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A lone birdie and 17 pars were enough to secure Damien Jordan the 2021 MI Organics Yamba Pro-Am at Yamba Golf Club on Sunday.
The 2017 Victorian PGA champion began the final round two strokes clear thanks to a brilliant eight-under par 64 in Saturday’s opening round but couldn’t deliver the same type of fireworks on day two.
On a day in which Nathan Miller’s five-under 67 was the low round and only three players broke 70 in gusty, windy conditions, Jordan’s round of one-under 71 and nine-under total kept the chasing pack at bay, winning by one stroke from Matt McLean (70) with Jamie Hook (71) in outright third.
“It was a slow start today,” Jordan conceded.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, I just couldn’t make any birdies early.
“The course played completely different from yesterday. The wind was such a challenge but I enjoyed every bit of it.
“This is one of the best events to come to and I always have it on my calendar.
“I couldn’t believe how much water was over the course Friday afternoon. I was certain we wouldn’t get out Saturday morning.
“It’s definitely a nice way to come into Christmas.”
Murwillumbah Pro-Am winner James Macklin shot 69 on Sunday to join the three-way tie for fourth, Sam Brazel (71) and Gavin Fairfax (70) also ending the 36 holes at five-under par.
The next stop in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is the Carlton & United Breweries Ocean Shores Pro-Am starting Tuesday, December 21 at Ocean Shores Country Club.
A dominant display on the par 5s has given Damien Jordan a two-shot buffer heading into the final round of the MI Organics Yamba Pro-Am at Yamba Golf Club.
Despite receiving an 84mm downpour in the 24 hours prior, the North Coast holiday haven layout was in terrific condition, the power game of Jordan enabling him to make easy pickings of the three-shotters.
Jordan birdied all five of the par-5s in his round of eight-under 64, picking up three on the trot from the par-3 12th to lead Matt McLean (66) by two strokes heading into Sunday’s second and final round.
Grafton Pro-Am winner Michael Wright is one of three players tied for third at five-under, joined by Murwillumbah Golf Club’s Lucas Higgins and Jamie Hook.
The Yamba Pro-Am is always a popular event with players with Aden Morrison taking out the 100-metre shoot-out held at the completion of round one.
Round two commences on Sunday with the first groups out at 7am.
Michael Wright has fired a brilliant seven-under 64 to pick up his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win of the year at the Dougherty Property Grafton Pro-Am at Grafton Golf Club.
Making a rare trip south of the border following the recent easing of border restrictions into Queensland, Wright’s path to victory was delayed by more than two hours due to heavy morning showers but the Grafton Golf Club course staff did a magnificent job in getting the entire field through 18 holes.
With just the lone bogey at the par-3 first hole Wright’s round of seven-under was two better than Brendan Smith as the field played through high humidity and passing showers.
“Considering all the rain we had in only a couple hours, we are all so grateful to be on the course working,” Wright said.
“The staff have done an outstanding job reviewing the course this morning trying their best to give us an opportunity to play.”
One of the most experienced players on the Pro-Am circuit, Wright was making his first appearance at Grafton Golf Club but took no time in finding it to his liking, closing out his round with birdies at three of his final four holes.
The next stop in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is the two-day MI Organics Yamba Pro-Am starting Saturday December 18.
A middling round with little to speak of was transformed by a stunning finish to secure James Macklin his maiden adidas PGA Pro-Am Series title at the Coca-Cola Murwillumbah Pro-Am.
In warm but otherwise perfect conditions for golf, Macklin looked unlikely to feature when he made the turn in one-under par and remained there through 14 holes.
Yet three birdies and an eagle at the par-5 16th hole in his final four holes saw Macklin post six-under par 65 and a one-stroke victory at Murwillumbah Golf Club in the New South Wales Northern Rivers.
“I had a slow front nine, bit of boring golf really,” Macklin admitted.
“It really wasn’t until the final stretch when I carded five under the last four holes.”
It is the second win via a late surge for Macklin this year after coming from behind to win the Queensland PGA Associate Championship in a playoff at Windaroo Lakes in October.
As a result of that win Macklin earned himself a place in the field for the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club in January, the Jindalee Golf Club Associate given his confidence a further boost with Thursday’s win.
“The course is looking fantastic. Only playing here once before, I came in with a calm mind and stayed patient,” Macklin added.
Falling short by one shot were Damien Jordan and Matt McLean with rounds of five-under 66 while the highlight of Jayden Cripps’ round of one-under 70 was an ace at the temporary par-3 10th hole.
The next stop in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is the Dougherty Property Grafton Pro-Am on Friday.
On a day of difficulty for many Concord’s Jordan Widdicombe made it look easy to take out the WRI Charity Pro-Am at Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club in Sydney.
In what represented the final adidas Pro-Am Series event in Sydney for 2021, only 35 of the professionals in the field were able to break par, but none did it anywhere near as well as Widdicombe.
Leaving his run late, Widdicombe birdied three of his final four holes to post five-under 66, four strokes clear of resident Teaching Professional and former winner Anthony Summers (70).
Summers, who was recently named the NSW/ACT Game Development Professional of the Year for his work with juniors at Ryde-Parramatta and St Michael’s, picked up birdies at seven, nine and 18 to finish outright second.
A prolific winner as a trainee, Thursday’s win is a breakthrough adidas Pro-Am Series title for Widdicombe who felt right at home at the twisting, tree-lined Ryde-Parramatta layout.
“I really enjoy playing the course, it suits my game,” said Widdicombe.
Rounding out the top five were Patrick Joseph (71) and a trio of players at one-over 72, Bryan Wearne, David Van Raalte and Jack Walden.
The adidas Pro-Am Series now moves to northern New South Wales for a run of four events, starting with the Coca-Cola Murwillumbah Pro-Am on Thursday, December 16.
Local hero Aaron Wilkin downed tools and picked up a win at the $30,000 BMD/Bartons Wynnum Pro-Am at Wynnum Golf Club on Monday.
In the ideal lead-up before he joins the start of the PGA Tour of Australasia summer of golf at the Victorian PGA Championship on Thursday, Wilkin’s round of seven-under 63 at his home course featured six birdies and an eagle at the par-5 second.
It was enough to edge both Michael Sim (64) and Gavin Fairfax (64) by a single shot and provide a timely confidence boost ahead of a busy summer.
Tied for 22nd at the Vic PGA at Moonah Links back in February, Wilkin has been forced to spend time back in the workforce in recent months but was thrilled to record his second adidas Pro-Am Series win of the year on such familiar turf.
“The last 12 months have been difficult, coming back from Japan due to Covid-19,” Wilkin explained.
“Then I put some work boots on building door frames to make ends meet.
“I’m very happy to take them off and get back out on the course competitively.
“The course is looking great considering how much rain we have had in the last five week.
“Winning at my home club is something that’s very special. I’m honoured to be able to take the win.”
The annual Bartons/BMD bursary winner was Redcliffe Golf Club’s Doug Klein, who received $5,000, previous winners including Fairfax and reigning Vic PGA champion Chris Wood.
The next event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series WRI Charity Pro-Am at Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club in Sydney on Thursday.
Deyen Lawson has announced himself as one of the players to watch across the upcoming summer of golf following a dramatic playoff victory at the Higgins Coatings Sands Pro-Am on Sunday.
Under new ownership of the Destination Leisure Group, the tournament marked the return of the adidas Pro-Am Series to The Sands Torquay facility for the first time in four years.
Less than a week out from the start of the PGA Tour of Australasia season at the Victorian PGA Championship, the 18-hole shootout attracted a host of former tour winners but it was Lawson who finished on top just down the road from where he completed his PGA traineeship.
Now an established player in Europe, Lawson was cruising with a two-stroke buffer until bogeys at his final two holes kept his total to four-under 68.
Former winner of the NT PGA Championship, Brett Rankin looked to have left his run too late but birdies at the par-4 eighth and a chip-in birdie at the par-5 ninth enabled him to match Lawson’s score and force a playoff.
With the honour, Rankin’s tee shot in the playoff flared to the right, bounced through the long rough and came to rest under a tree.
With Lawson in the centre of the fairway, Rankin played a brilliant recovery to the front edge of the green to keep his hopes of a win alive.
Lawson’s approach shot finished pin high 15 feet from the hole and when Rankin failed to get up and down from the fringe two-putted his way to the win.
Now based on the Gold Coast, Lawson used his return to Torquay to put coach Darrell Brown on the bag as he sets his sights on a breakthrough PGA Tour of Australasia title.
“I ended up playing 28 events in Europe across 19 countries in seven months so it’s been a hell of a ride,” Lawson said of his international schedule in 2021.
“It’s nice to be home and I’ll now play all the Aussie Tour events through till March before I head back to Europe.
“It was good to have my coach (Darrell Brown, PGA Professional from the Geelong Golf Club) on the bag today as we haven’t seen each other for a little while.”
The adidas Pro-Am Series returns to Queensland on Monday for the $30,000 Bartons/BMD Wynnum Pro-Am at Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane.
Queensland’s Chris Wood has returned to winning ways just days out from his Victorian PGA title defence at Moonah Links Resort.
Playing in his first adidas Pro-Am Series since the Bulimba Pro-Am in Brisbane in July, it was another nine-hole course where Wood made his competitive return for the MMD Geelong Pro-Am at the Geelong Golf Club public golf course.
The tight, par-33 layout demanded Wood played aggressively from the outset and he was more than up to the task, recording four birdies and an eagle at the 450-metre par-5 fourth in his winning score of five-under 28.
Victorian Darren Bowman was six-under through seven holes but dropped shots at his final two holes to grab outright second, one shot clear of a group of five players at three-under, Michael Isherwood, Wade Lowrie, Brett Rankin, Jackson Bugdalski and James Grierson all shooting 30 for nine holes.
With limited playing opportunities in recent months, Wood’s win was the perfect warm-up for Moonah Links next week and the summer ahead.
“Today was a really good way to get my summer of golf underway,” said Wood, who birdied his final two holes to steal victory.
“I love this nine-hole event. Conditions were really tricky out there this afternoon and even though the course is short, those pins today were pretty tough in the breeze.
“It’s great to get a win and some confidence heading into next week.”
Highlight of the day came from the Northern Territory’s George Worrall who holed out for an albatross two on the par-5 fourth hole, propelling him up the leaderboard alongside Australian Senior PGA champion Guy Wall, Geelong local Tybin Lawson and former Geelong Pro-Am winner Simon Hawkes.
The adidas Pro-Am Series continues on Sunday with the Higgins Coatings Sands Pro-Am at The Sands Torquay.
A birdie at his final hole has elevated prolific adidas Pro-Am Series winner Tim Hart to a three-way tie at the top of the Medway Golf Club Pro-Am in Melbourne.
Yarrambat Golf Course Head Professional Brock Gillard was the surprise early leader with seven birdies in his round of four-under 66 and it took until late for his score to be matched.
An eagle at the par-5 fifth put Ash Hall to within one and then Eynesbury Associate Lachlan Aylen bounced back from a shaky start to launch his assault.
After starting with back-to-back bogeys, Aylen peeled off birdies at one, three, four, five, eight and nine to reach four-under on his round.
Making his first Pro-Am appearance Aylen dropped a shot at the 13th hole and was unable to pick up the extra shot he needed over his final three holes.
Castle Hill’s Alex Edge made the turn in two-under and when he picked up birdies at 12 and 15 was the next to join Gillard, three pars to finish ensuring he stayed there.
Like Aylen, Tim Hart’s round began with a bogey on the par-4 17th but three birdies in succession from the third hole put him back into contention.
He bogeyed the 10th the drop back to one-under before he birdied the 14th to draw within one shot. After a par at 15 Hart needed a birdie at the par-5 16th to tie for the win, closing in customary style to join Edge and Gillard at the top.
With the PGA Tour of Australasia 2021/2022 season to commence next Thursday with the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links Resort, Edge was grateful to be back out playing tournament golf.
“It’s great to be back out playing the Pro-Ams again, it’s been a tough winter for so many people,” said the Sydney-sider.
“I’ve got a few more Pro-Ams in the next couple of days before we get the Tour events back going for the season.”
Edge also paid tribute to the work done by the Medway Golf Club greens staff following the storms that lashed Melbourne on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The course was amazing considering the last couple of days weather,” he added.
The next event on the adidas Pro-Am Series schedule is the MMD Geelong 9-hole Pro-Am on Saturday followed by the Higgins Coatings Sands Pro-Am at The Sands Torquay on Sunday.
Staying on the fairways of a soggy Lakelands Golf Club layout has given Tod Power a one-stroke advantage heading into the final round of the Gold Coast Senior PGA Championship on Friday.
Given it had received 200 millilitres of rain in the 48 hours prior, that play was possible at all on Thursday was testament to the Lakelands greens staff.
Warm conditions and more expected sunshine on Friday will help to firm up the playing surfaces and there are a host of familiar names nipping at Power’s heels.
Glenn Joyner set the mark early with a round of six-under 66 and just as it appeared the morning groups would set the tone, Power thundered home with a bogey-free seven-under 65 and a one-shot buffer.
“I played great today and hit nearly every fairway which was the key as the rough is quite long and wet,” said Power, a Gold Coast local whose biggest win to date on the SParms Legends Tour was the 2015 Legends Tour Championship at Byron Bay.
“The course was literally getting dryer each hole and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
With receptive greens and the course shortened slightly to avoid the worst hit areas, scoring was very good throughout the day, Joyner in awe of the condition of the course given the downpours.
“I had a walk around here yesterday and it is nothing short of remarkable that we played today,” he said.
“Full credit to the course drainage and maintenance team for the hard work in making the course playable.
“Not being able to play the Australian Senior PGA Championship last week owing to border restrictions was a hard pill to swallow so to come out here and play really well today brings me some joy and hoping I can back it up tomorrow.”
Current Order of Merit leader Andre Stolz is one of three players in a tie for third after rounds of five-under 67 on Thursday, joined by four-time Order of Merit winner Brad Burns and Richard Backwell.
Playing in his first event since suffering a heart scare at the Meadowbrook Legends Pro-Am in September, Stolz was on fire early, starting his round with six straight birdies before a bogey late in his round.
A further shot back is the duo of Chris Taylor and tournament host Greg Rix with rounds of four-under 68.
Round two of the Gold Coast Senior PGA Championship begins at 7.15am Friday morning. For all scores and information click here.
