Already a two-time winner of the Queensland PGA Championship, the Victorian travelled north specifically to gain tournament experience in challenging conditions and delivered when it mattered most.

He made birdie at the 10th, 13th, 14th, and 15th holes to surge clear of local favourite Sam Brazel and a fast-charging Doug Klein to secure his first Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying Series title.

The final round was a tale of two nines. Overnight leader Sam Brazel squandered his advantage with a costly double-bogey on the second, an error that opened up the tournament to several challengers, including Campbell.

However, it was on the homeward nine where Campbell pounced, admitting that the nerves had returned, just like they had during his back-to-back wins at Nudgee Golf Club on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

“It was great practice for me out there. I felt nervous, like I did at Queensland at Nudgee and that’s exactly what I came up here for,” Campbell said after his victory.

The pressure intensified down the stretch as Brazel mounted a withering fightback in the fading afternoon light. The local hero had a golden opportunity to force a playoff, but agonisingly missed his birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have sent the tournament into extra holes.

“I got a bit tired at the end there. Obviously Sam holed some good putts and made me really work for it, but I’m excited to come out on top today,” Campbell reflected on the nail-biting finish.

Adding to the competitive field was Doug Klein, who stormed home with a spectacular 6-under-par round of 60 on the weather-modified course to finish tied for second at 6-under alongside Brazel.

When the hostilities ended on course, it was Klein, Caleb Bovalina and Dean Jamieson who had secured the all-important spots in the Ford NSW Open this November.

For both Bovalina and Jamieson, it will be a first appearance in the revered Open championship.

“It feels great,” Bovalina said. “I’ve never qualified for the NSW Open before, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Jamieson, meanwhile, said the qualification was probably the biggest thing that had happened in his six-year pro golf career.

“It should be a great test and a lot of fun. It will be only the second tour event I’ve played, so I’m looking forward to it,” Jamieson grinned.

Leading scores
1 Phoenix Campbell 64-61–125
T2 Douglas Klein 66-60–126
T2 Sam Brazel 62-64–126
T4 Andrew Campbell 67-61–128
T4 James Conran 66-62–128

July 28

Ion honoured to share Pacific win with ‘legend’

Michael Sim helped to make Zac Ion’s maiden adidas PGA Pro-Am Series one to remember after the pair shared top spot at the Pacific Pro-Am at Pacific Golf Club in Brisbane.

The combination of winds that gusted upward of 40km/h and Pacific’s firm winter putting surfaces kept scoring in check, Sim and Ion the only players to break par with rounds of 1-under 71.

The pair finished one stroke clear of Wade Hooper with Will Florimo, fresh off his second career albatross at the Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifier at Teven, fourth at 1-over 73.

In his first year since completing the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program, Ion earned a category for the upcoming Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season at Qualifying School in April and took another step forward with his first victory as a professional.

That he shared it with a former top 50 player in the world only added to the occasion.

“To be checking the leaderboard on the last couple and seeing that it’s Michael, knowing that I had to try to do something and being able to share a trophy and win an event with a legend, that’s awesome.”

Spending the majority of time coaching at Lakelands Golf Club on the Gold Coast these days, Sim showed his class by following up his top-10 finish at Redcliffe with another tournament win.

“I haven’t been playing at all,” Sim revealed.

“I’ve been doing a little bit of stuff with Golf Queensland. Matt Ballard’s had me playing a few games with the squad so the last two or three months I’ve probably had a dozen games but prior to that, between that and November, I’d hardly played at all.

“My expectations are lower and I’m just playing golf and whatever score I shoot, I shoot.”

Turning point
With a scorecard consisting of two birdies, one bogey and 15 pars, Sim said that it was a par save on the par-3 third that helped keep his round in red figures.

“I hit a poor shot on the third and got away with it to the right but got up and down and then I birded the fourth,” said Sim.

“Then I had three tough holes in a row – five, six and seven – and I played them in 1-over. If you went through everyone’s round there, I reckon that would’ve been pretty good golf.”

In contrast to Sim’s round, Ion had five birdies along with four bogeys, dropping a shot on his final hole, the par-3 17th, to miss out on an outright win.

“Bogeyed the last with the crosswind and felt like I didn’t hit a bad shot at all on the hole,” said Ion.

Quick quotes
“I’ve been feeling pretty confident since I’ve come back after Q School,” said Ion.

“I feel like I’ve got new motivation, new motivators, and this is the tick off that I needed to see before going to PNG to start my rookie year.

“Maybe not a sigh of relief, but kind of something I needed to see before starting the season up properly.”

“I hit it pretty straight and hit a lot of greens, so I didn’t really have to test myself too much on or around the greens,” said Sim.

“I hit the ball pretty well but it was obviously 40-50km wind. I hit a 3-iron on the fifth from 180 and it would’ve gone 150.

“It was pretty windy.”

Leading scores
T1        Michael Sim                 71
T1        Zach Ion                      71
3          Wade Hooper              72
4          Will Florimo                 73
T5        Charles Wright             74
T5        Adam Hatch                 74
T5        Justin Morley               74
T5        Mitchell Smith              74
T5        Jamie Rooney              74

July 26

Henkel wins as rain wreaks havoc at Teven Valley

Victorian Ben Henkel has secured his second Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying title after severe weather forced officials to abandon the final round at Teven Valley Golf Course on Saturday.

A two-stroke leader overnight after taking advantage of idyllic conditions on Friday with a round of 7-under 51, Henkel was declared the winner when play was called off for the third and final time late on Saturday.

Still feeling the affects of 100mm of rain that inundated the picturesque nine-holer last Sunday, torrential rain deposited a further 50mm in under two hours on Saturday to push the surfaces beyond playable.

“I would have loved to obviously win playing 36 holes,” Henkel admitted in his post-victory interview.

“I was going all right today. I think I was even par and maybe one or two ahead still and had a good birdie chance before the final siren went.”

The victory continues a strong run of form for Henkel, who also claimed last week’s $90,000 Optilease Redcliffe Pro-Am having earned a breakthrough Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title late last year with victory at the Gippsland Super 6. HIs first Regional Qualifying win came last year at Bateman’s Bay on the NSW South Coast.

“Winning this and last week’s win, so two in a row for ones I’ve entered. It’s really good for my confidence against some good fields,” he said. “This is definitely a big, good step forward.”

The win underscores some significant progress for the Victorian, who acknowledged the lessons learned from his debut season on tour have been invaluable in developing his approach to competitive golf.

“Last year’s Regional Open Win was important, and I’m coming in this year with a lot more confidence in myself,” he said.

With the weather ensuring an early end to the day, the coveted Ford NSW Open Qualifying spots were decided on a countback from scores in yesterday’s opening round.

Queenslander Dillon Hart (-5), Kiama’s Wil Daibarra (-3) and Sydneysider Neven Basic (-3) took the spots.

For Daibarra, the Ford NSW Open will be his first state championship appearance.

“I’m over the moon, but I would have liked to have done the right way, but that’s all right. You can’t predict these things,” Daibbara said.

Basic, meanwhile, has earned his way to the Open via Regional Qualifying a couple of times before.

“The NSW Open was my first pro event in 2002 I believe, which is probably before half the field was born. So I’m looking forward to it.”

“I enjoyed the Vintage, and I’m really looking forward to playing another state open.”

Despite the weather, the day did provide some highlights, with a couple of aces to Queenslanders Jack Munro and Will Florimo sending a buzz through the assembled spectators.

Shot of the day was courtesy of Florimo, who set a piece of course history, acing the 236-metre par-4 fourth on the Craig Parry-designed layout, the first albatross ever recorded at Teven.

The laid-back Queenslander took the rare feat in stride, revealing it was his second career albatross.

Asked if he had put the ball away for safekeeping, Florimo casually replied, “Nah it’s still in play. It certainly helped git rid of the bogey-bogey-bogey start I made.”

Leading scores
1 Ben Henkel 51
2 Dillon Hart 53
T3 Jayden Cripps 55
T3 Wil Daibarra 55
T3 Aiden Didone 55
T3 Corey Lamb 55
T3 Neven Basic 55

Next up
Lismore Regional Open, Lismore Workers Golf Club, July 28-29 and Pacific Pro-Am, Pacific Golf Club, July 28

July 25

Henkel builds handy lead at Teven Valley

Ben Henkel has put himself in a prime position at the Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying event at Teven Valley Golf Course after carding a brilliant 7-under-par 51 to take a two-shot lead into Saturday’s final round.

On a Friday afternoon perfect for scoring, Henkel pushed out to a two-shot lead from Queenslander Dillon Hart (53). Another five golfers are tied for third at 3-under, including Jayden Cripps, Corey Lamb, Will Diabarra, Victorian Aiden Didone (all from the morning half of the draw), and Neven Basic, who rolled in a couple of birdies late in his round to stay in touch with the lead.

Henkel, however, was the star of the day, combining clever iron play with some inspired putting to compile a bogey-free 51. Aside from the fact that preferred lies were in operation, this could well have been an equal course record alongside last year’s winner, Matt Millar.

Starting his round on the fifth, Henkel rolled in consecutive birdies on holes six, seven and eight to set the tone for what would be an impressive round of golf on the deceptive Craig Parry-designed layout.

If the Victorian was playing a high-percentage, big-target style of game with no room for silly errors, then it was his closing stretch that caught the eye.

On the third, his second-to-last hole of the day, Henkel produced the shot of his round, holing a 20-footer from off the green for birdie.

“It was a bit cheeky,” Henkel grinned. “Other than that I just hit it really good off the tee and hit it really good with my irons.”

He wrapped up his round with another birdie on the fourth, capping off what he described as a far smarter approach than in previous years.

“I just really played solidly,” a wiser Henkel said after his round.

“I think I learned from my mistakes in last year’s event here. I played well in the first round and then went chasing pins in the final round, when you can just hit it to the middle of the green and have a decent look.”

Having earned his opportunity through a Regional Qualifying win at Catalina last year before going on to claim the Gippsland Super 6s, Henkel said he appreciated the benefit of a full season on tour under his belt.

“I’m coming in this year with a lot more confidence in myself,” he said, acknowledging that his first year on tour taught him valuable lessons about consistency.

“Just go out and play the hole, play the shot. Keep it simple.”

Words that perfectly sum up the approach that served him so well on Friday.

Leading scores
1 Ben Henkel 51
2 Dillon Hart 53
T3 Jayden Cripps 55
T3 Wil Daibarra 55
T3 Aiden Didone 55
T3 Corey Lamb 55
T3 Neven Basic 55

The final round of the Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifier at Teven Valley will be broadcast live on Kayo Sports from 12pm-5pm Saturday AEST.

July 23

Barbieri goes back-to-back at Howeston

Nathan Barbieri jumped to second place on the National Pro-Am Order of Merit with his second joint victory of the week in the adidas Pro-Am Series.

After featuring in a three-way tie at McLeod on Monday, Barbieri moved from Brisbane’s west to east to share top spot in the Howeston Pro-Am with fellow New South Wales professional Lucas Higgins after both fired rounds of 6-under-par 65.

One shot behind was Queenslander Tim Hart who still leads the OOM standings.

Preparing for the start of the new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season next month, Barbieri, who also won at Howeston in 2024, has now secured four pro-am victories in July, while Higgins claimed his first title for 2025.

Higgins’ mixed bag 65 featured 10 birdies to sit alongside four bogeys and just the four pars, while Barbieri’s bogey-free round included an eagle and four birdies.

Turning point

Starting from the 10th tee, Barbieri’s hot streak came with a 5-under-par run from the 12th to 17th holes.

Higgins was quick off the mark with three straight birdies and turned in just 29 strokes. He was at 7-under-par until he bogeyed the par-4 18th.

Quick quotes

Higgins said: “I was playing really awesome early. Managed to chip in on both the par-3s and holed a couple of nice putts. I got a couple of bad breaks on 10 and 11 and then brought her back with a few birdies and just made a bit of a sloppy bogey on 18.”

Barbieri said: “I actually haven’t had a bogey in two years here, which is unbelievable I think for myself. I managed my ball really well today.”

Leading scores

T1 Lucas Higgins 65

T1 Nathan Barbieri 65

3 Tim Hart 66

4 Dillon Hart 67

5 Cory Crawford 68

T6 Will Florimo 69

T6 Zachary Maxwell 69

T6 James Conran 69

T6 Brett Rankin 69

T6 Alexander Simpson 69

Next up

The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads north of Brisbane to Bribie Island and the Pacific Harbour Pro-Am on Friday. South of the border, the 36-hole Teven Valley Regional Open will be played on Friday and Saturday with starts in the Ford NSW Open on the line.

July 21

Gardner shares maiden win at McLeod

Nathan Barbieri has won twice this month, Brett Rankin has lost count yet Dylan Gardner’s share of victory was one to savour at The Lion Richlands McLeod Pro-Am.

The variety found within the McLeod Country Golf Club layout in Brisbane’s western suburbs brought the best out of a Tour-quality field, Gardner, Barbieri and Rankin tied at the top with rounds of 6-under 65, one clear of Heritage Classic champion James Conran (66) with Corey Lamb fifth (68).

Rankin made a birdie from 15 feet at his final hole, the par-4-fourth, while Gardner made a three-putt bogey on his closing hole, relieved that his 65 from the morning wave held up at day’s end.

“Feels like I needed it before going into the Tour season, get that win,” said Gardner, a graduate of the Membership Pathway Program who has been top 10 in recent adidas PGA Pro-Am Series events in Rockhampton, Tin Can Bay and Redcliffe.

“Haven’t really had a win since during my traineeship, so it was definitely good.”

Back during a break in the Asian Tour season, Rankin knows that winning Pro-Am Series events can translate into good performances in four-rounders.

“I’ve won quite a few by now,” said Rankin.

“I still enjoy winning. It’s kind of why you practise every day, right? You always want to win.

“My coach and I, we’ve always said that I’ve always played pretty well after a stretch of pro-ams when I’m playing competitively week in, week out.

“It’s good to play the next few weeks and play some pro-ams and get ready for a pretty busy schedule at the back end of the year.”

Turning point
Gardner’s three-putt bogey at the par-3 sixth set the target at 6-under for the players in the afternoon.

Bogey-free, Rankin was 5-under through 11 holes but had to wait until his final hole to match Gardner, holing a 15-footer for birdie at the par-4 fourth.

Conversely, Barbieri was 3-under through 13 in his round, making birdie at three of his final five holes to add to recent wins at Emu Park and Tin Can Bay.

Quick quotes
“I felt like it’s all been moving in the right direction for quite a while now,” said Gardner.

“Just a lot more consistent in the last six months, so I knew it was eventually going to happen.

“The last two years since I’ve been playing the Pro-Am Series and a few Tour events, the standard’s been going up each year.

“You can’t really get away with not being at your best all the time.”

“The game feels good, really solid,” said Barbieri. “And the putter’s working the wand right now.

“This is obviously just the start. I want to obviously play well at the start of the Tour season, that’s the main focus, but these are really good to play and keep you competitive.”

“I was pretty filthy on the par 5,” Rankin said of his par on the third.

“I hit a decent second shot in and it just took a wicked bounce and finished in a pretty horrible spot. I actually did really well just to make par.

“I was a bit dirty but I was able to bounce back straight away after a bit of frustration on the previous hold to make a nice, solid birdie on four.”

Leading scores
T1        Dylan Gardner              65
T1        Brett Rankin                 65
T1        Nathan Barbieri            65
4          James Conran              66
5          Corey Lamb                 67
T6        Blaike Perkins               68
T6        Max Ford                     68
T6        Marcus Fraser              68
T6        Will Florimo                 68
T6        Blake Proverbs             68

Next up
Howeston Pro-Am, Howeston Golf Course, July 23

July 18

Henkel shoots 60, wins Redcliffe in playoff

Victorian Ben Henkel applied what he learned from his first round to shoot 60 in Round 2 and ultimately claim victory at the second playoff hole of the OptiLease Redcliffe Pro-Am at Redcliffe Golf Club.

One of the richest events on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule drew a Tour-calibre field, Henkel adding to his win at the Gippsland Super 6 on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in December with a fifth Pro-Am Series victory.

Arriving late into Brisbane on Wednesday, Henkel didn’t see the entirety of the abridged Redcliffe layout playing to a par of 68 until Round 1.

He shot 2-under 66 to start day two five strokes back of Dillon Hart but had eight birdies in a bogey-free 8-under 60 in Round 2, missing out on the chance to shoot 59 on his final hole.

“I had a birdie chance on the last to shoot the 59 but didn’t put too good of a roll on it,” Henkel conceded.

Finishing tied with Hart (65), Chris Wood (63) and Andrew Kelly (63), Henkel lipped out a birdie try from 15 feet at the first playoff hole but made the most of a look from eight feet the second time around to seal the win.

Turning point

Paired with Queenslander Tim Hart and starting his round from the 15th tee, Henkel left it late to make his move up the leaderboard.

Four-under through his first 14 holes, Henkel made his charge towards 59 with four straight birdies from the par-3 10th, settling for 60 with a par at his final hole, the par-4 14th.

Quick quotes

“Yesterday I kind of fell victim to a few traps and a few little slip-ups,” said Henkel.

“Today I felt a lot more confident going out there, seeing the course fully and knowing where to attack and where to defend.

“The guys in the playoff all play on Tour and walking around the clubhouse you’re seeing everyone you’re seeing on the Tour.

“It did have a Tour feel to it and the course was amazing too.

“The course set-up was so good for the event. The greens are rolling pure, fairways and surrounds are amazing and even the temporary holes we had to play were pretty damn good too.”

Leading scores
1          Ben Henkel                  66-60—126
Won on second hole of sudden-death playoff
T2        Andrew Kelly                63-63—126
T2        Chris Wood                  63-63—126
T2        Dillon Hart                   61-65—126
T5        Daniel Gale                  65-62—127
T5        Lucas Higgins              62-65—127

Next up

The Lion Richlands McLeod Pro-Am, McLeod Country Golf Club, July 21

July 17

Hart leads Redcliffe Pro-Am with 61

Two late birdies have given Gold Coast’s Dillon Hart a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the $90,000 Optilease Redcliffe Pro-Am.

With work being done on course, Redcliffe Golf Club is playing at an abridged par of 68, Hart’s bogey-free 7-under 61 putting him one clear of Dylan Gardner, Michael Sim and Lucas Higgins.

Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winners Blake Windred, Chris Wood and Cory Crawford are part of a five-way tie for fifth at 5-under with good friends Andrew Campbell and Simon Hawkes ties for 10th at 4-under.

Turning point

Two-under through his first eight holes, Hart made back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 but it would be a late surge that propelled him to the outright lead.

A birdie at the par-4 first got Hart to 5-under which he followed soon after with consecutive birdies at four and five to establish a one-stroke advantage ahead of Round 2 on Friday.

Quick quotes

“It was just very consistent,” was Hart’s Round 1 summary.

“Kind of kept it pretty simple, just kind of had the ball on a string and a few putts went in, which was nice.

“Just very consistent which has been a long time coming.

“I’ve had a bit of a back injury so I’ve put a lot of work into my short game, so that’s obviously paying off a little bit.”

Leading scores
1          Dillon Hart       61
T2        Dylan Gardner  62
T2        Lucas Higgins  62
T2        Michael Sim     62
T5        Jye Pickin         63
T5        Blake Windred 63
T5        Chris Wood      63
T5        Andrew Kelly    63
T5        Cory Crawford 63

July 15

Barbieri shoots 63 to win Tin Can Bay

New South Welshman Nathan Barbieri has produced an outward nine of 29 for the second time inside a week to win the Konami Gaming Tin Can Bay Pro-Am by two strokes.

Devoid of the 50km/h wind that buffeted Tin Can Bay Country Club 12 months ago, Barbieri backed up his victory at Emu Park Golf Club with a bogey-free 9-under 63 to finish two clear of Victorian Nathan Page and Queenslander Blaike Perkins.

A hole-out for eagle from 100 metres at the 386-metre par-4 fourth was the centrepiece of Barbieri’s front nine of 6-under 29, moving to 7-under with birdie at the par-5 10th.

The brakes were then somewhat applied, securing his second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win of the year with closing birdies at the par-5 15th and par-5 18th.

Turning point

The hole-out eagle at the fourth marked the start of a run that yielded 5-under over the course of five holes.

After a par at five, Barbieri peeled off three straight birdies to build a buffer that would hold up over the course of a back nine of 3-under par.

Quick quotes

“Last year was 50k wind, so it was a bit different today,” said Barbieri.

“I’ve really enjoyed the course. It’s quite hilly, but the greens are always nice and fairways are nice.

“I had a hole-out there as well from a hundred metres. And then the rest of them was just sort of straight golf. Hit a couple close, made a couple long ones here and there, how 9-under would normally go.”

Leading scores
1          Nathan Barbieri            63
T2        Nathan Page                65
T2        Blaike Perkins               65
T4        Alex Simpson               66
T4        James Tauariki              66
6          Bradley Kivimets          67

Next up

$90,000 Optilease Redcliffe Pro-Am at Redcliffe Golf Club, July 17-18

July 12

Duo shoot 11-under to share Biloela win

New South Welshman James Conran had to conjure an 11th birdie on his final hole to earn a share of victory with Victorian Nathan Page at the Biloela Pro-Am at Biloela Golf Club in Central Queensland.

Winner of the Heritage Classic on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this year, Conran was cruising to victory when he birdied the par-5 18th to reach 10-under with three holes to play.

There were whispers of 59 as he waited on the first tee but Conran had to quickly reset when he became aware of the birdie blitz being unleashed by Page.

That run of birdies would end at seven as Page posted 11-under 61, Conran converting a birdie putt from 10 feet at his final hole, the par-4 third, to match Page’s extraordinary score.

It is the best score either have recorded in a professional tournament, the pair left slightly perplexed that 11-under wasn’t enough for an outright win.

“I mean, it would’ve been good to nip it from him, but I can’t do much more than 11-under,” said Page, who finished second to Conran at the Heritage Classic.

“There’s no gimme holes, that’s for sure. You’ve got to earn every birdie, but they’re marginally easier to come across here than some other places, you could say.”

“There are a couple holes that are driveable, but you still have to hit good chips from the right angles into these greens,” added Conran, the pair pictured with Stephen Gibson (Elders Finance, Head of Broker), Randall Coulthurst (Elders Finance, Agri Relationship Manager) and Ron Dilger (Dyno Nobel, Plant Manager).

“But 11-under is still a joke.”

Turning point

When Page stood on the 12th tee at 3-under par, Conran was four strokes clear and showing no signs of taking his foot off the gas.

Page birdied the short par-4 12th to move to 4-under as Conran made one of his own to stay four clear.

But as Conran continued to add birdies, so too did Page, his birdie at 12 the start of a career-best seven-birdie run that would see the pair locked together at 11-under at day’s end.

Quick quotes

“In terms of processes, not at all whatsoever,” said Page of how Conran’s score affected his own game.

“But obviously, subconsciously, might bring a bit more out here knowing that there’s someone just there and you’re not cruising home to a two or three-shot win.

“You’ve just got to go up and hit your shot and whether you’re even par or 11-under, you’re still trying to hole every shot or hit every shot as good as you can.”

“I’d birded the par-5 18th to get to 10-under and I look at my phone and I was three shots ahead,” said Conran.

“And then I’m on the third tee, I look at my phone again and he’s 10-under and I realise that he’s got the par-5 still to play.

“I’m thinking, Oh my god, I’m about to lose.”

Leading scores
T1        Nathan Page                61
T1        James Conran              61
3          Nathan Barbieri            65
T4        Matt Jager                    66
T4        Riley Taylor                  66
T4        Joshua Holbrook         66
T4        Blaike Perkins               66

Next up
Konami Gaming Tin Can Bay Pro-Am at Tin Can Bay Country Club on Tuesday, July 15

July 9

Barbieri prevails at Emu Park

Morning fog that delayed the start of Round 2 would prove beneficial as New South Welshman Nathan Barbieri completed a wire-to-wire win at the JRT Group Emu Park Pro-Am.

The fog that blanketed Emu Park Golf Club on Wednesday morning forced groups to double-up in the afternoon, buying Barbieri crucial time after making double-bogey at the par-4 12th.

“When we finished that hole we had probably 20, 25-minute wait to tee off on the next hole so I almost forgot about it,” said Barbieri, pictured with JRT Group Executive Manager, Brad Neven.

“You can obviously dwell on it a bit if you’re straight to the tee, but I actually think it helped having a bit of a break and just sort of reset.”

The bounce-back was immediate, making birdie at the par-5 13th and then picking up shots at 16 and 17 to finish at 15-under, two strokes clear of Victorian Nathan Page (67) and New South Wales pair Alex Edge (67) and Kieren Jones (66).

Tied for third at the Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am, Barbieri shot 9-under 63 in Round 1 at Emu Park and followed it up with 6-under 66 in Round 2.

Turning point

Cruising to victory when he was 14-under having made back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11, Barbieri brought a host of players back into the mix when he made six at the par-4 12th.

He’d made bogey on the short par-4 the day prior, also, the only hole Barbieri dropped shots on across the two days.

A wait on the 13th tee gave Barbieri enough time to compose himself and go on to claim his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win in almost a year.

Quick quotes

“I played well at Rockhampton and then these last two days have been pretty good,” said Barbieri.

“I played really solid tee to green both at Rocky and here and hit a couple of really close shots that had less stress in it.

“I holed a couple of good putts as well, made some good up-and-downs and got over the line.”

Leading scores
1          Nathan Barbieri            63-66—129
T2        Nathan Page                64-67—131
T2        Kieren Jones                65-66—131
T2        Alex Edge                    64-67—131
5          Bradley Kivimets          64-68—132
T6        Caleb Bovalina             67-66—133
T6        Lincoln Tighe               68-65—133

July 5

Hart wins Rockhampton for second time

A long-awaited Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title is in Tim Hart’s sights after the Queenslander claimed a second Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am title in four years.

Rising from his sick bed to trail Will Florimo and Nathan Barbieri by one after Round 1, Hart took the outright lead with a second straight 67 in Round 2 but saved his best for last, closing out a three-stroke win with a superb 7-under 65 in Saturday’s final round.

With birdies at 15 and 17, Lismore’s Sam Brazel pushed Hart to the very end, the 36-year-old prolific adidas PGA Pro-Am Series winner responding with birdies at 17 and 18 for a 17-under total to add to his 2022 victory.

“I still haven’t managed to get a win (on Tour) yet, so that’s definitely something I’m looking forward to this year with how consistent I’ve been playing,” said Hart.

“I’ve been doing a lot of mental work again this year and it just helps a lot out there to calm my nervous system down when I’m under pressure.

“I’m just starting to know how to control that a lot better than what I used to.”

Barbieri (68) and 2024 champion Chris Wood (68) shared third at 12-under, Doug Klein (68) outright fifth at 11-under.

Turning point
Leading Brazel and Jack Pountney by one at the start of the final round, Hart made birdie at the par-5 first yet found himself tied for the lead as Brazel began his day with an eagle.

There was a two-shot swing Hart’s way when he made birdie and Brazel dropped a shot at the par-4 fourth, Hart moving a further shot clear with a further birdie at the par-4 fifth.

He would head to the back nine with a four-stroke advantage, a comfortable buffer Brazel could never rein in.

Quick quotes
“I was feeling pretty good coming up here, other than being completely sick,” said Hart.

“I didn’t actually practise the day before the tournament because I couldn’t get out of bed, but maybe that could be a blessing for me.

“Trying not to try too hard, I guess, and not think about it too much.

“I came out here with a very relaxed sort of outlook on the week, knowing that I’ve played here and won here before.

“It was just a good head space that I started with and then managed to just finished it off nicely with a couple of birdies, which is really nice.”

Leading scores
1          Tim Hart                       67-67-65—199
2          Sam Brazel                   72-63-67—202
T3        Chris Wood                  69-67-68—204
T3        Nathan Barbieri            66-70-68—204
5          Douglas Klein               69-68-68—205
6          Jack Pountney              69-66-72—207
T7        Braden Becker              72-74-62—208
T7        Samuel Slater               69-70-69—208

Next up

The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues its Central Queensland swing on Tuesday with the two-day JRT Group Emu Park Pro-Am at Emu Park Golf Club.

June 22

Ford wins wild shootout in Clermont

Rookie Max Ford birdied his final three holes to claim a second straight adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win at the Bolt Off Clermont Pro-Am at Clermont Golf Club.

Ford was one of a number of players to flirt with 59 across the two days at the par-71 layout, posting rounds of 63-61 for an 18-under par total and a two-stroke win.

In-form Victorian Connor McDade had the chance to reduce the deficit to one and shoot 59 in Round 2 but could only manage par at his final hole, the par-5 eighth, taking three putts from just off the green.

Playing alongside Ford in Round 1, 59-year-old Legends Tour star Brad Burns had thoughts of shooting 59 when he was 9-under with three holes to play but finished bogey-par-birdie for a round of 62.

Burns would shoot 65 in Round 2 to earn a share of third alongside Harrison Wills (62) and Kieren Jones (64).

Turning point
Hopes of a second consecutive win were fading when Ford followed up an eagle at the par-5 14th with a bogey at the par-4 15th. But after par at the par-3 16th Ford once again when on a birdie streak, making three on the trot to close out his round and finish two strokes clear of McDade.

Quick quotes
“I’ve been taking advantage of driving it well,” said Ford.

“Especially on short golf courses, I think that’s the key and that’s showed.

“(The scoring) was unbelievable. I was refreshing the scores and I saw (McDade) had creeped up the leaderboard.

“I couldn’t believe the scores he was posting out there and gave me a bit of a run for my money, but it was nice to birdie the last two coming home to lock it away.”

Leading scores
1          Max Ford                     63-61—124
2          Connor McDade           66-60—126
T3        Brad Burns                   62-65—127
T3        Harrison Wills               65-62—127
T3        Kieren Jones                63-64—127
T6        Jay Mackenzie              64-64—128
T6        Nathan Page                64-64—128

Next up
Players now have a week off before the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series resumes with the 54-hole $60,000 Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am from July 3-5.

June 18

Rookie Ford stuns with 10-under at Tieri

Rookie professional Max Ford has won his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series in impressive fashion, shooting 10-under 63 to win the JET Engineering Tieri Pro-Am at Tieri Country Club.

The reigning club champion at Royal Queensland Golf Club and the 2022 Riversdale Cup winner, Ford started with two straight birdies and never took his foot off the gas.

With a host of accomplished Tour players in the field, Ford never blinked, keeping a clean card and racking up 10 birdies to finish one shot clear of fellow Queensland Chris Wood (64) with Blackwater champion Connor McDade (66) third.

Turning point
Although setting a cracking pace of his own, Ford trailed Wood by a stroke as both players neared the end of their rounds.

Having started from the fourth hole, Wood was 9-under with two holes to play yet could only come up with two pars to finish.

Ford, on the other hand, birdied both of his final holes – the par-4 fourth and par-4 fifth – to reach 10-under and record a one-stroke win.

Quick quotes
“It was good to put it all together out there,” said Ford.

“It was good to take advantage of the short holes and I certainly did.

“I drove it really well. Pretty close to a couple of greens and then it’s just down to chipping and putting and I took advantage of that.

“Really stoked with it.”

Leading scores
1          Max Ford                     63
2          Christopher Wood       64
3          Connor McDade          66
4          Brad Burns                   67
T5        Nathan Page                68
T5        Kieren Jones                68
T5        Brendan Smith             68

Next up
The WA swing resumes on Friday with the Carpet Paint & Tile – Broome Furnishings Broome Pro-Am while the Central Queensland run moves on to Clermont for the Bolt Off Clermont Pro-Am starting Saturday.

June 16

Blackwater finishes with joint winners

A Sunday surge gave NSW professional Kieren Jones his first adidas PGA Pro-Series title as he shared top spot with Victorian Connor McDade at the ABM Blackwater Pro-Am.

After an even-par first round at Blackwater Golf Club, Jones started day two five shots out of the lead, but he fired a 7-under-par 65 to match McDade (69-68) on 7-under for the 36 holes, the former amateur star securing his second title in three weeks in Queensland.

First-round leader Riley Taylor (67-71) finished a shot behind the top two alongside Brendan Smith (73-65).

Turning point

Continuing his fightback from making an eight on the par-4 fifth hole in round one, Jones went birdie-eagle over his first two holes on Sunday and eventually caught McDade by picking up shots on his final two holes.

Meanwhile, the Victorian’s second round featured seven birdies and three bogeys.

Quick quotes

Connor McDade: “I’m loving it up here. It’s nice to play some summer golf in winter, but I guess I came up here to kind of get some wins under my belt and take that into the regular Tour season later in the year.

“I found it pretty tough out there around the greens to be honest so I was just trying to get the ball on the smooth surface as much as possible. Any time I missed a green, I felt a lot of pressure.”

Kieran Jones: “The day started pretty solid and then yeah, just had a few putts finally go in. It’s been a long time since they’ve gone in. The coach should be happy.

“I’ve been working hard on the short game. It’s been one of those things I’ve been battling with of late. The chipping went well this weekend, can’t complain about that.”

Leading scores
T1 Connor McDade 69-68 -137
T1 Kieran Jones 72-65 – 137
T3 Riley Taylor 67-71 – 138
T3 Brendan Smith 73-65 -138
T3 Ben Hollis 69-69 – 138
6 Samuel Slater 75-64 – 139
7 Brad Burns 71-69 – 140
8 Jay Mackenzie 69-72 – 141

Next up
The Central Queensland swing continues with the JET Engineering Tieri Pro-Am at Tieri Country Club on Wednesday.