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NSW professional Alex Edge birdied his final hole to grab a one-shot lead after the opening round of the 2024 Tasmanian Open at Launceston Golf Club today.
The 34-year-old, who has been a regular on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia since 2016, shot a 4-under-par 68 to lead Tasmania Golf Club PGA Professional Scott Priest by a shot heading into the weekend, with Tim Hart (Qld) and Kyle Michel (Vic) sharing third at 2-under.
The leading amateur, Victorian Christopher Sayer, is part of a group of six players at 1-under, while defending champion Toby Walker is six back after a 74.
Edge’s opening round in the 54-hole adidas Pro-Am Series event featured five birdies with his only slip-up coming at the 330m par-4 16th.
“I was a pretty nice round to be fair. I kept it out of the strife all day pretty much,” Edge said.
“It was enjoyable playing a course that wasn’t crazy long and gave us a lot chances for up and downs for birdie.
“I hadn’t been here for a couple of years. It’s a nice old, style course that gives you the chance to be a bit creative and get wedge in hand pretty often.”
In the all-amateur women’s Open, Matilda Miels turned in the only under-par round on day one, a 1-under 72, to grab a two-shot lead over Rebecca Zhao with Jorjah Bailey a further two shots back.
Miels, from Kooyonga in South Australia, picked up six birdies, including a sequence of three to start her day when she took advantage of the back-to-back par-5 10th and 11th holes and the short-par 12th.
”The course is short and the greens are running quick,” Miels said.
“It was good to hole a couple of putts out there today.
“I don’t mind coming to Tasmania. My boyfriend’s parents live here. so we’ve been back a few times this year.”
Zhao (NSW) staged a great fightback on the back nine, shooting a 3-under 34 after going out in 4-over 40.
The Men’s and Women’s Tasmanian Opens are supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania
Twelve months ago, a Tasmanian Open triumph was the ideal way to sign off on a strong amateur career.
This week, Toby Walker returns to Launceston Golf Club not only a member of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, but in the first months of his training to become a fully qualified PGA Professional.
Starting Friday, the 2024 Tasmanian Open marks the second time that it has featured on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series after 30 years as a purely amateur event.
The honour roll of amateur winners includes 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, 15-time Japan Golf Tour winner Brendan Jones, PGA TOUR players Mathew Goggin, Cameron Percy and Nick Flanagan.
In more recent years, gun amateurs such as Jordan Zunic, Jarryd Felton, Anthony Quayle and Hayden Hopewell won the Tasmanian Open before joining the pro ranks, Walker joining their ilk with a four-stroke win in 2023.
But it wasn’t supposed to be that way.
With professionals back in the field the calibre of Ben Eccles, 2016 champion Simon Hawkes and Daniel Fox, the amateurs were supposed to step to the side.
But nobody told Toby.
He held at least a share of the lead all three days, closing it out with a round of 4-under 68 to win by four strokes.
It was the exclamation point on his amateur career, moving into the professional ranks after earning his Tour card at Qualifying School two months later.
Walker earned his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win as a pro in just his 12th start but by the end of the year decided to enrol in the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program under good friend Michael Dean at The Heritage Golf and Country Club.
“I did my first year on tour and I enjoyed it, but I decided to go back and do the MPP, take a step back from playing golf full-time and try to get back to enjoying it,” said Walker.
“The fact that I want to coach later on in life, you can’t really do that unless you have the MPP behind you. Mike’s been my mate of many years and is the Head Professional at Heritage so he said to come over and do my time out there with him.”
With Dean also in the field this week, Walker’s title defence has taken on a different perspective.
The 24-year-old is not feeling any pressure as the reigning champ, more soaking up the experience of spending a week on tour with a mate.
“It’s more about the week with Mike, to be honest,” said Walker.
“Just come out here and watch the footy at a couple of local pubs and enjoy coming back here and supporting the event.
“It’s great to be able to return to an event such as this as the defending champ and to be able to spend time and have fun with a couple of mates.
There are 36 amateurs in the field along with a strong field of professionals including Tour winners Simon Hawkes, Ashley Hall and Scott Laycock, prolific pro-am winners Tim Hart and Kyle Michel and Tour Members such as Alex Edge, Anthony Choat and Will Bruyeres.
The championship will be contested over 54 holes with total prize money of $35,000.
The Tasmanian Open women’s competition held will also be held over the three days with the Tasmanian Inclusive Championship to be conducted over 36 holes across the weekend.
The Men’s and Women’s Tasmanian Opens are supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania
Darcy Brereton was rewarded for his decision to push through a bout of tonsilitis by taking out the Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am by one stroke.
Chasing his first victory on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, Brereton made the trip up to the New South Wales Riverina from Melbourne despite battling illness early in the week.
Although he struggled at the two-day pro-am at Griffith, his health improved, and so did his scores.
He opened with a superb 7-under 65 on day one at Leeton and then backed it up with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to pip Blake Windred (68-66) by a shot.
“The start of the week was pretty ordinary but I thought given that I was up here, I might as well try,” Brereton said of his decision to play.
“I needed to blow some rust off after three or four weeks off after the end of the Tour season so I thought just gut it out and go play.”
Kick-started by an eagle at the par-5 eighth, Windred made a charge around the turn, picking up six strokes in the space of six holes to pile the pressure on Brereton.
But the tying birdie proved elusive over his final five holes, Brereton hanging on with Kyle Michel (67-69) closing with two straight birdies to snare outright third.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Four birdies and an eagle in his final six holes in Round 1 gave Brereton a two-shot buffer heading into the final round.
He had a birdie and six pars to start his second round before making bogey at the par-5 eighth for the second day in succession.
Brereton got that shot back and then some with an eagle at the par-4 10th and then picked up three birdies in the space of four holes from the 12th to keep the chasing pack at bay.
A bogey on 16 gave the likes of Windred and Michel a glimmer of hope but Brereton was able to close out a maiden win with two pars to finish.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I actually played OK at Griffith – a little sloppy here and there – but the game was still OK.
“Obviously yesterday and today it tidied up a little bit. Every day I started to feel five to 10 per cent better where now I’m feeling a lot better than when I got here.
“I drove it really well and cleaned up all my putts inside six feet pretty well.
“Never going to have many long putts but tidied up and drove it well.
“I finished the Tour season scraping into 50th on the Order of Merit so that was lucky and sets me up for next year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Darcy Brereton 65-68—133
2 Blake Windred 68-66—134
3 Kyle Michel 67-69—136
T4 Tim Hart 69-68—137
T4 Aiden Didone 68-69—137
6 Alexander Simpson 70-68—138
T7 Cameron Kelly 72-69—141
T7 Adam Henwood 69-72—141
T7 Jayden Cripps 71-70—141
T7 Marcus Fraser 67-74—141
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads to Tasmania this week for the 54-hole Men’s Tasmanian Open, starting Friday at Launceston Golf Course.
Gold Coast’s Dillon Hart has claimed the biggest win of his career with a one-stroke win at the B&C Plumbing Griffith Charity Pro-Am at Griffith Golf Club.
Third on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit in his rookie season in 2023, Hart edged fellow Queenslander William Bruyeres by a shot after the pair ended day one tied on top with rounds of 5-under 66.
After a slow start to the second round, Hart came to his final hole tied with Bruyeres, a closing birdie at the par-5 17th enough to come out on top with a round of 2-under 69 and 7-under total. Bruyeres (70) claimed outright second at 6-under, one clear of Marcus Fraser (69-68) with Aiden Didone (72-66), Mark Panopolous (70-68) and Alex Simpson (67-71) sharing fourth at 5-under.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDEDBoth Hart and Bruyeres dropped a shot at their opening hole in Round 2 – Hart at the 18th, Bruyeres at one – but it was Hart who would steady the ship best.He made birdies at one and three to get to 6-under, Bruyeres dropping four shots back at 2-under after a bogey on one and double bogey at the par-4 fourth.Back-to-back birdies at five and six saw Bruyeres claw his way back into contention, drawing level with Hart again when he made birdie at the par-5 ninth.The lead changed hands again when Hart dropped a shot at the par-3 11th but he soon regained control, making birdies at both 12 and 13 to edge ahead at 6-under.Birdies at 15 and 16 earned Bruyeres the outright lead at 7-under but a bogey at the par-5 17th would prove fatal, Hart’s birdie on his final hole securing a one-shot victory.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID“I played well last year through the pro-ams so it’s nice to come back in 2024 and kick-start the way I did last year.“Drove the ball really well and short game saved me a lot of times.“I struggled a bit with the wedges but when the short game’s on that can keep you going along.“I’ll be back up in Queensland for the Mining Towns Series so it will be nice to play again having seen the courses for the first time last year.” LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Dillon Hart 66-69—135NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series remains in the Riverina region of New South Wales for the Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am where Darcy Brereton takes a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round.
Lucas Herbert completed the Bendigo region double on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with a runaway win in the Symes Motors Axedale BMW Pro-Am today.
A day after shooting an equal course record 9-under-par 61 to claim the pro-am at his junior club, Neangar Park, Herbert flirted with a 59 before carding a 7-under-62 to beat fellow Victorians Cameron Kelly and Euan Walters by four shots.
The Axedale victory was a first for the 27-year-old who ran third and seventh in his previous appearances.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Preparing for the LIV Adelaide event later this month, Herbert was 7-under through 11 holes but his bid for a 59, to match the Axedale record held by Kris Mueck, was halted by pars on 12, 13, 14 and 16.
A bogey on the par-4 17th ended up costing him back-to-back 61s to celebrate his return home.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Today was solid. Similar to yesterday I thought I played reasonable enough and made some pretty good putts,” Herbert said.
“It’s tricky around here. You can get yourself in some tough positions very easily.
“I managed to avoid as many of those as possible and put some numbers on the board which was nice.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-7: Lucas Herbert (Vic)
-3: Cameron Kelly (Vic), Euan Walters (Vic)
-2: Michael Choi (Vic)
-1: Roland Baglin (Vic)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series stops off in Leeton in NSW for the two-day Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am this weekend.
Lucas Herbert returned home to Bendigo and treated a big local following to a day to remember, equalling the course record on the way to a four-shot win in the Evolution Neangar Park Pro-Am.
The winner at Neangar Park on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series last year, Herbert’s round of 10-under-par 61 started with a bang when he holed a wedge shot for an eagle on the opening hole, a 367m par-4.
Although he only arrived back in Australia yesterday from overseas duties with LIV Golf, the 28-year-old added nine birdies, and had just a solitary bogey, to match the course record set only a few days earlier by a young club member, Morten Hafkamp.
Ironically the teenager was in Herbert’s group today.
“I’m not sure whether he was cheering for me to knock that putt in on the last. But it was nice to tie that record with him because he’s obviously played a great game of golf last weekend,” Herbert said of his younger playing partner whose 61 sealed the 2024 club championship.
“It was good to play with him today and see where his game is at.”
Fellow Victorian Josh Younger, fresh off his 2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia campaign, shot a 6-under 65 to take second spot.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
After his magical two on the first, Herbert dropped a shot on the second but that was his only setback for the day.
A trio of birdies came from the fourth to sixth and after making his way to -7 after 13, he closed off his round with another three in row, including a three-metre putt for birdie on the last.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Herbert’s availability for Neangar Park only became possible after the club changed its pro-am date to accommodate the local favourite.
“The jet lag has been hitting me pretty hard but I managed to hold it off for as long as I could to get through that round of golf,” he said.
“I’m not used to being back here this time of year. It’s odd to be here when it’s not really hot. Usually summer is our time and you’re sitting around outside, hoping for a cool breeze.
“For me, being able to give back to Australian golf, and give back to my local community as much as I can, has been something I’ve enjoyed doing over the last few years when I’ve had the chance.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-10: Lucas Herbert (Vic)
-6: Josh Younger (Vic)
-4: Wade Lowrie (Vic)
-3: Finlay Bellingham (Vic), Adam Burdett (Vic), Levi Burns (Vic)
NEXT UP
Herbert will again be the star attraction at the second leg of the Bendigo region double, the Symes Motors BMW Axedale Pro-Am, on Friday before the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series stops off in Leeton in NSW for the two-day Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am
Mark Panopolous earned his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win as Tim Hart celebrated his 100th career victory at the Orora Yenda Pro-Am at Yenda Golf Club.
Panopolous and Hart both posted rounds of 4-under 44 at the 12-hole layout to finish one clear of Marcus Fraser (45), Jayden Cripps (45) and Kyle Michel (45) in the first event of the 2024/2025 season.
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit winner in 2021 and 2022, Hart was shocked to find out post-round that it was 100th tournament win across pro-am and Associate events.
“I didn’t think I was that old,” said Hart.
“If that is the case, that’s awesome.
“That’s something good to look back on and know that my game’s in pretty good stead year in, year out.
“Just going to build off that and hopefully start doing it in bigger events.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Playing in consecutive groups, Hart set a cracking pace with birdies at his opening two holes.
He made his only bogey of the day at the par-4 third but picked up shots at six, nine and 11 to get into the clubhouse at 4-under.
Hart would soon have company as Panopolous came in with a score of 4-under in the group behind.
Like Hart, Panopolous birdied the par-5 first and then made birdies at five and six to be 3-under at the halfway mark of his round.
The Concord Golf Club Assistant Professional made bogey at the par-3 ninth but back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 enabled him to join Hart at the top of the leaderboard.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Mark Panopolous: “Playing here last year definitely helped, understanding where you can hit it and where you can’t. There are quite a few holes where you have to take on the boundary line, so just trying to be aggressively conservative.
“I was talking to a good mate John Lyras this morning and just really working on some pre-shot routine processes to try and get me more into the shot. Just got me a bit more locked into the shot I’m trying to hit, really visualising it and really just trying to be really tight with my routine, keep it repeatable.
“I wasn’t doing it very well so I was happy to listen and try and make it better and obviously it’s worked for me today.”
Tim Hart: “It was nice to go out there and shoot a score. I know it’s only 12 holes but I hit it pretty well and good signs leading into the next few pro-ams at Griffith and Leeton.
“I found something the last six months on tour, done a lot of mental work, mental side of the game just to stay calmer out there.
“I struggled a bit with injuries and stuff the last few years, so it’s good to sort of understand that a bit more and understand my body more.
“Been hitting it a lot better the last few months in the tour events and it’s good to see some results in four-rounders.
“We’ll just use the middle part of this year to play a few more pro-ams and get it all ready for the tour events later in the year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Tim Hart 44
T1 Mark Panopoulos 44
T3 Kyle Michel 45
T3 Jayden Cripps 45
T3 Marcus Fraser 45
T6 Alexander Simpson 46
T6 Toby Walker 46
T6 Dillon Hart 46
NEXT UP
Two-time DP World Tour winner Lucas Herbert is back home to defend his Neangar Park Pro-Am by Evolution Copy Print Solutions on Thursday and will also tee it up at Friday’s Symes Motors BMW Axedale Pro-Am.
A hole-in-one was the highlight of a colourful scorecard as Jason Norris earned a share of victory at the Living Choice Flagstaff Hill Legends Pro-Am at Flagstaff Hill Golf Club in Adelaide’s south.
Norris had five birdies, five bogeys, seven pars and his eagle on 13 in a round of 2-under 70, tied at top spot with playing partner Nicholas Robb (70) and Euan Walters (70).
Tied for 37th at The National Tournament presented by BMW, the final event of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, Norris took pitching wedge at the 128-metre 13th, a shot that would ultimately elevate him into a three-way tie for the win.
“The hole-in-one was fantastic,” said Norris.
“I was actually all over the joint today. I had a lot of bogeys, a lot of birdies and then the ‘one’ to top it off.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Paired together and starting from the fifth tee, the pattern of scoring was established early.
Norris went bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie over his first six holes, Robb going about things very differently.
Robb had the one birdie and 10 pars in his opening 11 holes but found himself two back when Norris followed a birdie at 12 with his hole-in-one on 13.
Back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16 dropped Norris to 1-under on his round and with a one-stroke advantage over Robb.
A birdie on 18 saw Robb draw level, the pair closing out their rounds with matching birdies at the par-5 fourth.
With bogeys at two and three Walters found himself on the back foot early. He birdied four and seven to get back to 1-over but climbed into contention with three birdies in the space of five holes to start the back nine.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Jason Norris: “It was a good day and a good group with Nicholas and a couple of the sponsors from Ray White.
Euan Walters: “We did use to play here a lot in the South Australian Pro-Am circuit so I know the course pretty well.
“It is pretty tight but you do get rewarded for good shots so it’s great to be back here.
“I love this place and I love playing golf in South Australia.”
Nicholas Robb: “It’s great to play with a quality player like Jason. I saw the draw and I was really pleased to see that I was playing with him.
“We know each other from a long way back and when you’re playing with a top-level player like Jase, it certainly helps you to focus a little bit more.
“I just tried to stay calm on the golf course and play the shots the best I could. Two-under and it worked out, which was quite a nice surprise.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Jason Norris 70
T1 Nicholas Robb 70
T1 Euan Walters 70
T4 Adam Henwood 71
T4 Michael Long 71
T4 Paul Powell 71
7 Mark Boulton 72
NEXT UP
It will be an emotional day for those on the PGA Legends Tour at Thaxted Park Golf Course on Friday with the first Metro Homes Glenn Joyner Memorial Legends Pro-Am since the passing of Glenn Joyner last August.
Rick Kulacz and Andrew Kelly are the joint winners at the MMD Geelong 9 Hole Pro-Am, the last of the 2023-24 adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
Both Kulacz and Kelly finished the 9-hole track at 4-under, with four players tied third at 3-under.
Redemption was the theme of today for Kelly, who only narrowly lost out yesterday at Eynesbury to Andrew Campbell in a playoff.
Kulacz also backed up a solid day yesterday at Eynesbury, where he finished 2-back of the leaders, pleased to be heading back to WA after going one better today.
While Kelly has had a fruitful season, the drought-breaking win for Kulacz marks a welcome return to the winner’s circle.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Kulacz played the Geelong course blemish-free today, with birdies coming at one, four, six and seven, the rest pars.
The West Australian wasn’t overly pleased with his game, but said the putter kept him in it.
Kelly took a slightly different journey to the winning number, with an early bogey seeing him 1-over after three.
An eagle at the par-5 fourth, and three more birdies coming in, saw the Victorian charge home to the joint win.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Kulacz:
“I was just pretty scrappy to be honest tee to green, but holed a lot of good putts, which kind of kept the momentum going,” said Kulacz.
“The game hasn’t been great, so it’s nice to see a couple of red numbers at least the last week or so.
“Heading to Q-school start of April, try and get status back and we’ll go from there.”
Kelly:
“Very happy actually, I was sort of gearing up for a big week and yeah it went really well,” said Kelly.
“I practise a lot. I still enjoy practising, I haven’t sort of lost the passion to practise.
“Looking forward to the challenge of having some expectations, or at least dealing with them, and looking forward to playing that course (The National), and seeing if the form can keep going.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-4 Rick Kulacz
-4 Andrew Kelly
-3 Alex Edge
-3 Darcy Brereton
-3 Austin Bautista
-3 Chris Wood
NEXT UP
The MMD Geelong 9 Hole Pro-Am was the last of the 2023-24 adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, what a successful series it has been!
After a dramatic three-way playoff, which saw players take two extra trips down the 18th fairway, Andrew Campbell has emerged as the 2024 Eynesbury Masters Pro-Am champion.
The win at Eynesbury also secures Campbell the national order of merit, even with one event to go tomorrow at Geelong, he cannot be beaten.
Joining Campbell in the playoff was Matias Sanchez and Andrew Kelly, who all shot 4-under in the afternoon groupings.
All three players made par on the first playoff hole, with Campbell and Kelly getting up and down from tricky positions.
With Sanchez and Kelly both in for par on the second playoff hole, the stage was clear for Campbell to drain his 20-footer for birdie and the win.
Queenslander William Bruyeres and Austin Bautista, who was playing alongside Campbell and Sanchez, finished just back from the leaders at 3-under.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Starting his day – fittingly – on 18-tee, Campbell got off to a dream start, making birdie on his opening hole.
A double-bogey two holes later however saw Campbell over-par early, but this was his first and only blemish of the day.
Campbell played flawlessly, with five more birdies coming in. Needing one more birdie for the outright win on his final hole, the short par-4 17th, Campbell’s putt just slid by.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Testing conditions out there, just kept playing my game and keeping myself in it, I knew I was up around the lead.”
“It’s pretty sweet to get a victory at any time, but especially here at Eynesbury.”
“Matias was a little bit sneaky, I didn’t realise he birdied the last two to get in the playoff, I was just trying to beat Austin!”
“There was a lot of good golf in the group so it just kept us going.”
“We go to Geelong tomorrow, and we got our last tour event at The National next week, so this is going to give me a heap of confidence going into that week.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-4 Andrew Campbell
-4 Andrew Kelly
-4 Matias Sanchez
-3 William Bruyeres
-3 Austin Bautista
-2 Rick Kulacz
-2 Kyle Michel
-2 Chris Wood
NEXT UP
The final Pro-Am series event for the season is tomorrow, with players heading to the MMd Geelong 9-hole Pro-Am.
