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A late decision to add his name to a star-studded field has paid off handsomely for Darcy Boyd at the Peninsula Sotheby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro-Am at Portsea Golf Club.
The first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series event for 2024 was also Boyd’s first since rolling his ankle and having to withdraw during the final round of the WA Open at Joondalup Resort in October.
Such was his limited preparation – which included marrying long-time partner Danni Vasquez on December 9 – Boyd didn’t consider that good play in the club comps back home warranted entry into the $40,000 event.
With Tour winners such as Tom Power Horan, Matthew Griffin, Austin Bautista and Zach Murray teeing it up alongside AFL stars Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw, NRL star Ryan Papenhuyzen and TV and radio personality Andy Lee, it was Boyd who stole the show with a clutch par putt on the final hole for a round of 7-under 64.
“I was umming and aahing whether to come down because it was my first event and I hadn’t really played any competitive golf for three months,” Boyd revealed after securing his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win.
“I’d been playing all right at home but I wasn’t sure whether I should come back and compete against such a solid field to start.
“It’s paid dividends.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After fellow New South Welshman Lucas Higgins set the morning mark with a round of 6-under 65, Boyd burst out of the blocks.
Par at the opening hole was followed by four straight birdies to suddenly draw within two of the lead with 13 holes still to play.
Birdies at eight and 11 saw Boyd draw level with Higgins but the pair soon had company, Power Horan also posting a score of 6-under 65.
Power Horan saw a birdie try slide by on his final hole to stay at 6-under as Boyd traded a birdie on 13 with a bogey on 14.
A brilliant approach to eight feet to set up birdie at the par-4 17th would prove crucial, Boyd rolling in the four-footer for par on 18 to send his wife and caddie into raptures.
Darcy Boyd for 64 and the win at the @Portseagolfclub Celebrity Pro-Am
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 3, 2024
And…… this happens with his wife of just a few weeks Danni watching on#adidasPGAProAmSeries pic.twitter.com/BVAbrAIz0m
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I actually had pretty good speed control today and I was conscious of the fact that it might get away from me after the hole,” Boyd said of his winning putt.
“Still blasted it through a bit but I putted well inside six feet all day.
“I was on a bit of a roll this year. Got my Tour card and life was going well. Made the cut at the WA Open and was going well in the fourth round and then rolled my ankle on the left side and didn’t play for three months.
“That was pretty heartbreaking considering I committed fully to golf this year. I gave up my job and we’ve been travelling and trying to play as much as we could. I felt like I was starting to kick some goals.
“It’s not an over-use injury, it’s not something that you really see coming, it was just a bit unlucky.
“This one is pretty special to get it done, first one back out of the blocks.
“Danni’s a superstar. She was so good today, she was so positive. It’s pretty easy to put things in perspective when you’ve had some bad luck over the last 18 months.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Darcy Boyd 64
T2 Lucas Higgins 65
T2 Tom Power Horan 65
T4 Aiden Didone 66
T4 Cameron John 66
T4 Michael Wright 66
T4 Matt Jager 66
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series moves up into Melbourne on Friday for the 2024 Harcourts Langwarrin Pro-Am at Settlers Run Golf & Country Club.
Rookie professional Toby Walker clinched the final event for 2023 in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, firing a 7-under 65 to claim a three-shot win in The Middle of Everywhere Yarram Pro-Am on Saturday.
Eagles on two short par-4s were the highlight of Walker’s bogey-free round which left Ryan Haywood (68) and Alex Edge (69) to fill the minor placings on the last leg of the Gippsland swing.
It was the second win on the pro-am circuit for Walker, who turned professional earlier this year after a win as an amateur in the Tasmanian Open and broke through in the Emu Park Pro-Am in Queensland in June. Ironically, his round that day also featured two eagles.
He’s heading back north to work on his game with new coach, John Wright, on the Sunshine Coast before getting set for 2024.
“I’ll play the Tour season out and as many pro-ams as I can. Looking forward to it,” he said of his New Year plans.
HOW THE WINNING SCORE UNFOLDED
Beginning his round on the fifth hole, a par-five which be birdied to make a fast start, Walker was -4 after his opening five holes, including a two on the 256m par-4 ninth. Walker’s back nine featured eight pars and a birdie before he posted a second eagle on the 278m par-4 third.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I hit driver very well on the holes that I needed to, holed some nice putts and had two eagles which definitely helps,” Walker, from the Heritage Golf and Country Club, said.
“It’s always fun when you have a bogey-free round.
“Golf is what I want to do for life, but this playing (for a living) it’s not easy. We’ll keep going.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
-7 (65): Toby Walker
-4 (68): Ryan Haywood
-3 (69): Alex Edge
-2 (70): Alexander Simpson
NEXT UP
After the Christmas-New Year break, a stacked field will contest the $40,000 Peninsula Southeby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro-Am on January 3. Peter Wilson is the defending champion, with the likes of Austin Bautista, Andrew Martin, Tom Power Horan and Lachlan Barker in the field.
Gavin Fairfax was taken to a playoff by fellow Queenslander Will Bruyeres before claiming the Traralgon Latrobe City WIN Network Pro-Am Classic at Traralgon Golf Club.
Leading by two after a 6-under 66 on day one, Fairfax found the Traralgon layout trickier in Round 2.
One-over through his first four holes, Fairfax responded with consecutive birdies at five and six but would par his next 12 holes for a round of 1-under 71.
That opened the door for Bruyeres who bounced back from a double-bogey at his opening hole in Round 2 to post 4-under 68 and match Fairfax’s total of 7-under par.
From there the pair headed for a playoff, Fairfax’s par at the first extra hole enough to secure the outright win.
“It was tough. It wasn’t the start I had yesterday,” Fairfax conceded.
“I was 1-over through two so a bit of a slow start but I managed to hit a good shot at the fifth, the par 3 and then got one back on the par 5 after it, too.
“From there I hit a lot of greens but not close enough to make any birdies. Just hung in there. Hit a good drive down the last but didn’t get up and down but lucky enough to get up in the playoff.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
As Fairfax struggled to find the decisive birdies to hold the challengers at bay, Bruyeres made his charge with one of the best rounds on day two.
He dropped to five shots back of Fairfax when he made double-bogey at his opening hole, the par-4 17th, but headed to the first tee on the back of a birdie on 18.
He played the front nine in 3-under thanks to birdies at four, seven and eight and then closed with two birdies in his final four holes to match Fairfax, the pair finishing one clear of Matt Millar (69).
Neither player found the fairway with their tee shots in the playoff – Fairfax missing left, Bruyeres right – but it was Fairfax who recovered best.
From beneath a tree but with a clear shot to the green, Fairfax hit his second to 10 feet behind the hole.
Believing Bruyeres would make his par putt, Fairfax ran his birdie try six feet past the hole, making the come-backer to claim victory.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I was just hoping that my ball was going to be OK,” Fairfax said of his wayward tee shot in the playoff.
“I knew Will was headed off right and had some sort of shot and managed to hit a pretty good recovery shot.
“Walking down I was just praying for some kind of break. I got half a break with a clear shot to the green from under a tree and managed to put that on. Had a fair run at the first putt and left a little bit too much meat on it coming back but managed to make the one coming back to seal it up.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Gavin Fairfax 66-71—137
2 William Bruyeres 69-68—137
3 Matthew Millar 69-69—138
T4 Alexander Simpson 68-71—139
T4 Andrew Kelly 68-71—139
T4 Adam Burdett 69-70—139
T4 Josh Younger 68-71—139
NEXT UP
The final adidas PGA Pro-Am Series event before the Christmas break is on Saturday with The Middle of Everywhere Yarram Pro-Am at Yarram Golf Club. The season will resume on January 3 with the Peninsula Sotheby’s Portsea Celebrity Pro-Am.
It featured more twists and turns than a Gold Coast rollercoaster before the Maffra Community Sports Club Pro-Am finished in a four-way tie at Maffra Golf Club.
Wet weather again impacted the Gippsland swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series but four players dealt with it best.
Matt Dowling, Finlay Bellingham, Brock Gillard and Ben Paine all posted 4-under 68 to share the victory, all four doing so in a variety of different ways.
It was a breakthrough win to remember, in particular, for Dowling, who turned pro back in 2011.
“Very bizarre. Not how I pictured it,” said Dowling.
“Camping by the first tee in Gippsland, got my first win that way after being a pro for a few years and not even being close.”
It was a timely win too for Paine, who had been struggling for confidence in recent weeks.
“It’s good to be back playing some decent golf when I was pretty close to quitting three weeks ago,” Paine admitted.
HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Two in the morning, two in the afternoon and none better than a 68.
Bellingham and Paine were out in the morning wave and had contrasting ends to their round, Bellingham making birdie on 18 while Paine made bogey at each of his final two holes, including a three-putt at the last.
Gillard began his round with a birdie and finished it in the same manner while Dowling was left to thank the stars he slept under the night before for a stroke of good fortune.
Playing the par-4 ninth, Dowling caught such a flyer with his second shot that it hit the Maffra Golf Club clubhouse, which is considered out of bounds.
Thankfully for Dowling, his ball bounced back in bounds into a garden bed from which he was entitled to a free drop.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
Matt Dowling: “I woke up and I was floating. Definitely an interesting night. Massive thunderstorm rolled through at about 4am. Woke up dry, but not ideal.
“I hit it pretty good but got very, very lucky on the ninth hole. I got a bit of a flyer and got a nice break off the clubhouse into a garden bed and made an up-and-down for a four. That calmed me down quite a lot actually because I was getting a bit frustrated but that helped me to keep the mind quiet the rest of the day.”
Brock Gillard: “Definitely had the driver going today, which is probably the difference from my rounds lately. Got the ball in play and the putter was pretty rock solid today too.
“I changed coaches back in May and while there’s been a lot of good stuff it hasn’t shown up on the scorecard but things are moving in the right direction.
Finlay Bellingham: “I birdied the first two par 5s. I was hitting the driver pretty poor – didn’t hit many fairways – but scrapped it around. Holed a few putts and hit my irons really well.
“I made a poor double-bogey followed by a three-putt bogey but brought it home well. Hit a good shot on 16, the par 3, and finished with a birdie on 18.”
Ben Paine: “Coming off yesterday where I bogeyed my last four to have 1-under I was pretty keen to have a good round.
“I played the par 5s pretty well and hit a few close wedge shots coming in.
“Unfortunately I bogeyed my last two again and three-putted the last but all up it was a pretty solid day.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Finlay Bellingham 68
T1 Ben Paine 68
T1 Brock Gillard 68
T1 Matt Dowling 68
5 Adam McLean 69
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series breaks new ground on Tuesday with the inaugural Sporting Legends Sale Pro-Am at Sale Golf Club.
An eagle and birdie at two of his final three holes has propelled New South Welshman Alex Edge to a one-stroke win at The Big Garage Bairnsdale Golf Club Pro-Am at Bairnsdale Golf Club.
Without a start at either the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship or ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Edge was itching to get back out on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
He was tied for fourth first-up at Warragul and then fired a brilliant 6-under 65 to finish one clear of Gavin Fairfax at Bairnsdale.
“I’ve been stinging for golf the last month or so,” said Edge, whose most recent appearance on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia was at the Victorian PGA at Moonah Links.
“This is the first time I’ve got to play for a while so it hasn’t felt like it has been that far off but it’s just nice to play some rounds and, knowing I’ve got this whole week to play, I’ve been looking forward to it a lot.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
A bogey at his second hole, the par-3 fourth, was a backward step early but Edge soon responded with birdies at six, nine and 10.
A pared-back tree canopy flanking the fairways gave Edge a greater level of comfort off the tee.
A birdie on 13 was erased with a bogey on 14 but he remained patient.
The first in a run of four consecutive ‘threes’ on the card came at the par-4 16th but the highlight was his eagle on 18.
He backed that up with a birdie at the gun-barrel straight par-4 first followed by a comfortable two-putt for par to close out victory at the par-4 second.
Fairfax (66) birdied his final hole – the par-4 ninth – to finish one shy of Edge but two strokes clear of Warragul joint winner Lucas Higgins (68), Matthew Millar (68) and Cooper Geddes (68).
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“The course has been opened up a lot so it was a bit friendlier off the tee. It just felt a bit more freeing.
“I just managed to string some threes together at the right time on the tough holes and then a par 5.
“To be fair, that was the first time I’d holed an eagle putt for a long time so that was nice.
“When I saw that there was someone near me I managed to make another birdie which was good to seal it.
“(The first) is almost too straight and too short. I decided to shape a shot off the tee to be a bit more engaged in the shot and ended up in the middle. Hit a good pitch shot from a good yardage to pitch from and made a birdie.
“Just putting it in the right spot all day and my patience paid off at the end.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Alex Edge 65
2 Gavin Fairfax 66
T3 Lucas Higgins 68
T3 Matthew Millar 68
T3 Cooper Geddes 68
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series stays in regional Victoria on Tuesday for the inaugural Sporting Legends Sale Pro-Am at Sale Golf Club.
Early birdies proved to be crucial as Lucas Higgins and Andrew Kelly defied heavy rain to share victory at the Gippsland BMW Warragul Country Club Pro-Am.
Host to the Gippsland Super 6 tournament last month, Warragul Country Club was again in outstanding condition, albeit affected by a deluge that fell over the course of the day.
The wet weather had little affect on both Higgins and Kelly, who each shot rounds of 7-under 64 to finish three shots clear of Victorian Peter Wilson.
Tied for 22nd at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Kelly was thrilled to turn strong recent form into another victory on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
“I was hoping to do well because I’ve been playing OK so very satisfying,” said Kelly.
“This is a big pro-am. I’ve played it every year since it’s been back, it’s a good purse and a great day so I was very satisfied.”
The win was Higgins’ ninth in the past two years and his first since the Bowen Pro-Am in June.
“I’ve had quite a few pro-am wins now so I’ve got experience when I get up near the top of the leaderboard,” said Higgins.
“Each win is special in its own right so it’s nice to notch up another one and try and keep it rolling into the next week of pro-ams.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Both Higgins and Kelly credited their scores to their strong start in challenging conditions.
After starting his round with a birdie at the par-4 ninth, Higgins followed it up with birdies on 11 and 12 to make an early impression on the leaderboard.
Also playing in the afternoon field and starting on the back nine, Kelly was 2-under through his first seven holes.
He rocketed into contention with three birdies on the trot from the sixth hole – his 15th – to match Higgins’ score of 7-under.
Wilson responded to a bogey at his opening hole – the par-4 13th – with a birdie on 14 and secured outright third ahead of a group of five players at 3-under with a final birdie on 12 and a round of 4-under 67.
WHAT THE WINNERS SAID
“It feels good to be back in the winner’s circle, played really well,” said Higgins.
“We were both a few clear so it just goes to show that our score out there today was really good.
“It was raining the whole day but there wasn’t too much wind, which was nice. It was just tough to keep everything dry.
“I was lucky enough to get off to a good start. Stumbled a little through the middle of the round but managed to get the putts to go in again and finished it off well.”
“The course was in great nick but obviously lots of rain. I’m not sure I’ve played in rain like that for quite a while,” Kelly added.
“I got off to a good start and so I could ignore the rain a little bit and not let it stress me out.
“That was the main thing, being able to feel comfortable in the rain.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Lucas Higgins 64
T1 Andrew Kelly 64
3 Peter Wilson 67
T4 Matt Dowling 68
T4 Cameron Kelly 68
T4 Alex Edge 68
T4 Gavin Fairfax 68
T4 Dillon Hart 68
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues its run in regional Victoria with the Sporting Legends Sale Pro-Am at Sale Golf Club on Tuesday, a new event on the schedule in 2023.
A decision to delay his Australian Open prep by one day paid off handsomely for home-club favourite Chris Wood at the $40,000 BMD/Bartons Wynnum Pro-Am at Wynnum Golf Club.
Almost 20 years since he joined as a pre-junior, Wood applied all that home-course knowledge to perfection on Monday, finishing one-stroke clear of Gold Coaster Dillon Hart with a round of 7-under 62.
After missing the cut at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Wood would have been forgiven for heading to Sydney early to prepare for the Australian Open but was always ging to honour his commitment to the club that made him an honorary member in 2012.
“It was a pretty easy decision,” Wood said.
“Being a Wynnum boy, I wanted to come back and represent the club and see a lot of familiar faces.
“It was definitely the right decision to make at the end of the day.”
At event presentations, PGA Chair, Rodger Davis, was also on hand to present major sponsor Mick Power with Lifetime Honorary PGA Membership for his investment and service to the golf industry and, in particular, PGA Professionals.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
In a star-studded field that boasted legends such as Rod Pampling, Ian Baker-Finch and Terry Price, Wood’s bogey-free round of 62 was highlighted by an impressive run around the turn.
After early birdies at two and three, Wood birdied both nine and 10 and then made eagle at the par-5 12th to edge ahead.
After playing the back nine – his front nine – in 5-under Hart loomed as Wood’s greatest threat.
A dropped shot at the 412-metre par-4 fourth would prove costly in the end, birdies at six and seven leaving Hart just one short of matching the winning score.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s always been a goal of mine to win this event outright. It was obviously good in 2018 to win and get my name up there but it’s a bit more special to get the win on your own.
“Playing here a lot, I know the birdie holes and the holes where you’re happy with par.
“Got off to a fairly solid start but a birdie on 10 and eagle on 12 got me going a bit.
“I wanted to birdie holes seven and eight, the short par 4s but didn’t manage to do that. Through the middle of the turn was a big momentum swing.
“The rain we had last week definitely greened up everything. The fairways are always good here, greens were rolling great today and there have been a lot of improvements to the course overall with cart paths and some trees taken out.
“The course is definitely heading in the right direction.
“I probably hadn’t played here since the pro-am last year so it was definitely good to come back and wind back the clock.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Christopher Wood 62 $7,190
2 Dillon Hart 63 $4,294
T3 Neville Hogan 64 $2,163.33
T3 Simon Tooman 64 $2,163.33
T3 Samuel Eaves 64 $2,163.33
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series now heads south to Melbourne for the Victorian PGA Head Club Professional Championship at Woodlands Golf Club on December 4 to be followed by the Eastwood Golf Club Pro-Am on December 5.
Victorian Konrad Ciupek is ready to step up in class after recording a one-stroke win at the Gorilla Ladders Box Hill Pro-Am at Box Hill Golf Club.
The maiden victory of Cuipek’s young career on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, Ciupek set up his day with birdies at each of his opening two holes.
Starting from the fifth tee, Ciupek made birdie at the par 5 and then followed it with a birdie at the par-3 sixth.
Three birdies and a bogey in the space of five holes on the back nine moved Ciupek out to 3-under, coming up with what would be the deciding birdie at the short par-4 first for a round of 4-under 67.
That was good enough to finish one clear of Caleb Bovalina (68) and Carl Smedley with Ben Ford (69) and Michael Choi rounding out the top five.
The 25-year-old’s next start will be the Monday qualifier for the Gippsland Super 6 tournament starting Thursday, the first of four Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia qualifiers he hopes to advance from.
“The next four weeks I’m entered for the pre-qualifying for the four Tour events,” Ciupek said.
“Fingers crossed I can get through a few of those, play well and make the most of it.
“This win does give me a lot of confidence. It’s been an up and down start to my pro career over the last year or so but this definitely gives me a lot of confidence to see that my good golf can stand up.”
Despite his strong start, Ciupek resisted the temptation to monitor the leaderboard until an unintended glance close to home.
“I didn’t really know where I sat all day, to be honest,” said Ciupek.
“I accidentally had a look on one hole and saw that I was maybe second or third but after that I tried to stay away from it and stick to my process.
“I had some tricky holes coming in but I kept my head and I was really happy to finish it off.”
Although he shot 79 to finish in a tie for first, Kew Golf Club Director of Golf Simon Angliss produced one of the highlights of the day with a hole-in-one on the sixth hole, hitting 6-iron from 159 metres.
The next event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is the Bite Me Bakehouse Asquith Pro-Am at Asquith Golf Club in Sydney.
Finlay Bellingham left it late to make his tee time and then did the same down the stretch to earn a share of victory at the Anglesea Golf Club Pro-Am.
A superbly twisting, undulating layout on the Bellarine Peninsula, Anglesea only allowed five players under par on Tuesday, Bellingham taking a break from his day job as the Head Teaching Professional at Keysborough Golf Club to finish on top with Ryan Haywood and Michael Choi.
Encouraged by his playing partners to finish eagle-eagle to steal victory, Bellingham did the next best thing.
He lipped out for eagle on his way to a birdie at the par-5 18th and then eagled the par-5 first to join Haywood and Choi at 2-under 71.
“I actually lipped out on the eagle putt on 18 but then holed the eagle putt on the first which was nice,” said Bellingham.
Haywood and Choi both had five birdies and three bogeys in their respective rounds of 71, Choi bouncing back after a bogey on 17 to birdie the last and finish tied at the top.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Despite having to make the trip from Keysborough to Anglesea on the morning of the tournament, Bellingham made a bright start of his round.
He birdied the par-5 second to kick things off but gave it back at the very next hole.
Birdies at eight and nine saw him make the turn in 2-under but his hopes took a hit when he followed a double-bogey at the par-5 12th with another dropped shot at the par-3 13th.
Yet, after four straight pars and the suggested finish of those in his group, Bellingham conjured what he needed to claim his first win on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I came straight here from work over at Keysborough. Left there at 10.30 so I was cutting it fine.
“Had a few practice putts and got on to the first tee. Had a birdie on the first, bogeyed the next, got it to 2-under and was pretty solid.
“Made double-bogey on a par-5 which was unfortunate but finished birdie-eagle on my last three holes which got me the win.
“I was looking at the scores and I said to my playing partners that I probably needed birdie-eagle here. They said, ‘Why not just go eagle-eagle?’”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1 Ryan Haywood 71
T1 Michael Choi 71
T1 Finlay Bellingham 71
T4 Dylan Higgins 72
T4 Darren Bowman 72
NEXT UP
There is now a short break before the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series resumes on November 3 with the Gorilla Ladders Box Hill Golf Club Pro-Am.
Four years after having victory stolen away by wet weather, Jack Wilson has triumphed in another rain-affected PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club.
Players were called from the course in Round 1 due to heavy rain and were unable to complete their rounds until the morning of Round 2.
Holing out for eagle at the par-4 ninth was the highlight of Wilson’s opening round of 2-under 70, putting him two strokes back of Bryce Hohnen and Brad Kivimets.
Starting Round 2 from the second hole, Wilson picked up birdies at three, four and six but it was his birdies on 16 and 17 that would prove the difference in his round of 4-under 68 and two-stroke win.
Ten years after making history as the first trainee to win a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tour event at the 2013 Goldfields WA PGA Championship, Wilson is now a real estate agent based in Canberra.
He looked destined to win the 2019 Wagga Wagga Pro-Am until the entire second round had to be cancelled just a few holes from the finish and Round 1 leader Andrew Kelly was declared the winner.
In what would prove a prophetic text, he even sent a message to Kelly who is playing the WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie on his way from Canberra to Wagga.
“I sent Andrew Kelly a message when I was driving over here and said, ‘Geez I’m glad to see you’re in WA. It’s time this year for me to claim that one you stole from me’,” said Wilson.
“I love this place so much, it means a lot to me. They’ve supported me, they’ve taken me in as one of their own and to be able to give back, put a show on and to come back and support the sponsors who have put so much money into this event over the years, it’s a real privilege to get my name on that trophy.
“Of all the pro-ams I’ve played, there’s no event that’s done like this. There’s no event, I think, that the sponsors get around with the hospitality and how they look after the pros from start to finish.
“It is special to get a win here and I’m super proud to get my name on that cup.”
Now a restricted tournament member of the PGA, Wilson is limited to just three tournaments a year.
He made the most of a rare appearance on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with some clutch putts down the stretch under pressure.
“I hit some great shots today but the highlights were the two putts I made on my third-last hole and my second-last hole,” said Wilson.
“Eight-footers up the hill, middle of the cup for birdie and for par.
“They’re the ones that mean the most.
“The easiest thing is that I don’t have any expectations now. There’s not as much consequence and it makes it a little bit easier to put those numbers up.”
Wilson finished two strokes clear of Patrick Joseph (70) and Darren Bowman (70) at 4-under with former Tour winners Matt Stieger (71) and Ashley Hall (70) tied for fourth with Daniel Gill (70) and Brad Kivimets (73) at 3-under par.
