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Smith looms large for PGA frontrunners


Both Adam Scott and Wade Ormsby have refused to rule two-time defending champion Cameron Smith out of a historic threepeat despite holding a handy buffer at the top of the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

Smith will need to come from five shots back if he is to equal Dan Soutar’s 112-year-old record of three consecutive Australian PGA Championship titles after an even par 72 on Saturday highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 12th.

Cancelling out post Presidents Cup fatigue as a factor, Smith leant on his renowned short game to remain in contention at 5-under par and give both Scott and Ormsby cause to look over their shoulders.

“If I was four shots back, I’d be thinking 66,” was Scott’s summation, marvelling at Nick Flanagan’s morning round of 9-under 63, describing it as “an incredible round. It was really far from my thought process out there today.

“The leaders still have to play a hell of a round of golf to shoot 2 or 3-under, so he’s right in the mix.”

Ormsby sits just one shot behind Scott at 9-under par and four clear of Smith but he too is wary of the threat posed by a player with such an imposing record at the venue.

“Very capable. He knows what he’s doing around here,” Ormsby said.

“You have to go low tomorrow. Well, not low low, you just have to play well.

“You’re not going to go out there and shoot 1-under to win the golf tournament. You’re going to have to go a little bit deeper than that, but we’ll set a number and go and chase it in the morning.”

Given the exploits of Flanagan and Spain’s Alejandro Canizares early on Saturday, Smith knows that generating some roars in the groups ahead of the leaders courtesy of his Wantima Country Club disciples can apply pressure on those trying to protect their lead at the top.

“It’s the same everywhere basically, you kind of know what’s happening without even looking at leaderboards,” Smith said of the on-course noise.

“It seemed quite flat on that front nine today, it didn’t seem like there was a lot of cheers or anything like that, which is great for me. I mean, I was already behind.

“You can kind of sense what’s going on without knowing.

“That’s going to be the idea, try and get out with a bit of a hot start. Those first five or six holes, really the whole front nine, you can really get going if you’re hitting it good.

“Plenty of opportunities, plenty of wedges and the putts just need to go in.

“There’s opportunity there to apply some pressure, it just needs to turn on.

“Most of the boys from Wantima will be out here tomorrow, probably all the family that will be cheering me on. Hopefully we can take them back the trophy again.”

Although eager to make an early impression, Smith said he doesn’t need to attack the course in an overly aggressive manner in order to repeat his Friday frenzy where he rescued his tournament defence with a 7-under 65.

“I had 7-under yesterday with playing just my normal stuff,” said Smith.

“There’s no need to hit driver off every tee and go at every pin when you can quite easily shoot the number with just playing your game.

“Much of the same tomorrow. It just needs to be that one or two per cent better with the irons and then the putts just need to roll in.

“I had a few really good up-and-downs all day really. I could be standing here out of the tournament and it looks like I’m only going to be four or five back, which with a day like that, Christmas has come a bit early.”


It’s the position he has craved throughout 2019 and now Adam Scott can end a winless streak stretching back more than three years by holding off a chasing pack at the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Two late birdies at 16 and 18 propelled Scott from out of the throng of players clamoring for position to assume sole ownership of the lead at 10-under going into the final round, long-time friend Wade Ormsby (9-under) and Nick Flanagan (8-under) to share the final group spotlight.

Flanagan only just made the cut thanks to a birdie late in his second but equalled the course record with a scintillating round of 9-under 63, he and Alejandro Canizares making light work of benign conditions early on Saturday that became gradually more difficult as the day progressed.

Midway through the third round five players enjoyed a share of the lead but the likes of Nick Cullen, Anthony Quayle and China’s Yuan Yechun dropped back just as Scott was making his move.

The 39-year-old has recorded 21 top-10 finishes since his last victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March 2016 and expects to have to fight until the 72nd hole if he is to claim the Joe Kirkwood Cup for a second time.

“It’s incredibly bunched, and if it’s windy tomorrow it’s going to be hard for anyone to really separate themselves unless they just play an incredible round of golf, go out there and roll in a lot of putts,” said Scott, 17 players sitting within five shots of the leader.

“For me, my strategy’s going to be the same.

“Unless I hole a lot of long putts, I don’t see myself just running away with this thing. I’m in for a fight.

“It would be nice to cap off this year with a win here at home because I know what the confidence of that can do going into next year and just kind of make things a little more comfortable running into the Masters time.”

Ormsby is yet to claim one of Australia’s major events having finished runner-up at Royal Pines five years ago and third at the Australian PGA at Coolum in 2006.

For the second time this week Ormsby navigated his way around the Graham Marsh layout without dropping a shot on his way to a 2-under 70 and expects that another mistake-free round will give him the opportunity to avenge his loss to Scott at the South Australian Junior at Royal Adelaide more than 25 years ago.

“It’s hard to kind of get out in front and go, but I guess any course, if you hit enough good shots and hole enough putts, you can get going,” said Ormsby.

“You need to putt well in order to do that, but you’ve still got to play the golf course on its merits.

“There’s going to be some tricky flags tomorrow and there’ll be some gettable ones, so I’ll just keep plodding my way around and play the same type of golf I’ve been playing and see where that leaves me.

“I want to play in the last group, especially when it’s so bunched. It’s nice to be right at the end there where you feel like you’ve got not control, but you know what you have to do.”

Kiwi Michael Hendry shot a 2-under par round of 70 which was most notable for a rib injury that caused significant discomfort over the closing five holes.

On three separate occasions Hendry’s left hand came free of the club due to the pain and he admitted that even sitting two shots back of Scott the injury may prevent him from teeing it up at all on Sunday.

“I’ve had a little bit of physio during the course of the week, but it hasn’t really been an issue until today,” Hendry said.

“I’ll go and see the physios now and hopefully they can figure out a plan of attack to make sure it’s OK for tomorrow.

“It’s a little bit painful at the top of the swing and I’ve just got to man up and hit the shot and hopefully it won’t hurt too much, but it’s pretty tricky.

“I am a little (concerned I won’t be fit to play) but I’m pretty confident in the guys’ ability.

“If I can just get myself out there and warm up to the point where I can swing the club, even if I hit a few one-handed shots, so be it.”

Hendry will play alongside Yuan and West Australian Min Woo Lee in the second-to-last group with two-time defending champion Cameron Smith five shots back of Scott at 5-under.


Yuan Yechun, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  How do you sum up ‑‑ you got out to a little bit of a lead.  How did you sort of manage the back nine?

YUAN YECHUN:  I didn’t play that great today overall, but I managed to hit some good shots into the green, a couple close birdie chance.  I missed a couple, but I captured a couple chances.  Putter wasn’t as hot as yesterday, but I still hit some good putts that nearly went in.  Overall, I played solid, yeah.

Q.  How did you find playing with Adam and the crowds?

YUAN YECHUN:  It was fun, for sure, playing with especially a local hero and so many people cheering.  It’s a great experience for me.

Q.  Do you feel like tomorrow’s ‑‑ it’s the type of course where no one’s probably going to get away too far.  Do you have sort of a number in mind that you think will be competitive tomorrow?

YUAN YECHUN:  I think if I shoot 5 or 6 under I have a good shot at it.  Plus, I don’t know how the wind is, if it blows pretty strong.  If I put up a good number, I’ll still have a chance at it.

Q.  Are you getting any support from home?  Are you getting any messages from friends or family?

YUAN YECHUN:  Oh, for sure, yeah.  My friends all text me and wish me luck, yeah.

Q.  Anyone ‑‑ any other sort of Chinese players that you’re close with or that would be sending you a message of support?

YUAN YECHUN:  A bunch of friends, my parents’ friends, they’re all watching, so it was great.


Michael Hendry, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  It was nearly a blemish‑free round until that back nine.  How do you feel about that now?

MICHAEL HENDRY:  Look, I’m pretty happy with my round today.  It was pretty solid for the most part and playing under a little bit of an injury cloud, it’s ‑‑ 2 under when you’re not feeling 100 percent in some pretty tricky conditions, still in with a chance if I can get myself on the course tomorrow.  I’m pretty happy with that.

Q.  Was it your shoulder or something you aggravated?

MICHAEL HENDRY:  I’ve got some type of rib injury.  We’re not entirely sure what it is yet.  It’s been a little bit stiff most of the week, but it really flared up today and it was pretty difficult coming down the back nine.  But we got through today and hopefully the physio boys will be able to fix me up to the point I’ll be able to get through tomorrow.

Q.  Did you have a bit of a break in the middle of the year in Japan?  Is this something that’s been troubling you for a little while?

MICHAEL HENDRY:  No, I’ve been absolutely fine the whole year.  I have little niggles, I’m 40 years old now, I’m no spring chicken so these little things sort of flare up every now and then, but this one’s something completely new.  So I assume it’s just something random and hopefully if we get on top of it, it won’t be an issue again.

Q.  When did you first notice it?

MICHAEL HENDRY:  I’ve been kind of noticing it very mildly over the whole week, but it really flared up today, so whether I just sort of exacerbated the problem a little bit.  Hopefully the boys will be able to fix me up and I’ll be okay tomorrow.

Q.  Talk us through the discomfort I guess the last four holes.  Your hand came off the club a number of times.

MICHAEL HENDRY:  I was just kind of grabbing ‑‑ obviously so the left side and the top of the backswing, sort of obviously those muscles are all stretching, and then you’re trying to fire it at the same time, so you’re putting it under quite a bit of load and that left side in particular during the transition.  So it’s a little bit painful at the top of the swing and it’s kind of like I’ve just got to man up and hit the shot and hopefully it won’t hurt too much, but it’s pretty tricky.  I managed to ‑‑ I managed to keep the ball I suppose in the places I needed to to shoot a score.

Q.  What treatment have you had this week on it so far?

MICHAEL HENDRY:  I’ve had a little bit of physio during the course of the week, but we’ve been ‑‑ like I said, it hasn’t really been an issue until today.  You know, I’ll go and see the boys now and hopefully they can figure out a plan of attack to make sure it’s okay for tomorrow.

Q.  You’re not concerned at all that it will stop you from playing?

MICHAEL HENDRY:  I am a little, but I’m pretty confident in the guys’ ability.  Hopefully, if I can just get myself out there and warm to the point where I can swing the club, even if I hit a few one‑handed shots, well, so be it.


Wade Ormsby, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  Wade, another exciting round by you.  You’re probably exactly where you want to be?

WADE ORMSBY:  Yeah, I put myself in perfect position going into Sunday, I guess.  See what Scotty does on 18 now.  It’s tricky out there with the wind and some of the pin positions.  Everything’s getting firmer.  I’m not sure how those boys shot their scores this morning, but just have to hang in there.

Q.  How did you handle the wind?  It seemed to get a hold of a few of the guys.  The morning field played pretty strongly, but the arvo field is sort of ‑‑

WADE ORMSBY:  It’s just tricky.  Like you I said, things dry out, the pins get harder to get at and it’s harder to get the right club in your hand.  The wind’s kind of shifting around a little bit.  But overall I think we did a pretty decent job, we scrambled well.

Q.  Bogey free again, obviously it’s that ‑‑ it’s the course where you just need to keep those mistakes off your card and not fall back in the field, I guess?

WADE ORMSBY:  Yeah, exactly right.  The greens are tricky, like the green complexes.  So you’ve just got to be a little not defensive, you’ve just got to play the pin correctly, you can’t always go at everything.  Of course I missed a few putts out there, but nothing short, just kind of those makeable 8‑ to 12‑footers, but going to do a bit of work on my swing now.

Q.  Your experience around here on Sunday at Royal Pines, is it a hard place to kind of right yourself late in the afternoon?  Is it hard to kind of separate yourself?

WADE ORMSBY:  I haven’t been able to do it, but ‑‑

Q.  You got into a playoff.

WADE ORMSBY:  Yeah, I think it’s ‑‑ yeah, I see what you’re saying.  It’s hard to kind of get out in front and go, but I guess any course, if you hit enough good shots and hole enough putts, you can get going.  I think you need to putt well in order to do that, but you’ve still got to play the golf course on its merits.  There’s going to be some tricky flags tomorrow and there’ll be some gettable ones, so I’ll just keep plodding my way around and play the same type of golf I’ve been playing and see where that leaves me.

Q.  Does that give you confidence that you don’t have to flatline to be where you are?  A steady‑as‑she‑goes approach is working?

WADE ORMSBY:  Yeah, I think it probably relates to a little bit of a colder putter.  I haven’t holed a lot, but I haven’t missed a lot either from the short range.  I think that’s why my scorecard kind of looks like it does.  Yeah, at the same time, got to play away from some pins so you’ve kind of got longer birdie putts, so that’s just kind of why you have that sort of boring looking scorecard.

Q.  When you play with Adam, is there much talk?  I mean, do you guys ‑‑ because you guys have a history, do you expect much interaction tomorrow or is he the kind of guy that kind of keeps to himself a lot?

WADE ORMSBY:  He’s a class act, so he knows what he’s doing out there, but at the same time, there’s always time to have a chat depending on how we’re both going.  But no, we have a good chat out there.  At different times, you kind of know when each other wants to talk.

Q.  What’s the normal topic of conversation between you two?

WADE ORMSBY:  I don’t know, something from the junior days normally.

Q.  It would be good to get him, right?

WADE ORMSBY:  Exactly.  I was really grinding hard there to try and get that one up and down the last.  I want to play in the last group, especially when it’s so bunched.  It’s nice to be right at the end there where you feel like you’ve got not control, but you know what you have to do.

Q.  Cam’s four back.  Do you think he’s pretty capable of catching that up?

WADE ORMSBY:  Very capable.  He knows what he’s doing around here.  You have to go low tomorrow, there’s enough guys there.  Well, not low low, you just have to play well.  You’re not going to go out there and shoot 1 under to win the golf tournament.  You’re going to have to go a little bit deeper than that, but we’ll set a number and go and chase it in the morning.


Adam Scott, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  Scotty, 16, a birdie there, a birdie on 18, but some really good scrambling to keep some ‑‑

ADAM SCOTT:  Yeah, it was that kind of day.  It was not easy, the wind was blowing and, you know, out of the northeast is ‑‑ makes the course play fairly tricky.  With the pins as well today, I thought it was a very defensive golf course, and at some point you were going to have to scramble and I scrambled well on 13, 14 and 15 to stay in it and then had a good finish.  Some days it’s not that pretty, but it’s effective.

Q.  Seeing the crowd out and about there on the 18th, the approach to your tricky ‑‑ (inaudible)?

ADAM SCOTT:  Yeah.  Well, sometimes you just have a good number and I had one there, and the best thing was I made a good move at it and it all worked out.  You know, you hope for that to happen, but you just never know.  You’ve got to take advantage of it when it comes your way.  This golf course can bite you, so it’s important that you execute your shots well or you’re down in the valleys of sin around these greens.

Q.  (No microphone.)

ADAM SCOTT:  Well, I mean, look, it’s incredibly bunched, and if it’s windy tomorrow, it’s going to be hard for anyone to really separate themselves unless they just play an incredible round of golf, go out there and roll in a lot of putts.  For me, my strategy’s going to be the same.  Unless I hole a lot of long putts, I don’t see myself just running away with this thing.  I’m in for a fight tomorrow.

Q.  Adam, we spoke earlier in the week about your motivation to win this week and it’s all worked out pretty nicely.  How nice would it be for you to finish it off?

ADAM SCOTT:  Oh, it would be great, it would be great.  I mean, I’ve tried really hard to keep my intensity up after last week, and my focus on the course.  I’ve had a couple moments where I’ve wavered, but I’ve managed to pull it back together.  Yeah, it would be nice to cap off this year with a win here at home because I know what the confidence of that can do going into next year and just kind of make things a little more comfortable running into the Masters time.

Q.  What did John say to you after that second shot into 18?

ADAM SCOTT:  I think he enjoyed that one, too.  You know, John has been caddying for me for a year now and I’ve played some good golf, but we’ve kind of been sneaking into contention.  So this is I think a fun week for him, we’re right in the mix and hitting those kind of shots.  Even for me, that moment on 18, that’s the kind of stuff you mess around as a kid thinking you’re going to do, so it’s always fun to stuff one on the last.

Q.  When you sign up a new caddie, do you say, I’m going to win one this year for you?  Do you give him any guarantees about wins?

ADAM SCOTT:  I don’t.  There are no guarantees for caddies.  They just have to behave their best.

Q.  What was the distance on the shot into the 18th green?

ADAM SCOTT:  I’m trying to remember it now.  It was 169 yards to the hole into off the right.

Q.  Adam, you’ve said a few times during the year that you kind of just haven’t started tournaments quickly enough to get yourself in this position to win, you’ve had to sort of chase, you know.  Is it a different mentality when you do enter Sunday in front?

ADAM SCOTT:  No.  I mean, I always kind of thought you just go and play a round of golf and play like you’re behind; I mean, within reason.  Again, this is a very defensive golf course, you can’t force it out here or you’re going to get bitten.  So I’ll just take what comes tomorrow.  Hopefully I can have a hot day with the putter and roll a few in and it’s all very comfortable, but it’s a very bunched leaderboard.  If it’s windy, the scores are going to be like today, it’s going to be hard to shoot really low.

Q.  Did you notice Nick’s 63?  It happened just before you started.

ADAM SCOTT:  Yeah, I saw it.  It’s an incredible round.  It was really far from my thought process out there today.  I mean, it was just ‑‑ you know, he must have had a day out.  And it can happen, you never know.  I would never write myself off shooting it tomorrow, but it’s unlikely.

Q.  What about Cam, four shots back, can he shoot 63 tomorrow?

ADAM SCOTT:  Yeah, yeah.  I mean, that’s right.  Yeah, this is the kind of course where, you know, he can ‑‑ I don’t even think he might need to shoot 63.  If I was four shots back, I’d be thinking 66.  The leaders still have to play a hell of a round of golf to shoot 2 or 3 under, so he’s right in the mix.

Q.  Did you ever play ‑‑ 

Q.   ‑‑ grain on the green or is it pretty similar?

ADAM SCOTT:  It was pretty similar.  I mean, they’ve been very consistent all week.  You know, only the odd putt here or there where you get up high on the green and there’s a cross grain and a crosswind, yeah, putts get a bit tricky, but generally they’ve been consistent all week.

Q.  Scotty, did you ever compete with Wade for like a South Australian Under‑13 title or anything of that ilk, like you’ve gone for a trophy as a kid?

ADAM SCOTT:  I can’t remember as a kid, no, not so much, but I remember us playing off here obviously five years ago.  Maybe we finished one and two at the South Australian Junior one year at Royal Adelaide.  I finished one (Laughs.)  Not that I remember, no.

Q.  In junior teams together where you were just mucking around going for nine holes in the afternoon, did you put up a Mars bar or a can of Coke playing each other?

ADAM SCOTT:  The thing is, I was playing in Queensland really when we were at that age.  We were playing against each other and not really just ‑‑ we weren’t members of the same club or anything.  I was up here, so I just saw him at the Interstate Series.  We did a trip to America together once to play the Junior World Championship and the U.S. Junior.  So I mean, we’ve traveled and we’ve spent time together, but just doing what normal (inaudible) off like kids do and trying to not get in too much trouble.


Cameron Smith, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  How big was that par save on 18, Cam, in the greater context of the tournament?

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, I guess it was quite big.  I had a few really good up‑and‑downs on that back nine.  I had a few really good up‑and‑downs all day really.  I could be standing here out of the tournament and it looks like I’m only going to be four or five back, which with a day like that, Christmas has come a bit early, I think.

Q.  You’ve talked all week that fatigue’s been an issue.  You’ve got one more round in you.  How was your energy level today compared to yesterday?

CAMERON SMITH:  It was fine today, I just didn’t have it.  I just felt a little bit uncomfortable with my longer stuff, and then combine that with a bit of wind and some tricky pins and, yeah.  So, I mean, just uncomfortable, I guess. 

I wasn’t really tired, or I’ll stop blaming that now.  Yeah, I guess it was just one of those days where just kind of couldn’t quite get it, just felt a tiny bit off and in gusty conditions like that, you just need to be spot on all the time.

Q.  I know you would rather be leading, but is just a couple shots behind not a bad place to be on a Sunday?  Do you think you can apply some pressure?

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, that’s going to be the idea, try and get out with a bit of a hot start.  Those first five or six holes, really the whole front nine, you can really get going if you’re hitting if good.  Plenty of opportunities, plenty of wedges and the putts just need to go in.  So there’s opportunity there to apply some pressure, it just needs to turn on.

Q.  What sort of number do you have to have tomorrow?

CAMERON SMITH:  Four or five back, yeah, it’s got to be at least seven or eight, I would think.  But you never know, you apply the pressure early and golf’s a funny game, you can go one way or the other quite quickly.

Q.  Can you lean on those last two years a little bit just mentally tomorrow to put a bit more pressure on the leader?

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, I guess I was behind the first year I won, so I can kind of draw from that.  Probably the ‑‑ I’ve got rather than one bloke ahead of me, I’ve got, you know, 10 or however many it is, probably 12, I’m not sure.  Yeah, so I’m going to have to do some hard work tomorrow, it’s going to be tough.

Q.  So we’ll expect a super aggressive Cam Smith on the first tee tomorrow?

CAMERON SMITH:  I don’t think so.  I had 7 under yesterday with playing, you know, just my normal stuff, so there’s no need, there’s no need to, you know, hit driver off every tee and go at every pin when you can quite easily shoot the number with just playing your game.  I think much of the same tomorrow, it just needs to be that one or two percent better with the irons and then the putts just need to roll in.

Q.  Do you hear noise around the course?  If someone’s got hot and you’re maybe a couple groups ahead or behind, do you feel that energy elsewhere on the course?

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, yeah, for sure.  I guess you kind of know.  It’s the same everywhere basically, you kind of know what’s happening without even looking at leaderboards.  It seemed quite flat on that front nine today, it didn’t seem like there was a lot of cheers or anything like that, which is great for me.  I mean, I was already behind.  Yeah, you can kind of sense what’s going on without knowing.

Q.  Does the Wantima galleries appear as well on Sundays or ‑‑

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, I guess so.  Most of the boys from Wantima will be out here tomorrow, probably all the family that will be cheering me on.  Hopefully we can take them back the trophy again.

Q.  How’s the Heat, being in the bunker with Chris Lennon and the rest of the Heat boys last night, Cam?

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, it was great fun.  Obviously not the result that they wanted or that I wanted.  It was a bit of a tense little, what do you call it, dug‑out, I guess, after the game, so I was just, see ya, boys.

Q.  (Inaudible.)

CAMERON SMITH:  Yeah, in memory, yeah.  That was actually it.


Min Woo Lee, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  Min Woo, mate, you’re in the hunt now, 8 under.  You’re pretty pleased?

MIN WOO LEE:  Yep, very pleased.  I would give my game probably eight out of 10 today.  There’s a few mistakes, but I held in there and hit very good shots, probably one of the best ball‑striking rounds I had all year.  So yeah, it was nice to back that up and hopefully there’s one more tomorrow.

Q.  What’s the last three rounds done for you profile‑wise, because I notice you’re getting handed for signatures left and right now?

MIN WOO LEE:  Yeah, it’s nice.  I guess hopefully I’ll just keep playing good golf and that comes with it.  Yeah, it’s always nice to give signatures to kids and grow the game a little bit, so it’s cool.

Q.  Managing your game, obviously you’re getting rid of those mistakes in a round that can cost you a shot or two.  Has that sort of progressed your first year as a professional?

MIN WOO LEE:  Yeah, I’m still learning.  The thing about golf is the one week where you don’t make mistakes, you’re probably going to be up there in the lead or going to win.  So I’m still looking for that.  Hopefully, it’s this week.  But I’m still learning a lot about myself.  There’s a lot of wind out here, every shot counts.  So yeah, just hopefully I can learn from everything I do every week.

Q.  Would you like to take an aggressive mindset into tomorrow?  Do you think that’s what you need to do to win trophies?

MIN WOO LEE:  Yeah, of course ‑‑ I wouldn’t know, would I?  (Laughs.)  You know, hopefully I can play something like today, just get rid of a couple mistakes.  Hopefully I can carry that over to tomorrow. 

Q.  Do you feel pretty comfortable being at the pointy end?  Like only less than a year you’ve been a pro, but looks like you might be able to handle that pressure.

MIN WOO LEE:  Yeah, it comes with it, but you put the pressure on yourself.  Hopefully you can just go out there and play.  Like Scotty doesn’t care what I hit on 16 or 17, any hole, you just go out there and play.  I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Q.  Yesterday your body language was really fluctuating; you looked really down on yourself at various times.  Are you the sort of guy who can just shed that and you come out today and play really well?

MIN WOO LEE:  A bit of both.  I’m learning about myself, too.  I’m a pretty fiery player, but I’m trying to minimize that a little bit.  It’s never bad to just, you know, spit it a little bit and, you know, regroup.  Yeah, it was worse a couple years ago.  What you see now is better.

Q.  So when some 21‑year‑old’s going into the last round, you want to do the best you can; is that your attitude or is your attitude you want to win?

MIN WOO LEE:  Of course I’m trying to win.  I’ve been here a if you times, so it will be nice to finish it off.  There’s a ‑‑ I think there’s a lot of scores out there that anyone can win and hopefully I’m the one on top.  But yeah, I’ll just play solid like today.

Q.  You’ve got a nice situation this week where you play with some major winners and observe them from close range.  Do you feel it’s been a real learning week in that regard playing with some big guys and being at the pointy end?

MIN WOO LEE:  Yeah, this whole year most of the pros, probably 90 percent of them, they hit it very straight, they don’t make too many mistakes and I’m over here adventuring in the trees.  So I’ve got things to tidy up.  Yeah, like those major winners, they just hit it so straight and nothing really goes wrong.  I guess that’s why they’ve won majors.  After this week, a bit of holiday and then lots of regrouping to do, lots of practice to do.  I’m looking forward to that.  Yeah, just learning from the major winners, it’s a big thing, yeah.

Q.  That shot on 14 was pretty special out of the trap there.

MIN WOO LEE:  Oh, that was a very good shot.  Ten out of 10, you know (laughs.)  It was pretty solid.  Downhill, downwind from there and I just nipped it pretty good.  I think it was just trickling in the hole.  Hopefully they got it on camera and I can see it for myself.

Q.  On 13, that was another tough hole, birdied it.  What did you hit there?

MIN WOO LEE:  I drove it into the bunker actually and hit it to about 16, 17 feet and I holed a putt.  I haven’t holed too many putts I think outside of the range, but yeah, and my ball‑striking has kept me in it this week and hopefully, yeah, tomorrow I can do that.

Q.  You’re a fully paid‑up member of the European Tour, so what would a win tomorrow potentially do for someone who’s a paid‑up member of the tour?

MIN WOO LEE:  Oh, it’s going ‑‑ it’s going to solve a few of my problems.  Not problems, but I can set my schedule next year and a lot of benefits to it.  Yeah, there’s another 24 hours to it.  I’m looking forward to it.

Q.  Do you have any family here this week?

MIN WOO LEE:  No.  Maybe that’s why I’m ‑‑ (laughs.)  No, everyone’s home.  I’m just here by myself.  They came at the Australian Open.  I’m used to just being by myself.  I know they’re supporting from behind the screen.  I’m just doing my best.

Q.  Do you expect texts from Minjee overnight or is she a top person to send a brother a text message?

MIN WOO LEE:  Yeah, she is.  Whenever I do well or whenever I’m down, she messages me and let’s me know just to keep my head up.  We’ll see.  Hopefully.  I don’t know.  Depends what moods she’s in.  She might send one, she might not, but it’s all good.

Q.  What would you ‑‑ if Min Woo Lee was in a nice little tussle with Adam Scott towards the end of a Sunday of a PGA, how cool would that be for you?

MIN WOO LEE:  Very cool.  Hopefully we can do it tomorrow.  Yeah, I’m just ‑‑ yeah, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say.  I’m looking forward to it.  I don’t know who I’m going to be paired up with, I don’t know if I’m going to be in the final group, but should be exciting.


Nick Flanagan, 2019 Australian PGA Championship, Round 3

Q.  Nick, incredible round.  You must be feeling pretty ecstatic now?

NICK FLANAGAN:  Yeah, it was kind of out of the blue.  The first two days I was really struggling, especially the first day.  Found something a little bit on the back nine for my second nine yesterday and actually played really well, just had a couple of three‑putts that kind of kept me on the cut line. 

But yeah, I think just, yeah, till Saturday I missed the last two cuts in a row and just went out and didn’t play with any pressure on myself.  Wasn’t trying to make a ton of birdies, was just trying to get it on the greens and kind of give myself putts today, and I tended to hit it closer than I had the last two days and I made all the putts. 

Q.  It seems to be some really good scores today.  Is it a case of the conditions being really favorable or did you just catch fire?

NICK FLANAGAN:  Yeah, I mean, I think the course is probably a little easier this morning than it had been the last couple of days.  They definitely put a lot of water on the golf course I think overnight, and some of the sprinklers were still on this morning so the greens were really receptive. 

Yeah, we barely had any breeze until maybe the 13th or 14th hole.  It started getting up on that par 4, I think it was 13.  Then the last kind of three or four holes were downwind except for 18, so it was all there for a good round coming in.

Q.  Feel like you’re out of the rocks on the day, Nick?  Do you feel it will be a little bit trickier this afternoon?

NICK FLANAGAN:  Yeah, for sure.  Obviously shooting a really good number in the morning and going home and now I can just sit around and kind of get ready for tomorrow.  And if this wind gets up, great.  If it doesn’t, then it’s still ‑‑ if somebody told me I was going to have 9 under at the start of the round, I definitely would have taken it.  Puts me in a good spot for tomorrow and hopefully go out there and just kind of play similar golf.

Q.  What does playing like that mean for you going forward, Nick?  Golf 2020, what’s your status at the moment?

NICK FLANAGAN:  I’ve got conditional past champion status on the Korn Ferry Tour, which doesn’t get me any starts, but I can re‑rank if I get into an event.  I went to European Q‑School, got to final stage but didn’t do any good, so I got like really bad Challenge Tour status. 

So yeah, it all helps.  It’s been a rough kind of month and I haven’t been playing very good golf, so it was good to get it today.  Got a baby due in the beginning of January, so that’s kind of where my mind is at the moment.

Q.  Is that your first baby?

NICK FLANAGAN:  First, yep, first one.

Q.  Is Europe an option for you?  Obviously a good week this week might get you a start early in the year, which might not be great timing.

NICK FLANAGAN:  Yeah, I’d love to play in Europe.  That’s kind of why I decided to go to Q‑School this year.  I got an exemption into second stage through my Order of Merit finish here last year.  Yeah, I really wanted to play over there next year, so obviously if things went great tomorrow, then that would definitely be something that I’d be excited to do.  Hopefully, that happens.

Q.  Are the last couple of days indicative of the last few years, that you had a couple of scratchy rounds, then you come out and shoot a good one like you did at the Vic Open?  You know, like how do you sort of sum up kind of where the game clicks and where it ‑‑

NICK FLANAGAN:  I think just kind of getting a balance between being too intense and wanting it too much and then kind of being too relaxed and trying to kind of go the other way with it.

Obviously, getting through the weekend takes a bit of pressure off.  Just got to a point today where it was like I’ve been playing so bad, I’ve been trying so hard that I just thought I’ll go out there and just not try at all, and all of a sudden you kind of loosen up over the ball.  And I’ve been having some wrist issues the last two months as well, so I’m kind of swinging it maybe a little slower than I was, which is helping in my rhythm.  It’s just golf, you just never know.

Q.  How do you now approach these last two days?  You said you’ve sort of struggled with that mental balance, trying too hard and being relaxed.  How do you suddenly get that right now?  You’re right in contention for the PGA.

NICK FLANAGAN:  Yeah, well, obviously today being out second group, there’s not a lot of people around, it just felt like another round.  The adrenaline started pumping there the last three or four holes when I was trying to get to 10 or 11 coming in so I could really be up there. 

It will be different tomorrow.  I’ll have to get back to kind of being intense again, but obviously staying relaxed enough that it’s not a big deal.  If things don’t work out, I’ve got a baby due in five weeks and that’s really what I’ll be thinking about.  But obviously I would love to go out there and win, but yeah, it’s just finding that balance again.

Q.  Are you going to stay here until the baby’s due or are you heading back to the States?

NICK FLANAGAN:  No.  The baby’s due on the 11th of January, so I’ll be flying out of Sydney on Monday morning.  It’s kind of two and a half weeks, I’m cutting it kind of close, but hopefully it works out.

Q.  Where are you at the moment?  Are you in Dallas?

NICK FLANAGAN:  San Antonio.


It was only a few years ago that frisbee golf held more appeal to Nick Flanagan than the real thing but the expectant father has roared into contention with a course record-equalling 9-under 63 in the early stages of Round 3 of the Australian PGA Championship.

The 35-year-old only squeezed into the weekend field by virtue of a birdie at his penultimate hole on Friday and adopted a more relaxed mindset, an approach that proved extremely effective in benign morning conditions.

Out in the second group of the day, Flanagan put the foot down from the outset, making a birdie from 10 feet at the first hole and adding three more on the trot to be 4-under through four, building momentum with putts of 10, five and 12 feet.

A fifth birdie followed at the par-4 seventh where he hit 9-iron to kick-in distance and then with no 3-wood in his bag the Novocastrian chose to lay up with 7-iron off the tee at the 252-metre par-4 eighth, a lob wedge to 10 feet moving him to 6-under through eight holes.

Yet while there were three more birdies on the back nine to equal Ross McGowan’s RACV Royal Pines Resort it was par saves at nine and a 35-foot bomb at 11 that Flanagan credited with an excellent round into one with potentially life-changing ramifications.

“That’s kind of what happened the last two events, those momentum changes I just wasn’t making those 10 or 15-footers,” said Flanagan, who shot 62 in the opening round of the ISPS HANDA Vic Open in February and was tied for sixth at Royal Pines 12 months ago.

“Then I’d make a bogey at the next hole and instead of going one direction it would go the other way quick.

“I hit a good drive down nine and flared a 5-iron into pretty much the only spot you can’t get up-and-down from, in between the bunkers. Just dead.

“It’s tricky to hit those high lob wedges off this kind of grass and flubbed it into the bunker but then got that up and down, holed an eight-footer for par.

“That was the thing that kept me going and then I hit two good shots into 10.

“That’s the difference. I could have gone back to 5 (under) but I make that putt at nine, make birdie at 10 and all of a sudden I’m 7-under.

“Then to make that 40-footer (at 11) was what kept the round going.”

Incredibly, Spaniard Alejandro Canizares was playing in the group in front and going almost as low, an eagle at the eighth and birdies at 10 and 13 getting him to 7-under on his round, bogeys at 14 and 15 followed by birdies at 16 and 17 for an 8-under 64 and a tie for sixth.

Having missed out on a European Tour card by failing to qualify for the final two rounds at Final Stage of Qualifying School, a win would secure Flanagan status on a main tour for the first tim since 2015 and provide a career kick-start for the 2003 US Amateur champion.

“I’d love to play in Europe. That’s kind of why I decided to go to Q School this year,” said Flanagan, who would secure Category 16 status with a win on Sunday.

“I really wanted to play over there next year, so obviously if things went great tomorrow, then that would definitely be something that I’d be excited to do. Hopefully, that happens.

“Obviously today being out second group, there’s not a lot of people around, it just felt like another round. The adrenaline started pumping there the last three or four holes when I was trying to get to 10 or 11 coming in so I could really be up there. 

“It will be different tomorrow. I’ll have to get back to kind of being intense again, but obviously staying relaxed enough that it’s not a big deal.

“If things don’t work out, I’ve got a baby due in five weeks and that’s really what I’ll be thinking about.

“But obviously I would love to go out there and win, it’s just finding that balance again.”


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