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Australian golf young guns Justin Warren and Min Woo Lee have made twin bogeys on the 18th hole to tie for the lead in the penultimate round of the AVJennings NSW Open.
Playing in the second-last group after starting the day at 9-under, Warren stood on the 18th tee at 18-under the card and unbeknownst to him, tied for the lead alongside Lee.
An unruly tee shot luckily found the fairway to the left but a long second stroke went over the back of the green, forcing an extra shot than the 24-year-old would have liked.
To Warren’s fortune, Lee suffered a similar fate, albeit falling short of the pin to post a third round of 68.
The duo enters tomorrow’s final round at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club tied at 17-under the card but just one stroke ahead of Travis Smyth and Josh Younger at 16-under.
“They describe it as being in the zone and that’s pretty much where I was for the first 14 holes,” Warren said.
“Everything was just straight at the flag and putts were rolling in from everywhere. It was awesome. I was 9-under through 13 and a good chance on 14, I just didn’t quite hit a great putt but it was very similar to the first day, I just really struck my ball well, put it in the right spots, holed some putts.
“I kind of struggled a little bit over the last few holes. I just wasn’t quite hitting it as close. There were some nerves out there, a bit of adrenaline, the ball just wasn’t quite going the same distance as it normally does.”
The 8-under 64 round is Warren’s second for the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament but it was his front-nine again where his game came to life.
“I had four birdies in a row on 3, 4, 5 and 6 just playing really solid and made a couple of nice little 10 or 12 footers and a tap in here at there,” he said.
“I made a great par on 7, chipped in for par on 7, got a little unlucky off the tee and then made a solid par on 8 and then hit a good drive down 9, hit a 4-iron just straight into the middle of the green and had a great little read on it.
“Absolutely perfect speed and it just died in the front of the hole. I went to the 10th tee with a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum.”
Despite the 4-under round, Lee concedes his game wasn’t where he wanted it to be on Saturday but will work overnight to be in a position to challenge in the final round.
“I actually scored pretty well (but) I didn’t feel like I played good at all. I guess that’s a bit of confidence,” Lee said.
“I don’t feel good over the ball or over the putter at all today so hopefully I can fix that up in the next hour and then get it going tomorrow.
“The course was really nice today. Pins were in pretty tricky positions and you couldn’t leave it in certain spots. It was a nice challenge.”
With a stacked leaderboard behind him Lee insists it will be business as usual as he tries to extend his lead over the field.
“I’m pretty excited for tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll come out on top,” he said.
“Golf is, you just need to hit one shot at a time. Golf can change so quickly so you just need to keep your head in.
“Whoever plays the best I guess, like I said, you play your game.”
Travis Smyth and Josh Younger sit tied for third place at 16-under the card after firing rounds of 66 and 67 respectively.
Overnight leader Andrew Dodt battled throughout the third round, backing up his record-breaking 11-under with even-par for 14-under the card and fifth position.
The round was highlighted by a hole-in-one by Aaron Townsend on the par-3 17th. He sits tied for 26th at 6-under.
The leading group of Warren, Lee and Smyth will begin the final round of the AVJennings NSW Open at 10:55am where they will battle for the Kel Nagle Cup, the lion’s share of $400,000 in prize money and Official World Golf Ranking Points.
The winner of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament will also receive full exemption onto the tour until the end of the 2020 season.
The final round of the NSW Open will tee off at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club at 7am on Sunday.
For round three results visit pga.org.au.
For round four tee times visit pga.org.au.
After a record-breaking second round at the AVJennings NSW Open Andrew Dodt will tee it up alongside Min Woo Lee and Josh Younger on moving day at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club.
The marquee group will tee off the first at 11:05am in a one-tee start for the field.
Starting with a 14-under two-round total, Dodt will look to capitalise early and make ground on a charging Lee who sits just one shot behind at 13-under.
Possible showers and thunderstorms may threaten to halt play later this afternoon however more hot, hazy, humid conditions are expected with a top of 33 degrees.
LEADERBOARD:
Andrew Dodt -14
Min Woo Lee -13
Josh Younger -11
Travis Smyth -10
Justin Warren -9
For the full leaderboard and live scores visit pga.org.au or follow @PGAofAustralia on Twitter or @pgatouraus on Instagram for live updates from the NSW Open.
The third round of the AVJennings NSW Open will be live-streamed by GolfNSW from 1:30pm. Visit GolfNSW YouTube to tune in.
Andrew Dodt has set a new course record of 11-under in round two at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club to take the lead of the AVJennings NSW Open.
In the best round of his 12-year professional career Dodt’s nine birdies and eagle at the 11th hole combined to eclipse 2018 champion Jake McLeod’s third round effort last year.
Despite Min Woo Lee’s best endeavours of 5-under in the afternoon field Dodt holds a one-shot lead at 14-under the card ahead of tomorrow’s third round.
“When they all added up they added up to 61. That’s the best round in my career so far. I knew the conditions were going to be user-friendly this morning so I wanted to take real advantage of that,” Dodt said.
“I got off to a pretty good start, and then sort of got hot around the turn. I made a few birdies and an eagle at 11 and then I started getting a bit nervy because I thought ‘I’m getting pretty hot here’.
“I thought I had to make two coming in because I didn’t really know what I was but I didn’t give myself great chances on the last three holes. All in all it was a great day’s work.”
The winner of the 2019 Sarawak Championship was a hot favourite after receiving a last minute invite into the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament.
Since claiming the Asian Tour victory in August, Dodt has made the cut in all six tournaments he has contested across the PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour, but believes his low scores must continue to be in contention come Sunday.
“This is my first time I’ve played here. I checked the scoring from the last two years and I know you’ve got to be 20-under to win,” he said.
“That was the goal at the start of the week and I’ve got to be at least there.
“The guys in Australia, they’re good players, so you’ve got to keep your foot down because they’re going to be right behind you. If you embrace it and take it on you can get after it.”
A dry course and firm greens challenged the field with 33-degree heat adding to the pressure for young-gun Min Woo Lee.
The challenging layout tested the West Australian but with two eagles, two birdies and a bogey he made it look easy for a second round of 5-under 67.
“The pins are tougher, the greens are harder and it was windier so that probably explains it,” Lee said of his round.
“There are still getable holes so you’ve just got to take your medicine at some of the holes and take advantage of the easy ones.
“I just thought I’d go out and play and I’m glad I shot 5-under. I’m just happy I’m playing good and happy with the way I played, satisfied at the end of the round. It hasn’t been like that for a while.”
With a two-round total of 13-under Lee holds second place over round one leader Josh Younger at 11-under in third and Newcastle local Travis Smyth one shot further back.
The second-round cut was made at 1-under the card, resulting in a third-round field of 70 players that will tee off at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club from 7am.
The leading group of Andrew Dodt, Min Woo Lee and Josh Younger will tee off from the first hole at 11:05am.
For the round two leaderboard visit pga.org.au.
Andrew Dodt has set a new course record on his way to a 14-under two-round total at the AVJennings NSW Open.
Dodt got off to a hot start with consecutive birdies but it was the back-nine where he took the round to another level to eclipse 2018 champion Jake McLeod’s efforts from round three last year.
The impressive 11-under 61 score saw Dodt take the lead at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club. And as his scorecard grew closer to that elusive 59, the Newcastle resident admitted the nerves crept in.
“When they all added up they added up to 61. That’s my best round in my career so far. I knew the conditions were going to be user-friendly this morning so I wanted to take real advantage of that,” Dodt said.
“I got off to a pretty good start, and then sort of got hot around the turn. I made a few birdies and an eagle at 11 and then I started getting a bit nervy because I thought ‘I’m getting pretty hot here’.
“I thought I had to make two coming in because I didn’t really know what I was but I didn’t give myself great chances on the last three holes. All in all it was a great day’s work.”
Following on from an opening round of 3-under 69, the 33-year-old believes he will need to keep the low scores coming if he is to be a contender come Sunday.
“This is my first time I’ve played here. I checked the scoring from the last two years and I know you’ve got to be 20-under to win,” he said.
“That was the goal at the start of the week and I’ve got to be at least there.
“The guys in Australia, they’re good players, so you’ve got to keep your foot down because they’re going to be right behind you. If you embrace it and take it on you can get after it.”
The winner of the Asian Tour’s 2019 Sarawak Championship was a hot favourite after receiving a last minute invite into the tournament.
Since claiming the victory in August, Dodt has made the cut in all six tournaments he has contested across the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour, something he credits to a thorough understanding of his game.
“I know myself a lot better. I know what works and what doesn’t,” Dodt said in comparison to previous years.
“I’ve been playing for 12 years on the professional circuit so I’ve a bit more experience. I know my strengths. When you work that out it becomes a lot easier.
“I’ve got a really good understanding of how I work, what makes me tick and I think the last 12 months have been really solid.”
A second round of 70 saw overnight leader Josh Younger take two off his second round total to sit three shots behind Dodt at 11-under the card.
James Marchesani and Jake Higginbottom remain in contention with second rounds of 68 and 66 respectively to sit tied for fifth at 7-under.
The afternoon field featuring rising stars Min Woo Lee and Justin Warren is now taking to the Twin Creeks layout.
After posting opening round scores of 8-under the pair will chase 6-under or better in round two.
Keep across live scores from the NSW Open at pga.org.au or follow us on Twitter at @PGAofAustralia for live updates.
A blemish-free round of 9-under 63 in round one of the AVJennings NSW Open has handed Josh Younger a one-stroke lead at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club.
Following the outstanding early efforts of Min Woo Lee and Justin Warren for rounds of 8-under the card, Younger put the leaderboard to the back of his mind when he took to the course on Thursday afternoon.
A string of birdies from his first hole, the 10th, to the 16th gave the Victorian gained momentum across what he labels as the Twin Creeks layout’s hardest stretch.
“I started off on the back-nine and made six straight and then just tried to keep out of my own way from there on in. People won’t believe me but the back-nine was tough,” Younger said.
“We came through the turn and the wind got up and that front-nine played quite difficult. I had a good start and was able to stay patient and let things happen. I picked up a couple more coming in and saved a couple of pars.”
It wasn’t an easy road to the clubhouse for Younger, who says while birdies are important; his par saves today were just as valuable.
“On seven I got out of position. I had a bit of a rough lie there. Eight, I hit a bad tee shot but made and good putt and then on nine, I just played it as a three-shotter and made a good two-putt there,” he said.
“I was just able to put it in play. The wind was up and probably the strongest I’ve seen it here in a couple of years. The way the weather was it’s quite easy to drop a few if you get out of position.”
Playing in the morning field Justin Warren has made a late surge to lead alongside West Australian young-gun Min Woo Lee at the halfway mark of the opening round.
A rising star of the golfing world, Lee put his talent on display on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia with an eagle, seven birdies and a lone bogey at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club before the pair eventually tied for second ahead of round two.
“I just played pretty solid. It was stress-free. I made one bogey but made a lot of birdies. There are a lot of birdie chances out there and I rolled the putter great so with the combination of both it was really good,” Lee said.
“I hit good shots when I needed to. Some of the holes are tricky and I just hit an iron off the tee and I know at this course there are a lot of birdies out there so I just kept it going.
“Every round you can get lucky and unlucky. There were a few holes where I got lucky and I just took my medicine on some of them and kept it going.”
A number of players made a late run down the back-nine of the Twin Creeks layout but it was New South Welshman Warren who entered the clubhouse on par with Lee.
A bogey at the challenging 18th reduced Warren’s scorecard from 9-under to 8-under, but the solid opening round score has the 24-year-old sitting pretty ahead of the second round.
“I didn’t get myself into too much trouble and drove it well and hit a lot of greens. I had eight birdies and two bogeys out there so I holed some really nice putts and a nice putt for eagle on 15,” Warren said.
“You’ve only got to look at the scores from the past few years to know that there’s certainly some low numbers out there.
“We had pretty benign conditions this morning so the front-nine was certainly gettable. It was just good to shoot 8-under.”
A stacked field of talent sits behind the leading trio including Travis Smyth, Dimi Papadatos and amateur Nathan Barbieri all tied for fourth at 7-under.
A hole-in-one from Andrew Martin with a 9-iron in hand at the par-3 2nd hole further highlighted the opening round at the NSW Open.
Round two of the AVJennings NSW Open will begin at 6:45am on Friday 29 November at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club.
For the round one leaderboard visit pga.org.au.
For round two tee times visit pga.org.au
Image: Golf NSW
Justin Warren has made a late surge in round one of the AVJennings NSW Open to lead alongside West Australian young-gun Min Woo Lee at the halfway mark of the opening round.
A rising star of the golfing world, Lee put his talent on display on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia with an eagle, seven birdies and a lone bogey at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club.
“I just played pretty solid. It was stress-free. I made one bogey but made a lot of birdies. There are a lot of birdie chances out there and I rolled the putter great so with the combination of both it was really good,” Lee said.
“I hit good shots when I needed to. Some of the holes are tricky and I just hit an iron off the tee and I know at this course there are a lot of birdies out there so I just kept it going.
“Every round you can get lucky and unlucky. There were a few holes where I got lucky and I just took my medicine on some of them and kept it going.”
A number of players made a late run down the back-nine of the Twin Creeks layout but it was New South Welshman Warren who entered the clubhouse on par with the leader.
A bogey at the challenging 18th reduced Warren’s scorecard from 9-under to 8-under, but the solid opening round score has the 24-year-old sitting pretty ahead of day two.
“I didn’t get myself into too much trouble and drove it well and hit a lot of greens. I had eight birdies and two bogeys out there so I holed some really nice putts and a nice putt for eagle on 15,” Warren said.
“You’ve only got to look at the scores from the past few years to know that there’s certainly some low numbers out there.
“We had pretty benign conditions this morning so the front-nine was certainly gettable. It was just good to shoot 8-under.”
Travis Smyth ran out of luck at the end of his round when his 9-under total was reduced to 7-under at the par-4 18th.
A wayward tee shot met the water on the left, followed by a putt for bogey that lipped out to leave Smyth with a final putt for a double.
A stacked field of talent sits behind the leading duo including Smyth, Dimi Papadatos and amateur Nathan Barbieri all tied for third at 7-under.
Despite the challenge from the field Lee is confident he can maintain the status quo.
“I’ll just do the same thing I guess. I hit it pretty good and putted good so hopefully I can just keep that up. My ball-striking has been pretty good so I think my putter just needs to cooperate,” Lee said.
“If the weather’s good definitely, the scores are going to be low.”
CLICK HERE for live scores from the 2019 NSW Open and follow live updates on our Twitter feed via the handle @PGAofAustralia.
Photo: David Tease – Golf NSW
Round one of the 2019 AVJennings NSW Open has begun at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club.
The morning field was greeted by clear but chilly conditions that are expected to warm up to 30 degrees later in the day.
Min Woo Lee shot out to an early lead with two birdies and an eagle on his first three holes from the 10th.
Amateur Jye Pickin has also impressed early at 4-under through six holes.
CLICK HERE for live scores from the 2019 NSW Open and follow live updates on our Twitter feed via the handle @PGAofAustralia.
Vernon Sexton-Finck has claimed the biggest win of his golfing career in a tumultuous final round at the 2019 PGA Professionals Championship at Hamilton Island.
Sexton-Finck posted rounds of 69, 70 and 76 for a 2-over tournament total to finish one stroke clear of reigning champion and runner-up Scott Laycock at 3-over the card.
With their results, Sexon-Finck and Laycock have earned exemption into next month’s Australian PGA Championship.
The West Australian was elated with the result that has seen him win the Dan Cullen Cup.
“It was crazy. I was pretty nervous this morning. I’ve never really been in this sort of position for what is quite a big event,” Sexton-Finck said.
“I didn’t know what to expect obviously because it’s quite an intimidating golf course as well. I knew that I had to play exceptionally well.
“I didn’t play great today but I hung in there and managed to get it done. I’ve never won anything like this in my life so it means an incredible amount to me.”
Sexton-Finck began his round with three straight pars from holes one to three but the efforts of his fellow competitors saw the 39-year-old lose his four-stroke overnight lead in the early stages.
Hamilton Island Golf Course’s notorious back-nine was where the action really began with Sexton-Finck and New South Welshman Jamie Hook sharing a lead of 1-over at the turn.
A quad from Hook at the par-4 13th quickly turned the tables and extended Sexton-Finck’s lead, but he was not in the clear yet.
Laycock threatened with a birdie at 16 to get within one stroke and pars followed at 17, but Sexton-Finck says he was unaware of the standings ahead of the final hole.
“I had absolutely no idea. Even when I holed the putt on the last and it was announced that I’d won that was the first time I knew that I’d actually won,” he said.
“I knew I was there or thereabouts but Scott made a great birdie on 16 and I didn’t want to know. I literally played the last four holes in as few shots as I could.”
Laycock needed a birdie or better at the par-4 18th to force a playoff but it wasn’t meant to be following a wayward tee shot that landed on the 10th fairway.
A miraculous blind shot from the 10th landed on the 18th green but Sexton-Finck’s approach was too good, handing the Perth local a one-stroke win.
“Vernon played great. I played with him every day and he played really well the first two but threw away a few holes late in his round both times,” Laycock said.
“I figured if I birdied 18 that I might’ve have been in a playoff but it didn’t happen. The 18th fairway is such a hard fairway to hit because there’s such elevation and I’m aiming way right with my tee shot and it’s still missed left.
“I got a yardage which I thought was about 11 meters and just chipped a 9-iron. I was pretty happy with it off the club and it was a decent shot.”
Sexton-Finck will return to the RACV Royal Pines Resort from 19-22 December for a second time to tee it up in a field that includes former champions Cameron Smith, Adam Scott and big-hitting American Cameron Champ.
“It’s probably about as intimidating as this golf course to be honest but it’s great to have the big names there,” Sexon-Finck said of joining the field.
“It makes the event a bit of a spectacle so it’ll be wonderful to be a part of that field.”
With a strong final round of even-par Sam Eaves has secured third place at 5-over the card ahead of Jamie Hook at 6-over.
ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia regular Anthony Choat also made a charge in the final round, sitting at even-par to round out the top-five.
The Vicars Shield is awarded to the leading state and is calculated on the best two aggregate scores for the three rounds of competition.
Each state nominates two professionals who have qualified at their State PGA Professionals Championship to represent their side in the Vicars Shield.
Josh Lane and Alexander Simpson were elected for New South Wales and have regained the shield for the state for the first time since 2016.
The Vicars Shield was first presented to the PGA in 1930 by the late Sir William Vicars, a keen golfer and a prominent member of The Australian Golf Club, for competition between professional interstate teams.
For the full leaderboard visit pga.org.au.
Birdies at the 106th and 107th holes of the European Tour’s six-round Q School marathon have secured Queensland’s Jake McLeod a return to the main tour in 2020.
Sitting inside the all-important top 25 who would earn European Tour cards for next year all week and starting the final day in a tie for 13th, McLeod found himself flirting with the cut-off when he bogeyed the 15th hole of his final round to fall to 1-over par on the day.
McLeod responded with his first birdie at Lumine Golf Club’s Lakes Course’s par-5 16th hole in his fourth attempt and then added a second at the par-3 17th to give himself the buffer he would need to guarantee safe passage back to Europe’s main tour.
The 25-year-old reigning PGA Tour Australasia Order of Merit winner finished the week at 14-under par, 28 players who completed the 108 holes in 12-under or better earning tour cards.
West Australian Jarryd Felton owned one of the hard luck stories of the final round despite a sensational 6-under 66.
Starting from the 10th tee, Felton made the turn in 4-under par to get to 10-under for the week, moving to 11-under and within reach of the magical number with a birdie at the par-4 third hole.
Yet as hard as he tried a seventh birdie for his round remained elusive and he was one of five players to finish one shot shy of the number required.
Dimi Papadatos and Deyen Lawson were the only other two Aussies to make the four-round cut but finished in 65th and 72nd position respectively.
Vernon Sexton-Finck has moved to a four-shot lead in the penultimate round of the PGA Professionals Championship at Hamilton Island Golf Club.
The West Australian’s round two total of 70 has him 3-under the card, as Jamie Hook (1-over), Scott Laycock and Josh Lane (3-over) remain in contention.
After battling through the back-nine in yesterday’s opening round, Sexton-Finck had no quarrels negotiating the notorious final stretch this morning to make the turn in 3-under.
It was the front-nine that proved the biggest test with the 31-year-old faltering with two bogeys and a double bogey, as the blustery conditions took hold.
“It wasn’t quite as challenging as yesterday. We were lucky to tee off early in the first group so the wind didn’t really pick up until our 7th or 8th hole,” Sexton-Finck said.
“I took advantage early and just lost it a little towards the end so I’m disappointed I guess. The front-nine is a little bit easier than the back-nine I think and I was just losing shots again towards the end.
“At the end of the day if you said I was first and leading by four then I’d take that for sure so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Despite recording two strong rounds of 69 and 70 ahead of the final round, Sexton-Finck says the natural beauty of the golf course can be deceiving.
“It’s a nice little buffer but it’s very small around here. Things can turn pretty quickly and I’ve just got to stick to my game plan tomorrow, keep doing what I’m doing and if things work out then they work out but if they don’t, then so be it,” he said.
“Around here you’ve got to putt well, you’ve certainly got to hit your tee shots well. It’s just that course that you can’t come here with a weakness and expect to perform well.”
Consistency over 36 holes has earned Jamie Hook a place in the top two of the leaderboard.
Hook’s rounds of 72 and 71 for a 1-over total see him two shots ahead of Laycock and Lane in third place and well within reach of the Dan Cullen Cup.
“I played well yesterday and just tried to keep it in play. I stuck to what I wanted to do and managed to do that,” Hook said.
“I’m just going to do the same thing and hopefully some putts will keep going in. Four back around here is still four back but a couple of birdies and hopefully I can get up there.”
The PGA Professionals Championship is played for a total prize pool of $55,000. The winner and second place getter each receive a place in the 2019 Australian PGA Championship field.
The leading group of Vernon Sexton-Finck, Jamie Hook and Scott Laycock will tee off at 9:05am.
For the full leaderboard, visit pga.org.au.
For round three tee times, visit pga.org.au.
