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Daniel Gale lost a $20 bet to good mate Grace Kim on Tuesday, but he could not have cared less.
Gale, 25, fended off a swag of challengers from around the Dubbo Golf Club to win the adidas Pro-Am Series Western Open by a stroke – his first multi-round professional crown in Australia.
As it turned out, he needn’t have looked too far because his fiercest rival came from within the final group as Kim launched a tremendous late attack.
Earlier, Gale had peeded off four birdies on the front nine as Kim and their playing mate Charlie Dann couldn’t find the spark to go with the overnight leader.
By the time Kim and Dann finally matched him on the ninth green, Gale had pushed out to 13-under to ram home the advantage of his opening 63.
At that point, Josh Armstrong (64 to finish nine-under) and the white-hot Justin Warren (64 to finish 12-under) were making the most noise among the chasing pack.
And to be fair, it wasn’t until Warren took bogey from the front right sand on the 18th that his sensational challenge ultimately proved fruitless.
But that was all pre-Kim.
Playing against the men and in her first professional tournament on home soil, the 20-year-old Sydneysider made five birdies in succession from the ninth to the 13th to roar from her overnight position of seven-under and back into contention.
Her putts for birdie on the 14th and 15th burnt the cup before another one dropped on the 16th and the reigning Australian Amateur champ was suddenly within one after Gale’s three-putt bogey from the back fringe on the 13th.
Kim put another great roll on her birdie attempt on the penultimate hole only to watch it finish less than 10 centimetres directly behind the cup.
It left the pair separated by one as they stepped to the final tee, an uphill and testing par-3 with a testing short right pin.
Both players were equal to the challenge and knocked stellar shots within four metres of the flag, leaving Kim an uphill birdie try to heap the pressure on the frontrunner.
That putt having been tugged, Gale was left with two of his own for victory.
He took them both and was clearly delighted to win on home soil, following his previous big pro win in the 2018 Papua New Guinea Open.
“I knew I had to hit a good shot there,” Gale said after rounds of 63 and 67 left him at an imposing 14-under.
“I hadn’t really thought about it until then, but I had a look and saw that Grace was just one back and I knew she’d hit a good one, which she did.
“But I was really happy with the way I dealt with the (overnight) lead throughout the round and how I played my own game.
“It shows me that what I’ve been working on is all worthwhile. I’m really proud to have my game hold up like that with so many great players coming at me.”
Not forgetting Dann (68 to finish 11-under), the final group made only one bogey all day despite an hour lightning delay before their round and a light drizzle throughout.
Kim, though, was nothing short of sensational.
She played all 36 holes without a blemish on her scorecard and, while obviously disappointed not to have notched a victory, gave an account of herself that belied her years in rounds of 65-66.
“I’m very happy to have played like that,” she said.
“There’s a lot happening here for me this week, so it’s really good that I could do that.”
And on top of her $5,300 runner-up cheque, Kim was thrilled to take the $20 off Gale in their side wager.
“Absolutely, that’s what it was all about today,” she joked afterwards.
Daniel Gale’s playing partners said it all as the Sydneysider strode with a smile towards the score return at Dubbo Golf Club after round one of the Western Open.
“He made every putt he looked at,” they chimed almost in chorus.
And when they added them up, Gale led the 36-hole event by two after a spectacular nine-under-par 63 that featured a five-under run in four holes mid-round.
“I missed a short par putt on the 16th, but I chipped in very unexpectedly (for birdie) on the 13th and pretty much boxed everything from the ninth through to the end,” Gale said.
The powerful 25-year-old was victorious in the Blitz Golf event at Howlong that marked the resumption of the adidas Pro-Am Series and was in the penultimate group last week at Murray Downs.
And he’ll be in the final group tomorrow alongside his good mate Charlie Dann and long-time friend Grace Kim, who was stellar in her Australian professional debut.
Kim and Dann each carded 65s based on strings of birdies and eagles.
Kim, the delightful Sydneysider who has done almost everything in amateur golf, was drawn to play in the marquee group alongside two of the most successful pros in Australian domestic golf, Peter Lonard and Matt Millar.
As a woman against the men, as a 20-year-old against the veterans and, probably the biggest challenge – in her first round as a professional on Australian soil.
She said on tournament eve that she might battle to sleep with the task ahead of her.
But she’ll sleep much easier tonight after a remarkable afternoon in which she looked more like her idol Karrie Webb than a wide-eyed rookie still pondering her 2022 status on the LPGA’s secondary Symetra Tour.
Kim was, naturally, pleased and relieved with her showing.
“Matt and Peter were so nice to me,” she beamed afterwards.
“They really helped me settle in out there from the start, and I was quite comfortable and that’s why I shot a good score.
“I was a bit nervous on the first tee when they introduced themselves, but I made a nice par and then a birdie on the second and then I was away.”
That “away” didn’t take full shape for a couple of hours. She turned in 34, but things only heated up when she nipped a perfect short pitch shot from 25m that fell into the 12th cup for eagle on its second last roll.
After burning the edge on 13, she made a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th and returned in a stellar 31.
The second last group on Tuesday will feature Kade McBride (66) alongside Mitch Davis and Newcastle amateur Jye Pickin, who each notched fine 67s.
For full coverage of the Western Open visit nswopen.com.
There’s a fresh new face in the marquee match at today’s Western Open at the Dubbo Golf Club.
It would be no surprise to Aussie golf fans to see legendary Peter Lonard in that lofty position; nor the name of Matt Millar, the winner of last week’s Murray Open who also added the Cohuna pro-am a week ago to his list of 100-plus such titles on the adidas Pro-Am Series.
But while the name of Grace Kim might be more familiar to those who follow the amateur game, the young Sydneysider is full value for her spot in the star trio.
Kim, who was low amateur here last year at the Women’s NSW Open, has had an amazing couple of years and this will be her first event on home soil as a professional, having turned during an extended American journey this year in which she won thrice in pro events on the Cactus and later All Pro tours.
She’s still the reigning Australian Amateur champ, was twice a NSW Amateur winner and the Olympic Youth champion to name but a few honours in one of the most decorated amateur careers in Australian women’s golf.
So now, just two weeks shy of her 21st birthday, she’s about to step into the Aussie spotlight among some of its male royalty.
Kim will play off the forward red markers, making her ineligible to win entry into the Golf Challenge NSW Open, but still firmly in the hunt for a maiden Aussie pay day.
“I’m playing with Peter and Matt in a feature group, so I’m quite nervous to play with them,” Kim said after her pro-am round on Sunday.
“I’ll have shaky fingers on the tee, but I’m told they’re really nice guys so I’m nervous but excited.
“But it’s a feature group so all eyes on me and them and that’s a bit scary.
“Once you’re in game mode, it’s easier to deal with the situation, but leading up to it, I’m probably going to have a restless sleep.”
Kim knows her distance would provide a challenge if she were to play off the “Tiger tees”.
But she is also acutely aware of the comparative strengths of her game that will enable her to contend.
“I know I’m off the red tees, but I’m still up for holing more putts than they do,” she said with a knowing smile.
“I didn’t want to disadvantage myself even further, I’m playing for the money.
“But having that experience in the Women’s NSW Open here, I’m confident to play against the boys this week.”
Kim is waiting to learn the strength of her Symetra Tour card in the US next year, but is hopeful of getting enough starts to win her way on to the LPGA Tour for season 2023.
That confidence is borne of her great American tour and the fact that she’s probably played more competitive golf than most in the field this week during 2021.
“I definitely think I was lucky to be able to be overseas for several months and playing competitive golf,” added Kim.
“But for me, learning now about playing pro golf and about what the future might be is what’s in my head, so I just have to try to push that away.
“Money is not the big issue, it’s more about finding yourself a path, getting a card and knowing where you’re going.
“There’s really pressure on me now, because it’s the first couple of months into my pro career and that expectation of myself and from other people is there.
“And I do have high expectations of myself and sometimes that does bring me backwards a little bit, so I have to work on that.
“But I’ll be good when we get going. I can’t wait.”
Matt Millar proved precision can still trump power as he steamrolled to a three-stroke victory at the Murray Open.
Millar, 45, fought gusting southerly winds and a host of powerful youngsters to card a 70 at Murray Downs, one day after torching the previous course record with an imperious 64.
The Canberran’s 10-under total was a masterclass in course management and a case study for proponents of the importance of the short game.
More importantly in the first regional qualifier for next year’s Golf Challenge NSW Open, it enabled him to keep impressive Queenslanders Charlie Dann (seven-under) and Elvis Smylie (six-under) at bay, while Wodonga’s Daniel Gill was low amateur, also at six-under.
“I’m really happy with that,” Millar said after pocketing just shy of $9,000 for his second win of the week after a triumph at the adidas Pro-Am Series Cohuna Pro-Am en route to Swan Hill.
“I’ve been coaching a lot during Covid and so to come out and play well straight out of the blocks is great.”
Remarkably, especially given Friday’s testing wind, Millar made just one bogey in the 36-hole event – an out-of-the-blue three-putt from relatively short range on the 11th in round two – to frank his quality performance.
“I made a couple of blunders early in the back nine today, but I was able to knuckle down and get one back on the 13th and from then made a couple of good escapes and got it around.”
Millar made an epic up-and-down from rough behind the 15th green to save par, then another brilliant pitch and putt on the long 16th after finding sand and rough with his first and second shots, respectively.
He then played a great recovery shot from an errant drive up the last to save another par and prove to his younger peers that length isn’t everything.
“It’s always nice to play at a course that’s in such great nick, but it’s also good not to have to hit it three miles to contend,” said Millar, whose precision in the wind went hand in glove with his shot-shaping style, rather than the blazing power of his younger rivals.
Dann battled early, dropping from equal third overnight to off the leaderboard with an outward 39.
But the Sunshine Coaster caught fire on the back nine, playing it in a sparkling 31 including an eagle on the par-5 12th hole.
Smylie had the day’s best round, a wonderful 68 to emerge from the pack for his fourth top-three finish in his past five starts in Australia.
Gill’s impressive second-round 70 enabled him win one of three spots on offer – for those not already qualified – to play the NSW Open at Concord in March.
He will be joined in that field by NSW pair John Lyras and Aaron Townsend, the latter a former champion of his state Open in 2008.
For full coverage of the Murray Open visit nswopen.com.
Canberra’s Matt Millar has carded an eight-under-par 64 on the opening day the $50,000 Murray Open at Murray Downs Golf and Country Club.
The 45-year-old Canberran was simply marvellous around the impressive Murray Downs layout, keeping his card blemish-free with six birdies and an eagle for his efforts.
It is Millar’s second consecutive bogey-free round on the adidas Pro-Am Series, winning Monday’s Stuart Appleby Cohuna Golf Club Pro-Am with the exact same score that he returned on Thursday.
Millar, the 2018 PGA Tour of Australasia player of the year, has made a stellar career out of minimising mistakes and cashing in when his game heats up.
And for about 90 minutes today, it was red hot.
A birdie from the greenside sand on the long seventh was followed by laser wedges to the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th greens, three of which were converted into birdies.
He then played a stunning 4-hybrid to within two metres on the long 12th and calmly rolled in an eagle putt.
He then lipped out on 13 before one last birdie on 14 gave him his two-shot buffer over Melburnian Ryan Lynch in second place, who, like Millar, had a day to remember, with a pair of eagles and four birdies for his troubles.
In third place at five-under sit a trio of players, New South Waleshman Daniel Gale, Victorian James Marchesani and Charlie Dann from Queensland.
For many professionals in this week’s field, the Murray Open is the first competitive hit-out they have had since late April and the close of much of Australia’s border due to COVID.
For full coverage of the Murray Open visit nswopen.com.
After six months chasing starts in the United States, in hindsight its conclusion was as predictable as it was disappointing.
After scraping through first stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying, Sydney’s Justin Warren advanced through second stage to make the Q-School Finals where status on the predominant pathway to the PGA Tour was the carrot on the end of a relatively short stick.
That week went about as poorly as it could yet Warren has returned to Australia buoyant about the state of his game and ready to win on the PGA Tour of Australasia for the first time.
Warren will start the adidas Pro-Am Series’ Murray Open at Murray Downs Golf Resort on Thursday as one of the tournament favourites, his prodigious length an advantage on a layout far more open than the majority found along the Murray River.
He has spent the past week working with coach Gary Barter at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney and is adamant that he is a better and stronger player from his time in the States.
“I’m just so keen to keep playing golf,” said Warren, who had back-to-back top-five finishes in February, including a runner-up finish behind Bryden Macpherson at the Moonah Links PGA Classic.
“I’m still carrying a bit of momentum from Q-School. Obviously I’m trying to forget about the final stage but I still feel like I’m in a position where I can play well over the summer.
“I’m just looking forward to playing some more four-round tournaments and trying to get a win.”
The first of six tournaments in the NSW Open Regional Series, the Murray Open provides a connection to a tournament that has been integral in Warren’s development.
He first qualified as an 18-year-old in 2013 and when he finished tied for 27th a year later found the belief that he could forge a career as a professional golfer.
“I played quite well in 2014 and that really kick-started my dream to play professional golf,” said the now 26-year-old.
“It’s an important tournament for me. I’ll most likely be in the US next year but I’ll be doing everything I can to get back and play the NSW Open.
“Along with the national open your state open always carries a lot of significance and it’s certainly a tournament I hope to win at some point in my career.”
Although he missed out on full status at Korn Ferry Tour Q School, Warren intends to return to the US early in the new year and attend qualifying for the early events in South America.
Good results early could lead to a more certain schedule as the year progresses and he knows he will return to America a more complete player for his experience in 2021.
“Final stage was a disaster of a week. Six months on the road caught up with me,” Warren explained.
“I was exhausted and that was at the end of three months where I was just winging it.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get home, I didn’t know if I was getting on a flight, I was playing tournaments very last minute trying to work out what I was going to do.
“I can’t put into words how much better off I am for the future with what’s happened the last few months.
“Conditional status on Korn Ferry opens up a door for me next year but the experience from playing Q School, from being on the number at first and second stage and getting through, that just adds another element of pressure and nerves and anxiousness that I was able to handle quite well.
“That’s an awesome feeling to take with me going forward.”
The first round of the Murray Open begins on Thursday morning and the final round will be live streamed through SEN TV, the Golf NSW Facebook page or at www.nswopen.com.
Aussie golf makes a welcome return to our screens this week with the final round of both the $50,000 Murray and Western Regional Opens to be live-streamed across the continent and New Zealand.
In partnership with the Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), Golf NSW will provide live-stream coverage of the final round from both the Murray Downs Golf Resort and Dubbo Golf Club.
Australia’s best and brightest will battle it out not only for the purse on offer but also one of three coveted places in the 2022 Golf Challenge NSW Open at Concord Golf Club.
Chief Operating Officer at Golf NSW, Mr Graeme Phillipson, said he was thrilled with the opportunity to showcase not only the sport but a pair of renowned venues not usually seen by Australian golf fans.
“The solutions offered to us by SEN have made the option of broadcast, albeit on a smaller scale, viable for events in destinations like Murray Downs and Dubbo,” said Mr Phillipson.
The Murray Open starts on Thursday with a field boasting PGA Tour of Australasia winners such as Marcus Fraser, Matthew Griffin, Bryden Macpherson and Matthew Millar along with rising stars in Elvis Smylie, Justin Warren and Lawry Flynn.
The field for Dubbo is also strong with Aussie legend Peter Lonard, Dimi Papadatos, Jordan Zunic and Nathan Barbieri confirmed starters.
Coverage dates and times
Murray Open Final Round
Date: November 26
Time: Last tee time (approx noon) to the conclusion of play
Where: Golf NSW Facebook Page, link via www.nswopen.com, or Download the SEN app and watch live on SEN TV
Western Open Final Round
Date: November 30
Time: Last tee time (approx noon) to the conclusion of play
Where: Golf NSW Facebook Page, link via www.nswopen.com, or Download the SEN app and watch live on SEN TV
Canberra’s Matthew Millar has fired a bogey-free round of eight-under 64 to add to his extensive list of adidas Pro-Am victories in what he hopes will be a springboard to even greater success over the summer.
The tight, tree-lined nature of the Cohuna Golf Club layout was made to measure for one of Australian golf’s straightest hitters, Millar’s eight birdies in the Stuart Appleby Cohuna Golf Club Pro-Am delivering a three-stroke victory from Settlers Run Associate Lachlan Armour (67).
Border Open champion Tim Hart (68) continued his good form to earn a share of third alongside Darren Eckhardt (68) and James Grierson (68) with four players finishing tied for sixth at three-under, Bryden Macpherson, Brett Rankin, Alex Edge and Brady Watt.
Starting his round from the third hole, Millar opened with two straight pars before he began to pick the Cohuna course to pieces, making seven birdies in the space of nine holes around the turn.
The 45-year-old very nearly aced the 178-metre par-3 eighth, his final birdie at the par-5 16th rounding out close to the perfect round of golf.
“I don’t think you could get more up my alley than here,” Millar said.
“There were only a couple of holes where I didn’t use driver and drove it really well. I think I missed only fairway and hit a lot of shots close as well.
“I missed probably three or four times from that 11-foot range so it was a really good round. Always love a card with no bogeys on it.
“It’s always good to get back into the winner’s circle so happy with that.”
A two-time winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, both of Millar’s wins on the main tour have come in New Zealand, the 45-year-old winning the NZ PGA in 2015 and the Rebel Sport Masters in 2018.
The reigning adidas Pro-Am Series Order of Merit winner, Millar concedes that converting his good form of recent years into a major win on home soil is a motivating factor moving into the summer of golf.
“I’m quite hungry to win one here on our shores that’s for sure, one of our bigger ones,” admitted Millar, who was third in the 2018 Australian PGA Championship.
“I’ve had some chances and maybe I’ve let a couple go and maybe a few have been taken away at times but I feel like I’m playing well enough.
“I’ve got to tidy up a couple of things that aren’t quite there but I’d be every chance.
“There might be a couple of golf courses that don’t quite suit me as well as a couple of others would but that’s all part of adapting. There’s no reason you can’t do well on those.
“Really looking forward to the next few months of playing. I may not play every event but I’ll aim to play a good 80-90 per cent at least.”
The next event on the adidas Pro-Am Series is the $50,000 Murray Open at the Murray Downs Golf Resort starting Thursday, the first in the NSW Regional Open Series.
An eagle and two birdies in his final four holes has propelled prolific adidas Pro-Am Series winner Tim Hart to a four-stroke victory at the 64th Border Open Pro-Am.
Tucked pins and windier conditions made cluBarham Golf and Sports Club a more challenging proposition on day two yet thanks to his spectacular finish Hart was able to match his score of 64 on Saturday for a two-round total of 18-under, four clear of Victorian Cameron John (70) with Elvis Smylie (69) a shot further back in third.
Hart’s second straight round of nine-under was the best of the day by four strokes and was due in large part to some good fortune on the par-5 14th.
Having begun his second round from the 18th tee, Hart pulled his tee shot left at the 445-metre 14th and when he finally reached it had just 110 metres left to the green.
“I actually didn’t hit a great drive,” Hart conceded of the eagle that would thrust him clear at the top of the leaderboard.
“I knew there was a lot of golf course to the left and it was out of bounds to the right so tugged it a bit down the left. It must have hit an air strip or something because it got all the way down there to about 110 out.
“I flicked a sand wedge over and then holed a 20-footer for eagle.”
Starting the day trailing John by two strokes, Hart didn’t challenge for top spot until he reeled off four straight birdies from the sixth hole, the lack of phone service enabling him to avoid any distractions an updated leaderboard may have presented.
“Because we didn’t have service we couldn’t update the scores,” Hart explained.
“That was good first tournament back because it kept me in my own game and I didn’t really think about the scores too much.
“I knew had some easy-ish holes to play coming in – a few par 5s that were playing down breeze – so if I got a few drives away I knew I could make a few birdies or an eagle and I was lucky enough to do that.”
Hart dominated the Queensland leg of the adidas Pro-Am Series earlier in the year but until the Blitz Golf Howlong event on Friday – where he finished tied for fifth – he not only hadn’t played since July, he’d barely touched a golf club.
There was a seven-week period where he didn’t touch a club at all, instead using the time to work on his own personal growth and development and, quite simply, “enjoy my life”.
The result is that he is in the right frame of mind to rack up numerous pro-am wins and determined to feature in the bigger events on the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule throughout the summer.
“It’s great to be back on the road. This is where I feel most comfortable,” said Hart, who was tied for seventh at the Golf Challenge NSW Open in March.
“Coming back from the places that I have been mentally and knowing that I can compete in four-round events of a high calibre with a good field, that’s massive for me.
“It’s a good feeling and one that I want to have a lot more of.
“There are a lot of opportunities coming up to contend over the next few months and hopefully win one if I’m playing well enough.”
Matthew Millar (69), NSW Open champion Bryden Macpherson (69) and Brady Watt (69) rounded out the top-five with Simon Hawkes (70), Ben Wharton (68) and James Gordon (70) finishing in a share of seventh at 10-under par.
The adidas Pro-Am Series now moves along the Murray River to Cohuna for the Stuart Appleby Cohuna Golf Club Pro-Am on Monday.
New South Welshman Daniel Gale has survived a dramatic five-for-two shootout to go on and claim the Blitz Golf Howlong event at Howlong Golf Resort on the Murray River.
A star-studded line up of 32 professionals including local Olympian Marcus Fraser, two-time PGA Tour of Australasia winner Zach Murray and defending Blitz Golf Glenelg champion Matthew Millar teed off in the six-hole first round with the top eight from each bracket progressing to round two.
Gale safely progressed into the second round but when he finished level par for the three holes was forced into a playoff with four others for the remaining two spots in the final, Millar, Alex Pitty, Cameron John and Lincoln Tighe also seeking to advance.
John booked his place in the final four with a pitch shot from 70 metres to just four feet and when Gale almost holed his attempt the pair joined Bryden Macpherson and Max McCardle in the one-hole final.
A bogey after missing the fairway eliminated McCardle from contention but when Macpherson lipped out his birdie putt from eight feet the three survivors moved on to the 70-metre playoff hole to decide the champion.
All three players hit their approach shots inside 10 feet but again Macpherson saw his putt take the edge of the hole without falling in. John and Gale both converted their birdie chances and again returned to the playoff hole for the two-man shootout.
John was the first to putt and when his birdie try took a piece of the hole but failed to drop, Gale was given an eight-foot putt to claim the title and the perfect start to the summer of golf.
“I’ve played a couple of the Blitz Golf events over the last couple of years and I really enjoy the format,” said Gale, the 2018 SP PNG Open champion.
“2021 has been really tough for most golfers. I decided to stay in Queensland and not return home to Sydney so I could be play in whatever came up.
“It’s great to be back playing some competitive golf again.”
The adidas Pro-Am Series resumes on Saturday with the 36-hole Border Open Pro-Am at cluBarham Golf and Sports Club.
