UPDATE |Round two resumes at Gippsland Super 6

Heavy rainfall and the prolonged delay in play have forced a change of the Gippsland Super 6 format.

UPDATE | The second round of the Gippsland Super 6 is back underway at Yallourn Golf Club.

Further rain overnight prevented play from starting at 7am as anticipated, however the course has cleared sufficiently for play to resume at 11:30am.

With the significant deluge rendering the Yallourn Golf Club unplayable, the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia event will now become a 54-hole strokeplay tournament.

A large portion of players, who are yet to complete the second round due to the constant downpour, will be required to resume on Sunday.

With weather permitting, the third round of the Gippsland Super 6 will be played as 18-hole strokeplay from a shotgun start with a reduced field following a cut to top 50 and ties.

At the conclusion of the round, the leader will be crowned the inaugural Gippsland Super 6 champion.

However, if any further rain delays occur on Sunday, it is possible that the Gippsland Super 6 tournament will be deemed complete at the conclusion of 36 holes of strokeplay.

If this is to occur, the leader will be determined the unofficial winner of the inaugural Gippsland Super 6.

PGA of Australia’s Tournaments Director Australasia Nick Dastey said he was disappointed the tournament has been forced to adapt to the trying conditions.

“It’s upsetting that we have been unable to bring to life the excitement that comes with the innovative Gippsland Super 6 format,” Dastey said.

“The volunteers and the staff at Yallourn Golf Club, as well as the players, have been unbelievably patient as we attempt to find a solution to return to the course in these challenging conditions.

“We believe changing the tournament to three rounds of strokeplay will still showcase the class of our players on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia to the region and will allow us to determine a winner.”

After posting rounds of 66 and 70, Tom Power Horan stands at the helm of the Gippsland Super 6 leaderboard with a total of 8-under.

Through six holes of his second round Brady Watt sits at 7-under the card, followed by James Marchesani at 3-under and DJ Loypur in fourth at 2-under par.

Round two of the Gippsland Super 6 is expected to resume at Yallourn Golf Club at 7am on Sunday morning.

For the current leaderboard visit pga.org.au.

UPDATE | Heavy rain has delayed the completion of round two at the Gippsland Super 6 at Yallourn Golf Club, with play postponed until mid-afternoon.

Following a tumultuous start to the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament, rain has again suspended play on day three with a backlog of players still to complete the second round.

Many of the Gippsland greens are unplayable, with the significant rainfall flooding key parts of the course.

And with deluges predicted to continue across the weekend, it’s uncertain how the tournament’s format will be played out with the challenging conditions forcing the field away from the course.

Despite the frequent weather interruptions, Tom Power Horan, at 8-under, holds a slender one stroke lead at the halfway mark of the event over Brady Watt.

The Victorian completed an outstanding opening round of 6-under 66 on Friday morning to take a two-stroke lead before moving back to 5-under through nine holes in round two.

Horan Power’s opening round was particularly impressive in challenging conditions after returning to complete his final 14 holes following an overnight play suspension.

A birdie on the 5th kick-started a run of six from holes 5 to 18. Power Horan credits his incredible run to steady play in the rainy conditions.

“I just played really solid and tried to avoid the rain and getting wet and that was about it really. I just hit it really nice,” Power Horan said.

“We came back out on the 5^th and I hit a 3-wood from about 230 to 15-feet and two-putted for birdie which was a nice start to the day after the delay.”

Shortly after Power Horan completed his first round, play was suspended for six hours due to heavy rain and flooded greens with three groups still to complete round one.

Players returned to the Yallourn Golf Club layout from 4pm to complete round one with round two resuming at 4:30pm.

Through nine holes of the second round Power Horan holds a one stroke lead at the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament, which tonight has been suspended due to darkness.

The second round will again resume on Saturday morning with more than half the field to complete the round; however, further rain and blustery conditions are expected over the weekend.

“It started raining pretty hard on the last. I knew it was going to get delayed pretty quickly after, so it as nice to hit it close and hole it. It was a good way to finish,” Power Horan said of his opening round.

After completing his first round on Thursday, Brady Watt holds second place with a round of 4-under 68.

Brett Rankin climbed the leaderboard on Friday to sit tied in second place with a one and a half round total of 4-under.

Rankin, winner of the 2019 NT PGA Championship, said keeping his emotions in check and controlling what he was able to, was key to a successful round.

“I just tried to scramble my way around really. I forgot my umbrella this morning so I’m a bit wet and tired but you deal with whatever comes your way and block out all of the distractions, grind it out and stay patient with it,” Rankin said

“I’m very happy with the round and I finished really well so it was a good start to the tournament.”

Marcus Fraser also made the most of the turbulent conditions to sit two shots off the lead at 3-under the card.

The Gippsland Super 6 will recommence round two at approximately 7am on Saturday morning.

For the full Gippsland Super 6 leaderboard visit pga.org.au.

Peter Senior has claimed the Australian PGA Seniors Championship by one stroke in a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Richmond Golf Club.

Senior began the final round one shot behind overnight leaders Peter Lonard, Peter Fowler and reigning champion Michael Long but was able to remain composed in hot New South Wales conditions.

Five players see-sawed up and down the leaderboard across the final nine holes however birdies on holes 16 and 18 gave Senior a one-shot clubhouse lead.

Needing a birdie on the final hole to force a play-off, Peter Fowler’s drive found the greenside trap and when he failed to get up and down, the title and trophy belonged to Senior.

“I’ve been close on a couple of occasions and to win against the calibre of this field is amazing,” Senior said.

Senior’s final round of 5-under 65 was one of the best of the day to elevate the Queenslander to a winning total of 9-under par.

A winner of 23 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia events, including two Australian PGA Championships, Senior is cemented as one of Australia’s golfing greats, a perennial crowd favourite and genuine nice guy.

“I still enjoy playing but I like to give back playing on the Legends, playing here at Richmond has been really fun,” he said.

“The guys on this tour are great and we have some fantastic tournaments.”

A final round of 5-under 65 catapulted Peter O’Malley up the leaderboard for a second place finish in the Ladbrokes Legends Tour tournament alongside Peter Fowler who held the lead of the championship with nine holes remaining.

Michael Long and Peter Lonard rounded out the top five in a tie for fourth place at 7-under the card.

In its fifth staging at Richmond Golf Club, the Australian PGA Seniors Championship is building momentum with the professional field growing in profile each year while local exposure continues to amplify.

“These tournaments really are something special, with spectators walking shoulder to shoulder with some of Australia’s golfing greats, it is an experience not to be missed,” explained David Barker, Senior State Manager of the PGA of Australia.

The Ladbrokes Legends Tour continues with a run of Sydney based tournaments this month with the next event commencing at Roseville Golf Club on Friday 8 November.

For the full leaderboard visit pga.org.au.

Peter Lonard has catapulted himself into a share of the lead after round two of the Australian PGA Seniors Championship at Richmond Golf Club with an ace at the par-3 15th.

The three-time Australian Open champion made the most of calm morning conditions to record two birdies and a hole-in-one in his opening nine holes for a second round of 3-under 67 and a two-round total of 5-under.

Also at 5-under par is defending champion and overnight co-leader Michael Long who after an opening round of 66 posted a solid 69 in round two to remain in contention for back-to-back wins.

Six-time European Senior Tour winner Peter Fowler showed his current form with a round of 68 which included three birdies in a row from holes 15 to 17 to bounce back from two bogeys.

The round of the day came from Cromer Golf Club Professional Nicholas Robb who recorded a 6-under par round of 64 to sit one shot off the lead.

Turning 50 earlier in the year, Robb successfully qualified for the Senior Open Championship at Royal Lytham St Annes and is now looking to break through for his maiden Ladbrokes Legends Tour title.

Perennial crowd favourite Peter Senior will find himself in the penultimate group of the day and well within striking distance at 4-under par after opening rounds 69 and 67.

The final round of the Australian PGA Seniors Championship will conclude on Saturday with the last group of Long, Fowler and Lonard teeing off at 10:10am.

Spectators are welcome and entry to the course and clubhouse is free.

For live scores from the Australian PGA Seniors Championship visit pga.org.au.

The stakes have never been higher for Geoff Ogilvy, Marcus Fraser and Brendon Goddard than what they’ll face at next week’s Gippsland Super 6 tournament.

Friendly mid-week rounds are commonplace for the trio but when they grace the fairways of Yallourn Golf Club from 7-10 November the level of competition will be taken to new heights.

Joining the field of an ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament for the first time, Goddard will face the big time alongside two of Australia’s top golfing exports.

“It’s pretty casual but it’s very competitive,” Ogilvy said of their mid-week jaunts.

“Obviously Frase and I have played golf for a very long time competitively but BJ (Goddard) is probably more competitive than all of us. He takes it very seriously.”

Goddard, a former AFL player for the St Kilda and Essendon football clubs, is well accustomed to playing sport at the highest level but insists this will be unlike anything he has done before.

“I’m hoping not to embarrass myself but also hoping deep down that I make the weekend or if I beat one of these two blokes I’ll be pretty happy as well,” Goddard said.

The innovative tournament format will see a field of 132 PGA Professionals and amateurs compete across three rounds of regular stroke play, as they endeavour to qualify for a dramatic fourth and final round.

The top 24 players will then compete across a six-hole medal (stroke) match play shootout to determine a champion on the final day.

Providing an exciting point of difference for players and spectators alike, Fraser – a three-time European Tour winner – hopes the Super 6 format will entice the Gippsland and Yallourn locals to support Australia’s golfing talent.

“It’s huge for the Gippsland area. Hopefully all of the locals get out there and around the tournament,” Fraser said.

Goddard, a Gippsland local originally from Glengarry, believes the tournament will be of great benefit to the community.

“It’s great that the PGA saw an opportunity there and has given it to Gippsland and the town of Yallourn,” Goddard said.

“If you’re in the area I encourage you to get down there because it’s not every day that you get to see golfers as up close as what you can at Yallourn and walk the fairways and be literally a couple of meters from these guys playing golf.”

Australia’s 2006 U.S. Open winner Ogilvy hopes the match play format will be to his advantage if he is able to make it to the top 24.

“It’s a pretty cool concept but match play is a tough format. Across six holes, everyone’s in a small little loop,” Ogilvy said.

“You get lots of action and lots of matches in a day. I love match play so hopefully over six holes I do alright.”

In order to have his name engraved as the first on the Gippsland Super 6 trophy, Ogilvy will need to overcome an in-form Marcus Fraser who recorded a runner-up finish at last week’s Victorian PGA Championship.

A number of Australians competing overseas will venture home for the tournament including three-time China Tour winner Maverick Antcliff, while recent Australasian Tour victors Campbell Rawson and Darren Beck will also feature.

The 132-man field will compete for the winner’s share of the $125,000 prize purse from 7-10 November at Yallourn Golf Club. Entry is free to the public.

The winner of the Gippsland Super 6 will also receive World Golf Ranking Points and full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2020 season, including a place in the field at the 2019 Australian PGA Championship.

For the full entry list visit pga.org.au.

To purchase hospitality packages click here.

Adam White and Brendon Goddard are with Matt Griffin. The trio chat with PGA TOUR and two-time PGA Championship winner Cameron Smith, as well as #VicPGA victor Campbell Rawson.

Plus Craig Spence has got another special tip for the week in his coaching masterclass segment!

Campbell Rawson has won his first ISPS HANDA Tour of Australasia event after securing the Victorian PGA Championship in a titanic finish.

Rawson edged out European Tour and Olympian Marcus Fraser by a single stroke, following a 5-under 64 performance to finish 10-under par for a total of 270 for the tournament.

The New Zealander withstood a fast-finishing Fraser, who was twice the joint leader, before Rawson broke clear to secure the Jack Harris trophy, named after the golf legend who won six Victorian PGA Championships.

The 31-year-old hopes today’s breakthrough can take his career to new heights.

“I’m pretty excited. I can’t wait to celebrate a little bit. Now I’m really focused on some of the bigger events I’ll get exemption to and hopefully can put up some good performances there,” Rawson said.

Rawson, who’s been a Professional golfer for five years, narrowly avoided the cut following rounds of 70 and 71.

He finished Friday 1-over the card and scraped through to the weekend’s action.

Rawson has never finished in the top 10 at a Tour of Australasia event.

He vaulted to contention following an eagle on the second hole. He calmly slotted consecutive birdies on eight and nine to hold a handy three-shot lead by the turn.

Rawson said a key focus to his maiden victory was to combat his biggest competitor – his mind.

“I’m an over-thinker, so all day I’ve told myself not to try not to think. I just focused on playing and letting it happen,” he said.

“I knew I was hitting it well. I’ve been hitting it well for a couple of weeks now and I knew the putts were rolling on a really good line. It was just a matter of getting out of my own way not over-complicate it.

“I probably haven’t had a more nervous two-footer than I’ve had on the last, especially after missing one earlier in the day. I’m overwhelmed to win.”

The Auckland-born player’s rise to secure one of the country’s most prestigious tournaments is a remarkable one.

Rawson was lured to Adelaide in hope of securing an AFL career.

Rawson played Aussie Rules in New Zealand and was identified as showing potential.

He toiled in the reserves for South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League before self-identifying that he lacked the attributes to make it to the elite level.

Rawson was set to make his senior debut for the Panthers but injured his ankle playing indoor netball.

“I knew pretty early on I wasn’t up to it. Guys that grow up playing the game have a greater awareness of how the game is played,” he said.

“I was getting tackled by guys who I didn’t know were there. I didn’t have that acute spatial awareness.”

At 23, Rawson abandoned his AFL ambitions and focused on his career in the finance sector. But niggling away was an aspiration to delve deeper into his passion for golf.

“To be frank, I got sick of sitting behind the desk and felt I need to have a crack at golf. At the time I wasn’t world class, but knew I had a lot of ability,” he said.

“I had the competitive advantage with the length I was able to hit it. Thankfully the guys at work supported me and gave me the opportunity to break out and shift my attention on golf.”

Fraser’s dashing resurgence has dampened the elation of securing second place, ahead of Michael Sim, who finished 6-under.

He shared the lead as late as the 15^th hole before Rawson mustered the resolve to break through.

“It’s not often you’re disappointed after shooting 64 in the last round bogey-free. I desperately wanted to have my name on that trophy,” Fraser said.

“After scaling back my overseas playing schedule, I want to come home and play well. I feel like I played well this week, but felt my earlier rounds let me down.

“I was on the back foot going into the weekend, but really happy with yesterday’s round and to have played well today and give myself a chance.

“If you probably have given me second at the start of the week I would’ve almost taken it. I desperately wanted my name on that trophy and have to wait another 12 months to get that chance again.”

Australia’s next crop of Professionals is evidently strong following the performances of two of its most promising stars.

David Micheluzzi, who was in the final group today, and debutant Blake Collyer proved that have the metal to compete with the country’s best.

In his second Professional event, Micheluzzi, 24, finished tied for seventh, while Collyer, who shot 10-under to be the overnight leader following round 2, was fourth.

Mark Brown rounded out the top five, tying with Andrew Dodt at 4-under.

Marcus Fraser and Campbell Rawson are deadlocked on the back nine during the fourth round of the Victorian PGA Championship at RACV Cape Schanck Resort.

Rawson and Fraser are both 8-under, with the New Zealander having a hole in hand trailing Fraser’s group.

Young gun Blake Collyer is two behind at 6-under, while Michael Sim is making a desperate late charge at 5-under.

Rawson is hoping to secure his first win on Tour, having never finished in the top 10 at an ISPS HANDA Tour of Australasia event in his career.

Live stream the action via PGATV.

The winner of the 2019 Vic PGA Championship will receive the bulk of the $125,000 prize course, as well as Official World Golf Ranking Points and full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia for the 2020 season, including a place in the PGA Championship field.

Australia’s finest golfers have commenced round 2 at the #VicPGA at RACV Cape Schanck Resort.

Challenging conditions of heavy winds and light rain look set to settle in and test the resolve of the field.

Check out how yesterday’s round 1 action unfolded:

A dominant 6-under 64 handed young gun Brady Watt a two-stroke advantage following the first round of the Victorian PGA Championship at RACV Cape Schanck Resort.

And a veteran has wound back the clock with an extraordinary par 3 hole-in-one.

Combating blustery conditions, Watt produced an impressive three-birdie, two-eagle round that has catapulted the former world no.1 amateur into contention of securing his first ISPS HANDA Tour of Australasia victory.

“I’m thrilled. I saw the forecast at the start of the week and knew the practice rounds weren’t going to be helpful in adapting to the conditions,” Watt said.

“Luckily I have a few friends that work down here, so over the winter we played a lot of rounds to better understand the conditions and pins.”

The 29-year-old is clear of New Zealander Denzel Ieremia and 2019 TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA champion Darren Beck, who both shot 4-under 66.

Six players are tied for 4^th with reigning Vic PGA champion Aaron Pike, Jarryd Felton, Michael Sim, Michael Wright, Jason Norris and Aaron Wilkin all scoring 3-under 67.

Watt was last year absent from competitive golf, opting to have a gap year after five years competing in Latino America and on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour.

He said time away from the game was the “ultimate reset”, where he also worked at his parents’ cleaning company and got “a taste of the normal life”.

“I’m feeling great. Today has given me confidence. I’m looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow,” he said.

After being 6-over the card as he switched to the front nine, Terry Pilkadaris clawed his way back up the leaderboard, thanks to an incredible ace on the seventh hole.

Using a 7-iron, Pilkadaris overshot the green, but a fortuitous slope guided the ball into the cup.

“I definitely needed that ace to get me back in the game. It’s my 13^th hole-in-one across my career. Hopefully it brings me more luck,” Pilkadaris said.

Last year’s winner Pike, who shot a bogey-free 67, highlighted the difficulty in mastering the Mornington Peninsula course.

He said patience was paramount in taming the brutal undulating resort.

“My secret to winning out hear is whoever is the most patient. You’re going to get beat up by this golf course. The weather’s gonna get ya. Most of the guys beat themselves before they let the golf course beat them,” Pike said.

“I played well late, but realistically that was probably the worst score I could’ve had. I missed about three putts inside four or five feet, which is normally a strength of my game.”

Felton launched to a promising start, hitting three front nine birdies before succumbing to the challenging course with a pair of bogeys.

“I was a little disappointing in the back nine, but I got off to a good start,” the 24-year-old said.

“I managed to putt a ball into a bunker today, which is a first. My game had to adapt to conditions…

The West Australian, who recently finished second at the WA PGA, credits his string of consistent performances to controlling his temper, recruiting a new mental skills coach that has reformed his emotions.

“I’ve changed my mental coach, which can be attributed to my good form,” he said.

“I do get angry on the course. I can identify these moments better and bring myself back. It’s definitely helped my game.”

PGATV will be live streaming round three on Saturday (1pm-4pm AEDT) and Sunday’s round four (noon-5pm). Head to pga.org.au to catch all the action.

Be patient and hang in there for as long as you can.

This is Aaron Pike’s advice for those competing in the Victorian PGA Championship at RACV Cape Schanck Resort from 24-27 October.

The reigning champion, who won the 2018 tournament by one stroke in a down-to-the-wire finish, is adamant that the player who hedges his bets and plays smart on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula course is the most likely to claim the Jack Harris trophy.

For the 92 professionals teeing it up this week, Pike’s warning is one that should be heeded by all.

“I said it last year right from the outset. I played the practise round earlier in the week and turned to the boys and said, ‘it’s probably not going to be who plays the best round on this golf course that wins, it’s going to be the guy who is the most patient and who hangs in there the longest’,” Pike said.

“My only advice to anyone this year is exactly that again, it’s whoever is going to hang in there the longest.

“This place is difficult, it’s going to beat you up, the wind is going to get you. You’re not going to be perfect but you’ve just got to know that going into it. Otherwise, this place can get the better of you.”

Known for its undulating fairways, stunning views and rugged landscape, the par-70 Cape Schanck layout provides a test for all golfers.

Simple strategy was the key to Pike’s victory last year and is one he will apply yet again in 2019.

“Sunday was brutal playing this tournament last year,” he said.

“There was wind going everywhere, guys were having big numbers on holes, leads were changing and I didn’t really let any of that affect me, I just kept plugging away.

“By the end of it I walked up to Michael Sim on the last and said ‘what have I got to do’ and he said you’ve got to get up and down.

“So I hit it stiff and got up and down and won the hole so realistically it won the tournament.”

Set on the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula, the course is susceptible to fierce winds and heavy rain, both of which are expected to hit the course in the tournament’s final three rounds.

The conditions will also prove a test for the 81 amateurs competing in pairs with professionals in the Victorian PGA Celebrity Amateur Challenge.

Setting a strong lead in warm, sunny conditions in Thursday’s opening round will be an important task when the teams combine for the 4 Ball Best Ball pro-am format, in which the top 25 teams will advance to Saturday’s third round and the top-eight advance to the final round on Sunday.

While looking to improve his mindset on the course, Pike believes the pro-am style could be to his advantage.

“I’ve always played quite well in this kind of format, I think it’s something that sits well with me and might relax me a bit more,” he said.

“I can joke around and have a bit of a chat with whoever I’m playing with, take my mind off things and maybe help them and give them a few tips.”

Celebrities competing in the challenge include tennis star Sam Groth, AFL legends Michael Roberts, Ryan Schoenmakers, Luke Breust, Dale Thomas, cricketer Damien Fleming and Australian TV personalities Scott McGregor, Keith Schleiger and Jesse Raeburn.

The winner of the 2019 Victorian PGA Championship will receive the lion’s share of the $125,000 prize purse as well as Official World Golf Ranking Points and full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2020 season, including a place in the Australian PGA Championship field.

The final two rounds of the Victorian PGA Championship will be live-streamed on PGATV from 1pm AEDT on Saturday 26 October and 12pm AEST on Sunday 27 December.

For round one tee times visit pga.org.au.

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