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KATHIE SHEARER: Terrific to have you back returning again. Great memories of the course and the area around here. CELINE BOUTIER: Yes, always so nice to go back to where you have good memories, and for me, Barwon Heads and the Vic Open is a special event and special week for me personally because it’s […]
KATHIE SHEARER: Terrific to have you back returning again. Great memories of the course and the area around here.
CELINE BOUTIER: Yes, always so nice to go back to where you have good memories, and for me, Barwon Heads and the Vic Open is a special event and special week for me personally because it’s my first win and it’s very exciting and special to come back.
KATHIE SHEARER: Do you feel perhaps a little bit more pressure returning here this year?
CELINE BOUTIER: You know, I didn’t think I would because I think it’s a fun thing to go back to where you have good memories, but since I came back, the volunteers and the people like started to recognize me and asking me questions, “Are you ready for this year and ready to defend?” So that kind of made me realise maybe I do have a little bit more pressure. But I think it’s a good thing, it means that I care and I want to do well, so I’m excited to start the tournament.
KATHIE SHEARER: Can you tell us just a little bit about the past year, 2019?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it was definitely my best season on Tour. It was definitely a break‑through season to get my win and then I accomplished a lot of my goals that year. Being part of the Solheim Cup winning team was exceptional and definitely the highlight of my season.
I also managed to play really well in majors, something I wanted to do and prove to myself. So it was definitely a season that has been very successful and I hope to keep going on that.
KATHIE SHEARER: That’s wonderful. Any questions?
Q. You seem very humble. What’s it like when you drive through and see the big photo of yourself on the drive up to the clubhouse?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it’s very strange, but I think they picked a good picture, so I’m pretty excited about it. Obviously I don’t want to look at it too much because you can’t get too far ahead of yourself. It was a great week last year, but I think every week is different, so I just try to take it as another week, another tournament and try to start from scratch.
Q. So we don’t get to see you every week in person, but it would seem right now that you’re a bit better player now than you were this time last year. Your results this year, already off to a good start and seeming more consistent. Is that fair?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I think after my win was definitely something that helped make mentally quite a bit and helped me settling in and kind of gain a little bit more confidence. That’s I think the main difference that I have from last year. I still feel like I can prove myself more and play better, but I don’t feel like I need to prove it to anyone else, just for me. Obviously that’s showing on the course, I just feel more relaxed and I think a little bit more confident.
Q. Is that true, living in the United States now, you’re more at ease than perhaps when you were first across from France?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah. I mean, I’ve been in America for a couple of years now because I went to college for four years and then decided to move there. So that was definitely a big change and it was very strange for a while because I was just there by myself and didn’t know anyone. It was very hard.
But I think it was necessary for me to play my best and to be the golfer that I can be. I’m very happy with that decision. Professionally, I think it’s the best thing I could have done, and I definitely feel like seeing the results also helped me justify this decision.
It’s not always easy, but I think it’s worth it. So I definitely feel better now that I have a little bit more, I don’t know how to say it, like distance from there. No, I’m happy about being in America.
Q. Do you travel with a team? Do you have a caddie with you this time? I think last year from memory you were basically on your own; is that true?
CELINE BOUTIER: No, I have my own caddie, but I travel by myself most of the time. Like you have your own caddie every week, but they book their travel on their own and you book your travel on your own, you’re not always together. No, I have my caddie, it’s a different one this year, but most of the time I travel by myself.
Q. And you work with Cameron McCormick?
CELINE BOUTIER: Um‑hmm, Australian, yeah.
Q. (Inaudible) last year that you were able to take through the year, a lesson that perhaps you learned about winning?
CELINE BOUTIER: Can you repeat the question?
Q. Yeah. In winning here last year, did you learn any one big thing that helped you moving forward through the rest of the year?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, just helped me confirm some ambition and beliefs that I had. My first full year on Tour was in 2018 and I felt like I didn’t play my best. I still managed to keep my card and stuff like that, but I knew I could do better.
The fact that I got my first win ‑‑ I mean, it’s not easy to get a win on Tour, especially your first win can be pretty challenging. The fact that I got it so early really proved to myself that I could do it and I wasn’t just like, you know, having goals that I couldn’t achieve or something like that. And I think the good thing is I felt like I could even improve, I felt like I could do better things ‑‑ things better. I think in that sense it helped me a lot just to feel more comfortable out here and feel like I can belong on Tour.
Q. Is there anything about this course, in particular the wind that we seem to get here, that kind of suits your game?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I think growing up in Europe we always had a couple of events every year in Ireland and England and Scotland or whatever, so we always practiced there for these tournaments. And then I think personally my ball flight is like a pretty low one so it helps me in these conditions. In general I think I like courses that are better ‑‑ that are tougher, so I think the wind making things tough is a little bit of ‑‑ not an advantage, but I like it better.
Q. So you don’t mind if it blows this week?
CELINE BOUTIER: I think it’s part of the fun. It’s one of the unique things about the course and about here is like it always gets windy. I think that’s also the way that the course is designed. I think for me it’s a positive thing.
KATHIE SHEARER: Do you come from a golfing family?
CELINE BOUTIER: My dad is a golfer, yes. Not my mom.
KATHIE SHEARER: Does he ever travel with you?
CELINE BOUTIER: Well, now they’re retired for a couple of years, so they try to travel more. They come to the tournaments in Europe, so Evian, British and Scottish, and then last year they came to a couple of events in Asia. It’s kind of whatever tournament they want to come to, they can pick and choose whatever ones they like or the destinations that they like, but it’s fun to have them also around a couple weeks a year.
Q. Without the ropes out on the fairways here, Celine, you mentioned before that it’s a good familiar spot for you now and you’re being recognised a little bit more. Do you think it’s going to be different for you this year with people recognising you and wanting to talk to you as you walk along, playing without the ropes?
CELINE BOUTIER: I’m not sure. I did hear that this year there were going to be ropes, but I didn’t see any.
Yeah, I think it’s going to be very interesting because it’s fun to be recognised and to have interaction with people, but at the same time during the tournament you want to be kind of in your own, yeah, bubble sort of. So it’s going to be interesting to try to manage everything.
Obviously people coming and trying to talk to you is something you cannot predict or control, so it’s going to have to be something that you have to be prepared for and it’s going to be another thing that I have to manage. But I think it’s going to be ‑‑ it’s a fun week. I think all the spectators here are very respectful of the players. It’s a huge part of why the event is successful even without like ropes and it’s still safe and fun for us to play because they are golfers and they respect us as players. So I think it’s always good when you have that kind of environment.
Q. And you mentioned goals a couple times. Have you got a goal this week and what’s your goal for the season?
CELINE BOUTIER: I mean, obviously I would love to defend my title, but more than that I just want to be able to be like fully ‑‑ like play my game like 100 percent and not try to get too ahead of myself and just try to be in the present as much as I can. Obviously not putting too much pressure on myself, but, you know, another title would be nice, too.
KATHIE SHEARER: Well, thank you, thank you for coming in. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed speaking to you again. Every success this week and you may well be here again on Sunday.
CELINE BOUTIER: Thank you so much.
Michael Long will compete against the best senior golfers in Europe in 2020 after winning Staysure Tour Qualifying School Final Stage by two shots at Pestana Golf Resort.
Running in second place through the second and third rounds, Long put his best foot forward across the final 18 holes to post a scorecard of 5-under 66, his fourth consecutive sub-70 round.
The Kiwi was rock solid from the outset and saved his best for last to finish on 14-under par in a pressure-packed week where five players earned Staysure Tour cards for the 2020 season.
“I’ve been lucky. I’ve been pretty much exempt on most tours that I’ve played on,” Long said.
“I think the last time I had a successful Tour school was in 1992 or 1991, and that was down in Australia. I’ve failed a couple times in Final Stage on the US tour.
“I can’t believe it really. This is completely out of the blue. There’s a lot of really good players out here, and if you can’t smile now, when can you? It’s just nice to come out on top of a top-quality field.”
The 51-year-old, who has competed in 99 European Tour events in his career, has eight professional victories to his name with his most recent coming at the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
Since turning 50 in 2018 Long has also made an impression on Australia’s local senior’s tour, the Ladbrokes Legends Tour, recording wins at the tour’s premier events, the Lincoln Place NSW Senior Open and Australian PGA Seniors Championship.
Long will now look to continue his winning ways in his rookie season against the best senior golfers in Europe, including seven-time Staysure Tour winner and Australian, Peter Fowler.
But first, Long will return to Australia for a short stint on the Ladbrokes Legends Tour from Monday 3 January at the Moama Masters at Rich River Golf Club followed by the McLardy McShane Legends Pro-Am at Murray Downs Golf & Country Club.
Sharing second place on 12 under par were Scottish amateur Euan McIntosh and Canadian David Morland IV. The two players spent the majority of Final Stage inside the all-important top five and like Long, will now compete in their rookie seasons on the Staysure Tour.
Staysure Tour
Qualifying School Final Stage
Pestana Golf Resort
Michael Long 67-68-69-66 270
Marc Leishman has described it as the best putting day of his life after the Victorian overhauled a four-shot deficit to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the fifth career title of his PGA TOUR career.
Teeing off just hours after fellow Victorian Lucas Herbert’s win on the European Tour, Leishman roared into contention with four birdies in his opening six holes and then made what Nick Faldo described in commentary as three “mega-pars” at 12, 14 and 15 to win by a single stroke from Jon Rahm.
Rahm had a putt for eagle on the 72nd hole to force the tournament into extra holes but unlike his win at the venue three years ago, the putt pulled up short and left of the cup, allowing Leishman to take a congratulatory phone call on the range.
In the ultimate vindication of the old adage that you “drive for show, putt for dough”, Leishman was dead last in the field for fairways hit in the final round with just three of 14 but picked up close to five shots on the field with his flatstick, his 7-under 65 matched by Charley Hoffman but two shots better than anyone else.
“Number five, that sounds pretty good, and on Australia Day,” Leishman said immediately after win No.5 was confirmed.
“Playing well helps but I didn’t actually hit it that well off the tee today.
“Putting, always. You’re not going to win Tour events if you’re not putting well and I putted as good as I’ve probably ever putted today.
“Made some good birdie putts early and then made some great par saves later. They’re probably even more important than the early ones.
“This feels pretty amazing. I wasn’t expecting this at the start of the day.”
Leishman joins Jason Day (2015, 2018) as the only Australian winners in the 68-year history of the Farmers Insurance Open, Day closing out his return from a back injury with a 3-under 69 to be tied for 16th.
PGA TOUR
Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines (South Cse), La Jolla, California
1 Marc Leishman 68-72-68-65—273 $US1,350,000
T16 Jason Day 73-67-72-69—281 $114,375
T36 Cameron Percy 68-73-74-69—284 $32,667
T36 Cameron Davis 76-65-69-74—284 $32,667
T64 Aaron Baddeley 71-72-69-76—288 $16,050
T64 Cameron Smith 70-71-74-73—288 $16,050
70 Rhein Gibson 69-73-72-76—290 $15,375
T73 Matt Jones 75-68-73-76—292 $14,625
MC Tim Wilkinson 72-73—145
MC John Senden 76-76—152
WD Danny Lee 79
Victorian Lucas Herbert has bounced back from “the worst shot I’ve ever hit in my life” to record his maiden European Tour victory and in so doing share a piece of history with four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy.
In brutally difficult conditions at Emirates Golf Club, Herbert rose from outside the top 10 at the start of the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic to set the clubhouse lead at 9-under par courtesy of a 4-under 68, equal to the best round of the day.
As the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Eddie Pepperell all shot well over par, the only other player to shoot 68 was South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who let an opportunity to win in regulation slip through his fingers.
Standing on the tee box of the 72nd hole at 10-under, Bezuidenhout’s third shot spun back into the water fronting the 18th green and he was unable to get up-and-down for par, he and Herbert sent back to the 18th tee to duke it out.
It was there that Herbert hit his second shot way right into the water, prompting the proclamation of, “Oh my god. That may be the worst shot I’ve ever hit in my life.”
Thankfully, the 24-year-old followed it up with one of his best.
A wedge from the drop zone to two feet enabled Herbert to save par and extend the playoff to a second hole where a thumping tee shot allowed him to hit the par-5 green in two, a two-putt birdie edging Bezuidenhout’s par for an extraordinary breakthrough win.
“I know Rory won this start for his first European Tour win, so we are both in that club. That’s a pretty cool club to be a part of, too,” Herbert said when told of the names of past champions of the Dubai Desert Classic.
“I finished top-10 quite a few times and that was a pretty cool rush but to win is something else.
“It’s just such a good feeling. All of the bad times and all of the hard times and all the missed cuts, they made up for that feeling on the 18th green there when we won.”
With an Australian flag draped over the edge of the grandstand fronting the 18th green, Herbert’s win on Australia Day took on even greater significance given the bushfire crisis that has gripped must of the eastern seaboard.
Although he has not been affected personally, Herbert hoped that his victory – like Cameron Smith’s at the Sony Open two weeks ago – might bring a sense of joy to some who have been doing it tough.
“Everything that’s gone on back home, if I can a little bit of joy to the guys who are struggling back there, yeah, it’s real special,” said Herbert, the second Australian winner of the Dubai Desert Classic along with fellow Victorian Richard Green (1997).
“None of my family or friends have lost anything, but I think the wildlife’s been the biggest thing affected.
“Just surprising the number of deaths that are with wildlife. You look online with social media and see the donations that are being made, like the things that celebrities and sports stars are putting up for auction, it’s phenomenal. They are getting behind everyone so much.
“There’s a big sense of community within Australia that we are going to fight these fires and get through them.”
With just one top-10 finish since he was tied for seventh at the Emirates Golf Club 12 months ago, Herbert had periods through 2019 where he wanted to quit the game completely.
He surprised many when he fought through a hand injury to share the lead after the opening round of the Australian PGA Championship prior to Christmas but faded to finish tied for 64th.
Now exempt on the European Tour through until the end of the 2022 season, Herbert admitted that the magnitude of the win will take time to hit home, posting a photo on Instagram with the caption, “Someone wake me up!?”
“These are questions that I have not even thought about,” Herbert said when asked how the win would affect his year and career moving forward.
“I mean, goal early in the year was to play well, try and get myself into bigger events. Try and get myself into WGC events and majors.
“I haven’t even thought about what this is going to do, but the bigger events we can get into, the better.
“Hopefully I’m looking forward to try to play in those, and you know, win again. That would be great.
“It was a pretty good field, so I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”
European Tour
Omega Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
1 Lucas Herbert 69-71-71-68—279 €490,323
T30 Ryan Fox 76-70-66-76—288 €25,742
T58 Jason Scrivener 77-69-73-76—295 €7,796
MC Wade Ormsby 74-74—148
MC Daniel Gaunt 78-72—150
MC Scott Hend 73-79—152
For the first time in the 33 year history of the Rich River Trainee Classic a female Trainee, Steffanie Vogel, will lead into the final round of the tournament.
The Cobram-Barooga Golf Club Trainee made an emphatic statement on day three, shooting the best score of the day, a 5-under 67, to take a two-shot lead into the final round.
Vogel started the day at 1-under and two shots back but made her intentions known early with three birdies in the first five holes to lead at 6-under the card.
“I started really well today,” Vogel said.
“I got a run on early with a few birdies and I was just trying to keep the momentum going for as long as I could before I dropped one on 9.”
With a strong pack of contenders all trying to improve their position, the lead changed hands multiple times until Vogel delivered the knockout blow with an eagle on the par-5 11th hole.
“That was amazing. I couldn’t believe the putt went in,” Vogel said of the shot.
“The wind was behind us and I hit a great drive which left me about 150 metres out, so I took 7-iron and got it on, leaving myself about 10 feet for eagle.”
Not content with 4-under through 12, Vogel then made another birdie on 13 and held on to finish 5-under for the day.
Vogel wasn’t aware of the historic nature of her achievements, being the first female Trainee to lead the field after 54 holes.
“That’s incredible and pretty humbling,” she reflected.
“There are some very talented players here so I’m just stoked to be leading, but to be the first female to do it in 33 years is pretty special.”
Hot on her heels is round one leader and 2018 Rich River champion Brayden Petersen who shot a steady 2-under 70 to take him to 4-under for the tournament and two shots off the leader.
Also liking their chances will be round two co-leaders Mitch Gannon and Tom Biron as well as fellow NSW Trainee, Luke Humphries who all find themselves on 2-under coming into the final round.
A beautiful day of weather is forecast for Friday and a strong contingent of supporters will no doubt be out in force to support the final days play. Follow all the live scores on the PGA Tour of Australasia App or at pga.org.au.
Brayden Petersen has made his intentions known to the field at the 2020 Rich River Trainee Classic with an opening round of 7-under 65 to take a one shot lead at Rich River Golf Club.
FOR LIVE SCORES FROM THE RICH RIVER TRAINEE CLASSIC CLICK HERE
The PGA of Australia Trainee from Asquith Golf Club in NSW was flawless in his performance with a bogey-free round consisting of seven birdies.
Petersen has fond memories of the East Course layout at Rich River, having played it nine times for a combined score of 29-under. Petersen’s best 18-hole effort came in 2018 where a third round of 64 saw him win the event.
“I think I might buy a membership here,” Petersen quipped after his round.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming here. It suits my game and even though the course has undergone some renovations recently it’s still in terrific condition.
“The putts were dropping early and I strung a few birdies together which set me up for the round. I had a good look at a few more as well, so I definitely feel I can continue this form if I stick to my game plan.”
Petersen won’t have it all his own way, however, with two fellow New South Welshman nipping at his heels on 6-under.
Mitch Gannon from Kogarah Golf Club and Tom Biron from Port Macquarie were both equally as impressive as they put pressure on the leader with two terrific scores of 66.
Riversdale Golf Club Trainee Jack Bruerton and Latrobe Golf Club Trainee Callum McKenzie remain within reach of the lead after completing their first rounds with scores of 68 and 69 respectively.
Also impressing was first year Trainee and Murray region local Steffanie Vogel, who showed she can match it with the boys in her first professional four-round tournament after shooting a 1-under 73.
While all of the Trainees are playing for the prestigious title, some were also playing for a bit more.
Craigieburn Trainee Mitch Carter has organised a pledge between himself and others to donate $10 for every birdie and $20 for every eagle made this week to bush fire relief.
“It’s the least we can do. I witnessed firsthand how devastating and terrifying these fires are so I asked a couple of the other Trainees and they were also keen to help so we came up with this idea,” Carter said.
“Hopefully we can play well and do some good as well.”
Round two commences on Wednesday from 8am. Follow all the live scores on the PGA Tour of Australasia App or at pga.org.au.
Twelve former champions have signed up to have another tilt at the ISPS HANDA Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links on the Bellarine Peninsula next month.
Eight male winners are on the field list, including last year’s dramatic winner, Scotland’s David Law.
The women’s winner, Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, is back to defend the first title of her LPGA Tour career, as well as two-time winner Minjee Lee from Perth, the world No. 9.
The field is a resounding endorsement of a tournament that, with its mixed format and informal ‘no-ropes’ atmosphere in a regional location, has won plaudits around the world for innovation.
The men’s past winners teeing it up are: Law (2019), Simon Hawkes (2018), Dimi Papadatos (2017), Richard Green (2015), Matthew Griffin (2014), Jason Norris (2010), Ash Hall (2009) and Gareth Paddison (2004)
Four of the past five women’s winners – Boutier, Lee (2014 and 2018) England’s Mel Reid (2017), and Barwon Heads-based Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord (2015) – are playing at 13th Beach in the groundbreaking event.
On the men’s side, the 28-year-old Scotsman Law won his first European Tour title at 13th Beach last February with an eagle at the 72nd hole and it set him up for a consistent year on tour. Australian Hawkes, who won in 2018, also won with his own heroics on the final green.
Papadatos, the 2017 winner, has been playing nicely in Europe and Matthew Griffin, the 2014 winner, is becoming a prominent player on the Japanese tour.
The ISPS HANDA Vic Open is a unique concurrent men’s and women’s professional tournament. It is jointly sanctioned by the ALPG, LPGA, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour and features equal prizemoney for men and women, totalling $3 million.
Entry is free to all Victorian golf club members and all CFA volunteers, emergency workers and their families, but other tickets are on sale through oTix and remain some of the best value in elite sport at $10 per day, $30 for a season pass. Children under 18 and those with a Seniors Card are free. See vicopengolf.com/ticketing for details.
The ISPS HANDA Vic Open is proudly supported by the Victorian Government. The tournament is sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and ALPG Tour (Women’s) & European Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia (Men’s).
The achievements of Victorian Trainees have been celebrated at the 2020 Victorian Trainee Graduation and Awards Dinner where 19 PGA Trainees graduated into Full Vocational Membership earlier this month.
The dinner celebrated the culmination of three years of hard work for the 19 graduates who now enter the workforce as PGA Professionals.
Hosted at Green Acres Golf Club on 14 January, the dinner was attended by PGA of Australia chief operating officer Stuart Hergt, as well as representatives from PGA Education partners Acushnet and On Course Golf.
The Titleist and FootJoy Excellence in Education Awards were awarded to the leading Victorian’s in each year level, with Callum McKenzie (Year 1 – Latrobe Golf Club), Emily Pell (Year 2 – Yarra Bend) and Ben Pisani (Year 3 – Royal Melbourne Golf Club) receiving the accolades.
The 2019 CPM Victorian Trainee Pro-Am of the Year was won by the Anytime Fitness Mornington Trainee Pro-Am. The award was accepted by Mornington Golf Club Trainee Brad Stephenson.
Dale Crothers (Year 1 – Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort) took out the 2019 Victorian Trainee Order of Merit title following a successful year that consisted of six wins and 11 top-ten finishes from 27 events while he only failed to score points in one match.
Crothers won the Vic/Tas/SA Trainee Championship back in May and also scored top-ten finishes at the QLD and NSW Trainee Championships.
The 2019 Victorian Trainee of the Year award was presented to Ben Pisani, a Year 3 Trainee at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Pisani achieved the mark of High Distinction in Game Development and Distinction in Small Business, Coaching and Management. These results helped him finish second in the National Academic Rankings for Year 3 Trainees.
Pisani was also the winner of three trainee matches. He also finished in the top ten 18 times which saw him earn second place in the Victorian Order of Merit and 19th in the National Trainee Averages.
Victorian Committee Chairman Tim Moore welcomed the newest PGA Members to the Association and wished them well for a career he hoped would be as long and fulfilling as his.
Full List of Award Winners & Graduates
The title of 2020 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School champion has gone down to a playoff at the Moonah Links Open Course with Luke Toomey beating Peter Wilson for the crown.
Toomey, a PGA TOUR Series-China regular, began his Final Stage Q-School charge with twin rounds of 67 before challenging weather conditions resulted in scores of 71 and 70 on the final two days for a 275 total.
ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia veteran Peter Wilson’s final score was a result of rounds of 67, 66, 71 and 71, taking the pair to a playoff for the top spot and the highest category on offer for Q-School participants.
“It feels awesome to win. I got chewed up and spit out by this course two years ago and it forced me to reshape my thinking around my development,” Toomey said.
“It’s been quite the adventure since then but one I’m proud of. This week was a nice exclamation on that two year process.
“Pete and I had a great couple days playing together. He’s a fantastic guy who has a bank of experience that I can learn from.
“I’m sure he will feature at some stage this year and I hope we have the opportunity to battle down the stretch in another event this season.”
After almost two years away from the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia the 26-year-old Kiwi is excited to return in 2020 with full status.
With an eye on a chance at the European Tour, 2020 is set to be a big year for Toomey whose season will begin at the ISPS HANDA Vic Open in February – a tournament fittingly co-sanctioned by the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour.
“A lot of reasons have amounted to my decision to come back here but I love the reward and opportunity this tour provides at the higher end of the Order of Merit,” Toomey said.
“It’s in line with a pathway I’d like to take through the European Tour.”
Big-hitting New South Welshman Lincoln Tighe was pleased to start his year on a high, taking out third place at 7-under the card, followed by James Grierson and Derek Ackerman in fourth and fifth.
The top-40 players plus ties earn status for the 2020 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia season. Forty-six players secured status for the upcoming season after the number was set at 6-over the card.
For all final results please visit pga.org.au.
It’s been 587 days since Greg Chalmers last played a PGA TOUR event and now another crucial countdown begins.
This week’s The American Express at the Stadium Course at La Quinta in California is the first of seven events Chalmers can play on a medical extension, an extension granted on the basis of a back injury he thought could have ended his playing career.
When Chalmers shot 80-79 at the FedEx St Jude Classic in June 2018 he not only missed the cut, he finished dead last among those to complete 36 holes.
It was the last straw in his efforts to play on despite crippling back pain, pain that would later be diagnosed as arthritis in his spine and every joint in his lumbar spine as well as a torn ligament in Chalmers’ spine that went undiagnosed for more than six months.
Such was his despair the two-time Australian Open and Australian PGA champ enquired with coaches around his home in Dallas about the possibility of moving into a coaching role but arrived home over the summer a reinvigorated 46-year-old, a top-five finish at the Australian Open followed by a tie for 15th at the Australian PGA Championship.
In order to regain full status on the PGA TOUR Chalmers needs to earn 244.707 FedEx Cup points in the seven events available to him – the winner this week receives 500 – and is hopeful that he can play his way into a fuller schedule at least by the end of the year.
“I’ve got seven starts left on a medical and that’s my expectation right now, play my seven,” Chalmers explained.
“Depending on when I finish, though, and how I play, I could get four or five more starts in Reno, for example, or Barbasol or John Deere.
“There are some events that will pop up along the way so I could get 10 to 12 starts, which starting in January, you’re looking at maybe two starts a month, which wouldn’t be too bad for me after having 18 months off.
“Depending on how I go, I’m exempt into the Playoffs to get your card back on the Korn Ferry Tour, so I’ve got those three playoff events placed on previous performance.”
In addition to enhanced physical performance, Chalmers is also seeing the benefits of working with Bradley Hughes, a former Aussie tour player with a burgeoning reputation as an instructor.
Bringing Brendon Todd back from the abyss has elevated Hughes’s status as one of the hottest instructors in world golf and has Chalmers striking the ball as well as he ever has.
“For me, there was always a lot of room for improvement [with my ball-striking] and he came to me in Dallas at my home club,” Chalmers said.
“In two rounds we played together I shot 9-under with no bogeys and I was very pleased and excited.
“I said, ‘Mate, that’s the best I’ve ever hit it.’ Now, he’s a great ball-striker and to him, he said, ‘It looks kind of normal to me.’
“But for me it was really exciting.
“I told him, ‘Look, I don’t have time to rebuild the ark, I have a shorter window here, can you help me with my ball-striking without me taking years to get that done?’ He said, ‘Absolutely. I’ve taken a look at what you’re doing, I think I can help you.’
“It’s pretty simple stuff but very effective. Getting better use out of my feet and my groundwork, and then better position with my hands and path with the club through the ball.
“It’s led to better ball-striking and that’s important for me. If I can strike it even marginally better with my short game, it’s going to see some good results.
“I’m excited about the future.”
Played for almost 20 years as the Bob Hope Classic, Chalmers’ best result in the California desert pro-am came in 2011 when he was tied for 11th, Bruce Devlin (1970) the only Australian victor in the tournament’s history.
The other Aussies in the field this week across the three courses are John Senden, Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Percy, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson along with Kiwi pair Danny Lee and Tim Wilkinson.
See below for all the Aussie tee times on the PGA TOUR, European Tour and Asian Tour this week.
Round 1 tee times (AEDT)
Asian Tour
SMBC Singapore Open
Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
10.40am Marcus Fraser, Hiroyuki Fujita, Amir Nazrin
10.40am* Andrew Dodt, Yosuke Asaji, Phachara Khongwatmai
10.50am Terry Pilkadaris, Danny Chia, Daijiro Izumida
11am Michael Hendry, Jack Harrison, Ryuji Masaoka
11.10am Jake Higginbottom, Joshua Shou, Chan Shih-chang
11.20am David Bransdon, Jyoti Randhawa, Yosuke Tsukada
11.40am Won Joon Lee, Danthai Boonma, Nicklaus Chiam (a)
12pm David Gleeson, Hung Chien-yao, Jeongwoo Ham
12.20pm* Aaron Pike, Taewoo Kim #1468, Marc Ong
12.30pm Josh Younger, Inhoi Hur, Malcolm Kokocinski
3.20pm Daniel Nisbet, Taehee Lee, Poom Saksansin
3.30pm* Travis Smyth, Aman Raj, Naoki Sekito
4.10pm* Adam Bland, Todd Baek, Janne Kaske
4.30pm* Matthew Griffin, Thitiphun Chuayprakong, Tatsuya Kodai
4.50pm* David Micheluzzi, Eric Sugimoto, Koki Shiomi
5.20pm Dylan Perry, Tomoyasu Sugiyama, Wee Jin Low (a)
European Tour
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi
2.50pm Jason Scrivener, Andy Sullivan, Scott Jamieson
3pm Scott Hend, Chris Wood, Richard McEvoy
3.20pm Zach Murray, Zander Lombard, Ashley Chesters
3.30pm* Lucas Herbert, Guido Migliozzi, Julien Guerrier
7.25pm* Wade Ormsby, Marcus Kinhult, Steven Brown
8.15pm Ryan Fox, Alvaro Quiros, Thomas Aiken
PGA TOUR
The American Express
Stadium Course, La Quinta, California
Stadium Course
4.10am* Greg Chalmers, Troy Merritt
4.30am Cameron Percy, Ricky Barnes
5.10am Aaron Baddeley, James Hahn
La Quinta Country Club
4.30am Tim Wilkinson, David Hearn
5.30am* Rhein Gibson, Wes Roach
Nicklaus Tournament Course
4.40am John Senden, Peter Malnati
4.50am Danny Lee, Robert Streb
5.30am* Cameron Davis, Doug Ghim
* Starting from 10th tee
