to complete their rounds are within reach of that pedestal, most notably world No.2 Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama just one back with several holes remaining for each.
Smith promptly joined the lead with a pair of early birdies as round two began, then frittered many of those gains away with a couple of wayward mid-round drives, doing well to scramble a bogey on the 10th after a huge hook off the tee.
A birdie on the 13th was given back with a three-putt bogey from the front fringe on 14th – and that’s when it all turned for the Queenslander.
The 27-year-old almost holed a 7-wood on the par-five 15th, but kicked in his eagle, before a closing hat-trick of birdies enabled him to rejoin the lead at nine under after an entertaining 68.
His remarkable day featured four bogeys, but no fewer than 11 birdies and an eagle to put himself in pole position to go better than his best finish at Augusta – a fast-finishing T5 in 2018.
“It was a very up‑and‑down round, a little bit scrappy through the middle there,” the Wantima member said.
“It could have definitely got away from me, just with the tiredness and playing 26 holes in a day.
“But I hung in there and the reward was there at the end.”
The second round will be completed tomorrow morning, after which the draw will be made for the third round.
But Smith, with veteran Aussie caddie Matthew “Bussy” Tritton on the bag for the first time this week, is a chance to play with former Australian Open champion Ancer, a good mate after their time on the Presidents Cup team last year.
“I was saying to Bussy after the bogey on (14), let’s just get it back to seven (under),” Smith said of his late heroics.
“We got to seven (under) early in the round and it’s kind of weird finishing lower than you were at one point.
“(On the 15th), I was actually trying to hit it about 20 or 30 feet right (of the pin with my second shot) and the wind kind of caught it a little bit more than I liked and it ended up being good.
“From there, a 7-iron … with the pin down on the bottom (on 16) today, one of the easier pins there and then just hit a nice drive down 17 and 18. Two solid shots in. It wasn’t crazy stuff. It was just really solid and the putts dropped.”
Dual Australian PGA Championship winner Smith, who also has a T4 US Open finish in his young career, said he thrived on the challenge of major championships and wouldn’t be overawed.
“I just like being tested, I guess,” he said.
“I feel like my game is best when I have to think a lot and hit the right shots and it’s an even playing field.
“It’s obviously good to be in contention on a weekend, and I feel like I’ve been there enough where I can have a good crack at it.”
Asked if his big Presidents Cup singles win over former world No.1 Thomas at Royal Melbourne in December would help when the whips were cracking, Smith was equally positive.
“Yeah, I think my best golf is right up there. It’s the stuff in between that gets me.
“Those guys are just so good at getting the most out of their game all the time, and that’s something I need to learn to do.
“But I feel like when I’m playing really good golf, I can be right up there.”
Marc Leishman is best placed of the other Australians, having fought back hard from a double-bogey to begin his second round.
The Victorian took four shots to get down from just off the front fringe on the first and was clearly frustrated by falling to even par overall.
But the five-time PGA Tour event winner knuckled down superbly and had an eagle putt lipped in on the 13th, his name would have been on the main leaderboard, too.
He will resume on day three with a 2.5m birdie putt on the 15th that could take him to five under and right in the mix.
Adam Scott suffered a wicked misfortune earlier in the day as he completed his first round.
The 2013 champion hit his second shot to the par-five 15th in the water, but then watched in sheer dismay as his fourth hit the pin and ran all the way back into the water again en route to a seven that effectively gave three shots to the field.
His second round meandered with only one birdie across the par-fives. But he gave that edge back when a tugged drive on the last hole cost him a bogey in a flat 72 that left him at two under.
Fellow Queenslander Jason Day will resume tomorrow with a 1.5m birdie putt on the second hole that he’ll need to push away from the glut of players at even par who are locked at the projected cut figure.
Day has been unusually erratic through the first two days and he’s already had three bogeys, three birdies and a double-bogey in the first 10 holes of his second round.
A nervy double-bogey on his first hole – the 10th – from Lukas Michel threatened to derail his second round.
But the Victorian amateur rallied hard and traded birdies and bogeys from that point to sit six over in total with three holes remaining in his first Masters experience.
He’d waited seven months, so another three hours wasn’t going to faze Adam Scott.
The Australian No.1 looked every bit the player who powered to Masters victory in 2013 in reaching 4-under when play was called off for bad light as he stood over another birdie putt on the 11th hole.
Scott’s charge put him within three of Paul Casey’s clubhouse lead, still with seven first-round holes – and hopefully one putt – to play when round one resumes tomorrow.
That interruption came courtesy of a wild deluge of rain in the first hour of scheduled play, forcing players off the course for almost three hours.
But just when many began to think it was the pandemic-ravaged 2020 having yet another negative twist, the skies cleared and left an almost defenceless Augusta National with sodden greens ripe for scoring.
And while the final groups out still have nine holes to play, so stunning was the field’s attack that it is on pace to shoot a record low average score, currently at 71.77 and ahead of the 1992 mark of 72.06 strokes.
That number was helped along by a generally good performance by the five-strong Australian contingent.
Marc Leishman began in the drizzle and bogeyed the 10th before play was delayed. Then, kickstarted by the tournament’s first eagle on the 13th and despite a cool putter, the Victorian carded a fine 70 to share 21st place.
Jason Day overcame a sluggish start with five birdies in seven holes from the eighth, but gave up ground when his approach to the long 15th trickled back into the water and consigned him to 70 alongside Leishman.
Melbourne amateur Lukas Michel was the only Aussie who completed his round over par, but on his Masters debut showed some amazingly deft hands to ensure his four-over-par 76.
Michel, who qualified by winning the 2019 US Mid-Amateur Championship, hit just four fairways in his first competitive round at Augusta National, but chipped in for birdie on the 12th and made some spectacular par saves to keep alive his chances of making the cut.
Cam Smith will resume his first round tomorrow on the second tee at even par with an opening bogey on the 10th cancelled out by a birdie on the 13th in an uneventful start for the Queenslander.
But Aussie eyes will fall primarily on Scott, who has 8m left on the 11th for what would be a third birdie in four holes.
Scott dodged his long-time nemesis, the first hole, with a par, then played a stupendous little chip from the back of the second green to set up his first birdie.
He followed that by coming within inches of an eagle on the short par-four third hole and then making a clutch 3m par putt on the fourth to establish himself.
After blocking his drive way right on the seventh, he eventually made a stellar up and down from the front bunker – his curling 4m par roll ultimately laying the platform for what followed.
A drive into the fairway bunker on the eighth forced a layup on the par five, but he cashed in on a great approach there before lipping in for consecutive birdies on the ninth.
He narrowly missed his “hat-trick” on the 10th, but is again in position on the 11th tomorrow with the key scoring area of the course – the 13th through 16th – ahead if he can maintain his roll.
Officials said at the close of play that the second round wouldn’t be completed tomorrow, but hoped the third round would be finished on day three thanks to a vastly improved weather forecast.
LEADERBOARD:
1 Paul Casey -7, F
T5 Adam Scott -4, 10
T21 Marc Leishman -2, F*
T21 Jason Day -2, F
T51 Cameron Smith E, 10*
T85 Lukas Michel +4, F
Two of our biggest superstars led the way in Dubai and Houston, while two of our brightest young talents also showed what they’re capable of.
This week provided the last chance for our leading Aussie men to prepare for next week’s Masters and they made the most of the opportunity.
Jason Day was not without a chance of victory at the Houston Open and while he didn’t do enough to take home PGA TOUR win number 13, the World No.41 will head to Augusta with a top 10 under his belt following a lean month.
Adam Scott’s return to golf after contracting COVID-19 a fortnight ago also provided a confidence boost. Australia’s top-ranked male golfer broke 70 three times in Houston on his way to a T32 result.
Amateur Gabi Ruffels showed her immense class once again on the pro stage, the USC student cracking the top five at the Symetra Tour’s season-ender.
Rookie pro Steph Kyriacou has shown she’s not afraid of the bright lights in 2020 and the St Michael’s member was terrific again this week in Dubai.
Three straight rounds of 71 secured Kyriacou a T17 result, following on from her scorching hot streak of four consecutive top 10s in Europe.
But our #AussieOfTheWeek shone brightest in the Dubai night sky as our highest-ranked golfer, superstar Minjee Lee, saluted in a playoff.
A sensational birdie putt on the first playoff hole was enough to sink fellow former ISPS Handa Vic Open champion Celine Boutier, earning the West Australian an eighth professional win and clear #AussieOfTheWeek honours!
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic
Emirates Golf Club – Faldo Course, Dubai
Won by Minjee Lee (AUS) at -10 in a playoff over Celine Boutier
1 – Minjee Lee, -10, 72-65-69
T17 – Steph Kyriacou, -3, 71-71-71
T44 – Whitney Hillier, +9, 77-73-75
PGA TOUR
Houston Open
Memorial Park Golf Course, Texas
Won by Carlos Ortiz (MEX) at -13 by two shots
T7 – Jason Day, -7, 67-68-67-71
T32 – Adam Scott, -1, 68-69-74-68
T50 – Greg Chalmers, +3, 68-73-72-70
63 – Matt Jones, +6, 69-72-77-68
68 – Cam Davis, +15, 67-76-77-75
EUROPEAN TOUR
Cyprus Showdown
Aphrodite Hills Resort, Paphos
Won by Robert MacIntyre (SCO) at -7 by one shot
T41 – Maverick Antcliff, -4, 70-68
RET – Jason Scrivener, E, 72-19*
SYMETRA TOUR
Symetra Tour Championship
River Run Country Club, North Carolina
Won by Frida Kinhult (SWE) at -10 by four shots
T5 – Gabi Ruffels (am), -1, 76-72-68-71
T18 – Hira Naveed, +5, 77-74-71-71
T18 – Robyn Choi, +5, 74-71-77-71
MC – Steph Na, +11, 82-73
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Phoenix Country Club, Arizona
T16 – Rod Pampling, -6, 69-71-67
T50 – David McKenzie, +2, 71-72-72
72 – Stephen Leaney, +8, 73-74-74
A second PGA Tour title and a spot back inside the Top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings go on the line when Matt Jones heads a list of five Australians who will contest this week’s Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course.
The idyllic locale was not enough to lure any of the Aussies preparing for The Masters in two weeks’ time but for those who have made the trip there is a golden opportunity to secure their immediate playing futures.
It’s been six years since Jones chipped in to defeat Matt Kuchar for the 2014 Shell Houston Open crown but his consistent play has seen him qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs the past two years.
Currently 101st in the FedEx Cup and 109th in the world rankings, the two-time Australian Open champion is out in the first group of the tournament at 9.35pm AEDT Thursday alongside three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington and 2011 US Amateur champion Kelly Kraft.
A top-10 finish at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship has Cameron Percy well positioned early in the season at 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings, a chance to again display his mastery in the Bermuda winds and improve on that further.
The other Aussies in the field are John Senden, Aaron Baddeley and Rhein Gibson along with Kiwi Tim Wilkinson.
The European Tour breaks new ground this week with the inaugural Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open, Cyprus becoming the 50th nation to host a European Tour event.
South Australian Wade Ormsby has returned to Australia and begun his two-week stint in quarantine, leaving just Maverick Antcliff and Jason Scrivener to chase glory in what is also a spectacular setting.
Stephen Leaney, David McKenzie and Rod Pampling are teeing it up in the first TimberTech Championship on the Champions Tour and Robyn Choi, Stephanie Na and Hira Naveed are at the famed Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina to contest the Carolina Golf Classic.
Round 1 tee times (AEDT)
PGA Tour
Bermuda Championship
Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
9.35pm Matt Jones, Padraig Harrington, Kelly Kraft
9.55pm John Senden, Camilo Villegas, Peter Uihlein
10.35pm Aaron Baddeley, Ben Martin, Arjun Atwal
2.25am Tim Wilkinson, Cameron Percy, Josh Teater
3.35am Rhein Gibson, Roger Sloan, Eric Dugas
Defending champion: Brendon Todd
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Percy
TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503
European Tour
Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open
Aphrodite Hills Resort, Paphos, Cyprus
4.35pm Michael Campbell, David Drysdale, Julian Suri
6.05pm Maverick Antcliff, Niklas Lemke, Jamie Donaldson
7.10pm Jason Scrivener, David Horsey, Lorenzo Gagli
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Top Aussie prediction: Maverick Antcliff
TV times: Live 8.30pm-1.30am Thursday, Friday; Live 9pm-1.30am Saturday; Live 8.30pm-1am Sunday on Fox Sports 503
Champions Tour
TimberTech Championship
The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Florida
Aussies in the field: Stephen Leaney, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Top Aussie prediction: Rod Pampling
TV times: Live 6am-8.30am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503
Symetra Tour
Carolina Golf Classic
Pinehurst No.9, Pinehurst, North Carolina
11.03pm Robyn Choi, Julie Aime, Samantha Wagner
11.25pm Hira Naveed, Casey Danielson, Vicky Hurst
12.42am Stephanie Na, Katelyn Dambaugh, Cindy Ha
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Top Aussie prediction: Robyn Choi
Local product Aaron Pike will lean on the teachings of renowned performance psychologist Phil Jauncey after joining Nathan Barbieri at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round of the Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship.
Pike’s second round of 5-under 66 was the best on Saturday and vaulted him to the top to join the New South Wales amateur at 8-under par, one shot clear of European Tour player Deyen Lawson with Australian Amateur champion Jed Morgan and former US PGA Tour player Michael Sim both at 6-under.
Sim is actually spending the week staying in the Pike family home that sits adjacent to the 11th hole at Palmerston Golf and Country Club, the course where Pike learned the game before moving to Queensland in 2003.
Victory on Sunday would be considered very much a home-town triumph but the 34-year-old hopes that the work he has been undertaking on his mental approach will prevent him from getting caught up in the emotions around a win on the course where he played his junior golf.
In addition to working with Warren Kennaugh, Pike sought out Jauncey at the start of the year, Jauncey’s client base featuring the Australian cricket team and Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney NRL teams.
It’s an area of his game Pike says has been deficient in the past but one he feels better equipped to deal with on Sunday.
“Warren helps me immensely with my practice and Phil is more around how we get the best out of the situation that we’re in,” said Pike.
“Those two guys have helped me a lot and coming to play events like this, that’s where I can test it and see what works for me.
“I’ve taken the opportunity to really work on the mental side of things which is something that I have always thought has been a big problem of mine.
“I wouldn’t be in this situation if I hadn’t already put that stuff into practice.
“Phil’s a little different and a little left-field which I feel that I am.
“How he approaches his philosophies was something that I was really taken by.”
Using local knowledge to scramble pars and rattle off four birdies in his closing six holes on Saturday, Pike enters the final round having shot 67 in last Sunday’s Palmerston club comp.
His 35 Stableford points wasn’t enough to win a week ago but the 2018 Victorian PGA champion insists being the local favourite won’t enter into his thinking until the completion of 18 holes on Sunday.
“It doesn’t mean more or less in all honesty. 175m at Palmerston Golf Club is the same as 175m at Royal St George’s,” said Pike, who was denied a maiden Open Championship appearance this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m not the type of person who feels that difference just because of where it is.
“Unfortunately that mantra just can’t come into it. It’s just another shot.
“That’s something that I’ve really had to come to grips with and work on a hell of a lot.
“Not letting things get to me, keep working and going to the next shot, worrying only about what do we do next.
“When everything goes down on Sunday, then I’ll know.”
Runner-up at the Keperra Bowl a week ago, Jed Morgan was left to rue three misses from inside 10 feet on his back nine on Saturday to sit two shots back with a round to play.
Despite the deficit, Morgan is planning on applying early pressure on the front-runners with an aggressive mindset.
“Being out in front is a different experience because you have to keep pushing if you want to stay in the lead,” said Morgan.
“Coming from behind is good for some people because they just feel like they’re chasing and it helps their focus.
“I feel like I’m a person who needs to push regardless of the situation. I think anyone needs to do that, whether you’re a few shots back or a couple in front, always push and push and push.
“Both Nathan and Aaron could bring it back to the field because you can make some doubles around here.
“You’re going to have to play good and take your chances when you get them but I don’t know if it’s going to take anything silly.”
As a recent recipient of a Sport of Australia Hall of Fame scholarship, Morgan now boasts Ricky Ponting as a mentor but is not expecting any words of wisdom from the Australian cricket legend prior to Sunday’s final round.
“It will be a surprise if he does,” Morgan admitted. “I can’t imagine he’s looking at the Northern Territory PGA scores but if he knew I was playing he might have a look.
“It would be an awesome feeling if he texted me tonight and wished me luck for tomorrow.
“He’s probably got bigger things to worry about, even though he does love his golf.”
Leading scores after Round 2
134: Aaron Pike, Nathan Barbieri (a)
135: Deyen Lawson
136: Jediah Morgan (a), Michael Sim
137: Justin Warren
139: Bradley Doherty, Jake Hughes (a), Jack Thompson (a)
View the full leaderboard at pga.org.au.
Image: Taylah Somerville Photography
