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Brad Kennedy’s rare albatross and thirst for victory, Nathan Barbieri’s impressive bounce-back and how young stars Elvis Smylie and Su Oh plan to attack Sunday at The Players Series.
Brad Kennedy (62, 14-under)
On his first career albatross at par-5 15th
“I felt like it was going to fly and it actually just came out absolutely perfect, landed about 10 feet short of the flag. I could only just see the flag itself and when I saw it rolling and disappear I actually thought it had snuck over the back but a couple of people around the green started cheering. It was pretty cool.”
On how he had played over the opening two rounds
“To be honest it’s been very rusty. I’ve been driving the ball quite well and playing in the breeze I’ve been giving myself lots of opportunities to score but my wedge game, which is normally a strength, hasn’t been where it’s needed to be. I felt like I’ve been treading water a little bit and this sort of course gives you that opportunity where if you do drive it well you do have a lot of chances. Fortunately today I started to get myself in a bit more discipline through what I was doing. I wasn’t pressing as hard as I was and just trying to get back to my strong processes and started to hit some really nice shots. My distance control started to come back too so that was a positive in the wind today.”
On a confidence booster early in his third round
“The second hole of the day I had a little half 54-degree wedge and because the greens are quite soft and been spinning quite a lot I knew I had to take the spin off and hit a 54-degree from 73 metres off a downslope and hit the perfect shot. That kick-started a bit of belief in terms of the contact and control that I’ve always kept working on.”
On what he has learnt about winning later in his career
“For me it’s not the winning that gives you the biggest elation, it’s the process that you’ve gone through to get to that position. I’m just starting to really understand the process of what it takes to practice under pressure enough that I can start to hit more shots under pressure better. The process of being prepared is more of a satisfaction than winning. As strange as that might sound.”
On his preparation for this week
“I haven’t actually played a full 18 holes of golf since last October. I haven’t played socially but hadn’t actually played 18 holes until Thursday this week. Everything is still raw, the brain is still raw, the process is getting better and better and it’s nice to start to feel that competition, desire and hunger and matching that with absolute discipline.”
On drawing on the memories of the NZ Open win last March
“It’s up to me really. If I don’t do what I need to do tomorrow then there’s an opportunity that I’m not going to be able to get what I want to get done. In a sense I’m going to have to relive some good habits that I understood at the New Zealand Open last March and try and understand those again and get back to what it felt like. Use those keys and the discipline that I’m going to need tomorrow to continue to try and play as good as I can. If I don’t then there’s the chance that I won’t perform as I need to. My game’s definitely not there yet but it’s exciting to see where it is now without the workload under the belt yet.”
On the different names behind him on the leaderboard
“Leaderboards are pretty much there for the spectators. I only look at leaderboards if I need motivation if I’m not performing how I need to, to reassert myself and get back into the right frame of mind. Generally it’s all about my approach to the game and what I need to do to get the best out of it. It is great to see the young kids and girls playing but for me it’s purely all about what I’ve got to do to get the best out of myself.”
Nathan Barbieri (66, 12-under)
On recovering from a tough start on Friday
“Obviously yesterday didn’t really go to plan for most of the day so to finish with three (birdies) in the last four definitely gave me some momentum coming into today.”
On importance of making birdie at the first hole
“That was the one thing I wanted to do, I definitely wanted to get off to a really hot start again. It wasn’t as windy when we teed off so I knew the people in front of us would have already made a few early so to get that one on the first was really good.”
On finishing bogey free
“I was just playing really solid golf, keeping it in play like I did on Thursday and taking my chances when I got them. I knew that I had a couple of birdies coming up on the back nine so I told myself to try and get one before those holes and I ended up getting two, which was a bonus. I had a really good chance to make eagle at 15 from 100 metres but took four there and then hit it in the bunker off the tee on the next.”
On being in the last group of a professional event so early in career
“Even when I was an amateur I shot some really good scores in NSW Open so I’ve got some experience of keeping it going when starting well. Hopefully that comes in handy tomorrow. I’m just going to go out there and stick to what I have to do and learn off what’s doing out there. Enjoy the moment. It’s the last group of a tournament, you can’t want anything more than that. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it.”
On how he’ll relax on Saturday night
“I’m in the middle of watching Prison Break again on Netflix. I’ve watched it three times and can’t get enough of it, I’m all over it. You can’t get enough of it, it’s too good. I watched a few episodes and got addicted. I can’t stop now.”
Su Oh (67, 8-under)
On the momentum from a second round 65
“I had no momentum today to be honest. It was a bit of a grind to get some birdies. If you drive it well on some of the par 5s – I had a 7-iron in on 15 because I cut the corner – but I stayed patient. I had a few lip-outs here and there, brushing the hole and not going in but I stayed in there and just hit one bad drive on 17 and had to chip out. Other than that it was OK.”
On the highlights of her round
“Eleven was a good one. I was really in between clubs and I chose the right one (8-iron) and it was nice to hole a 15-footer. Then I horseshoed at 12 from four feet so that just killed my momentum and then lipped out on 13 for another birdie. It was a good birdie at 15. I just need a couple more putts to drop tomorrow.”
On the changing wind conditions
“The wind has been different every day so you can’t just expect anything. You have to go in and figure out where the wind’s at.”
On expectations of her game on Thursday morning
“I felt OK about my long game but with short game, I’ve had almost two months off and my chipping and putting… I had no idea how to chip. I hope I hit a lot of greens tomorrow. I definitely felt more comfortable the second day than the first day for sure.”
On helping to promote the tournament early in the week
“It wasn’t too much really, a bit of fun. It’s always nice to get asked to do stuff but when you get asked too many times you don’t want to do it. It wasn’t too bad. I’d played the golf course the week before when I came down to do another shoot so I didn’t have to figure out the golf course at least. It was nice to be able to help a little bit.”
On the course set-up for the women against the men
“It just gets a little tricky for us when it’s windy. I don’t think you can ever make it completely fair just because the guys hit it so long and with their ball flight it’s just a different game. I think they did a really good job. We’ve hit a few long irons, a lot of wedges but I think they’ve done a really good job. The guys are way longer on some holes but overall it’s really good.”
On what she needs tomorrow to win
“I’m so bad with these kinds of things. I don’t even know what the forecast is like tomorrow. I’m just going to have to go out there and make as many birdies as I can. It’s always good to play in contention and play for something. You get to learn from the nerves, it should be really good. I just really enjoy competing so it’s nice to be able to come here and play decent.”
On her approach during final round of 2015 Ladies Masters
“I don’t remember much from the first 12 holes, I just remember coming in I was really focused. And obviously nervous but I was really sharp and focused. Let’s hope I have the nerves in the right place tomorrow.”
Elvis Smylie (63, 8-under)
On the back-nine birdie blitz Friday to make the cut
“I knew I had to make four birdies on the back nine or I was going home. I just clicked into gear. I didn’t really change anything. The pin was back on 11 yesterday and I hit a 6-iron to about 10 feet left of it. It was an aggressive play and as bad as it sounds, I really didn’t even know it was going to get that close to the pin. I was just thinking about par and getting out of there. To be able to make birdie there and birdie nine through 12 for four in a row was really good. It was good to be able to just make the weekend and then to come out today and have the score I did was good.”
On the hole that kick-started his third round
“Six was pretty good. I hit a 54-degree wedge past the pin and razzed it back to two foot and then I hit a really good shot into seven. I hit a 6-iron to about 8-10 feet and then made that. I actually birdied six and seven the first day as well so I don’t mind those two holes. Personally, I reckon I could have been 3-under through four. I missed putts on three and four from 10 feet that pretty much horseshoed. They just went around the hole so I could have got off to a faster start. I three-putted the last which was a bit unfortunate but other than that it was a near-perfect round. I only missed one green, the ninth, which is kind of hard to believe, it’s pretty easy to hit in regulation.”
On the ability to go low when playing well
“I’ve been in these kinds of situations before. Whether it’s an amateur tournament or a professional tournament I still treat it the exact same, nothing changes. I need to just keep focusing on what I’m doing and keep playing the golf I’m playing. Keep it simple, stick to basics. I’ve got Clayts on the bag and we work really well together and I love playing Rosebud. It’s a really good course and I’m familiar with it but nothing changes. Whether it’s an amateur or professional tournament, still have the mindset of telling myself, Just one more. Just one more. That’s all I said to myself today. I didn’t really take my foot off the gas which is what you need to do in order for you to go low. You can’t back off so just kept applying pressure and the putts were dropping.”
On sense when a low round is on the cards
“I don’t really think of it as a day being one of those rounds. I know I hit really great putts on three and four when they lipped out, it’s not like I was hitting bad putts. I still had a lot of confidence in my putting and I actually made a really good two-putt on five. The first two days I made bogey on five, one of them from three-putting and another from not getting up and down. I made an eight-foot par putt on five today which kept me at 1-under and I felt like that was really, really big, to make that. The last thing you want is to be looking at 5s for that hole for the last three days. I still had a lot of confidence in my stroke and picked my line and just hit it. The greens are rolling pretty good at the moment. They might make it a bit quicker tomorrow but I’ll be able to adapt to that pretty quickly early tomorrow.”
Brad Kennedy will call on the memories of his New Zealand Open triumph last March to convert a two-stroke lead into victory at The Players Series at Rosebud Country Club on Sunday.
Currently leading the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, the Queenslander moved into a share of the lead with five birdies in his first 12 holes on Saturday but bolted clear when he holed a 7-iron for albatross – 3-under par – at the par-5 15th.
His 9-under par round of 62 is only one short of the course record that was set by his nearest challenger Nathan Barbieri on Thursday, the first albatross of his professional career putting the 46-year-old in elite company.
Greg Norman’s two at the par-5 fifth at the Australian Golf Club during the 1990 Australian Open is the most famous albatross in Australian golf while Adam Scott holed his approach shot from 198 metres at the par-5 eighth during the 2011 Australian Open at The Lakes Golf Club.
Former PGA Tour player Matthew Zions played the par-5 14th hole in just two strokes during the 2007 Australian Open and Damien Jordan holed a sand wedge for eagle at the par-5 ninth during the Queensland Open at The Brisbane Golf Club.
Steven Jeffress and Welshman Richard Johnson both aced the 301m par-4 15th during the New Zealand Open held at The Hills Golf Club in 2007 and 2009 respectively but Kennedy’s killer blow from 181 metres out of the right rough was an unexpected bonus.
“I felt like it was going to fly and it actually just came out absolutely perfect, landed about 10 feet short of the flag,” recalled Kennedy, who plans to add the No.4 Titleist Pro V1x to his collection of seven career hole-in-ones in the garage at home.
“I could only just see the flag itself and when I saw it rolling and disappear I actually thought it had snuck over the back but a couple of people around the green started cheering. It was pretty cool.”
A professional since 1994, Kennedy’s seven career wins have all come over the past decade, his most recent one a second New Zealand Open title at The Hills Golf Club last March.
His only start prior to this week since that win was at the PGA TOUR’s ZOZO Championship in California last October and Kennedy knows he will need to call on that experience to guide him to a maiden Players Series title.
“It’s up to me really. If I don’t do what I need to do tomorrow then there’s an opportunity that I’m not going to be able to get what I want to get done,” said Kennedy, who is exempt into the WGC event in Florida in late February.
“In a sense I’m going to have to relive some good habits that I understood at the New Zealand Open last March and try and understand those again and get back to what it felt like. Use those keys and the discipline that I’m going to need tomorrow to continue to try and play as good as I can.
“If I don’t then there’s the chance that I won’t perform as I need to.
“My game’s definitely not there yet but it’s exciting to see where it is now without the workload under the belt yet.”
In just his second month as a professional New South Welshman Nathan Barbieri is Kennedy’s nearest challenger at 12-under par, three shots clear of Gippsland Super 6 victor Marcus Fraser.
The 2019 Australian Amateur runner-up stumbled after an opening 10-under 61 but rebounded on Saturday with a 5-under 66 that puts him right in the mix to notch a debut professional win.
“Even when I was an amateur I shot some really good scores in the NSW Open so I’ve got some experience of keeping it going when starting well. Hopefully that comes in handy tomorrow,” said Barbieri, who was going to spend Saturday night re-watching ‘Prison Break’ on Netflix.
“I’m just going to go out there and stick to what I have to do and learn off what he’s doing out there.
“Enjoy the moment. It’s the last group of a tournament, you can’t want anything more than that. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it.”
Highlighting the diversity of the leaderboard that The Players Series was designed to deliver, amateur Elvis Smylie and LPGA Tour player Su Oh are tied for fourth alongside Blitz Golf Glenelg winner Matt Millar, NT PGA champion Aaron Pike and the resurgent Bryden Macpherson.
Tournament host and 36-hole leader Geoff Ogilvy had a day of frustration on the greens to fall to a tie for ninth with a 1-over 72 with 19-year-old West Australian amateur Kirsten Rudgeley, Champions Tour player David McKenzie and two-time European Tour winner Andrew Dodt at 7-under.
In the opening round of the Junior Players Series Spring Valley’s Aryan Sharma holds a one-stroke advantage from Colorado University-bound Jack Holland, the pair the only players under par with rounds of 68 and 69 respectively.
Tournament host Geoff Ogilvy takes the 36-hole lead for the first time since the 2010 Australian Open, two veterans make a move in the morning wave and two rookie prospects prepare to feature prominently over the weekend.
Geoff Ogilvy (8-under, 70)
On his second round of 1-under 70
“It was just a normal reasonably decent round where the putts didn’t go in like they did yesterday. It was fine. I had putts that ran over the hole and didn’t run into the hole. They weren’t bad putts but they didn’t get to cut the greens yesterday because of the wind and today they had inches of rain on them so by the end of the day they’re just a bit weathered. But I played with Elvis Smylie today and he made a lot of putts. Some days they go in, some days they don’t.”
On momentum from a birdie at the par-3 seventh
“That was a good putt actually. That was 4-iron to 20 feet maybe and made a good putt. Every time you see a putt go in it puts you in a better mood and you feel like a better golfer and feel like everything is going your way. I’ve played golf for long enough to know that yesterday was a day out on the greens for me and today was probably slightly under how you would like it to be. It’s fine, I’m in a good spot for the weekend and when I was driving down this morning it didn’t look like we were going to play any golf this afternoon. Pretty miraculous we’re going to get the cut done on Friday after the weather today.”
On last time he held the 36-hole lead at 2010 Australian Open
“I’m sure if that’s what you found that’s probably what it was. I can’t remember to be honest. That could be true, I’m not sure. The competitive juices turn on a little bit when you turn up to a golf tournament. There are a lot of guys here who I’ve played a lot of golf tournaments with over the years and they turn on straight away. But as all tournaments go, Thursday morning is somewhat relaxed as competitors and then as you get closer and closer to the 18th green on Sunday, if you’re still in the mix they build and build and build. Tomorrow will feel pretty good going out in the last group and then hopefully we can do the same thing on Sunday.”
On early impressions of David Micheluzzi
“He was towelling me up by a mile a couple of years ago. Great player and it’s great to see these players in the mix. This is what this tournament is for, to get these guys in the mix of these tournaments where it’s a slightly smaller intimidation level so when they do get there in an Australian Open or go overseas in the big tournaments they’ve got some late weekends under their belts. He’s a great athlete. He moves his body really well and he’s not afraid to go really low. That’s the first thing I noticed. He makes a lot of putts, 20-foot birdie putts which are really handy and he’s just up and about. He looks like he really wants to be good. Everybody obviously wants to be good but some guys look like it more than others and he looks like that sort of guy.”
On seeing Stephanie Bunque prominent on the leaderboard
“That’s great. This is her first tournament as a pro so that’s exciting for her. That’s the point. That’s what we were hoping for. It’s great for her, it’s going to be a really good experience for her, clearly shows that she’s got what it takes to play at the higher level. This is her first time playing for a cheque so that’s a difficult thing for people and to be top five or six in a tournament like this after two days with guys around… it’s a different environment for everyone so to be playing well, that’s awesome. I’ll be sending her a text tonight for sure. Exactly what we wanted. Exactly the spirit of the tournament. She hits the ball really well, she hits the ball far, really good driver of the ball. Enthusiasm for the game. She’s at Victoria Golf Club a lot which is a nice feeling for me because that’s where I learnt a lot of my golf.”
David Micheluzzi (7-under, 67)
On his second round of 4-under 67
“I definitely ball-striked it a lot better today. With the afternoon tee time the body felt a little bit looser. We had a rain delay for an hour-10 so just had a bit more time stretching and going through the course, seeing where the pins were. The first nine was the best I’ve hit it in months. I felt like I was going at every pin and was landing it close to every pin but because of the rain everything was spinning back. I hit everything on the first six holes inside 15 feet and only holed one of them. The putter was a bit cold but then it changed on the back nine. I started not hitting it as great but holing a few more putts and then on 15 I hit it way right into some tea-tree. Luckily I found it and made six and then I had a par 5 and a short par 4 coming up and I finished eagle-par-birdie. It was a good way to finish after a pretty good day of ball-striking.”
On the eagle at 16 and birdie at 18
“I hit 8-iron into about 20 feet. I actually hit a pretty decent drive there. It carried a bunker that was about 275 metres and it was around 40 past that. Maybe around 310-315. It was downwind and a little bit downhill after the bunker. It was in the rough so I took a club less and hit it to 20 feet and made the putt finally. Me and my caddie were quite happy. I hit a very average 5-iron off the tee at 18 and had about 170 in to a back pin and I hit a pretty decent 6-iron from that length. I haven’t holed a big one in a while so it was nice to see that one drop from about 30 feet.”
On his relationship with Geoff Ogilvy
“I’ve gotten to now Geoff quite well. Just before I turned pro we played quite a bit of social golf and I played with him also at Vic Open. Always good to chat to him and get his views on things. If I get to play with him tomorrow it will be an awesome day. Hopefully like a Saturday comp at ‘Cranny’ (Cranbourne Golf Club). I’ve asked him a couple of things of advice when I was an amateur turning pro but now it’s like a friendship. We talk about anything which is pretty cool, every time we get to catch up and play. It’s more of a friendship than anything and any time I get to play with him it’s always a good battle because he’s a very good competitor. Obviously won the US Open and three WGC events. Always good to see what I’m like around a player of his calibre.
On getting the better of Ogilvy early on
“Early on I did, twice. He thought I was ridiculous because I went 9-under, 9-under playing with him. Then we played Vic Open and he absolutely kicked my arse by like 24 shots so that was a bit of a different story.”
On fellow Victorian rookie Stephanie Bunque
“She hits it miles. She hits it unreal. When she gets the putter going, that’s when she’s scary. She can really pose a threat to anybody. It will be awesome to see what she can do over the weekend. She’s always hit it far, always had amazing potential so hopefully she does well this week and then onwards for the rest of her career. This would be a pretty good start if she can do well here.”
Stephanie Bunque (6-under, 66)
On being described as ‘scary’ when she putts well
“I’m just hitting it super well that I’m not really giving myself too lengthy of putts. I just knew that if I stayed patient those mid-range putts would fall in. I hit a couple of close ones as well so it all added up in the end.”
On feelings after round one 70
“It was nice to finish in the red yesterday after throwing in a double and a couple of soft bogeys as well. I had in my head that there were definitely a few shots that I left out there and some holes that I can really capitalise on that I failed to yesterday. I feel like I did a pretty good job of that today.”
On the birdie at the par-5 ninth
“Nine was funny, nine was a great birdie. I hit a fade and right in my landing zone is a run-off towards the rough. I’ve hit my fade, it’s hit the side slope and gone up into the rough and got wedged between a twig. I couldn’t move the twig so I had to chop one out there. Ended up running it up greenside, hit an ugly chip and then holed a 15-footer for birdie.”
On making eagle at the par-5 15th
“I hit 3-wood off the tee and I hit 3-iron to five feet. It was probably the best 3-iron I’ve ever hit, didn’t leave the pin.”
On whether her bogey-free round could have been even better
“I definitely feel like I could have gone even lower but I haven’t teed off this late ever so towards the end I could feel myself getting a little bit tired. Towards the end the par putts weren’t tap-ins, they were 3-4 footers so I had to focus the entire way in. I was just really proud of myself for sticking in there and finishing off bogey-free was the icing on the cake.”
On the names she is amongst on the leaderboard
“Scoring as we go on the phone is all new to me and yesterday I got caught up in occasionally looking at the leaderboard and seeing where I stood. Today I told myself not to worry about that and just worry about building the score and making sure I shoot a good enough number. I didn’t look at the leaderboard once all day which I was really happy about but I’ve just had a quick squizz and it’s pretty good company.”
On playing on TV in a featured group in round three
“Obviously it’s all brand new to me so that’s a hard one to answer right now. I feel like if I just stick to my process and stick to my guns and keep following my strategy and staying in the moment, regardless of being in the third last group, regardless of being on TV I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot with myself to continue with what I’m doing and keep the ball rolling.”
David Gleeson (4-under, 67)
On the hour-long rain delay mid-morning
“I was on nine green when we got called off. It rained all morning but I was pretty consistent and played nice. Then when we went back out, loosened up a bit and wasn’t as good but got it around, holed a couple of putts.”
On first start since NT PGA last October
“I just joined as an affiliate member this week. I haven’t been a member for years but given Asia’s not going on I’m going to try and do my bridging course in February, get my Australasian membership back and play a bit of golf at home. I’ve only played 1-2 events in Australia these past few years so I wouldn’t mind getting some kind of card in Australia to make sure I can play the Australian Open and PGA. I’ve only played three or four Opens in my life.”
On how he kept busy at home in Brisbane during COVID
“I really enjoyed being home. There’s a bit of a YouTube challenge happening at home. My 13-year-old’s killing us. He’s got about 6,000 subscribers and my wife and I have got 40. That’s what’s kept us busy.”
On highlights in his round
“I made a birdie on my eighth hole from the trees. That got me going because it’s a pretty strong hole. I blasted a 6-iron out of the trees to about a foot and then we got called off so I finished with a bit of momentum before the rain delay. There are some easy par 5s out here if you hit a good tee shot and I think that’s what the guys were doing yesterday.”
David McKenzie (4-under, 69)
On how the rain delay affected his round
“I was actually playing pretty well. Hit a lot of good shots but didn’t do anything fantastically well. Then the rain did come and I came off the course after making a bogey but then I hit it onto the 16th in two and three-putted for par and then made bogey on 17. I was going back out feeling like I was playing OK but my scores were still just so-so. Then I got on a nice little stretch there through the first to the fourth.”
On gathering momentum early in his back nine
“I hit nice shots into 16 and hit a nice putt for eagle but then missed the little one. At 18 I hit a good shot into 12 or 13 feet and missed that so I’d had a lot of looks at it. If you stay patient and you’re hitting putts that look like they have a chance eventually you’re going to make a few. That was how I was looking at it.”
On closing with two birdies for 69
“Eight was just a tap-in from less than a foot so that was nice and then on nine I thought I’d hit into the greenside bunker and it turned out that it had got onto the green. So I’ve hit two of the par 5s in two, which is not really meant to happen for a guy of my age.”
On playing Rosebud Country Club
“I’m showing my age here but they used to play the Victorian Trainee Championships here in the late 1990s when I was a trainee pro. Obviously everything has changed since it was back then but I always like playing this style of golf course. It’s not a Sandbelt course but it’s a Sandbelt-looking golf course and plays that sort of way. I’m lucky for this one because it’s short-ish, a little bit shorter than I’m used to playing in America that’s for sure.”
On how the course fared after the rain
“It drained off fantastically. The ball was bouncing again and wasn’t ripping as hard on the greens which you thought it might have. The course has held up really well. If it hadn’t rained as heavily we could have kept on going but it just got to that point where the rain was just too heavy for the water to get away. There were one or two holes where they had some bad luck with otherwise we would have still been out there.”
On prospect of returning to the Champions Tour in 2021
“I’ll go over and play as much as I can but having said that, the next event that I’m eligible for is the one-off event in Tucson in the last week of February. I didn’t do too well in quarantine coming home so more than likely I’ll head over there for the Chubb Classic in South Naples in Florida in mid-April. The irony is that I think I’ve got to do 10 days of self isolation quarantine going from Australia to America. Unfortunately I’ll end up staying over there the whole time in North America because it’s not worth coming home and having to pay $3,000 to do two weeks of quarantine, and you have to be home for at least a month to do that. When I go over I’ll end up staying over there for most of the year.”
A course record that confounded former US Open Geoff Ogilvy has given New South Wales rookie Nathan Barbieri a three-shot lead following the opening round of The Players Series Victoria Hosted by Geoff Ogilvy at Rosebud Country Club.
The first in what both the ISPS HANDA PGA of Australasia Tour and WPGA Tour hope will become a tournament staple on the local golf calendar, the TPS Victoria format gathers leading men, women and amateurs in the same field with top juniors to be added for the weekend rounds.
A ferocious wind that kicked in overnight and maintained its strength throughout the first round kept the majority of a star-studded field in check yet Barbieri managed to blow the competition away over the opening 18 holes.
A professional for little more than a month, the 2019 Australian Amateur runner-up finished third at the Northern Territory PGA Championship in October and was 5-under through six holes in round one of the Gippsland Super 6 last week before stumbling late.
Three birdies in his opening three holes was another display of Barbieri’s ability to start fast and he used the lessons of seven days ago to post a 10-under 61 and establish a handy buffer.
“It’s the perfect start so you just reset and keep going and keep taking your chances,” Barbieri said of his trifecta of birdies from the opening hole.
“I definitely got ahead of myself last week. Just counting the birdies I’d had and wondering what I was through the amount of holes.
“Every time I thought of that today I had to erase everything and tell myself to start again.
“It was near to perfect golf. Obviously starting well last week gave me a bit of confidence coming in. It was a good day.”
A member at Monash Country Club, Barbieri holed a bunker shot at the par-5 ninth to make the turn at 6-under 29, par saves at 11 and 17 and four additional birdies smashing the previous course record at Rosebud of 64.
“I hit it into the hazard on the right at 11 and got up and down. It was a dry hazard so that was definitely a momentum boost to keep going in the round and then I birdied the next two,” said Barbieri.
“Seventeen I hit it down the right and had to punch it through the trees to the greenside bunker and got up and down. So there were a couple of good up and downs that definitely kept the momentum going.”
Eight birdies and a lone bogey was better than Ogilvy expected when he arrived at the course and put him in position to win the trophy bearing his name on Sunday afternoon.
Far from playing a ceremonial role as host for the week, Ogilvy expressed his desire to follow up close friend Marcus Fraser’s win last week and get himself in the hunt over the weekend.
“Absolutely. Absolutely. I can’t think of anything better,” Ogilvy said of the prospect of winning his own tournament.
“Every time I play I want to play well. I don’t necessarily miss touring and all that but I miss being in contention and having a chance. The goal is always to get the feelings going again and get in the mix on Saturday and Sunday.
“I hadn’t played much, no expectations. Last week was kind of OK and shot a good score today.
“I don’t feel any responsibility to play well but it’s nice that I am.
“I didn’t think there was a mid-60s score there but after we got out there I thought if you holed a few putts you could go low.
“I didn’t see what I shot out there so 61… That’s a great score.”
LPGA of Japan Tour player Karis Davidson was the best of the female players in the morning wave but it was West Australian amateur Kirsten Rudgeley who compiled the equal best score of the afternoon to be the leading lady at 3-under.
Winner of the Port Phillip Open and Vic Amateur in December, 19-year-old Rudgeley is tied for seventh after day one and hopes to use the remaining three days to continue the development of her game.
“Any tournaments I get to play in is one step forward, that’s the way I look at it,” said Rudgeley, who received an invitation to play the event four weeks ago.
“Especially an event like this. It’s the first one ever being played so pretty happy with having the chance to be able to play.
“Doing really well in these sorts of events will give me the encouragement to be able to think that I can actually make it.”
The 2017 Australian Amateur champion and youngest club champion in the history of Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Matias Sanchez is one shot behind Ogilvy in outright third with PGA Tour of Australasia winners Matthew Griffin and Aaron Pike tied for fourth at 5-under.
Karis Davidson’s 2-under 69 puts her in a tie for 15th with rookie professional Stephanie Bunque and amateur Doey Choi the next best of the women in the field at 1-under 70.
Veteran Marcus Fraser has survived a major scare in the second round of match play to claim the 2021 Gippsland Super 6 crown at Yallourn Golf Club.
Delivery of the trophy to his children Archie and Lily was Fraser’s first priority after edging Swiss rookie Alessandro Noseda by a stroke in the six-hole final but the possibility of victory looked unlikely after his first four holes of the day.
Having earned a first round bye due to finishing in the top eight of the 54-hole stroke play section, Fraser faced fellow Victorian Andrew Martin in the second round and found himself two-down with two holes to play.
When Martin double-bogeyed 17 Fraser capitalised with birdie to take a one stroke advantage to the final hole, following that up with wins over Josh Younger and Bryden Macpherson to earn a place in the final.
“There was a three-shot swing there and then we both parred the last,” Fraser recalled.
“That was a little bit unexpected. I was nearly packing my bags, two shots behind with two holes to go.
“I played great in my second match and then felt really comfortable out there.”
Fraser’s last win of note came at the European Tour’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia in 2016, the chance to share it with his family adding special significance to his latest win.
“I promised the kids they could see the trophy before they go to bed so I’ll do that,” said Fraser on his 90-minute journey back to Melbourne.
“They see all the ups and downs now of what I do so it’s nice to give them a little treat and bring them something home.
“Sometimes you’re crying out for a break but when it’s actually taken away from you and you can’t do it you actually realise how much you love doing what you do.
“COVID has probably taught a lot of us that once again. I genuinely love playing golf and it’s great to be back out on the course competing. That’s what we do. That’s our DNA, what we love doing.”
First win on Aussie soil since 2003 for Marcus Fraser 👏#GippslandSuper6 #PGATA #PGAProud pic.twitter.com/PxIiYEeL9p
— #ThePlayersSeries (@PGAofAustralia) January 25, 2021
A Swiss native who spent a year at Middle Tennessee State University and last year completed a Bachelor of International Business and Finance on the Gold Coast, Noseda had to get past Ben Eccles, Jason Norris, David Bransdon and Peter Cooke before meeting Fraser in the final.
Coached by 2016 PGA of Australia National Coach of the Year Richard Woodhouse with Italian European Tour legend Giuseppe Cali as a mentor, Noseda was disappointed to fall short in the final yet excited about the work he did through 2020 transferring to the golf course.
“Of course, I’m a little bit disappointed to not have been able to win it at the end but ‘Frase’ played very well, very solid,” said Noseda, whose entire family all contracted COVID in Switzerland and have all since recovered.
“I knew I was playing good, I had confidence. I knew I had practiced well and prepared well during the period of COVID. I felt confident and tried to win, that was my thought.”
In the playoff for third and fourth South Australian Peter Cooke fought back from two shots down to birdie the final three holes and pip Victorian Bryden Macpherson.
Currently undertaking his PGA bridging course so that he can teach at his home club of The Vines Golf Club of Reynella, Cooke credited his result to some help from fellow Aussie professionals.
“I was having some trouble with my clubs and I was chatting to Scott Arnold and he sent me his old ones to see if I’d like them,” Cooke said of putting Arnold’s back-up PING Blueprints in the bag.
“I tried them for a couple of days and they felt amazing so I put them straight in the bag. They performed beautifully.
“Then I played the pro-am on Wednesday with Terry Pilkadaris and he was helping me out with some wedge shots. I pitched the ball beautifully this week so I owe a little bit to Terry too for the tips he was giving me.”
A decade since his British Amateur Championship win, Macpherson recently returned to Australia from the United States unsure of what his tournament future looked like.
Without status on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, Macpherson has been working with former Australian Masters champion Brad Hughes since November 2019 and believes he is now on a path that has eluded him for the past 10 years.
“It’s never been more likely that I’m now in a position where I can play at a higher level more often. Of all the times in my golfing career, where I’m at now has the best chance to be that,” Macpherson explained.
“I read Hugo’s e-book a couple of times and then drove up to South Carolina from Florida and started this journey to try and understand my swing a little better and the golf swing a little bit better.
“I played great the first three rounds this morning and was pretty much in total control of what I was doing. I was a little disappointed that my form didn’t continue all the way through today but that’s just how it goes. Next time it will continue a little bit longer and then the time after that a little bit longer again.
“This is good for me. I have never had a golf tournament where I feel like I can control my ball for 72 holes… and stick to the same thing for 72 holes. That’s a huge thing for me because I’ve never had that.
“It’s good signs.”
It was a disappointing day for Deyen Lawson, the 54-hole leader falling in his first match of the day to Daniel Gale at the first extra hole. None of the top four stroke play qualifiers progressed through to the semi-finals.
The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia now moves on to Rosebud Country Club for the inaugural event in The Players Series to be hosted by former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.
The leaders and major movers share their thoughts on round three and preparing for Sunday’s match play knockout conclusion.
Deyen Lawson (70, No.1)
On his mindset in the third round
“The goal obviously was to finish in the top eight for the match play but I still wanted to have the best stroke play score, even though you don’t get anything for it. It’s always good to finish on top.”
On the mindset shift for the match play
“I’ve trying to feel that way every day but this time I actually am starting from scratch. Obviously being match play it’s a little bit different. You play your own game most of the time but then there are times where if they hit it in close or hit it in a position that isn’t good, sometimes par is good or sometimes you have to be really aggressive. Being six holes, anyone can win six holes. Just beat the person you’re playing each time rather than anything else.”
On adopting an aggressive mindset
“Sometimes you can be fortunate and play poorly but the other guy just plays worse or sometimes you can play really well and get beaten by someone playing better.”
On whether the bye is an advantage
“If you had to play the first round and you didn’t win it would be a huge advantage. The guy we’re going to be coming up against, the eight guys who get a bye, they’ve just had a win and have played the six holes we’re going to be playing. It’s good to have a bye but we’re going to be playing a guy who has just won and feeling confident and has just played the six holes. It’s an interesting one.”
On the dangerous players in Sunday’s format
“The guys who played just OK today and just scraped into the 24, they’re going into tomorrow feeling like they’re starting again. If there was a four-round tournament they’re not really going into tomorrow feeling like they can win. They’d be six shots back rather than all starting afresh. Guys like Tim who played well today, he’s going to be feeling good because not only did he get through but he’s not actually five back anymore. He’s got in and we’re all level. Any of the 24 guys now could win, where if it was four rounds there is probably only three or four guys who could win. If I was the guy in 24th spot I’d be feeling bloody great. I’ve just snuck in, let’s start again. The guy who has finished eighth is probably feeling the best. He’s four back but he’s now in the exact same position as me. It’s exciting for anyone watching tomorrow because genuinely anyone can win.”
Tim Hart (64, No.10)
On shooting a course record 8-under 64
“I got out to the course and there was not a breath of wind and the course was looking pretty easy. I knew I had to shoot at least 6 or 7-under to have a chance so absolutely went as aggressive as I could with everything. I still played a couple of holes just with irons off tees because there are a few trees around on some of the holes but for the most part played pretty aggressive. It was good to get those early birdies, get under par and when I get hot I like to keep pressing and lucky enough to do it today.”
On making four birdies in a row before the turn
“It was nice to get on a bit of a roll there and give myself a chance going to the front nine. I started holing a few good putts which I hadn’t done the past two days to be honest. It was nice to see the ball going in and once it starts going in you visualise it better and they started dropping.”
On the opportunity ahead of him on Sunday
“The holes they have picked out definitely play into my game. A lot of drivers in those few holes, I can reach one of the par 4s. You’ve got to be aggressive in a six-hole shootout with anyone. Everyone’s a good player, especially the guys who have made it through. It’s going to be foot to the floor and try and make as many birdies as I can. Definitely a good opportunity coming from the pro-ams. I’ve played pretty well the last week in the pro-ams which has given me a good run into this event. Happy to sneak through and hopefully can get it going tomorrow.”
On what a win would mean for his immediate future
“That’s definitely something that’s on my mind. I won’t let it consume my mind but it’s definitely there. I’ve got to get through the first few rounds to even start thinking about that sort of stuff. It’s definitely a course and a format that I feel pretty comfortable in. I like my chances tomorrow to make a run.”
Daniel Hillier (64, No.3)
On equal course record 8-under 64
“It was pretty awesome out there today. Started off really well with an eagle on 11 and managed to make the turn at 4-under with a pretty weak bogey on 17 from just short of the green. Managed to come back pretty quickly after that and nice birdie on the last to finish off a good day.”
On the friendlier conditions
“The conditions were pretty benign this morning so made the most of that and rolled in a few good putts along the way. Just made the most of a course that was playing relatively easy.”
On the advantage of having a bye for round one of the match play
“It will be nice to have a bit of a sleep-in. Six holes, anything can happen. We just brought the same format in back home in New Zealand which I managed to play quite well at (winning the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Super 6’s at Manawatu Golf Club) so looking forward to giving it another run this week.”
On the game plan for match play
“The same that I’ve had all week. Relatively aggressive. Nothing stupid but enough to give me some really good chances if I’m hitting the ball well off the tee. Eep doing that and then hopefully if I shoot well I’ll be in that final match.”
On arriving from New Zealand
“I managed to come in on Saturday and luckily for us we don’t have to quarantine on the way here but at the moment two-week quarantine on the way back home. Should be interesting but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. I’ll hopefully play all seven events, it just depends on the quarantine situation back home whether I play NSW Open or not. Should be a good little stint.”
Marcus Fraser (66, No.5)
On bouncing back after shooting 74 on Friday
“It was pretty steady today. Yesterday wasn’t great but managed to sort a few things out today. I didn’t really prepare enough for those kind of conditions. It was my own doing, I just wasn’t sharp enough but felt pretty comfortable out there today. There was a lot of good golf today which was nice.”
On making a push to qualify in the top eight
“Around the turn I gave myself a bit of a talking to to try and get a wriggle on. I really wanted to try and get into the top eight and I made an 8-footer for par on the last so it looks like it’s going to be good enough to get a bye through the first round which is pretty good. I was a couple under and not really doing much wrong but I just wasn’t making anything. Then all of a sudden got going. I hit a poor shot into the 10th hole but after that I made three birdies in a row and got going.”
On advantage of a round one bye
“Because it’s a stroke aggregate for the six holes it’s a bit different from a head-to-head. We’re already playing stroke in the tournament anyway and to go out and play another six holes of stroke is fine. It is nice to get rewarded for playing well the first three days and get that bye.”
On career match play experience
“I played the WGC World Match Play a couple of times. I beat Keegan Bradley the first time I played and then got knocked out by Freddie Jacobson the second round. When I went back and played in Texas it was a round robin and I didn’t make it through that one. It’s nice to have something a bit different, especially in Australian golf.”
On keeping track of the opponent’s score
“Especially the last couple of holes, depending on what the score is, is probably going to dictate your own play a little bit. Especially if you go a couple of shots up with one or two holes to go. It really puts the pressure on that person whose down to make a birdie and try and force an error. Anything can happen in six holes. You can play OK and get bundled out.”
On balance of aggression and course management
“You’re going to have to be aggressive. Over six holes, if you try and play cautiously at some point it’s going to catch you out. You’re going to have to be aggressive and even if you’re out of position try and salvage a par somehow and limit the damage. If you make a double bogey in six holes you’re pretty much gone I’d think. There’s going to be a bit of strategy to it but you’re going to have to be aggressive for sure.”
Maverick Antcliff (64, No.11)
On fighting back from 1-over to shoot 65
“I got off to a start like I have the last couple of days. I just wasn’t putting very well and then hit a few good putts that didn’t go in at 15 and 16 and then holed a nice one on 18 from about 14 feet up the hill. I hit a decent drive down there and only had 30 metres in and I just really wanted to keep it below the hole so I could have a good run at it. Got one at one and two and then had a bit of momentum on my side. It was nice to get on a bit of a run.”
On the conditions
“Yesterday afternoon was tricky. You hit a decent shot and it might pitch pin high, go a couple of yards past and then you’ve got a 15-foot slider down the hill that goes four-feet past the hole. You had to be mentally pretty sharp yesterday, particularly on the greens. It was a different wind too to the practice rounds so you had to pay attention the whole way around. If you weren’t prepared to do that you were going to struggle a little bit. I actually felt like I played a lot better than what I scored.”
On finding confidence with the putter
“I’d been hitting a lot of good shots and I just hadn’t holed much all week. I just tried to keep telling myself to keep doing what I was doing and that things would eventually turn around. Even when the ones that don’t go in are good, solid putts, you gain confidence from that. I was just trying to stick to my process and routine and let the rest take care of itself. It was obviously very nice to get it going when I needed to.”
On when he will return to European Tour
“Those tournaments early on, they struggle to get starts for guys who managed to keep their card. There are a lot of guys getting appearance money and they’re trying to get those fields as strong as possible. I played Saudi last year but this year I think a lot of guys are being paid to play. I’ve got my passport handy if something happens but right now I’m concentrating on playing these events in Melbourne and using them as a warm-up before I head over to Oman and Qatar as my first two events on the European Tour.”
On his recent match play experience
“Probably the US Amateur back in 2015. It’s been a while but you’ve only got to win three of the holes and you’ll be all right.”
On the tactics for a tricky layout such as Yallourn
“Match play is totally different. If you can hit fairways and greens and apply pressure, obviously if they hit a few loose ones or they’re out of position it gets a little bit trickier with the greens being hard and fast. Just applying pressure through good golf and take it from there. You can make a lot of birdies out here so there should be some good matches. All of these guys are good players so you’ve just got to beat whoever is in front of you to make the final.”
Leader Deyen Lawson, 18-year-old amateur Levi Sclater, Geoff Ogilvy and Jason Norris share their thoughts after the second round of the Gippsland Super 6.
Deyen Lawson (70, 10-under)
On following up his course-record 64
“I try and approach very round the same these days whether you’re in front or coming last. Just play my own game shot by shot and no matter how I’m going just try and hit each shot as good as I can.
“I wasn’t playing great but I managed to get a score and give myself some chances. Even if I’d rolled a few more putts in I could have gone a bit lower not hitting it great so that was a good sign.”
On making bogeys on two par 3s
“One of the par 3s was not a great swing and the other was probably the best swing I made all day.
“One of the par 3s I misjudged the wind a little. I actually hit a really, really good shot and just didn’t end up how I wanted.
“The other par 3 I blocked it into the bunker and short-sided myself. I hit a really good bunker shot to eight foot and then lipped out.”
On his approach to the third round
“The top eight are exempt through the first round of the match play so I’d say that’s the goal that everyone’s looking at. At the same time, I’m trying to have a mindset of no matter what tournament it is, what round it is or how I’m going just hit each shot as good as I can. Not thinking about any outside influences. When you’re walking around you can think about stuff like that but if your routine and your process is really good it’s just another shot. If your routine’s good you reset when you get to the ball each time. It’s almost impossible to not think about some things but the better I can do it the easier it will get.”
On playing Blitz Golf Glenelg in preparation
“The early rounds of the Blitz you just need to make sure you get through and then it turns into a match play format. If you get through to the Sunday here there might be times when you have to make a putt to win the hole or halve the hole so you’re going to be a bit more aggressive. Even then if you stick to the process you’re probably going to hit more good shots more often than not. Because the greens are tricky, if you miss it in the wrong spots you can really get penalised pretty easily.”
Levi Sclater (69, 4-under)
On dropping shots on his final two holes
“I pulled my tee shot off 17 and then had to punch one short of the green and didn’t make up and down, just missed the putt. Up 18 I hit a decent tee shot and I was just in the rough. There was a stick right next to the ball that I couldn’t move and when I’ve hit that it came out a bit right. I was short-right of the green and the pin was up the back tier, it was a pretty dead pin. I hit a pretty good chip but had 20 foot for par and almost holed it but finished with a couple of bogeys.”
On making the cut
“I wanted to make the first cut for sure but I just thought I’d see how I go. If I’m going all right then the goal is now to make the second cut.”
On nerves playing first professional event
“I was a bit nervous on the 10th hole – my first hole – in the first round but once I got going and made a couple of birdies it was pretty good. Today was the same. I was less nervous on the first hole today. It took me a few holes and then I made three birdies in a row and that kick-started me for the day.”
On the local support
“I’ve only got Dad here at the course the last couple of days but I’ve been getting a fair amount of messages and stuff after my rounds. People saying well done and stuff like that.”
On preparing for his professional debut
“I thought the more time I put in hopefully the better I can play during the week. I’ve been to Yallourn every day this week but it’s different practising with all the pros and stuff leading up to it.”
On major influence on golf career to date
“I’d have to say my coach, Trevor Pridmore. Sometimes I go out and play holes with him and we play against each other. It took me a fair few years to beat him and finally did that a couple of years ago. He’s been a pretty good help for me.”
Geoff Ogilvy (70, 2-under)
On the difficulty of the conditions on Friday
“Today was super tricky. That was about as tricky a conditions as you’ll ever play in. It’s a lot stronger today. Stronger now than it was for us yesterday morning anyway. And it swirls a lot here because it’s quite hilly and there are a lot of big trees so you were never really sure of where it was going. Frustrating sometimes. You’d hit a good shot and the wind would do something weird to it, but it was doable if you hit good shots.”
On how the format affects his mindset going into the third round
“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead but clearly the job for the first three days is to make the match play. And then the further up you can get you get that bye in the first round which would be a big advantage too. The match play’s the key. You can’t win the tournament if you don’t make it and if you do make the match play you can win the tournament. It’s a strange tournament like that. Normally you’d be eight back and thinking you’ve got a long way to go on the weekend but I’ve just got to make sure I get in the match play tomorrow and then anything can happen over six-hole matches.”
On his approach to the Yallourn layout
“I’ve actually played really conservative. Maybe the old-school golfer in me has been burnt too many times on courses like this. It’s certainly a course that invites aggression. Some doglegs you can take over some trees and drive it near some par 4s. It’s a big advantage if you can pull it off but it’s so firm out here and with the way the wind was, it seemed a bit more prudent to just try and find fairways and find greens and attack it that way. The fairways and greens are immaculate, but as soon as you get off track, it’s very firm and you get those weird bounces and you can be on some sticks under trees, which is all part of country golf.”
On how the layout sets up for match play
“I played quite conservative but coming to the match play I think I would pull driver out quite a bit more. Aggression is worth it if you hit a good shot but it’s fraught with danger. You can get into some really awkward spots. You can get some weird lies around the greens. It’s not hard but they’re not lies that we’re used to having. It’s an adjustment. You can be not far off but be in a really awkward position.”
Jason Norris (68, 6-under)
On the conditions on Friday
“It’s tough out there. It was really hard. The wind was all over the place, you couldn’t judge it with the trees and then the greens were rock hard, bouncy, it’s not easy. There are a lot of trees and it swirls around the trees so you just can’t get an idea of where it’s coming from. If you’re a little bit off here you’re in big trouble.”
On his preparation for the tournament
“I’ve actually been playing all right which is a bit of a surprise because I’ve had six weeks off prior to this. I’m hitting it all right but I haven’t been putting well. I missed three three-footers the last couple of days but just playing solid. In the last five weeks I’ve played 37 holes and hit about 80 balls so it’s good to come out and play all right. I was playing good before then. I’m a believer that if you think right you can still play all right.”
On whether qualifying for the match play enters his thinking
“You do deep down but I was trying not to think about it. I’ve been really good with sticking in the moment and working on my processes again. If you start thinking about that you generally make bogeys and double bogeys. It would be good to have a good score again tomorrow and see how it goes.”
On his struggles with the putter
“It’s the first time I’ve had the yips for a while. I changed to the claw and then I wasn’t missing the three-footers then. I’d been putting well for the past year but just a bit nervy here this week. I four-putted 18 on Thursday and yipped it from three feet on the third today, which wasn’t great. Ash Hall was using the claw and I’d used that in the past so I thought, I like that, I switched to that and I putt pretty good short range with that. I think tomorrow I might go cross-hand from longer range and claw from short range. That’s what I was doing in Fiji and it worked.”
A self-imposed booze ban and blissful ignorance of the birdie barrage he was unleashing has given Gold Coast-based Deyen Lawson a two-stroke advantage after the opening round of the Gippsland Super 6 at Yallourn Golf Club east of Melbourne.
An afternoon of all-out attack ended with an outright leader and a host of spurned contenders in an exhilarating first round, Lawson’s 10 birdies in a course-record 8-under 64 putting him two strokes clear of Dimi Papadatos and Michael Wright.
The first ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia four-round tournament since the NZ Open last February, Victorian pair Marcus Fraser and Ben Eccles led the way in the morning field with rounds of 5-under 67, both of which could have been better if not for late slip-ups on the 328-metre par-4 ninth.
Both Fraser and Eccles eagled the par-5 fifth hole but Fraser’s bogey and Eccles’ unfortunate double kept them from taking sole ownership of the lead ahead of the afternoon wave.
Their 5-under total was under immediate threat from New South Welshmen Papadatos and Nathan Barbieri, the pair starting on opposite nines but both plundering the tight Yallourn layout for five birdies in their opening six holes.
Barbieri got to 8-under with three holes to play in his round but a double-bogey at seven and another dropped shot at eight sent him back to the chasing pack at 5-under.
After five birdies in his opening six holes and an eagle at the 370-metre par-4 10th Papadatos also looked like going low first up but a bogey at 17 offset by a closing birdie at 18 left him at 6-under and two behind Lawson.
After starting with a bogey at 10 Lawson soon found his rhythm, racking up 10 birdies over the remainder of his round to end day one with a handy buffer, crediting a decision to give up alcohol in September and a COVID-induced reality check for his sharper focus.
8-under and the #GippslandSuper6 lead for @diggerlawson 👏
— #GippslandSuper6 (@PGAofAustralia) January 21, 2021
Check out the live leaderboard at https://t.co/usFfht4qR5 📲 #PGATA #PGAProud pic.twitter.com/hFcpam6GgC
“Normally I’d enjoy myself a little bit when I’m home but I’ve stopped drinking completely since September and I feel like when I’m practising I’m a lot more focused,” revealed Lawson, who made the final four of the Blitz Golf Glenelg event on January 10.
“COVID is probably going to make people go either way. Find a job and do that or, for me, it’s made me wake up a bit.
“I was a bit miserable there for a bit but now I feel better than I ever have and I’m ready. Even my coach said last week, now it’s just a matter of getting stuff to play in.
“I’m feeling better and now it’s just a matter of trusting what I’m working on and taking each shot at a time.”
After dropping a shot on his opening hole Lawson rebounded with a birdie at 11 and turned in 33, his back nine of 5-under 31 highlighted by a birdie that may have eluded him in years gone by.
“I didn’t hit a good drive off the par 5, the fifth, and it was going to be a really risky shot to even get it up near the green,” Lawson explained.
“I decided to chip out with a 6-iron to a good number – which ended up being 82 metres, just a little sand wedge – and I hit that to half a foot and nearly holed it.
“I made birdie that way where previously I would have tried a bit much.
“I know roughly what I am in terms of my score but I think not knowing how many birdies I’ve had might be a good thing.
“I do sometimes make eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 birdies in a round and not realise it. If you started thinking about how many birdies you’d had maybe you wouldn’t do it very often.”
Champing at the bit to play tournament golf again, Papadatos was unapologetically aggressive from the outset, yielding a blistering start that was highlighted by holing a 54-degree wedge from 98 metres for eagle at the par-4 10th.
“I couldn’t sleep last night I was that keen to play golf,” said Papadatos, who had to spend a night in a Melbourne hotel self-isolating after driving down from the Central Coast last Saturday.
“I was maybe a little bit aggressive. I felt like I was playing all right and it’s a course you can get after but if you’re a little bit off there’s so much run and trouble that there are heaps of bogeys as well.
“You can make quite a few soft bogeys if you’re a little bit off and that showed up a little bit late in the round.”
Brisbane’s Michael Wright has spent more time fishing with his sons Noah, 14, and Charlie, 12, than playing golf in recent months but dusted off a less than stellar practice round to plot his way to a bogey-free 6-under 66.
“It’s kind of cool to be able to do it at my age,” said Wright, who will turn 47 next month.
“Maybe it’s the relaxed attitude that helped me out there today.
“I hit it quite scratchy in the practice round but that’s golf, you don’t have to flush it in the practice rounds, just get it done when it counts.
“I plotted along there today and then made a couple of nice putts for birdie and then made a good 15-footer for par on the par-3 12th and that felt like an eagle. That kept the momentum going.
“I had a couple more late and then had two harsh lip-outs on the last two holes so it could have been even better.”
For round two tee times visit pga.org.au.
The PGA of Australia will launch a national campaign from next week celebrating the invaluable role of PGA Professionals in the industry.
The campaign – featuring three television commercials and outdoor media – aims to bring to prominence the vast skillset of PGA Professionals and enhance the recognition of the coveted PGA Professional accreditation badge.
“On the back of golf’s pandemic-inspired boom, we have seen thousands of new and returning golfers flood our fairways and facilities. Our multi-channel campaign is targeted to assist first-time golfers to understand who they can turn to for coaching or fitting advice and reinforce to existing golfers the important role and function of PGA Professionals,” said Gavin Kirkman, PGA of Australia’s chief executive.
“The fun, fresh and creative way in which we have promoted our PGA Professionals helps illustrate strongly that our Members are more than just good golfers. They are the heartbeat of the golf industry and are the leading experts in coaching, equipment and club fitting, retail, game development and golf club management.
“To earn the right to wear the prestigious PGA Professional badge, aspiring Professionals must undertake a three-year PGA Membership Pathway Program. Their education and training makes them golf’s most skilled person, so when you see the PGA Professional badge, you know you are getting the very best in golfing advice from a fully qualified professional in their field.”
This campaign sees the creation of a fictional character, Dale the Driving Ranger, who hilariously attempts to give advice to golfers using a series of bizarre coaching techniques. Dale adorns a child-like Sherriff’s badge with the words ‘Driving Ranger’ scrawled over it on masking tape. The ad concludes by illustrating that the only badge that should be trusted is that of a PGA Professional, and acknowledges that they are golf’s only accredited professional coaches.
The outdoor advertising encourages audiences to get a lesson and fitting by a PGA Professional and will be showcased in high traffic locations across Australia.
Some of the golf industry’s leading equipment manufacturers – Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra Puma Golf and Mizuno – have all assisted in widening the reach of this campaign by providing their support.
“These golf brands have been pivotal to bringing this campaign to life,” Kirkman said.
“They – like us – believe that a healthy golf industry is reliant on the success of PGA Professionals. We are proud to unite with these quality brands and thank them wholeheartedly for embracing this campaign.”
The PGA Professional campaign goes live later this month.
One of New Zealand’s pre-eminent sporting events, the New Zealand Golf Open, scheduled to be played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills in February 2021 has been cancelled.
The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr John Hart, confirmed the cancellation, due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic and the related health and financial risks.
The 102nd New Zealand Open will now be played between 17th and 20th February 2022.
“We are extremely disappointed to have had to come to this decision but the effects of the pandemic, borders being closed, and the financial risk associated with a potential later cancellation due to any further Covid-19 outbreaks means we have no other alternative other than to cancel this event now.”
“With up to 300 international participants coming from offshore (including professional players, amateur players, caddies, and officials of our Tour partners (the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour), we need absolute certainty now in terms of accessibility to New Zealand and this is clearly not possible,” said Hart.
“We would like to thank Millbrook Resort (the tournament underwriter), The Hills, our many commercial partners, both domestic and international, led by our presenting sponsor Sky Sport, Government and the Queenstown Lakes District Council for their support and understanding. Further thanks go to our Tour partners, New Zealand Golf, our professional players, our sold-out amateur field, and our amazing volunteer force.”
“This is not a decision we have made lightly, and we are particularly disappointed for the Queenstown region who have suffered many setbacks during this Covid-19 era.”
“We are very proud of what we have created with the New Zealand Open becoming one of New Zealand’s most recognised and applauded international sporting events.”
“We remain very committed to once again showcasing the very best of Queenstown and New Zealand in February 2022 at a time when hopefully we will all be operating in a more certain and safer environment,” said Hart.
The cancellation of the New Zealand Open follows announcements in the past 10 days of the cancellation of Australia’s four major golf tournaments; the Australian Men’s Open, the Australian Women’s Open, the Australian PGA Championship, and the Victorian Open, all similarly planned for February 2021.
