John Lyras (66, 6-under)

On starting his opening round with a birdie

“I had a pretty average warm-up but striped one down the first and hit a nice wedge in there. I rolled the putter really nicely today. Everything scared the hole so I knew that was there as a back-up in case the driver didn’t quite work out which was the case for most of the day. I stayed patient and as long as you stay patient out here at Moonah you can pick apart the golf course a little bit. And I felt like I did that really nicely today.”

On the highlights of his round

“It was driver, sand wedge into 10 and all the birdies were fairly commercial. To be honest it was a different round of golf for me. I didn’t really drive the ball all that well on the par 5s but just plotted my way around and really happy with a bogey-free round out here considering the way I hit it off the tee.”

On the conditions in the morning

“The wind picked up a little bit and got a little bit tricky on the back nine but just had to stay really patient and put the ball in the right spots all day. I didn’t really leave myself any hard up-and-downs either, even though I had to chip out a few times and wedge up and get up-and-down from the fairway a few times. They were real momentum builders. It was just really nice to get that round in the books and keep it clean for the most part.”

On returning to the Open Course after earning Tour card 13 months ago

“I really enjoy playing this golf course. It’s kind of similar to St Michaels off the tee in the fact that you can shape it each way that you want. It doesn’t really force you to hit a shape, particularly like Rosebud. It’s just enjoyable to come back to a place with a few good memories. I had to birdie the last to avoid a playoff last year at Q School so that was a nice feeling. The golf course is always in good shape and just visually it’s quite well framed off the tee. It’s always pure too so it’s a joy to play.”

On his golf the past 18 months

“I went to Asian Tour Q School last year when the first four events of the year were going on but after COVID kicked off I really didn’t play much golf until August. I had a few little wrist problems that I had to sort out so took four months off the game doing rehab and that proved to be quite good for me. I was rejuvenated and really needed a break from the game, even though I didn’t want to. Physically I just wasn’t in good enough shape to play and practice so it was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me. I’ve been able to pick up a little bit from where I left off at the beginning of the year and started playing some really good golf at the end of last year. Working with my coach John Serhan, getting into the physio and strength and conditioning and picking up some speed off the tee. I won a pro-am a couple of weeks ago at Merewether up at Newcastle and played Belmont. For me it’s more mental application on the golf course that I probably gained over that time and able to reflect on my rounds of golf that I’ve had. COVID gives you a little bit more gratitude for everything and we are lucky to be playing golf and lucky to be living in Australia.”

On confidence gained from top-20 finish at The Players Series

“Definitely. That was the first cut I made as a professional so any time that’s the case that’s quite a good moment. I’ve felt like the game’s been pretty solid. There are a few holes in the short iron play at the moment but that came around a bit more for me today nicely. At the end of the day it’s just trying to keep your head real positive and calm the whole way around.”

On missing the cut at the Vic PGA

“The first round last week was very different because it was perfect conditions and you’re just kicking yourself anytime you don’t make birdie. It was just one of those weeks where I couldn’t really buy a putt and really struggled reading the greens there and got a bit frustrated. I know the game’s right there and if I’m mentally in the right spot then I can achieve some things.”

Maverick Antcliff (67, 5-under)

On being 6-under through six holes

“It was nice to get off to a quick start, I haven’t done that in a while. Got it going early and then the wind picked up a little on the back. I hit some OK shots but didn’t really get much going and then made a couple of solid pars when the wind really picked up. It should be quite challenging in the afternoon.”

On birdie at par-3 13th

“The wind was down slightly off the left and the pin was back left so I hit a knock-down 4-iron. I was just trying to get it to scoot up that back ridge. It got to the top and then just sat on it and I holed a nice 14-footer. That was really nice, just to keep the momentum going after hitting a couple close early.”

On withdrawing after two rounds at The Players Series

“I got food poisoning on the Friday night. I wasn’t feeling great but by Wednesday last week I was back to full-strength and played last week no worries.”

On the quick turnaround at Moonah Links

“I actually went and got a new driver. I went and saw the Titleist guys and got the TSi3 in a 10-degree with the new Fujikura shaft and it felt a lot better than the driver I’d been using. It took care of itself; I could just aim where I wanted to and hit it as hard as I wanted which was nice. The fitting I had previously was just out of my two-week quarantine when I came back from Europe so I probably wasn’t swinging it the best. It was doing what we wanted to at the time but then you get back into playing and on the course with different shots so didn’t feel as nice. I like to see the ball move left to right so I was just looking for something with less torque and a head that didn’t spin as much on the mis-hits. It looked good yesterday but then seeing what it did on course it matched up nicely.”

On playing the same course two weeks in a row

“I played the same course in Cyprus two weeks in a row at the end of last year but it was Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday so you spent three days sitting around twiddling your thumbs because you’d already seen the golf course so much. Playing two days on the Legends, two on the Open and then a day off, it actually felt like a day off because of weather. It kind of feels like a day was cancelled and then you’re back out there. I’m sure it will feel weird on Wednesday and Thursday and feel like an awfully long week.”

Justin Warren (67, 5-under)

On the slow start to his first round

“I got off to a bit of a rough start. I took a day off yesterday so I was a bit shaky down 10 and made a bogey on 11 but after that I got into a bit of a groove. I didn’t really miss too many shots and when I did I missed in the right spots.”

On the highlights of his round

“I made a great up-and-down on 15 to get back to even, turned even and just knew that I’d been playing well the past couple of weeks. I just had to stay patient and hit fairways and greens and knew that I could get something going. I hit it close on 1, hit a 3-wood into the middle of the green on two, hit driver-driver onto the front edge on the fourth hole and two-putted for a birdie. That gave me a bit of confidence on the last few holes to chase birdies, made a nice one on seven and rolled in a 30-footer on the ninth which was a nice way to end the day.”

On what he learnt from having the 36-hole lead at Vic PGA

“Last week I played really well on the Legends Course, just didn’t really do anything wrong for two days and we had pretty favourable conditions. Saturday-Sunday we were out on the Open Course, much tougher golf course, much tougher conditions. It wasn’t that I did anything crazy or was feeling nervous or anything like that, it was simply playing a lot harder than the first two days and I just didn’t play as well as I did the first two. I still hit a lot of great shots, still hit a lot of really good putts so I couldn’t be too hard on myself for what I did on Saturday and Sunday. I just knew that I had to relax and stay patient. It’s a golf course that rewards patience because there are a few holes there where you can be aggressive and get going. I’ve worked out where to go and where to play safe and it paid off for me today.”

On what he has learned from being in contention

“It takes a lot of guts to really get out there and be aggressive, especially under the pump. These guys out here are really good and obviously with COVID we’re quite fortunate to have a number of guys back here playing these events that wouldn’t normally be here, they’d be overseas playing tours elsewhere. Since turning pro I have managed to get myself into contention quite a few times in some big events and the more you can put yourself in that position, the more comfortable you become. It’s a numbers game. Eventually you’re going to get over the line and get one done and when you do, it’s a hurdle that you get over and you become even more comfortable when you are in that position again. Being in contention is a great feeling, it’s always awesome to be up there in those last couple of groups on Saturday and Sunday, it’s simply working out a bit better game plan for when I get into certain situations where I may need to step away and think about the shots that I’m going to be hitting.”

On the people he seeks advice from

“Matt Jones is a friend of mine and if I’m ever struggling or needing any advice he’s someone that I can talk to and bounce a few ideas off. And my coach Gary Barter of course, he’s seen it all over his career. Being one of the rookie guys out here I’ve become close with a few of the guys who have been out here a few years and they’re always happy to have a chat and lend a bit of advice. I was even speaking to Brad Kennedy on the putting green last week and this week in regards to some stuff with my putting and just getting better. Brad’s a great putter and has had a lot of success around the world and being able to speak to him for 15 minutes on the putting green is something that I appreciate very much and always look forward to, learning from guys who have been there and done it over the years.”

On best piece of advice he has received from Matt Jones

“The night before the last round of the NSW Open in 2019 when I was leading I was struggling to go to sleep because I had so much adrenaline and was just wanting to go out and compete but I didn’t know what to do with that because it was 10 o’clock at night and I’m trying to get a good night’s rest. I sent him a text and asked what I should do and he said just to treat it like any other day. Don’t hype the situation up any more than what it is, you’re simply going back out there to play another round of golf. It’s so simple but it’s stuck with me because the more you treat golf and competition anything bigger than what it really is, you can really spin yourself out a little and blow it out of proportion. I’ve been a little angry the past couple of days from not quite executing on Saturday and Sunday but we’re out here playing again, it’s an awesome feeling and I’m just grateful. And that’s a nice feeling to have when you’re out there playing.”

A day after his first career albatross flew him to the top of the leaderboard and a two-stroke lead through 54 holes, Kennedy had to fight off his own swing struggles, a popped hip and the unbridled enthusiasm of youth in the form of amateur Elvis Smylie and LPGA Tour player Su Oh.

Kennedy, Smylie, Oh and veteran Matt Millar were locked together at 14-under with only a few holes to play until Kennedy followed up his chip-in eagle at the par-4 second with his second of the day at the par-5 16th to lead by two.

Oh was unable to add to her birdie tally over the closing two holes, Millar bogeyed the last after an unfortunate stance for his approach shot to the final hole but Smylie underlined his bright future with three birdies in succession to post the clubhouse lead at 16-under par.

Six-over through his first 14 holes on Thursday, Smylie played the final 58 holes in 22-under par to come up one short after Kennedy played a brilliant approach shot from 153 metres and converted the birdie putt from three feet to extend his lead at the top of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

In discomfort from the third hole with a hip injury that made staying down through the shot problematic, Kennedy mustered all his mental strength to never fall out of the lead and claim the 14th win of his career.

“I went to the well and back,” Kennedy said of fighting to a 3-under 68 and winning total of 17-under par.

“I really had to pull out all the stops on what I knew that I could do, pulled out all the information on the golf swing and what I can and can’t control.

“The discipline that I showed on the back nine is something that I’ll be able to take for a long time, that grit and guts and discipline. Even to the point that I wasn’t worried about the consequence anymore because I just had to knuckle down and start doing some work otherwise I was going to let it slip.

“I just wasn’t going to let it go. It was one of those events where I felt like I was playing well all week and had to regroup and really found a way in the end.

“That gives me that mental belief so much more. That it doesn’t matter how you’re playing, if you can get through it anything is still possible.”

Kennedy felt his hip pop while walking down the third fairway. He tried in vain to stretch and loosen it up, reaching down his left leg in pain after his tee shot at the par-3 11th missed to the right of the green. Unable to get up-and-down for par, Kennedy said a decision on the 12th tee was critical in playing the final seven holes in 4-under par.

“I stood on the 12th tee and told myself I had to go to Plan B and either change it and get going again or this is the path you’re going down,” said Kennedy, who has now won consecutive ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia events following his New Zealand Open triumph last March.

“The proudest moment was being able to try and change my game plan, change my swing a little bit and just take what I had and try to get the best out of it.

“To finish with a birdie up the last, that’s what you dream of as a player.”

First round leader Nathan Barbieri challenged Kennedy early with three birdies straight out of the blocks but a triple bogey at seven and double bogey at nine saw him finish level with Oh in a tie for third at 14-under.

Oh had an opportunity to take the outright lead on the 15th hole but her eagle putt grazed the right edge of the hole, that birdie and another at 16 getting the Victorian to 14-under. She finished as the leading female in the field with West Australian amateur Kirsten Rudgeley the next best in a tie for 14th.

Some of the largest cheers of the afternoon were saved for those competing in the Junior Players Series. Royal Melbourne Golf Club member Jack Holland birdied the final hole to finish two shots clear of local favourite Molly McLean, who chipped in for birdie at 17 and played a spectacular approach into 18 for another birdie and a round of 2-under 69.

The conclusion to the inaugural Players Series event was a promoter’s dream and established that the format deserves a permanent place on the Australian golf calendar.

“It’s going to help all areas of golf. It’s going to help the men’s game, help the ladies getting to a different demographic of people coming out and watching them play and even the juniors. The juniors were fantastic and so talented,” Kennedy added.

“It helps them to understand the type of pressure that you’re going to get under when you do turn professional and start to play for money. Having cameras in front of you, having crowds walk around and having to block them out and just play your game and be able to hit shots under pressure.

“That’s going to be a huge learning curve for their development as they go through their amateur careers and turn pro.”

View the final The Players Series Victoria leaderboard at pga.org.au.

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.

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“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.

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.”

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.”

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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.

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.