Zunic, Felton heat up at #WAPGA

Jordan Zunic has overcome gusting winds and blistering heat to join Jarryd Felton at 7-under the card and lead the opening round of the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship.

Zunic teed off in 38-degree heat at Kalgoorlie Golf Course but it did little to deter the New South Welshman who recorded a bogey-free round in the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament.

“I’m very hot right now, it’s super hot out there so I’m glad to be all done for the day but I felt really good out there,” Zunic said.

“I hit the ball quite well and I putted really well too.

“You can always make birdies when you’re holing the putts so it was nice to roll a few in today and start the week off well.”

Winds caused the red dust of the outback to swirl and make shots challenging for the afternoon field.

“The wind was a little tricky. I found that it blows and feels strong but I find that it doesn’t seem to affect the ball that much,” he said.

“It’s really hot here so the air might be a bit thinner compared to when we play on the coast with the breeze that really seems to get your ball.

“I found it quite tricky and we did get stumped by the wind on a few holes so it was a little tricky and required a little bit more concentration.”

A birdie on the 18th was the icing on the cake for the 2018 Isuzu Queensland Open champion who will look to take advantage of cooler conditions when he takes to the 10th tee at 7:25am tomorrow morning.

“That was nice to get it on the green in two there, just in that middle tier and roll on down there and have a tap in for birdie to finish off the day,” he said.

“I can’t wait to get out here tomorrow morning. I think the forecast is cooler for the day so obviously it’s going to be nice compared to today. I’m looking forward to it.”

Western Australia’s Jarryd Felton has credited his ball-striking for an opening round of 7-under 65 at Kalgoorlie Golf Club.

Teeing off early in the morning field alongside Josh Younger and Matias Sanchez, Felton was pleased with the result but felt there was room for improvement.

An eagle on his final hole was the highlight of the round for the Perth local whose affinity with the Goldfields layout has paid dividends.

“I can’t be disappointed with a 65 but I left a lot of shots out there as well,” Felton said.

“My ball striking was really good today. I missed two greens and paid the price as you do around here, but I had a lot of looks inside 10-feet and didn’t capitalise on as many as I wanted. But we got there in the end.

“I love it out here. I seem to play well here. I love this golf course and it definitely rewards good ball striking which is one of my strengths.”

Felton sits alongside elite company at the top of the leaderboard where he is just one shot ahead of fellow West Australian and 2015 WA PGA Championship winner Brett Rumford.

“It feels pretty good,” Felton said of the results. “We wore the same outfit today as well so there’s something in that I think.”

Rumford, who’s made a remarkable recovery since undergoing wrist surgery last November, sits in third place alongside Matt Jager after firing an impressive round of 6-under 66 this morning.

“It was there for the taking really. There was no wind. It got up maybe just a little bit on the back-nine but it was still playable,” Rumford said.

“The greens were receptive and at a moderate pace so if you wedged it well and drove it half decent I think there was a score to be had and I just took advantage of that.”

Former west Aussie Matt Jager endured a rollercoaster opening round at the WA PGA Championship where three bogeys and nine birdies took him to his 6-under total.

Three straight birdies from holes one to three highlighted the round.

Brett Rumford was joined on the tee by David Micheluzzi who today made his professional debut with an impressive bogey-free 5-under par, as well as and one of the tour’s most consistent players, Matt Millar.

Millar unfortunately withdrew from the tournament mid-round due to a back injury.

For round one results visit pga.org.au.

For round two tee times visit pga.org.au.

SONIQ Million Dollar Hole is returning to the Australian PGA Championship with a difference in 2019, offering lucky golf fans the opportunity to go head-to-head against the pros for a chance to win $1 million.

This year up to 15 lucky fans will tee it up against some of the world’s best at RACV Royal Pines Resort’s par-3 16^th hole, where the first person, amateur or pro, to score a hole-in-one will win the full $1 million prize.

Providing a whole new level of inside the ropes access at the Australian PGA Championship, participants will be selected at random from the field of entrants to fly to the Gold Coast, stay at RACV Royal Pines Resort and take part in the competition in round three on Saturday 21 December.

The SONIQ Million Dollar Hole competition will see an amateur contestant aligned with each group of professionals in the field at the PGA Championship’s party hole, the 16^th. Professionals will have the opportunity to tee off first, followed by the amateur with the aim of scoring a hole-in-one to win.

Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia, which also owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, believes the revised competition will further boost the exciting atmosphere at the Australian PGA Championship.

“$1 million is an incredible prize and there is no better place to have it on offer for both our fans and professionals to win than at the 16^th hole at the Australian PGA Championship,” Kirkman said.

“This year’s SONIQ Million Dollar Hole competition is slightly different to previous years and it is fantastic that our fans are now able to get involved and have a chance at hitting the hole-in-one themselves.

“No other sport allows fans to play alongside their heroes which is the greatest thing about golf.

“The Australian PGA Championship has grown and evolved in recent years to become a festival of golf so to have our fans in amongst the action on what is perhaps the course’s most exciting hole is fitting.”

SONIQ’s General Manager Song Su cannot hide his excitement towards this year’s SONIQ Million Dollar Hole competition.

“This is the fourth year of The SONIQ Million Dollar Hole competition at the Australian PGA Championship. We would love to see a fan or a pro to take the $1 million dollar prize home,” Su said.

“The Australian PGA Championship is not just about competition, it is a festival for all. We are thrilled to be part of the PGA event and cannot wait to see what pros and fans can do this year.

“What an incredible experience it will be for golf fans, especially for juniors to be able to tee off with the world’s best golfers, or even their aspiring idols, if they are lucky enough.”

The SONIQ Million Dollar Hole is open to golfers of all ages and handicaps, including juniors, who if chosen, will have the chance to line-up alongside the likes of Cameron Smith and Adam Scott.

The new prize has gained the excitement of professionals, particularly those who have come close in the past.

Pro Jarryd Felton fell agonisingly short last year, grazing the flag in his attempt for a lucrative ace.

“The SONIQ Million Dollar Hole competition at the 16^th hole is always really exciting to be a part of, so the increase of the prize to one million dollars is really taking it to the next level,” Felton said.

“I got so close last year when I hit the flag so I can’t wait to get back to RACV Royal Pines and see if I can hole it this time around. I know it’s achievable which makes me even hungrier to win.

“It’s great that the fans are able to join us on the tee this year and have a go at getting the hole in one themselves.

“It’s a great opportunity and I know if I was a fan it would be the best Christmas present to be able to be out there with the pros, but they’ll need to bring their best shot because it’s a tricky one.”

If a hole-in-one is not achieved, entrants will not go home empty-handed as the participant who gets closest to the pin will win a brand new SONIQ TV.

Golf fans of all ages are encouraged to enter via the form on the Australian PGA Championship website where fans need to enter their details to enter.

Zach Murray, 2019 100th New Zealand Open, Round 1 Interview – 28th February 2019

How did you rate your performance today?

It was pretty steady, I didn’t miss too many fairways and I don’t think I missed a green. It was pretty straightforward, I putted well and everything just sort of clicked and I got a lucky bounce here and there where I needed it.

Sometimes those rounds just pop up at the right time and it was fortunate enough that it happened here

I’ve been playing pretty well. I finished fourth at Asian Q School, got my card up there after turning pro and I’ve been playing pretty steady for the last couple of weeks, but it hadn’t really clicked. My motto this week was just to stay patient, you don’t really need too much patience when the putts are going in, which is nice.

I’m from Country Victoria, so I moved to Melbourne about 12 months ago and just been around some better players and been around my coach and I’ve just got a really good set up down there in Melbourne and the vibe’s really good, just enjoying my golf at the moment, enjoying life off the course, so everything’s just going along nice and smoothly

I just hit a lot of good iron shots to 10-15 foot and rolled the putts in. I didn’t hit any super close but I didn’t miss a green so I had an opportunity on every hole.

How was your preparation today?

It was a strange warm up for me. I hit about five balls and I was like ‘I’m not going to get warm’, and so I just sat in the pro shop and waited until the sun came out, hit a couple of putts and off I went.

I do that back at home when I’m just playing with my mates so I suppose I might have to do that more often.

And it was your father’s birthday today?

Dad’s birthday today. He messaged me last night and said 65 would be nice, considering he was born in ‘65, so I added a couple of years onto him today with a 63. I spoke to him quickly just before and he said he doesn’t mind.

When did you turn professional?

Turned pro in November for the Australian Open and it’s been a really smooth transition, I think it’s probably a credit to the VIS and Golf Australia, and the PGA in Australia as well for allowing me to play a number of professional events before I turned pro

You have to prepare a little bit better and do the one percenters a little bit more.

This is the lowest round I’ve shot as a professional, I’ve had 61 on my home course as an amateur, but this would be one of the best rounds I’ve had

I love both tracks, I felt as though The Hills suited me a little bit more so it will be interesting to see how I go tomorrow. I haven’t been driving it well lately and that’s what’s been letting me down but I drove it well today.

Quick Quote, Ben Campbell, 2019 100th New Zealand Open, Round 1 – 28th February 2019

I played pretty solid all day but a bad way to finish after I played okay. I didn’t do anything wrong even on the last hole which got away of me a little bit. It is just how it happens.

There were some good flags out there. It was good to see actually. Finally they have put some tougher flags out which suits my game as well. I think the course set up was good. Under par is still under par so I will do a bit of practice this afternoon and get ready for tomorrow.

The Hills is a good scoring course and if you get it going you can shoot a really low one where the way it was set up here today it was tricky to get a low one going and I sort of grinded my way all day.

Ryan Fox, 2019 100th New Zealand Open, Round 1 Interview – 28th February 2019

How was your round?

The score was ok, I didn’t feel like I played overly well. I kept it out of trouble for the most part, got lucky on 17 and 18 at Millbrook and made the most of that. Scoring is a bit tougher this year, it looks like. Playing in the cold this morning probably didn’t help, I certainly haven’t been that cold on a golf course for a while so all in all it was a pretty good day.

What happened on the 17th and 18th holes?

I got very lucky on 17. I kind of took that shot on. I felt pretty comfortable over the ball and just hit a shite golf shot really. I got lucky, I thought it was out of bounds, to be fair, but I figured that if it at least was in the water I was going to make par anyway. I hit a decent chip shot from getting lucky.

To be honest, on 18, I would have preferred it in the water. I would have had less for bogey from dropping it than I did being left of the water. It was a pretty bad lie on the down slope and I did pretty well to have a putt for my next shot there. It wasn’t a good shot, I’ve been fighting the lefts a little bit the last couple of weeks and that’s not an overly comfortable hole at the best of times, especially when you are fighting that shot. Happy to get away with only making bogey there.

How are you feeling?

I am pretty knackered now to be honest. I’ve just had a massage and was about to fall asleep on the table. I actually felt pretty good on the golf course.

I woke up 10 minutes before my alarm feeling pretty good. Other than being a little bit cold out there I was alert and it helped having Steve on the bag – he keeps you focussed. Hopefully I can get a good night’s sleep – around this time I will be six or eight holes into my round tomorrow at this point so hopefully I will feel a little better than I do right now.

I have probably had jet-lag for the last six weeks so it feels a bit more normal than feeling normal.

I will try to stay awake as long as I can tonight and get a sleep-in tomorrow and feel alright for the afternoon.

How do you rate your round?

I felt like it was there to be had today. It was pretty nice this morning apart from being a little cold for the first four or five holes we played. I left a few slip out there but three-under is not bad looking at the leaderboard and looks like there is some scores to be had at the The Hills. Hopefully we get a nice afternoon and a little bit warmer which makes is easier to score.

I had a nice range session with Marcus (Wheelhouse) and Steve (Williams) so hopefully I can take that on to the golf course tomorrow and get something going a little bit lower.

Do you try to go to sleep early?

I have some mates down here who came to watch today so I will catch up with them for dinner so that will keep me awake to 9 or 10 and not being off until 12.40 tomorrow afternoon if I can sleep in to 9 tomorrow would be ideal. If I went to sleep now, I would be in big trouble.

The worst part of jet-lag is trying to stay awake. Having something to do generally helps – this is helping, a bit of practice helps and obviously dinner tonight will also.

The PGA of Australia is pleased to announce its team for the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup with well-known Australian PGA Professional Lisa Jean to captain the team in the first-of-its-kind competition.

Formed by the PGA of America, the international tournament will be a 54-hole stroke play event with each team’s lowest three scores counted after each round where the winning country will be the team with the lowest 54-hole aggregate total.

The Australian team will feature Australia’s best vocational female PGA Professionals with captain Lisa Jean (VIC) to tee it up alongside Gillian Rae (NSW), Bronte Colbert (WA), Jade Fisher (QLD) and Sienna Voglis (VIC) at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas this October.

“We’ve assembled a great team for the Women’s PGA Cup and I’m honoured to lead them as captain,” said Lisa Jean.

“We’re all really excited to be a part of a tournament that gives us the chance to showcase what we do on the world stage and show other countries the calibre of female PGA Professionals in Australia.

“We each have strengths in different areas of the game but I think that’s what will make us such strong competitors.”

Get to know the team:

Lisa Jean
Leading the way for Australian women, Lisa Jean is a name many will already be familiar with. Entering the record books in 2015 as the first female to win the Victorian Club Professional Championship, Jean was subsequently awarded a start at the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia’s Victorian PGA Championship in 2016 to tee it up alongside the men. No stranger to tournament golf, Jean competed on the Ladies European Tour for six years before making the switch to teaching where she now works as an Assistant and Teaching Professional at Huntingdale Golf Club.

Gillian Rae
Gillian Rae joins the team as a Teaching Professional at Elanora Country Club and Golf Paradise and as a member at Manly Golf Club in New South Wales. A Tournament Professional early in her career, Gillian now focuses on the vocational side of the game with an emphasis on children’s and development golf. Gillian’s vast level of experience across many facets of golf will undoubtedly prove beneficial for the Australian team.

Bronte Colbert
Joining the ALPG Tour in 2019, 25-year-old Bronte Colbert is the youngest member of the Australian team. A Teaching Professional at Marangaroo Golf Course in Western Australia, Colbert’s tournament results continue to improve with her best finish coming at the Sheraton Deva New Caledonia Women’s International Pro-Am where she placed 22^nd. Completing her PGA Traineeship in 2017, Colbert’s recent experience will be an asset come tournament time.

Jade Fisher
Assistant Professional at Jindalee Golf Club in Queensland, Jade Fisher has recorded some strong results in her tournament golf career. A player on the ALPG Tour since 2014, Fisher’s best finish came at the Brisbane Invitational in 2017 where she tied for 7^th place before going on to compete in the Women’s Vic Open in 2018. Working closely on development and all abilities golf as a professional, Fisher will bring important game knowledge to the Australian team.

Sienna Voglis
Victorian Sienna Voglis joins the Australian team as the Teaching Professional at Ivanhoe Public Golf Course. With tournament experience between 2013 and 2017, Voglis has turned her focus to the teaching side of the game in recent years but it hasn’t stopped her from posting some top scores in recreational rounds. A passionate golfer and member of the team, Voglis will make her tournament return at the Women’s PGA Cup in style.

All five women will play an important part in the team with Australia electing for Lisa Jean to take part as a playing captain in the tournament, a point of difference to other teams that may choose a non-playing captain to lead the team.

PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman was thrilled to announce such a strong team for the tournament which will see Jean, Rae, Colbert, Fisher and Voglis represent Australia’s PGA Professionals on the world stage.

“We are very excited to finally announce the Australian team for the Women’s PGA Cup after confirming our involvement early last year,” said Kirkman.

“Our female PGA Professionals in Australia are highly skilled and are certainly some of the best in the world.

“I am sure Lisa will lead the team to a fantastic result while encouraging each of the women of Team Australia to perform to the best of their ability and give their all.

“I look forward to seeing them take on the rest of the world and do us all proud.”

In addition to the USA; Canada, Great Britain & Ireland, Netherlands and Sweden have committed to play the 2019 Women’s PGA Cup.

Each member of team Australia is a vocational PGA of Australia member working full time in the Australian golf industry to comply with the Women’s PGA Cup eligibility criteria.

The Australian team is proud to partner with Cutter & Buck for the 2019 Women’s PGA Cup where each member of the team will don Cutter & Buck apparel throughout their title campaign.

A manufacturer of upscale clothing for golf and other sports, Cutter & Buck has been in operation since 1995 and is a well-respected brand within the golf industry, making this partnership the perfect fit.

The Women’s PGA Cup will be played at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas with all rounds to be played on the Foothills Course designed by Tom Fazio from 22-26 October, 2019.

The Australian PGA Championship will be #DoingItForJarrod this December as the tournament is set to turn yellow in honour of the late Jarrod Lyle.

Dubbed ‘Yellow Day’, on Friday 20 December fans and players alike are encouraged to wear yellow to create a sea of colour at RACV Royal Pines Resort in celebration of Lyle’s legacy and in support of an important not-for-profit organisation, Challenge.

Following the first Yellow Day during round one of the 2018 Australian PGA Championship, the PGA of Australia felt it important to continue the tradition which honours a cherished figure of the industry.

“It was incredible to see such amazing support of Jarrod Lyle and Challenge in 2018 with many players and fans donning yellow,” said Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia, which also owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

“Jarrod was very important in our industry and we want to ensure his memory lives on and his gift to Challenge, via the awareness he brought to the charity, continues to have a significant impact. We believe hosting Yellow Day on the Friday of the Australian PGA Championship each year moving forward will achieve these goals.”

Briony Lyle, Jarrod’s wife, continues to be humbled by the outpouring of support for Challenge in her husband’s name.

“The support we continue to receive from the Australian golf community is phenomenal and is a constant reminder of how highly respected Jarrod was. A cancer diagnosis is a terrible thing for anyone to receive, but it can be especially devastating for a child and their entire family,” said Lyle.

“Our family knows firsthand how difficult a treatment journey can be and we hope to provide as much practical support as we can to other families facing a similar challenge.”

A ‘yellow’ coin donation will form part of the entry fee to the tournament on Friday 20 December, with all proceeds donated to Challenge.

“Having known Jarrod since his first diagnosis, I have watched him grow as an individual and sportsman. His capacity to empathise and connect with people was truly remarkable. His gift and legacy to Challenge is ensuring that other families travelling the cancer journey are supported,” said David Rogers, CEO of Challenge.

Yellow Day at the Australian PGA Championship will also see the culmination of the #DoingItForJarrod club golf days which are being held around Australia throughout August and September, with the total amount raised set to be announced during the tournament. Golf Clubs around Australia can still sign up for a #DoingItForJarrod club day by registering here.

To help Challenge continue supporting young cancer victims and their families, visit www.challenge.org.au to donate directly or purchase clothing and pins carrying the Leuk the Duck symbol Jarrod Lyle helped make famous.

Further initiatives to be held on Yellow Day will be announced closer to the tournament and will be available to view here.

The Queensland Government, via Tourism and Events Queensland, is proud to support the Australian PGA Championship which features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar. Your perfect next event is in Queensland where live events combine with the most incredible destinations, and life is beautiful one day, perfect the next.

The Australian PGA Championship will be played at RACV Royal Pines Resort from 19 – 22 Dec with hospitality and experiences as well as general admission tickets available to purchase from 1:00pm on Friday 21 June via Ticketek.

General admission to the Australian PGA Championship is $25* when purchased at the gate or online with children, 16 and under, granted free admission when attending with a paying adult. If hospitality is more your style, a number of different options are also available with packages starting at $95, for details please visit pgachampionship.com.au.

The Northern Territory PGA Championship will build to new heights in 2019 with locally-owned company Tailor-made Building Services signing on as naming rights partner of the tournament.

The tournament – to be known as the Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship – will be played at the Palmerston Golf Club from 22-25 August for a prize purse of $150,000, marking the fourth occasion the Championship has been staged on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia schedule.

Tailor-made Building Services is a family owned and operated company, spearheaded by Ray Somerville, with their head office overlooking the 18^th green at Palmerston Golf Course.

“As you can tell from the name of the company and its location, golf is a big part of our life and a passion of mine,” said Somerville.

“I play with TaylorMade clubs, my daughter is named Taylah and my business is Tailor-made; if you want something done right to suit your needs you get it tailor made.”

“The values of Tailor-made Building Services are very similar to golf; we play to a set of rules, we play fair and honestly where with dedication and effort we get a great result.”

Having hosted many up and coming PGA Professionals competing during the first three stagings of the NT PGA Championship, Somerville wished to extend his family’s association with Championship in 2019.

“Over the year’s my family has had the pleasure of hosting many PGA Pros and amateurs, I have also been the President of the Palmerston Golf Club twice and to be the naming rights partner of the NT PGA is the icing on the cake for me,” added Somerville.

“Outside of Supercars, no other sporting event brings 120 of its best available players to the Top End. These professional golfers really engage with the community while they are here; undertaking junior clinics, ladies clinics and interacting with the general public.

“I am proud to be associated with the tournament and look forward to helping it grow in future years.”

Matthew Hewer, General Manager of Palmerston Golf Course was delighted to secure the support of Tailor-made Building Services.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Tailor-made Building Services as a major sponsor of the NT PGA this year. Ray Somerville has been heavily involved with the Palmerston Golf Course over the years and is a massive supporter of the club,” said Hewer.

“Without people like Ray, we simply would not be able to put this tournament on. Generous sponsors, such as Mr Somerville are vital to the continuing success of the event.”

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia looks forward to bringing elite golf to the Top End and the Palmerston Golf Course again in 2019.

“On behalf of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and our players I would like to thank Tailor-made Building Services for their support of the 2019 NT PGA Championship,” said Simon Butterly, GM – Tournaments for the PGA of Australia which owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

“Whilst having a connection to the tournament in recent years, we welcome Tailor-Made formally becoming a partner of the tournament and we are extremely grateful for the commitment of Ray and his team to ensure the ongoing success of the NT PGA Championship.

“We have already commenced tournament preparations with Palmerston Golf Course and are looking forward to working with them to put on another excellent tournament.”

The Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship will be played from 22-25 August at Palmerston Golf Course.

In addition to the winner’s share of the $150,000 prize purse, the champion will receive Official World Golf Ranking Points and be fully exempt onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2020 season.

The PGA of Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil are set to celebrate an alliance of 10 years following a three-year extension of their year-round golf partnership.

Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) will become the PGA’s official hydration partner covering all non-alcoholic beverages including water, sports drinks and a variety of other CCA beverages.

As a premier partner, CCA will form a year-round commitment to golf with involvement across ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia events as well as the Volkswagen Scramble, Ladbrokes Legends Tour, Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series, Greg Norman Medal and PGA Education Programs.

“Coca-Cola Amatil’s commitment to Australian golf, the PGA of Australia and our PGA Professionals over the last 10 years has been pivotal to the continued growth of both our sport and the wider industry,” said Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia.

“We are delighted to continue this relationship into the future and develop the partnership further.”

Lana Slayman, General Manager On-Premise for Coca-Cola Amatil emphasised the importance of the partnership with the PGA due to the Association’s country-wide reach.

”Whilst the PGA of Australia is well known as the owner and operator of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, it also stages, promotes, markets and administers approximately 400 tournaments annually as the governing body of professional golf in Australia,” she said.

“With an additional 400+ Volkswagen Scramble events with over 30,000 participants each year, it is this depth of events and their connection with PGA Professionals and the golf industry that provides us with a great opportunity to continue our commitment to golf in Australia through this partnership.”

As part of this partnership, CCA will continue to provide PGA Professionals and their golf facilities access to their market-leading brands and trading benefits, along with optional education programs focussed on sharing Coca-Cola Amatil’s industry knowledge and trends in retail merchandising and sales.

Palmerston Golf Course and the PGA of Australia are delighted to announce the dates for the 2019 Northern Territory PGA championship.

Being played from 22 – 25 August at the Palmerston Golf Course, the tournament will form part of the 2019 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia schedule and will be contested for $150,000.

A week-long celebration of golf, Cazalys Palmerston Club and the Palmerston Golf Course General Manager, Matthew Hewer, said he looks forward to again having the spotlight on the Palmerston Golf Course for the NT PGA.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming an international field of players as well as emerging players from the Territory. It’s going to be a fantastic four days of competition.”

Assistant Minister for Sports & Community Events, Tony Sievers, said, “it’s wonderful to confirm one of the Top End’s most prestigious and high-profile sporting events for 2019.

“Golf is one of Australia’s most popular sports and is enjoyed by people of all ages, status and social background, so it is exciting that we are delivering this elite level of golf back to the Top End for Territorians to enjoy.

“The Northern Territory PGA Championship is a fully sanctioned professional tournament on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and provides professional golfers with the opportunity to play elite golf in the territory.

“The tournament is played for a prize purse of $150,000, it attracts Official World Golf Ranking points and provides the champion with a full exemption on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2020 season.

“Developing the sport of golf in the NT remains high on our agenda, and our contribution of $150,000 per-annum in prize money for the championships is a testament to our commitment to the event, and to the sport of golf in the Territory.

“The Northern Territory PGA Championship provides strong economic benefits to the NT, with an estimated $1.8 million injected into the economy over the course of the event."

The 2018 Northern Territory PGA Championship attracted an entry list of 120 competitors, comprising of 99 Australia professionals, 15 international professionals and six Australian elite amateurs.

General Manager of Tournaments for the PGA of Australia, Simon Butterly, said the Northern Territory PGA Championship has flourished over the past three years the tournament has been played on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

“The Northern Territory PGA Championship forms an integral part of our schedule and I am sure it will continue to evolve over the coming years thanks to the continued support of the Northern Territory Government,” said Mr Butterly.

“Professional golfers are privileged to travel the world and the Territory is certainly a unique destination that they all enjoy visiting and we are confident that an excellent field of players will tee it up at the Northern Territory PGA Championship in August.”

City of Palmerston Mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell said the Council is proud to again be sponsoring this fantastic event.

“We are proud to be involved in bringing the tournament back to Palmerston for the fourth time. Territorians have always had a passion for outdoor sports so it’s a valuable opportunity to showcase our city, provide economic benefits for local businesses and a unique experience for locals and visitors. We look forward to welcoming all involved in the 2019 Northern Territory PGA Championship to Palmerston,” said Ms Pascoe-Bell.

Palmerston Golf Course, host of the 2019 Northern Territory PGA Championships, provides athletes with a challenging 18-hole par 71 course.

Last year, fans at the Palmerston Golf Course were treated to some spectacular scoring on the final day of the 2018 Northern Territory PGA Championship with one of the pre-tournament favourites, Daniel Nisbet showing a touch of class over the final nine holes to come away with a two-stroke victory. Incidentally, only last week, Nisbet won the 2019 Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship held in Toowoomba by six shots and is currently competing in his title defence of the New Zealand Open.

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia is the elite tournament destination for Professional golf in Australasia, encompassing events across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific with a total prize pool of over $8.5 million. All tournaments on the tour carry Official World Golf Ranking points, and is marked as the premier golfing tour in the Australasia region.

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