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New South Welshman Alex Edge denied Ash Hall a steak dinner by extending his lead at the Tasmanian Open at Launceston Golf Club.
The second year that the Tasmanian Open has returned to the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule, Edge backed up his 4-under 68 from day one with a 2-under 70 on Saturday, enough to double his lead to two strokes.
Hall delivered the round of the tournament to date – 6-under 66 – to join a logjam in second place at 4-under with Mark Panopolous (67), Kyle Michel (70) and Tim Hart (70) heading into Sunday’s third and final round.
Edge remains the man to beat, though, who overcame the disappointment of his beloved Parramatta Eels going down on Friday night to hold his position as outright leader.
Square with the card after two birdies and two bogeys in his opening seven holes, Edge showed admirable patience on the tight Launceston layout.
After a run of seven straight pars he moved to 1-under on his round with a birdie at the par-5 15th, adding a second two holes later to lead the way at 6-under par.
“Just tried to do similar to yesterday by keeping it in play,” said Edge.
“I found myself in a few awkward positions at times so I had to take my medicine and not compound any mistakes.
“I started getting a few looks when I had wedges in my hand to make some birdies and it was fine.
“This place is not all about power. You can be creative and I think that as long as I’m doing that and chip and putt nicely, then it’ll make it harder for them to get me.”
After a practice round together at Barnbougle Dunes in the days leading up to the tournament, Hall had promised himself a steak dinner on Saturday night if he’d reined Edge in.
That will now have to wait at least 24 hours despite a round that boasted nine birdies.
“I was 2-over through three, so it was good from there. Very good from there,” said Hall.
“I even dropped one on the par-5 10th as well.
“It was a bit of an in-joke. I wanted to get to the lead then we’ll go out to a nice steak restaurant.
“But if ‘Edgey’ is two in front, then no steak for me tonight.
“He is in good form though, I must admit.
“I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing, play aggressive tomorrow and see what happens.”
In the Women’s Tasmanian Open, Jorjah Bailey has moved two strokes clear at her home club thanks to a brilliant back nine in her second round of 1-under 71.
Trailing South Australian Matilda Miels by four after day one, Bailey unleashed a birdie barrage in Round 2 to move two strokes clear.
Starting from the 10th tee, Bailey had three bogeys on the trot early in her round but a birdie at the par-5 15th was a taste of what was to come.
Her second birdie of the day came at the par-5 second, the first of six in a front nine of 5-under 31 and 1-under 71 total.
At 1-over par she leads Rebecca Zhao (75) by two with Miels (78) a further shot back in outright third.
“I got a bit unlucky I’d say on my first nine,” said Bailey.
“Hit into a few trees, had a three-putt, few bunkers, but really turned it around on the front, which was really nice to see.
“I chipped in on the seventh for birdie and then I pitched two close ones up on eight and nine to really seal it with three in a row.”
Playing on her home course, Bailey admitted that there will be an extra sense of expectation in trying to close out the win in front of members and family.
“I’d say there’s a lot of pressure being at your own course,” said Bailey.
“Hitting it really well, striking it well. It all came together on that last nine so hopefully can keep doing it tomorrow.”
Saturday also saw the opening round of the Tasmanian Inclusive Championship with Coffs Harbour’s Cameron Pollard establishing a 11-shot lead with a round of 4-over 76 from Brett Misso and Rod Welsh.
The Men’s and Women’s Tasmanian Opens are supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania
NSW professional Alex Edge birdied his final hole to grab a one-shot lead after the opening round of the 2024 Tasmanian Open at Launceston Golf Club today.
The 34-year-old, who has been a regular on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia since 2016, shot a 4-under-par 68 to lead Tasmania Golf Club PGA Professional Scott Priest by a shot heading into the weekend, with Tim Hart (Qld) and Kyle Michel (Vic) sharing third at 2-under.
The leading amateur, Victorian Christopher Sayer, is part of a group of six players at 1-under, while defending champion Toby Walker is six back after a 74.
Edge’s opening round in the 54-hole adidas Pro-Am Series event featured five birdies with his only slip-up coming at the 330m par-4 16th.
“I was a pretty nice round to be fair. I kept it out of the strife all day pretty much,” Edge said.
“It was enjoyable playing a course that wasn’t crazy long and gave us a lot chances for up and downs for birdie.
“I hadn’t been here for a couple of years. It’s a nice old, style course that gives you the chance to be a bit creative and get wedge in hand pretty often.”
In the all-amateur women’s Open, Matilda Miels turned in the only under-par round on day one, a 1-under 72, to grab a two-shot lead over Rebecca Zhao with Jorjah Bailey a further two shots back.
Miels, from Kooyonga in South Australia, picked up six birdies, including a sequence of three to start her day when she took advantage of the back-to-back par-5 10th and 11th holes and the short-par 12th.
”The course is short and the greens are running quick,” Miels said.
“It was good to hole a couple of putts out there today.
“I don’t mind coming to Tasmania. My boyfriend’s parents live here. so we’ve been back a few times this year.”
Zhao (NSW) staged a great fightback on the back nine, shooting a 3-under 34 after going out in 4-over 40.
The Men’s and Women’s Tasmanian Opens are supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania
After a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, Bryson DeChambeau leads the 88th Masters Tournament by one from Scottie Scheffler, with Cameron Davis the best of the Aussie contingent, while 27 players will complete their opening rounds on Friday.
“I’m very happy with the way I plotted my way around this place. I got the ball in the hole well, and yeah, walking off with a sub-70 round today feels like a big win,” Davis, who is 3-under and in share of sixth, said.
The rain that halted the start did not reappear, however, strong winds of 20-30 kmh whipped across Augusta National from the south-west, particularly as DeChambeau signed off on his 7-under 65.
Cameron Smith six back of the American after a 1-under 71, while Jason Day sits even after 13 holes with Adam Scott 1-overand a hole in front of his fellow Queenslander and Min Woo Lee opening with 74 (+2). Amateur Jasper Stubbs rounds out the Australians after an 80 (+8) on major debut.
Starting and finishing with three consecutive birdies, DeChambeau’s lone bogey of the day came at the 10th, while Scheffler looked ominous during a bogey-free 66.
Having made the turn in 3-under, the dogleg left 10th, like DeChambeau, was where Davis dropped his first shot of the day after a heavily struck greenside bunker shot from the 29-year-old.
Davis recording a second consecutive bogey at the 11th before he righted the ship with birdie at the par-5 13th, a feat he repeated at the 15th when a ripped long iron second shot barely hung on the front edge of the green.
Another birdie went begging at the par-3 16th for Davis when his three-metre putt slid by the right edge. The New South Welshman solidly holed two short par putts at 17 and 18 to sign for 69.
“I’m not even paying attention to the leaderboard right now,” Davis said.
“These are the sort of conditions where if you get nine holes where there’s not much and you can go and score, that’s great.
“I might not have that same opportunity, so I’m just really honestly going one shot, one hole at a time. It’s cliche, but it’s the only way to really play a golf course like this.”
Having entered the week slightly underprepared following food poisoning, Smith found himself in the top-10 early before the short par-3 12th, where the 30-year-old walked away with a double bogey five.
Clearing the water with his tee shot, Smith watched on as his ball trickled back into Rae’s Creek and with it the two shots he’d gained against par with birdies at the second and sixth.
The 2022 Open champion getting back into red figures at the par-5 15th, where he found the green in two and lagged his eagle putt to tap-in range. The Queenslander happy with the state of his game after three closing pars and 71.
“Honestly, it felt really good today,” Smith said.
“Not too much to complain about. I think like that shot on 12, obviously, is a poor one, but like I said, you’re going to get those around here. Probably a couple of putts that could have gone in.”
Playing alongside Tiger Woods, who is 1-underthrough 13 holes, Day experienced an up and down day after a promising birdie at the third had him under par early.
Finding the trees long and right of the par-3 fourth, Day took double-bogey and compounded the mistake with another dropped shot at the sixth. The Queenslander fought back with birdie at eight, before adding another at the 10th when his long putt poured in the front edge.
Day, who is tied for 32nd, nearly getting back under par before darkness stopped play when his chip from left of the 12th green came up a roll short of the centre of the cup.
Whereas Day’s front nine twisted and turned, it was a lesson in patience early for Scott.
The 2013 Masters champion made seven straight pars to start, with his wedge play and putter doing much of the work. The flatstick provided an early highlight when the Queenslander rolled in a long, curling left to right putt at the second.
A first birdie came at the par-5 8th after a long iron from the pine straw found the green, before he dropped his first shot of the day at the 11th.
Failing to find the green from the back bunker at 12, Scott lost another shot and sits at 1-over with five holesto play.
Entering the week with a broken finger from a recent gym incident, Lee proudly spoke of his fight back with birdie at eight, after four bogeys in his first six holes.
“I am actually pretty proud of the way I went out there,” Lee told Fox Sports.
“When I made those four early bogeys, I wanted to walk off the course and it felt embarrassing. I guess it caught me off guard.”
Lee coming to life at Amen Corner with a tee shot over the flag that backed up to three feet on 12 followed by a “special” eagle at the par-5 13th. The 25-year-old giving two shots to par back at the 14th and 16th.
Understandably nervous making his first major start, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Jasper Stubbs made an impressive up and down par from 90 metres to open his Masters account.
“I was pretty nervous walking on to the tee of No.1. But yeah, it wasn’t as bad as I was kind of expecting,” Stubbs said.
The Victorian banking a first birdie at the par-5 2nd and making the turn in one-over, before the 22-year-old was buffeted by the wind and Augusta’s back nine.
A slightly thinned second on the par-5 15th lead to what Stubbs called a “pretty easy seven”, which preceded a hat-trick of fives for 8-over and work to do to make the weekend.
“That’s the plan, learn something from today and try and come out tomorrow, and I’ll do my best to still make the cut, but yeah, we’ll just try and have as low a round as we can tomorrow,” Stubbs said.
Play was officially suspended 7:51pm local time (9:51am AEST) with those still to finish their first round back on course at 7:50am (9:50pm AEST) and the second round getting underway at 8am (10pm AEST).
The Masters is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, as well as 9GemHD and 9Now.
Victorian Kyle Michel defied heavy winds that caused leaderboard chaos to build a five-shot lead as the Order of Merit tussle intensified at The National Tournament presented by BMW.
On the back of five-straight birdies to finish at 8-under in Round 1, Michel continued his exemplary ball-striking in winds that gusted as high as 50km/h and which sent balls flying in all manner of directions in Round 2 at The National Golf Club.
Michel himself had to two-putt down three tiers from 100 feet after his 3-iron from 200 metres at the par-4 14th – the hardest hole on the Moonah Course on Friday – sailed onto the adjoining sixth green, making a 12-footer for his self-proclaimed best par of the day in a round of 5-under 67.
Remarkably, on a day in which the course played 2.39 strokes over its par, Michel went bogey free, his lone dropped shot through 36 holes coming courtesy of a three-putt at the par-3 13th in Round 1.
Not only that, the Shepparton product has only one score of five – and nothing higher – through two rounds, playing the par 5s in 7-under to sit five strokes clear of Cameron John (70) and Nathan Barbieri (68) at 13-under par.
To put that in perspective, there were 35 scores of double-bogey or worse on the back nine alone on Friday, the inward nine playing 2.35 shots over its par.
Kyle Michel holds his lead at the halfway mark of #TheNationalTournament ⛳️
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) March 15, 2024
Full Leaderboard: https://t.co/TdfLadgoFY pic.twitter.com/TE1fo4tVhY
Michel’s closest challengers both have additional motivation in the final event of the season.
Barbieri is projected to move from 63rd to 35th on the Order of Merit, a move that would ensure he retains full status for next season while John would move inside the top 10 with victory on Sunday.
The battle for the final two DP World Tour cards will also go down to the wire, Brett Coletta (74), Daniel Gale (70) and Matt Griffin (72) all inside the top 15 at the halfway mark.
With the outward holes playing downwind, Michel made sure to cash in on birdies at the two early par 5s, adding another at the 374-metre par-4 10th that some players were reaching, such was the strength of the wind.
He couldn’t reach either 12 or 15 in two yet converted chances from just outside 10 feet to pick up two more birdies, holding on across the brutal finish to lead by five heading into the weekend.
“It’s not really a strategy, when it’s this windy around here you need to take advantage of the par 5s,” said Michel, who is projected to move from 38th to eighth on the Order of Merit with a breakthrough win.
“Growing up and playing a lot of tournaments down here and along the (Mornington) Peninsula, it is like a heavier wind down here.
“You just have to trust it and just accept that some shots are going to get taken by the wind and some aren’t.”
Like Michel, John is chasing a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title and a boost to his Order of Merit standing.
In order to unlock the unquestioned potential he possesses, John has begun working with one of Australia’s leading coaches Denis McDade, and is channelling the spirit of his star pupil, Marc Leishman.
“I’ve been quite a rigid, stiff player for a long time so trying to change the mindset and it seems to be working so far,” said John.
“The last couple of days I’ve probably felt more like ‘Leish’ than I ever have.
“It’s so windy so you’re chipping a lot and it’s probably good for what we’re working on.
“Being in such brutal conditions, if you get stiff out there the fairway gets a lot smaller.”
There is a three-stroke gap from John and Barbieri to a trio of players at 5-under, Queensland amateur Quinn Croker (70), Matias Sanchez (73) and Griffin eight shots off the lead.
A total of 54 players made the cut which fell at 3-over, Order of Merit winner Kazuma Kobori (73) squeezing into the weekend on the number.
The final two rounds of The National Tournament will be broadcast live on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo, on Saturday and Sunday.
A putter change on Tuesday has helped Victorian Kyle Michel to take a two-stroke lead after day one of The National Tournament presented by BMW at The National Golf Club.
Four-under through seven holes and playing in the fifth-to-last group, Michel fell to 3-under on his round with a three-putt bogey at the par-3 13th.
But from that point the Odyssey 2-Ball putter that he put in play two days ago caught fire, peeling off five straight birdies to finish for a round of 8-under 64.
That puts Michel two clear of a trio of players, fellow Victorians Matias Sanchez and Cameron John and Kiwi rookie Rhys Thomas all posting rounds of 6-under 66 at The National’s Moonah Course.
Michel’s 64 is just one shy of the course record set by Elvis Smylie 12 months ago, the Shepparton product holing putts from 35 feet, 10 feet and 40 feet in a final three-hole flurry.
“I wanted to make a change because I was using a counter-balance putter which is a bit longer and a bit heavier and I just felt like I wanted a shorter putter in the bag to feel the stroke a little bit more,” said Michel.
“Amazing what happens. Put a new putter in the bag and it gets hot. The new putter syndrome.
“Had a first putt with it on Tuesday and it’s been working so far.”
Dream finish for Kyle Michel @TheNational1988 🤩#TheNationalTournament | Leaderboard: https://t.co/5beVkrbE31 pic.twitter.com/PZnmCJhsKl
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) March 14, 2024
As Michel set the pace up front, an absorbing Order of Merit developed behind him.
Matthew Griffin enhanced his chances of claiming one of the two remaining DP World Tour cards up for grabs with a 5-under 67, Brett Coletta matching his score playing in the same group to solidify his current position of second on the Order of Merit.
Third-placed Daniel Gale is somewhat vulnerable after opening with a 2-under 70 to sit in a tie for 21st, the trio to play together again in Round 2 on Friday.
“I know they’re both playing great golf and I potentially need to win to change things,” conceded Griffin, who played the final four holes in 2-under.
“Everyone’s playing well and that showed today with the good scores.”
Thomas would need to win to avoid a return to Qualifying School next month, picking the perfect time to compile his best round of the season.
The 20-year-old Kiwi defied a formline that reads just one made cut in 12 starts this season to shoot 6-under in blustery conditions, his round highlighted by a five-hole stretch where he made four birdies and an eagle.
On a day in which the 447-metre par-4 16th played to an average of 4.47, Thomas made one of only five birdies there all day, a hole Sanchez described as “the hardest hole in Australia”.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Thomas conceded.
“I always knew it was coming, just didn’t really know when.”
Currently 21st on the Order of Merit, Sanchez began his tournament in the best possible fashion, a run of three straight birdies sparked by holing a 15-footer at the first.
Boasting two top-five finishes this season, Sanchez’s main focus remains a breakthrough win.
“You play good, good things happen,” said Sanchez, who hit the flag on the first bounce with 5-iron from 184 metres as he made birdie at the par-4 14th.
“Obviously the goal, like every other week, is to win. Just because I haven’t done it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
“I understand that if I play well, good things will happen, but you don’t really think about that when you’re out there.”
Like Michel, John’s round was fuelled, in part, by a putter change on Tuesday.
Frustrated at what he felt were good putts not finding the bottom of the cup, John switched out his Scotty Cameron GOLO for an Odyssey that delivered eight birdies on day one.
“I changed putter at the start of the week, which isn’t normal for me,” said John.
“I haven’t used an Odyssey for about three years I reckon but it just felt good and I’m trying to speed up the routine a little bit. Get in, get comfortable and pull the trigger.
“It’s very similar to my old putter but today it just worked.”
Further down the Order of Merit, the opportunity to earn full playing rights for next season by finishing inside the top 50 is driving many.
New South Welshman Nathan Barbieri is projected to move up from 65th to 56th after an opening round of 4-under 68 to be in a share of eighth and is well aware of what is at stake.
“Obviously I haven’t had the best season, which is annoying in a way,” said Barbieri.
“I’m on the way back up. I can definitely feel it in my game and today I played really solid.
“I know I have to play well this week but the objective, as always, is to win.”
Future Tour Order of Merit leader Quinn Croker impressed again with a 3-under 69 in Round 1, matched by fellow amateur and Queensland PGA champion Phoenix Campbell.
The final two rounds of The National Tournament will be broadcast live on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo, on Saturday and Sunday.
‘Mathematically possible.’
It has become the calling card of the all-but defeated.
It suggests hope in the face of odds stacked heavily against a team or an athlete.
Coming into this week’s finale of the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, Victorian Ben Eccles knows that, for all of the possible mathematical permutations, the equation is relatively simple.
Win, and hope for the best.
Currently seventh on the Order of Merit, Eccles (pictured) is the last player for whom a DP World Tour is still a possibility.
Kiwi Kazuma Kobori has safely secured the No.1 spot with an unassailable lead from Vic Open winner Brett Coletta (599.76) with two-time winner this season, Daniel Gale (539.84), holding down third spot.
This week’s winner will be awarded 190 Order of Merit points, meaning that third spot is still within reach for Eccles (358.35), Jak Carter (360.60) and David Micheluzzi (372.64).
Matthew Griffin (494.69) can finish as high as second if he were to win across The National’s Moonah Course on Sunday but, as Eccles highlights, the reality of the situation tells a far different story than pure numbers.
“Yes, mathematically it can happen. Realistically, it’s probably not going to happen,” Eccles reasoned.
“‘Galey’ and ‘Micha’ are good players and I can’t see them missing the cut.”
Feature groups @TheNational1988 ✨@bmwau | #TheNationalTournament
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) March 12, 2024
On the surface, it is a disappointing position that Eccles finds himself in.
Winner of the WA PGA at Kalgoorlie – his first win in eight years – Eccles was also runner-up to Micheluzzi at the Vic PGA.
He held a spot in the top three for much of the season but missed cuts at both the Australian Open and New Zealand Open, tournaments with maximum points up for grabs.
Needing a calculator heading into the final event is not where Eccles hoped to be, but is so far from where he was this time last year.
Twelve months ago, Eccles was one of those players teeing it up aware they would not keep their card for the following season. It necessitated a return to Qualifying School and a shift in mindset under coach Grant Field that has delivered results well beyond expectations.
“Twelve months ago was an interesting position,” Eccles added.
“I came into this event knowing I wasn’t going to keep my card and had to go back to Q School. I wasn’t sure where I would be; financially I was in a bit of a tough position, honestly.
“Twelve months on, I’ve got two years exempt and I’ve nearly won twice. It’s totally different. I feel like I’m almost a different person.
“The progress and what I’ve learnt about myself and what I want to do and how I want to do it has just been awesome.
“I’m looking forward to the second half of 2024 and what that looks like and then into next year’s season.”
While Eccles can look forward with optimism, there are others for whom this week is the most important event of the summer.
Darcy Brereton (48th), Blake Proverbs (49th) and Jarryd Felton (50th) currently sit on the inside of the top 50 who keep their status for next season, Jack Munro (52nd), Jason Norris (53rd) and Kit Bittle (55th) all at The National to try and play their way in.
Adding to the intrigue is that, for the first two days at least, Coletta (second), Gale (third) and Griffin (fourth) will play together, fighting it out for the two remaining DP World Tour cards.
At the tournament welcome function on Tuesday night, Griffin recalled being paired with his two nearest rivals in the final event of the season as he tried to keep his card on the Asian Tour.
“I like this scenario much better,” he said.
First tee time is 7:45am AEDT Thursday morning with the final two rounds to be broadcast live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, on Saturday and Sunday.
Distribution of Order of Merit points for top 10 at The National Tournament
1. 190
2. 107
3. 71
4. 51
5. 42
6. 38
7. 34
8. 31
9. 28.40
10. 26.20
Brendan Jones has plenty of reasons to rest on his laurels and reflect on a marvellous career. Instead, the Canberra based 48-year-old is teeing it up this week at the Webex Players Series Sydney after a T34 last week in the Vic Open as he prepares for a whole new experience as a member of the Asian Tour.
A winner of more than one billion Yen on the Japan Golf Tour, where he won 15 times, Jones has teed it up in majors, played the World Match Play against Tiger Woods, and yet he says his achievements aren’t something he regularly ponders.
“No I don’t think about it, maybe when my time is up, that’ll be the time to think about it,” Jones said Wednesday.
“But while I’m still out playing, and it’s nice to come out here and see the photo of me 20-odd years ago is still there, that sort of brings back a few memories.”
The photo Jones refers to is of a fresh faced member of Castle Hill holding the adidas Australian Amateur trophy aloft in 1999.
“It’s good to see a lot of people I haven’t seen for a long time. The golf course, the holes are still going in the same directions, there’s a few minor changes,” he said.
The local knowledge of Castle Hill will combine with fond memories of the Webex Players Series Sydney for Jones, who after taking up a job as a landscaper during COVID returned to competitive golf at this event in 2022, only to lose in a play-off to Jarryd Felton.
Jones admitting his time away slightly fuelled his competitive fires, although finding himself mostly content with how life after golf looked.
“I was happy, I wasn’t missing golf at all. The only thing I missed about golf was the big cheques every now and then. Forty hours a week landscaping and seeing the cheque I was getting at the end of each week was not cutting the mustard,” he joked.
Jones’ return to his regular day job did indeed yield one of those larger cheques, with his win at the 2023 New Zealand Open not only delivering prizemoney and another trophy, but also his playing rights on the Asian Tour. An experience he is looking forward to immensely.
“Looking forward to it because I’m going to be going to places that I haven’t been before.
“Playing on the Japanese Tour for 20 years, you get used to playing the same courses, going to the same places, eating the same food, sitting at the same chair in a pub, going to the same restaurant and sitting at the same table.
“Seeing some new things before my game goes away from me. It’s quite exciting to be honest.”
The game leaving Jones might be on his mind, but recent form suggests he might be in for a long wait. And with his experience around his former home course and success starting the year in the past, his younger competitors might see just that this week.
“Generally, for me, when I start a season, I’m fresh, I feel quite good and I’ve forgotten about the rubbish that I was dealing with the year before, it seems like this year’s no different.
“I felt like I played quite well last week down in Victoria, and hopefully building to something and with the added excitement of going to new places and playing new golf courses, who knows what can happen.”
Jarryd Felton married Hannah Green last Friday, but there was no time for a honeymoon let alone any normal home life in Perth for Australian golf’s power couple.
That’s because Felton had a tournament to travel to, which is a familiar feeling for both of them.
Felton is teeing it up in the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club this week and chasing a prominent Order of Merit position on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
As for major winner and LPGA Tour star Green, she’s preparing to begin her 2024 season in Asia in a couple of weeks’ time.
The pair, who have been engaged for more than two years and conducted their relationship mainly from a distance, had 80 guests to their wedding in beautiful Yallingup, 250 kilometres south of Perth.
Su Oh, Green’s fellow LPGA Tour professional for the past few years and a constant travelling companion, was matron of honour.
“Nothing’s changed,” said Felton, out practising at Rosebud today for this week’s $250,000 mixed tournament.
“We were just trying to find the time when we could both do it and try to get everyone to come down. It was really good, lots of highlights.
“There were some happy tears. It was really good, but now it’s back on with the job. I had a couple of days being married, flew on Sunday night and now back to the grind.
“We’ll have a honeymoon eventually. Just need to find some time when we can do it.”
Felton, 28, is a four-time winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia but has not been at his best over the past 12 months, since he won the 2022 Players Series event in Sydney.
Having spent a few years on the Challenge Tour in Europe where he saw “the bad side of golf”, he is focusing on the domestic tour with its big rewards in the OOM race – top three getting DP World Tour cards and top 10 having access to tour schools overseas.
Felton has always been regarded as a pure ball-striker; he and coach Ritchie Smith have been working more on the mental side of the game.
A T11 finish in the Heritage Classic was an encouraging start to 2024.
“I’ve got some momentum coming into this week,” he said.
“I love the course. I was T15 last year.
“They’ve added some length out there. Nine’s about 50 further back, 16’s 50 further back. If the wind stays this way it’ll be really hard.
“I’ll be going to the USA around the middle of the year. Hannah’s schedule is full-on with the Olympics being in there, but I’ll try to get to Q School at the end of the year and see how we go.
“I’m working on things and it’s getting better. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel kind of thing. I’ve been struggling for a year or so but I’m getting through to the other side of it, I think. I want to put some good results together and try to get another win.”
Rosebud is in pristine condition for this week’s fourth playing of the mixed event here.
Last week’s Webex Players Series Murray River winner Kazuma Kobori from New Zealand is here along with most of the tour’s best players, along with the best of the WPGA Tour of Australasia who are playing on the same course for the same prize pool, $250,000.
Some of Australia’s top amateurs, including adidas Australian Amateur winner Quinn Croker and women’s runner-up Amelia Harris, are also playing alongside the professionals in an event that is meant to draw the strands of golf together.
As is tradition in the Players Series events, there will also be an All Abilities championship and a Junior Players Series event over the weekend as well as a leg of the Australian Long Drive Championship.
Entry at Rosebud Country Club is free and the tournament is live over the weekend on Fox Sports and Kayo.
PHOTOS: (Above) Jarryd Felton is chasing his best form at Rosebud this week and (below) The happy couple last Friday.
Victorian Andrew Kelly has taken advantage of ideal conditions to shoot 63 in Round 2 and take a one-stroke lead at Webex Players Series Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Kelly leads by one at 12-under from Japan’s Kotono Fukaya (68) while two of the pacesetters on day one, Lincoln Tighe and Michael Hendry have moved up into a share of third early in their second rounds.
Tied for third at the NT PGA Championship in the second event of the season, the 36-year-old had five birdies in his first six holes on Friday morning.
He made the turn in 6-under and moved to 7-under with a birdie at the par-5 first. A dropped shot on two would be his only blemish of the day as he matched the low mark of the week set by Tighe on Thursday.
Andrew Kelly is the clubhouse leader at 12-under at Cobram Barooga GC
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 19, 2024
#WebexPlayersSeries Murray River pic.twitter.com/ODv4iTh9MS
Fukaya, a 25-year-old who earned her WPGA Tour card at Qualifying School last week, heads the strong Japanese contingent at Cobram Barooga.
She holed out with 9-iron from 130 metres for eagle at the par-4 seventh to build on her opening round of 8-under 63 that saw her share the lead with Tighe after Round 1.
A recent graduate of the University of Michigan, Malaysia’s Ashley Lau played her way into contention on Friday morning, her round of 7-under 64 moving her into a tie for 12th as the afternoon groups get to the midway point of their rounds.
The projected cut is 2-under with 52 players currently inside the number.
The final two rounds of the Webex Players Series Murray River will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo, the third round coverage to begin at 4pm on Saturday with final round to be broadcast live from 2pm-7pm AEDT.
The weekend also sees the playing of the Webex All Abilities Players Series and Webex Junior Players Series.
Wodonga product Zach Murray will embrace all the comforts of home as he seeks to break a five-year win drought at this week’s Webex Players Series Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
Murray has been playing courses along the Murray River since his junior days, the Stuart Appleby Murray River Junior Masters at Cobram Barooga his earliest touchstone to a player at the highest level of the game.
When he triumphed at the 2019 New Zealand Open in his first few months as a professional, Murray’s career appeared headed on a similar trajectory.
Yet the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the anxiety he felt spending so much time away from home saw Murray’s Official World Golf Ranking fall to as low as 1,174 in early 2022.
Yet nine top-25 finishes on the Asian Tour in 2023 and the familiarity he feels playing Cobram Barooga’s Old Course has Murray buoyant about what lies ahead this week and beyond.
“I just love playing golf so it’s nice to be able to compete somewhat close to home,” said Murray.
“If I’m in contention on Sunday, hopefully a few people from Wodonga can pop up and have a look because I do enjoy playing in front of friends and family.
“You just want to ultimately try and have that success to share it with them. It sucks when you don’t, but at the end of the day you play to try and win and have those cool memories.
“Hopefully that’s something that can happen.”
Live on Fox Sports, available on Kayo and Foxtel
Eschewing the commute to and from Wodonga that he made each day for the inaugural tournament in 2022, Murray is this week staying at a house nearby owned by his partner Amy’s family.
The 26-year-old believes that will only enhance his chances of winning a tournament he hopes will have a long future in the region.
Caddieing for local PGA Professional, Bernie Squire, at the Wodonga Pro-Am as a kid remains a treasured memory and Murray knows the impact exposure to professional golf has on country kids.
“It’s funny how you remember certain things. I can vividly remember it,” Murray said of his introduction to pro golf.
“To see a professional play when you’re 12 or 13 years old, to see how they work around the golf course and the shots they hit, you go home and just want to play. You want to get better.
“That’s a real reason why it’s important to have these events in some of these more rural areas.
“Hopefully an event like this, a few kids come out and it inspires them to keep going on their journey of playing golf.
“To have a tournament and to have sports events in regional towns is really great.”
No one will have greater course knowledge than Course Superintendent Terry Vogel, who accepted an invitation to join his daughter, Steffi, as a participant this week.
A former Victorian State representative, Vogel is indicative of the type of people who make regional events such a success, according to Murray.
“What’s great about this event is that the club embraces it,” Murray said, Cobram Barooga Golf Club hosting the tournament for the third straight year.
“You’ve got someone like Terry Vogel who is a really well-known name in Victorian golf.
“It’s great to see him playing this week because that’s the type of support that you need to elevate the tournament.
“It’s important to come to areas like this to showcase the game. And you can definitely see that the course has benefited from having a tournament here over the last three years.”
Play begins at 7:30am on Thursday with Murray to tee off at 1:15pm alongside promising New South Wales amateur Jye Pickin and WPGA Tour member Amelia Mehmet-Grohn.
The Webex Players Series sees men and women compete on the same course for the one prize purse, Hannah Green creating a world-first with her victory at Cobram Barooga in 2022.
For the final two rounds professionals are joined by 16 juniors who compete in the Webex Junior Players Series. The Webex All Abilities Players Series is also contested on Saturday and Sunday.
Entry is free for spectators all four days and the final two rounds are broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo, with coverage starting at 4pm AEDT Saturday and 2pm AEDT Sunday.
