More events postponed due to COVID-19

The PGA of Australia has confirmed it will extend the current postponement period of all sanctioned events from Friday 1 May to Monday 1 June as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve.

Affected events include those on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series, Ladbrokes Legends Tour, Volkswagen Scramble Regional Finals and the Championship Final as well as PGA Trainee and Open matches.

The decision has been made with the health and safety of PGA Professionals and stakeholders in mind and in line with government regulations.

“We will continue to work closely with competitors, sponsors and host venues in attempting to reschedule these events where possible,” said PGA of Australia Tournaments Director Australasia, Nick Dastey.

“While we will face another set of challenges when we are given the all clear to proceed, whenever that may be, I would like to thank our Members, stakeholders, host venues, participants and the wider golf community for their continued understanding during this period.”

The PGA – guided by the expertise of the Australian Government and leading health authorities – will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate any further changes.

The PGA of Australia will postpone all sanctioned events from Friday as a precautionary measure to help tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

Events such as Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series, Ladbrokes Legends Tour, Volkswagen Scramble Regional Finals, and PGA Trainee and Open matches played from Friday 20 March until Friday 1 May are set to be rescheduled later in the year.

It follows the postponement of the Morobe Open and Papua New Guinea Open, which form part of the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia respectively.

“The health and safety of our Members and stakeholders is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Gavin Kirkman, chief executive of the PGA of Australia.

“We are dealing with unprecedented events worldwide and this measure is a much-needed approach to ensure we are playing our part in flattening the Coronavirus curve.

“We will continue to take the advice of the Australian Government and leading health authorities to decrease the rate of transmission, which will ultimately free up the valuable resources at hospitals and health centres so frontline support staff can appropriately manage the crisis.”

The PGA – guided by the expertise of the Australian Government and leading health authorities – will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate any future changes.

The PGA of Australia will postpone the Morobe Open and Papua New Guinea Open as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The two events, staged on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia respectively, were set to be played in April and May, but are likely to be rescheduled later in the year.

The decision has been made in the wake of the World Health Organization officially declaring the virus a global pandemic.

The PGA of Australia’s Tournaments Director Australasia, Nick Dastey, says the safety of the golfers, volunteers and stakeholders was paramount to the decision.

“While it’s disappointing to postpone any event, the health and safety of our players, members, staff and volunteers is always our top priority,” Dastey said.

“As infection rates in Australia continue to increase, the PGA is working closely with health authorities and government bodies to ensure we adopt the safest practices to protect all those involved in putting together our golf events.

“We’re currently in discussions with all stakeholders to determine a revised date for the event later in the year. We will continue to review our position in light of the latest information from subject-matter experts.”

The thoughts now are pretty much utter amazement and it’s just hard to put into words the emotion I’ve gone through over the past three weeks. I felt like I’d lost two tour events and to come back and play the way I did this week, it’s going to take a bit of time to […]

The thoughts now are pretty much utter amazement and it’s just hard to put into words the emotion I’ve gone through over the past three weeks.

I felt like I’d lost two tour events and to come back and play the way I did this week, it’s going to take a bit of time to understand why things happened for the reasons they did and you just never know in this game.

I was chasing today, which put me in a really good mindset to just continue to attack and I felt like a couple of times the last few weeks I started to play out of what I can do and what I trust. Today I just really focused on doing what I need to do in terms of hitting the shots that were required.

I was seeing the shots, I was believing in myself to hit the shots and I was executing them so that was huge.

It’s pretty special. I don’t know if I’ll win a second one again, to be honest. I was looking to hang the boots up at the end of this year, I’ve been doing it for 25 years and just really wanted to make this year a really positive year to end. I’ve sacrificed a lot, but also my family has sacrificed a lot too. I’ve been pretty selfish over the last 15, 20 years playing the game and it just feels now is a good time to get back and watch my girls grow up and spend some time at home.

It’s funny, 45 and still guys coming through, you watch them and think ‘wow, they are impressive’. It’s just amazing how age doesn’t create a barrier in golf. A lot of the epxerience that I’ve dealt with through my career, they are the things you look back on and cherish, that I was able to come back from being so mentally distraught.

I just love coming back to New Zealand. You guys really to look after us as players and to play on these courses brings back good memories, some negative memories too from 2018.

The course played unbelievable over the weekend, and not much breeze, I thought someone could easily shoot a really low one. Under pressure that’s hard, to get out there in the second last group and shoot that score under those conditions. I wasn’t aware of the scoring, because in the past that’s been a negative for me, just to look up and have those emotions affect you, whether you are in front or behind. I really made a conscious effort today of head down, wait until its finished and then react. I saw that Lucas got to 20 and then I putted out and I thought, well if he makes a birdie we are in a playoff, so I was never done until they said he hit it in the water.

It’s a shame for Lucas, it’s great for him to come back and support the event. You just have to look at the players here this week. Everyone loves coming to Queenstown and playing this tournament, it’s just an awesome event and I’m pretty proud to win it a second time.

I didn’t watch it, to be honest. I felt as though it was a chance, because that year we played into the breeze, where as today it was a bit down breeze. It was just a nice little draw into there and if you get a bounce you could hit it inside 12 feet quite easily and make a putt. With his ability, in my mind, I thought we could be going to a playoff and it’s just unfortunate for Lucas, but he’s got huge ability and he’s got more events left than me.

There was just a lot of things that I wanted to tick off to be happy with my career. This is definitely up there. To win again, and it’s hard to describe. A few weeks ago I had my wife caddying for me and I had my kids there and I was trying to have a real family experience, plus it would be the last time they would see me play golf there.

That’s what gutted me the most. My wife picked me up and just told me to get back out there and keep going. I had a chat to my performance coach on Wednesday, Dave Alred, who was on his way to Ireland, we just looked at a couple of things and he gave me a great insight as to what, how to really stay direct and stay out of the emotion and it was just that key really went a long way this week.

I didn’t honestly look until the last. I heard the roar and assumed he hit in on in two on 17 and then I gave myself a three-footer……….

Then I gave myself a three-footer … I hit a great putt. I was saying give it a chance but it was so quick and to have another three-footer – I missed a three-footer two weeks ago to get into a playoff – so to make that and win – you can’t go through that emotion and understand why. That is the amazing part about it.

Guys who come to talk to me about experience – you just can’t buy that stuff. How do you replicate it. How to you get through the bad stuff but stuff but still maintain you have the ability to win and keep going I think this has asserted my belief that how important practice is – practising the right things and being able to be gutted and turn around and get success. That’s something I will take a long way even outside of golf.

I have not spoken to the family. I can’t wait to talk to the kids.

It is going fuel the fire. But I have always said no to senior golf. I just want to be home with the kids – stay at home and watch them grow up. The oldest is 13 and youngest is 8. To see them grow up through their careers. Money is not an object – I would quite happily sit home and watch them and guide them through their careers. I miss a lot of events they are in so as a life experience I would like to go through that.

I was on the Asian Tour for eight years and loved it. It is going to be interesting. I still plan just to play Japan 20 events and the four events in Australia which for me is enough but I do not know. A few months ago I got an email from the IOC to say I am fourth reserve for the Olympics. Thought I am 45 – I don’t go to the Olympics.

Things can change so quickly. With this virus guys will pull out so I may be playing in the Olympics in four months’ time. You just never know in this game and that is why we love it and why it can destroy us.

It is something I have really tried to work on over my career. And really focusing on things that I can control which is just me and my decision-making. If someone plays better than me that day – the hardest thing to try and do is to play good golf and react to what other people are doing. Sometimes you can help it – it just happens and it gets in your face. I made a conscious effort today.

I knew it was going to take something special and there’s no point stopping. I’ll just keep going and wait to see what happens. I thought someone from 10 or 11 under was still a chance to shoot 59 or 60 out there today. The course was playing amazing. There was any opportunity that has happened in the past with guys coming from five or six back to win. I knew that in my position that third wasn’t safe. Even a two-under day wasn’t going to cut it so I had to try and workout what was needed to shoot that really low number and one of those to achieve that was really staying committed to being in my own space and what I could control.

Q. Lucas, probably wasn’t the final result you wanted in the end but a second place finish at the New Zealand Open is still a great achievement. Yeah it was good. It’s just a good start to the season. Obviously I had the win in Dubai and then to back it up with another top-five […]

Q. Lucas, probably wasn’t the final result you wanted in the end but a second place finish at the New Zealand Open is still a great achievement.

Yeah it was good. It’s just a good start to the season. Obviously I had the win in Dubai and then to back it up with another top-five finish was really pleasing and realistically I didn’t have my best stuff this week. To finish second you’ve got to look at the positives and I sort of can’t slouch too much at that.

Q. Tell me about your game today.

It probably looked like I hit it great but I was really battling some stuff with my golf swing and obviously two bad swings at the wrong times and a double on 13 and a bogey on 18 and that’s kind of the tournament right there. Obviously the putter wasn’t hot either. It was just one of those days where I just needed more stuff to go for me and it just didn’t so you’ve got to take those with the good and if I put myself in that position again hopefully it works out next time.

Q. What do you take from this result?

I mean the fact that I really didn’t have my best stuff and I probably wasn’t really that close to it this week but I still finished at 19-under and ran second in a large event being the New Zealand Open so there’s a lot to take away from that. I can’t get too down and I’m sure there’ll be some good celebrations tonight.

Q. You were up against a quality opponent in the end what are your thoughts on going up against him?

Brad’s played great out there today. He shot 8-under and kind of deserves to win given how well he played. He made the birdies when he needed to and he played the tough holes better than I did. You don’t like losing to anyone so it is what it is. He’s played the better golf today and he’s won and he deserves to win.

Q. What’s next for you now?

I’ve got 11 weeks off I think. We’ll just play it by ear.

Q. Do you go home and get a bit of R&R.

I think so, I think I’ve earned it. I’ll just see all of my mates and celebrate this properly with them. Just put the clubs away for a bit and do the stuff that you don’t get a chance to do when you’re out on the road playing.

It was good. I was nervy coming down the stretch today probably more so than the PGA. I am not sure why that was. I didn’t really look at any leaderboards. I was just trying to do my thing. There was just a couple of pressure shots that I kind of messed up coming in […]

It was good. I was nervy coming down the stretch today probably more so than the PGA. I am not sure why that was.

I didn’t really look at any leaderboards. I was just trying to do my thing. There was just a couple of pressure shots that I kind of messed up coming in but I battled for third which is still a great week. If someone had told me that at the start of the week it would have been great.

I don’t think there was any catching Brad out there today. He was pretty unbelievable.

I am still nervous in the last rounds. I am still jittery and not swinging my best when I am out there. It seems like every time I get into contention, I know what to expect a little bit more and battling through it.

I feel if I could situate myself on a proper Tour and get a big stretch of golf tournaments that I could start performing like I did all those years ago.

Obviously these Australian Tour events have been good to me. I would love six or seven more of them in a row but it is what it is right now. I will keep showing up and doing what I can.

I go back to Texas and a few qualifiers. I am trying really hard to get some Challenge and European Tour events through some of the starts with the finishes I have had in European Tour events. I’ve had three top-10 finishes out of the last four. I do have status on the Challenge Tour but it ‘s not very good so I am hoping for a few invites to that and get on a run and see what happens.

It is always nice to make a decent cheque. I was pretty emotional after the PGA Tournament after having such a rough year- or not making those cheques that make it stress-free. Another one like this is obviously great and just having a baby makes that time so much more rewarding as well. I don’t know if she has got anything to do with it or not but ever since she was getting close it seems to have kicked me on.

Brad Kennedy has become a two-time New Zealand Open champion after winning the 101st edition of the tournament at Millbrook Resort.

Kennedy capitalised on perfect scoring conditions and an ability to go low on Sunday to post a bogey-free round of 8-under and take a two-shot victory over Victorian Lucas Herbert.

With twin results of T3 over the past two weeks and the heartbreak of a final round fall at the Queensland PGA Championship still haunting his conscience, Kennedy was determined to set the standard early when he began the final round from two shots back.

“It’s just hard to put into words the emotion I’ve gone through the last two weeks,” Kennedy said.

“It felt like I’d lost two events and then to come back and play how I did this week, I think it’s going to take a little bit of time to really understand why the things happened for the reasons why they did and you just never know in this game.

“I think I was chasing today which put me in a really good mindset to continue to attack and I felt like a couple of times in the last few weeks I’d started to play out of what I can do and what I trust where today I really just focussed on doing what I needed to do.”

While overnight co-leader Joohyung Kim faltered early and Herbert soared into the lead Kennedy sailed under the radar with birdies at the second, fifth and sixth holes.

A double-bogey from Herbert at 13, and a subsequent run of three birdies from Kennedy from holes 12 to 14 was all it took the 45-year-old to rocket out to a three-stroke lead. Yet it wasn’t until he arrived at the 18^th hole that he was aware of the position.

“The course played unbelievable over the weekend, and not much breeze, I thought someone could easily shoot a really low one,” he said.

“Under pressure that’s hard, to get out there in the second last group and shoot that score under those conditions. I wasn’t aware of the scoring, because in the past that’s been a negative for me, just to look up and have those emotions affect you, whether you are in front or behind.

“I really made a conscious effort today of head down, wait until it’s finished and then react.”

Nerves filled the scorers hut on 18 as Herbert got within one stroke of the 21-under total set by Kennedy on his approach to the last but yet another wayward tee shot from the Victorian meant the Brodie Breeze Cup would again belong to Kennedy.

“I saw that Lucas got to 20 and then I putted out and I thought, well if he makes a birdie we are in a playoff, so I was never done until they said he hit it in the water,” he said.

This becomes Kennedy’s 13^th professional victory, his fifth on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and his maiden Asian Tour win. He also becomes the first player to win the New Zealand Open twice since Greg Turner in 1997, and the first Australian to win twice since Rodger Davis in 1991.

“It’s pretty special. I don’t know if I’ll win a second one again, to be honest,” he said. “I was looking to hang the boots up at the end of this year, I’ve been doing it for 25 years and just really wanted to make this year a really positive year to end.”

“I’ve sacrificed a lot, but also my family has sacrificed a lot too. I’ve been pretty selfish over the last 15, 20 years playing the game and it just feels now is a good time to get back and watch my girls grow up and spend some time at home.”

The three-time Japan Golf Tour winner will now have the opportunity to return to the Asian Tour schedule next week in Malaysia if he chooses, however the prospect of time spent at home on the Gold Coast with his wife and two daughters will play a part in the future of Kennedy’s career.

A busy schedule in the early part of 2020 caught up to Lucas Herbert in a hard-fought final round of the New Zealand Open with the 24-year-old admitting his best golf was not on display in Queenstown.

“It’s just a good start to the season. Obviously I had the win in Dubai and then to back it up with another top-five finish was really pleasing and realistically I didn’t have my best stuff this week,” Herbert said.

“To finish second you’ve got to look at the positives and I sort of can’t slouch too much at that.

“It probably looked like I hit it great but I was really battling some stuff with my golf swing and obviously two bad swings at the wrong times and a double on 13 and a bogey on 18 and that’s kind of the tournament right there.

“It was just one of those days where I just needed more stuff to go for me and it just didn’t so you’ve got to take those with the good and if I put myself in that position again hopefully it works out next time.”

Just months after a T3 finish at the Australian PGA Championship Nick Flanagan has again finished third at an ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament but despite battling nerves throughout the final round the Novocastrian will take a number of positives home with him to Texas.

Asian Tour prodigy Joohyung Kim salvaged a final round of 70 following early errors to finish in fourth place ahead of New Zealand duo Harry Bateman and Michael Hendry in fifth place at 15-under.

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia now breaks until May for the PNG Open.

Photo: Photosport NZ

Warwick Golf Club Head Professional Sam Eaves has made a hole-in-one at the 213 meter par-3 13th at Millbrook Resort in an exciting final round at the 101st New Zealand Open.

While Lucas Herbert leads the way on the course, Eaves made the shot of the day on the back-nine with a stunning 4-iron shot onto the green.

Landing just short of the hole, his yellow Titleist ball kept rolling to find the cup and take the Queenslander to -3 for the day and 10-under overall with five holes still to play.

?HOLE-IN-ONE?!!! Samuel Eaves hits an ace on the 13th, Which means a Hyundai Kona Electric will be donated to a Kiwi charity, and he’ll take home $5k!!!#PGATA #NZOpen #holeinone #ace @NZOpenGolf @SamEavesGolf @HyundaiNZ @HyundaiAus pic.twitter.com/aPfXS5ewXt
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) March 1, 2020

Eaves has made the most of the impromptu trip to Queenstown after pre-qualifying in Queensland on Monday for his fourth New Zealand Open start.

Eaves will take home an extra $NZ5,000 while three charities will also receive a Hyundai car thanks to his efforts.

For live scores from the final round of the 101^st New Zealand Open visit pga.org.au.

Watch the NZ Open live on Kayo and the full replay on Fox Sports 506 from 6pm AEDT.

I played really well today., I played well off the tee and my approach to the green but I did leave a lot of shots out there on the greens to be honest. You can’t have all day that it goes your way. I am still in the hunt. I have myself a really good […]

Tomorrow is going to be fun to be honest.

Playing with Lucas is going to be really enjoyable. Obviously he is a European Tour winner so it is going to be where ever it goes, whether I win or lose tomorrow I am going to enjoy myself and give it everything.

Q. Lucas, terrific round today. 6-under, you’re in the lead going into the final round of the New Zealand Open. Tell us about your round today. I was pretty happy with it. I started off quite nicely and got that little three-birdie run through the middle and got myself in a nice position but then […]

Q. Lucas, terrific round today. 6-under, you’re in the lead going into the final round of the New Zealand Open. Tell us about your round today.

I was pretty happy with it. I started off quite nicely and got that little three-birdie run through the middle and got myself in a nice position but then straight after that I felt like I really battled my golf swing for a few holes and hit some errant ones. To fight back like I did and make some really good swings sort of 15, 16, 17 and even 18 there to hit it in the middle of the green, I was really proud of that because I think we’ve got a bit of work to do on the range to get ready for tomorrow.

Q. You won the Dubai Desert Classic from six shots back going into the final day and you won it I a playoff. Is it a very different experience leading going into the final day and I guess the pressure of playing from the front?

For sure. Dubai, teeing off in the final round, winning wasn’t in the forefront of your mind given how far back we were and it was pretty bunched that leaderboard too. Tomorrow is going to be a different story. I’m either leading or tied for the lead so it’s going to be quite a bit different but I don’t think I’ve ever been as ready as I am right now to go and do it. I’m looking forward to it.

Q. What has that done for your confidence? You win a big tournament like that you’re clearly playing incredibly well at the moment?

It gives you as much confidence as you like. You know that you’ve got the ability when you give yourself a sniff and get in the hunt on the back-nine; you’re a big chance to win. I think that win in Dubai is really going to help me out given I hadn’t done it before. That gives me that confidence that I can get it over the line and beat everyone. I’ll just try and channel that tomorrow. Some good positive thoughts from a month ago about that and whatever happens, happens.

Q. You’ve got a European Tour win under your belt, what would it mean to win on the PGA Tour of Australasia?

It’d be great, given that family and friends are all here this week too that would be awesome because, I mean, my dad hasn’t seen me win yet so that would be pretty cool. The New Zealand Open is a great event too. I’ve always loved coming down here to Queenstown, it’s just a phenomenal place, it’s probably one of my favourites in the world. The Fergburgers are unbelievable so shoutout to them, they’ve been fuelling me all week. To get a win on the Australian Tour and as much as it’s not in Australia it would be good to prove back home that I can play as well as overseas.

Q. Your career is going places fast. You’re in the sort of top-80 in the world. You win this I think I just heard that you could be close to a WGC kind of top-50, top-60 rank. Onwards and upwards?

Hopefully tomorrow we can put the foot down and capitalise and the sky is the limit from there.

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