Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Ben Henkel wasn’t in the spotlight – until it mattered most. The 23-year-old Victorian made two birdies in his closing three holes to storm into a playoff, then maintained that momentum to edge Lincoln Tighe to win the New South Wales Open regional qualifier at Bateman’s Bay.
After enduring a double-bogey on the second hole of Saturday’s opening round, it was a spectacular comeback for Henkel, whose closing 67 – to reach the playoff at 9-under – came without a bogey.
Ed Donoghue set the stage with early second-round fireworks in a sparkling 7-under-par 65 to set a new Catalina Club course record.
But it appeared as though Tighe had done enough when he carded a fine 66 to wrest the clubhouse lead.
At roughly the same time, Henkel thought he’d threaded his second shot on the par-5 12th hole through some trees, only to roar in disbelief when his ball clipped the last branch and into trouble.
But a great recovery set up one of three late birdies for his fourth win – the first at such a high level – in his rookie professional campaign.
“My coach, Kel Llewellyn, taught me the mindset of being aware of your surroundings, to centre yourself when you’re going down a path of negativity, to just bring yourself back and trust that you can make some birdies and hit the shots you need to hit,” Henkel said.
“I owe it to him for putting that mindset into my head, I definitely wasn’t born with it.”
Henkel was literally within millimetres of being a quadriplegic when he suffered a severe neck injury in a 2019 car crash that left golf far from his priority.
“I fractured my C1 vertebrae and it was a year or so with a neck brace, rehab and that sort of stuff,” the Curlewis member said.
“It was kind of more, not from the physical side of things, but mentally, I wasn’t really sure if I really cared for golf anymore, but slowly I got back into it with the help of mates back home and mum and dad and the family.
“Right now though, that seems so far away. But it’s crazy to think that, yeah, we could have gone a different route.
“So I’m very grateful to be here and playing these events, it’s all part of my mindset, I suppose.”
It had been a manic day for leaderboard watchers with no fewer than nine leaders at various stages.
Early on, it appeared as though South Coast amateur Jye Halls was the man to watch when he hit a stunning long 6-iron to within 2m for an eagle on the sixth.
But he, like many, fell away as the pressure of the back nine ramped up.
Tighe uncharacteristically couldn’t cash in on his strength and played the par-5s in even-par, but used his improved short game to threaten Donoghue’s earlier course record.
But his tee shot in the playoff went left, a position from which he was unable to scramble a par, leaving Henkel as the champ, with Grierson joining that pair with tickets to play against Cam Smith at the NSW Open in November at Murray Downs.
“That sounds pretty cool when you put it like that,” Henkel said.
“I’ll just (try to) rock up, act like it’s another tournament, which it is, and just see if I can keep playing how I am.
“Obviously, these guys are the best in the world, and it’s good that he’s coming back to play and it would only be my fifth or sixth Aussie Tour event.
“So, yeah, I’m still quite fresh, but keen to get out there and give it a crack.
“I feel like my game’s good enough to compete.
“Making some birdies today when I needed to was a great feeling and especially to hole the putts when it mattered the most.”
LEADERBOARD
-9: Ben Henkel (Vic); Lincoln Tighe (NSW). Henkel won playoff
-7: James Grierson (NSW)
-6: Ed Donoghue (Vic), Nathan Page (NSW), Dylan Gardner (Qld)
The Men’s NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series is proudly supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
He began his round a full 88 minutes before the final group set sail yet Aiden Didone roared across the finish line to win the New South Wales Open qualifying series event at Wollongong Golf Club.
The Melbournian matched the course record of 7-under-par 63 set a day earlier by Jayden Cripps, then endured a prolonged wait before winning a sudden-death playoff over Sydney phenom Jeffrey Guan.
On a day when the lead swung wildly around a packed leaderboard, it had appeared as though Guan, fresh off his first US PGA Tour start, would salute after vaulting to the lead with the seventh birdie of his own rollercoaster round on the 16th hole.
But when Guan flew his approach to the final green long, not only did he make an uncharacteristic bogey, he effectively pushed Didone out of his clubhouse chair and to the practice nets.
His warm-up of five rushed shots was too short given the Victorian “duck-hooked” his playoff drive into a nasty stance in a left fairway bunker. He escaped that lie superbly to leave himself 130 metres to the flag for his third, then watched in disbelief as Guan’s charge found a muddy grave.
Guan reared back with a fairway wood from 235m and attempted to carry the water right of the 18th green, only for his ball to nestle into a hole in five-centimetre deep mud.
So nasty was Guan’s lie in the drying hazard area that his feet plunged through the surface when he took his stance.
The resultant swing – with all his might fearing he might not move it, let alone carry the 10m left to the flag – somehow made great contact and sent the ball soaring into the car park behind the clubhouse.
After another failed exit attempt, Didone was ultimately left with a handful of putts for victory, and his two-putt par was more than enough.
As an amateur, Didone, now 27, followed in the steps of legendary Phil Mickelson (1990) and Sydney’s Harrison Endycott (2016) when he put his name on the time-honoured Porter Cup in New York in 2019.
But after turning pro during the Covid years, he’s battled to take that all-important next step.
“It’s been a long time coming,” the affable Didone said after matching his low round as a pro.
“I’ve been grinding out on the tour for 18 months and then just had a good back-end to last year. Went OK in the Vic Open this year and then played pretty well in PNG.
“It has been brewing in the background and I’ve been doing a lot of hard work at home, so it feels amazing to get the monkey off the back.
“And particularly to win with a low one, too, is good for the confidence going forward.
“I’m actually pretty stoked to have a course record under my belt, so it’s a good time to do it.”
The key shot of Didone’s victory probably came on the final hole of his regulation round, calmly knocking in a six-metre birdie putt to reach the 9-under total he ultimately needed to reach the playoff.
“I thought it would be 9 or 10-under, but I knew I had to make that putt, I kind of had that feeling,” he said.
“I’d been pumping putts past all day, I thought I’d hit it a bit softer and it was the perfect putt over the front edge.”
Didone, joined by Aaron Townsend and Wollongong amateur Sam Cascio as new qualifiers to the NSW Open, said he couldn’t wait for the chance to play alongside Cam Smith at Murray Downs in November.
But he is also confident of what else might lie ahead this summer.
“I feel as though I can get my nose in front and hang on when I play well,” said Didone.
“A couple of weeks before that (Porter Cup) win in New York, I sort of had this feeling that I’m doing some good stuff. I’m getting that feeling now before the season which is great.”
Townsend, the 2008 NSW Open champion, remarkably fired seven birdies in his final 10 holes to roar home with a 64 to reach 8-under and a share of third.
He shared that billing with Cascio, the reigning Australian junior champion who carded a superb bogey-free 65 of his own – a magnificent achievement on his home course to set up the chance to play with Smith.
“That would be absolutely amazing,” Cascio said.
“It’s so cool (to think of) and it will be great to play against him on the same course to see how good he is. I can’t wait.”
Photo: Courtesy Golf NSW
The golf world can come hard and fast at Jayden Cripps, but the Cronulla pro might finally have the tools to tackle it.
Cripps shot a course-record 7-under-par 63 at Wollongong Golf Club on Tuesday to take the lead in the NSW Open qualifying series event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule.
He’s only a shot clear on a jam-packed leaderboard that features a swag of fancied players, including Jeffrey Guan fresh off a plane from San Francisco after his PGA TOUR debut.
But they’ll all have to run down Cripps when he puts a dazzling new combination of skills to the test as he chases his first professional victory.
“I haven’t had the chance to see my coach John Serhan for a while, so yesterday I went to St Michaels and worked on my putting with him for two hours and today everything just felt so much better,” Cripps said.
“I went to cross-hand putting from conventional and with my eyes over the ball, I suddenly had speed control.
“I’ve been playing really well, but haven’t been able to make a putt, so that was very exciting today.”
Cripps actually began his record round with a bogey on the gettable par-5 first hole.
But with the soothing words of Marcus Fraser, Matt Millar, Steven Jeffress and PGA of Australia staff member Pete Welden in his ears, nothing could rattle Cripps.
“They all tell me to slow down. I’ve got ADHD, so I’m 100 miles an hour all the time,” he added.
“But when I had that bogey to start, I was strangely really calm.
“I made a three on the second, a good three on the third and then drove it on the front of the (par-4) fourth and it just went from there.
“I played with `Frase’ at Coffs (Harbour) recently and he’s been giving me tips, slowing me down and just getting me to breathe.
“He says the more you slow your body down, your swing will slow down too.
“Timing is huge for me – if it’s out I’m generally hitting it off the planet.
“So today I didn’t get nervous all day, which is a big thing for me.”
Cripps’ 63 was his equal best score as a pro and his first course record away from his Cronulla base.
“That’s pretty special to me – especially because I love it around here, too.”
In fact, there’s a strong “local” presence on the leaderboard with Picton’s Justin Warren alongside Concord amateur Blake Phillips at 64.
They’ll be joined in Wednesday’s final group by Coffs Harbour’s Amelia Mehmet-Grohn, the leading woman in the field and the first in at 65.
The second-last group will feature Links Shell Cove amateur Colin Mitchell, Wollongong pro Jordan Zunic, Queenslander Dylan Gardner and rising Sydney star Guan, whose plane from the United States only landed at 7.30am Tuesday morning.
“I just went home, took a shower, threw on these clothes and then drove down about an hour-and-a-half,” he said.
“The body feels surprisingly good. I’m pretty happy to have 65, especially in the afternoon around here.”
Aside from Zunic, who won two Wollongong Opens here as a young amateur and has gone on to win three times on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, it’s testament to the youth in the field that Warren is among the most experienced of the chasing pack.
“I’m 29 in a couple of weeks, so I’ve been out here a few years now and it’s kind of scary to say, but with that comes a lot of experience,” said Warren, who’s loving sleeping in his own bed and commuting to Wollongong.
“I’ve had some good ones and some really bad ones, but in any event, no matter what it is, the goal’s to win and from the last couple of groups tomorrow, I’m in a position to do that.
“I have been in this position quite a few times – I won’t say I know what to expect and obviously there’s going to be a few little nerves out there trying to get a win, but being able to manage those is critical and managing your game to give yourself the best shot.”
Warren kickstarted his round with a sensational eagle on the first hole when he rifled a 4-iron uphill from 213 metres to three metres behind the hole and rolled in the putt.
Phillips celebrated his 22nd birthday with a bogey-free 6-under round.
“I’ve played a couple of pro events now and know how it goes and I don’t feel too different from the pros,” said Phillips, who played alongside Warren and Zunic in the day’s hottest group.
“We fed off each other and it was pretty good golf.”
There are plenty of chances for another story in Wednesday’s final round, though, with 24 players at 3-under or better.
New South Wales rookie Jye Pickin has stamped himself as a player to watch this summer after matching the course record to win the PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am.
A star-studded field plundered birdies and eagles on day one of the $50,000 event, one of the most popular on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule.
Pickin shot 5-under 67 in Round 1 yet trailed by four, a deficit he would rein in late in Friday’s second round.
Forced to keep the foot down for the entire round, Pickin made birdie at each of his final two holes to match Andrew Kelly’s 2019 course record of 10-under 62 for a 15-under total, one clear of Jay Mackenzie (67) with Border Open champion Kyle Michel third (66) at 13-under.
It marks Pickin’s second win since turning professional in May and provides a timely confidence boost ahead of the continuation of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season next month in Western Australia.
“Seeing the kind of guys that were out here this week, I knew I had to play well. You had to come out here and play well and the fact that I did is a huge confidence boost for me,” said Pickin, who also shot 62 to win the Northbridge Pro-Am in July.
“To go out there against the star-studded field like we had the last couple of days was awesome. And to shoot a score like that today was awesome.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Trailing overnight leaders Jay Mackenzie and Corey Lamb by four strokes, Pickin made a steady start that gathered momentum as the round went on.
He began with a birdie at the par-4 eighth and continued to chip away at the deficit.
Pickin picked up shots at 11, 13, 15 and 17 but it was the final flurry that got him ultimately to the top of the leaderboard.
Starting with a two at the par-3 second, the 24-year-old snared five birdies in his final six holes to match Kelly’s mark of five years prior and earn the biggest win of his young career.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“All day I had that chasing mindset of being behind; I must like playing in that position,” said Pickin.
“You didn’t have to not only get off to a good start, but you had to finish strong as well.
“The pin on 17 was sort of middle right and a perfect number for me.
“Nine-iron was about 147 back into a little wind so I knew I could be confident and hit a strong shot.
“Just drew off the pin a little bit to 15 foot left of it, which was an ideal shot in my mind at the time.
“There was actually a member that was a few feet behind me on a similar line and I got a good read off his to roll that one in and follow that one in on the last was awesome.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Jye Pickin 67-62—129
2 Jay Mackenzie 63-67—130
3 Kyle Michel 65-66—131
T4 James Conran 64-69—133
T4 Toby Walker 65-68—133
T4 Larry Austin 67-66—133
T7 Corey Lamb 63-71—134
T7 Emma Ash 69-65—134
NEXT UP
The next event in the New South Wales Open regional qualifying series tees off on Tuesday at Wollongong Golf Club to be followed by the South Coast Open at Catalina Country Club starting Saturday, September 21.
Fairways and greens are set to heat up across southern New South Wales next week when the NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series returns.
Competition will be fierce with a substantial $50,000 purse on offer. Importantly, the top three players who are not already qualified will lock away a coveted spot in the NSW Open at the magnificent Murray Downs Golf & Country Club from November 14-17 and the chance to go head-to-head with 2022 Open Champion and LIV Golf’s Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith.
Supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, the six-event series brings Australia’s brightest up-and-coming golfers to compete at some of the state’s best regional courses.
The series continues at Wollongong Golf Club next Tuesday, September 17, with a capacity field set to tee off at the city course. The series moves to Catalina Club at Batemans Bay (September 20-22), then finally onto Queanbeyan Golf Club for the sixth and last event of the series on September 23-25.
Some of the biggest names in Australasian golf will be in action, including four-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner Dimi Papadatos, as well as Korn Ferry Tour (US) Member John Lyras. Canberra’s Matt Millar, a dominant force with two wins in the first three qualifiers, will also be out to claim a record fifth regional crown.
Four former NSW Open champions – Harrison Crowe (2022), Josh Younger (2019), Aaron Townsend (2008) and Rick Kulacz (2006) – are also in town for the tournament.
There will be plenty of hometown interest at Wollongong next week, with several local hopes in the 120-plus strong field.
Port Kembla-based touring professional Lincoln Tighe will be a player to watch. The big-hitting Tighe will be out to secure his spot in the NSW Open after a disappointing finish in the series’ first event at South West Rocks last month. Adding to the local flavour, three-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner Jordan Zunic will also be competing.
Local amateur hopes playing include Australian Junior Champion Sam Cascio, NSW and Australian Mid-Amateur champion Colin Mitchell, and the Wollongong trio Axel Thomsen (WGC club champion), Zac Oyston and Thomas Heaton.
Olivia Wilson, General Manager – Golf at Golf NSW, said the 2024 Regional Open Qualifying Series was an important vehicle for aspiring professionals and elite amateurs looking to kick-start their Australian Summer of Golf.
“The series offers a fantastic platform for future stars to elevate their careers, with substantial prize money and the chance to secure a spot in the NSW Open,” he said.
“We expect some fierce competition, not just at Wollongong but at all of the remaining Qualifiers.”
Graeme Phillipson, Chief Operating Officer at Golf NSW, emphasised the positive impact of these tournaments on local communities.
“The Regional Open Qualifying Series brings a welcome financial boost to the host clubs and their surrounding towns. The influx of players and spectators significantly benefits the local visitor economy,” Phillipson stated.
Entry is free for spectators giving those attending the rare opportunity to walk the fairways alongside the players and witness the drama up close as the sport’s future stars emerge.
The final round of each qualifying tournament will be broadcast via Golf NSW’s broadcast partner, the Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) on the NSW Open Tournament website, nswopen.com.
Qualifying Series Schedule
Wollongong Golf Club: September 17-18
Catalina Club Batemans Bay: September 21-22
Queanbeyan Golf Club: September 23-25
(Previous qualifying series tournaments in this series):
South West Rocks: August 3-4 (Won by Matt Millar – ACT)
Coffs Harbour: August 6-7 (Won by Brett Rankin – QLD)
Teven Valley: August 9 &10 (Won by Matt Millar – ACT)
The Men’s NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series is proudly supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
Photo: Dimi Papadatos
Queenslander Cory Crawford has his eyes on the summer of golf after earning his second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win of the year at Yamba.
Returning from a long layoff due to a back injury with zero status on the national pro-am circuit, Crawford added to his win at Ballina with a commanding five-shot victory at the Ray White Yamba Pro-Am at Yamba Golf and Country Club.
With international experience playing in China, Asia and Canada, Crawford lost all associated status required to play regularly in the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
Now 39th on the Order of Merit, that situation has now been rectified with Crawford eyeing off even bigger scalps during the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
“I had five months off and was planning on playing some pro-ams but I looked at my ranking and I had no status, which I had no idea,” said Crawford.
“I hadn’t played a pro-am for four years so my goal was to try and get into 10 events somehow.
“I was able to do that and then obviously make enough money to get some status for next year to give me the option to go play.
“Now that I’ve been able to tick that box I’m going to play the Tour starting in October and play all the way through until March.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Tied with Order of Merit leader Brett Rankin after matching rounds of 6-under 66 on day one, Crawford patiently waited for scoring opportunities to present themselves on the tight Yamba layout.
Playing in the group behind, Rankin moved one clear with birdie at the short par-4 fourth but momentum would shift sharply at the par-5 eighth.
As Rankin made bogey to drop to even par on his round, Crawford made eagle to establish a two-stroke advantage.
That lead became three with birdie at the par-4 11th but Rankin fought back with birdies at 13 and 14.
Crawford took command again when Rankin dropped a shot at 15, his final winning margin ballooning from two to five when he birdied 18 and Rankin made double-bogey.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Got off to a bit of a slow start yesterday but got it going after that,” said Crawford.
“Just drove it really well, which made it a little nicer to play the golf course and just played really steady.
“It’s pretty narrow. If you’re in the fairway a lot, you’re going to have plenty of good looks.
“I was able to do that, which I’ve been able to do the last month as well.
“Getting it in play was huge.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Cory Crawford 66-68—134
T2 Brett Rankin 66-73—139
T2 Andrew Campbell 69-70—139
T4 Jay Mackenzie 69-71—140
T4 Lucas Higgins 71-69—140
T4 Aaron Townsend 72-68—140
NEXT UP
Focus of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series now turns to the southern end of New South Wales, starting with the PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club starting Thursday.
Victorian Kyle Michel has put on a superb display of iron play to take out the 67th cluBarham Border Open at CluBarham Golf and Sports Club.
The longest running event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series circuit, the two-day tournament attracted a field full of familiar faces but it was Michel who added his name to an impressive honour roll of past winners.
A one-stroke leader after Round 1, Michel wasted no time in asserting his ascendancy in Round 2 on Sunday.
His bogey-free round of 9-under 64 gave him a 13-under total and five-shot win from fellow Victorians Lachlan Armour (70) and Josh Younger (70).
Faced with windy conditions, Michel showed wonderful control of his ball flight which yielded birdies on three of the four par 3s.
“Your iron control had to be important on a windy day like today,” said Michel.
“I managed to get the distances right on pretty much all of them and roll in a few putts.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Starting his round from the par-4 fourth hole for the second straight day, Michel opened with a par before embarking on a birdie blitz.
He picked up shots at five, six and seven and then made it four in the space of five holes with birdie at the par-3 ninth.
Birdies at the par-5 11th and par-3 12th got Michel to 6-under through nine holes, finishing up a faultless round with closing birdies at 18, two and three.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I got off to a really good start birdieing three of the first four holes,” said Michel.
“I made another birdie on my sixth hole, the par 3, and managed to get to 6-under through the first nine holes and kind of went on with it from there.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Kyle Michel 69-64—133
T2 Lachlan Armour 68-70—138
T2 Josh Younger 68-70—138
4 Andrew Kelly 66-73—139
5 Bradley Kivimets 67-73—140
T6 Konrad Ciupek 72-69—141
T6 James Gordon 67-74—141
T6 Michael Isherwood 71-70—141
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series moves further north into New South Wales on Thursday for the $50,000 PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club.
A three-year adidas PGA Pro-Am Series drought ended for Steven Jeffress who revealed his PGA Tour Champions ambitions after he won the Ledonne Constructions Grafton Pro-Am today.
A 6-under-par 66, including birdies on his final two holes, gave the 48-year-old a one-shot margin over fellow Queenslander Dillon Hart and NSW Northern Rivers local Sam Brazel.
Although he doesn’t play competitively as much as he used to, and couldn’t quite remember his last pro-am victory, Jeffress had shown that a win might not be far off when he finished T4 at Kooralbyn Valley last month and then claimed a share of second at McLeod in Brisbane on Tuesday.
“I haven’t played a lot the last couple of years but the last month and a half I’ve actually started to do a bit of work on my game,” Jeffress said.
“I’ve been putting some hours in and it’s good to see it working.
“I want to keep playing because my overall goal is, at the end of next year, to go to Champions Tour Q-School in the States.
“Looking at how some of our Aussies like David Bransdon and Michael Wright have done it, you need to keep playing and competing before you hit 50.”
National Pro-Am Order of Merit leader Brett Rankin, who won at Grafton last year, finished in a share of fourth.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Jeffress’s winning round featured seven birdies and the solitary bogey.
He started fast with a three on the par-4 third before dropping a shot two holes later.
Birdies then arrived with regularity at the sixth, ninth, 11th and 14th to move him to 4-under before the win was secured with back-to-back birdies on his final two holes.
An eight-metre putt secured a two on the 135m par-3 first and a two-putt after hitting the green with a 5-iron approach produced the winning birdie on the 462m par-5 second
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Jeffress said: “The plan was that there was no plan apart from hitting good shots and the shots I wanted to hit.
“I figured 5-under wasn’t going to be enough. When you’ve been out here a while you get a sense of what’s needed.
“I thought I had to get to -6 to win outright. I wouldn’t get beat at six.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66: Steven Jeffress (Qld)
67: Dillon Hart (Qld), Sam Brazel (NSW)
68: Brett Rankin (Qld), Jayden Cripps (NSW), Jack Pountney (NSW)
69: Sam Slater (Qld); Jack McLeod (NSW)
NEXT UP
There’s two 36-hole events coming up in New South Wales in the adidas Pro-Am Series. The Ray White Yamba Pro-Am will be held this weekend at Yamba Golf Club followed by the PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
Chris Wood played “smart” golf to tear up the back nine at Murwillumbah Golf Club and score a one-shot win in the Coca-Cola Murwillumbah Pro-Am.
With a run of six birdies in eight holes, the Queenslander played the second nine of the picturesque NSW Northern Rivers layout in 6-under-par 30 on the way to a 5-under 67 to snare his fourth adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory of 2024.
National Pro-Am Order of Merit leader Brett Rankin, Cory Crawford and Bailey Arnott shared second place at 4-under.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Playing in the afternoon field and starting on the sixth hole, Wood made five straight pars to begin his round. Once he made it to the back nine, the fireworks started with birdies at the 11th and 13th holes and then four in a row from hole 15.
The Queenslander’s only dropped shot of the day came with a three-putt on the par-4 first.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Wood said: “The putting was a bit better today. I put a bit of work in the last couple of days to get that fixed up because that’s what had been costing me.
“Every time I’ve played here previously, I’ve tried to overpower the course. Today I tried to take what I guess you’d call a smarter approach to the game. Just keep it in play off the tee and give myself as many chances as possible.
“Was fortunate the putter got hot, especially around the back nine. That six to 10-foot range was pretty crucial.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66: Chris Wood
67: Brett Rankin, Cory Crawford, Bailey Arnott
68: Daniel Stephenson, Andrew Campbell (NSW), Alex Simpson (NSW), Will Florimo, Brenton Parrish (NSW)
NEXT UP
There’s two 36-hole events coming up in New South Wales in the adidas Pro-Am Series. The Ray White Yamba Pro-Am will be held this weekend at Yamba Golf Club followed by the PSC Insurance Brokers Wagga Wagga Pro-Am at Wagga Wagga Country Club on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
Victorian Ben Henkel had shared two wins in this year’s adidas PGA Pro-Am Series but he made sure the next success was a solo victory at the Cohuna Stuart Appleby Pro-Am on Thursday.
A spectacular 7-under-par 65 on the country Victorian course gave Henkel a two-shot margin over two of Australia’s most experienced touring professionals, Matt Griffin and Marcus Fraser, as well as fellow Victorian Bradley Kivimets and NSW’s James Gordon.
A joint winner at Clermont and Maryborough in Queensland over winter, Henkel has been in solid form throughout 2024 with 12 top-10 pro-am finishes and he started the new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season with a tie for ninth at last month’s PNG Open.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
After starting his round on Cohuna’s eighth hole, Henkel went on a run of three straight birdies on nine through 11. Although he dropped a shot at the long par-4 14th, he was -5 by the time he rolled in birdie number six for the day on the first.
Another birdie on the fourth and then an eagle on the 465m par-5 fifth sent the 23-year-old clear of the field, with a bogey on his second last hole only reducing the winning margin.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Henkel said: “It feels great. Obviously most of these events don’t have playoffs and you really want to go out and win by yourself. Getting it done in an event solo, and shooting a good number to win by a couple, is a great feeling.
“Everything in my game has been really solid and I’m coming off some good results. Hitting the ball well off the tee was important here. It’s a pretty tight golf course. I also holed a couple of crucial par putts to keep the momentum going.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
65: Ben Henkel
67: James Gordon (NSW), Bradley Kivimets, Marcus Fraser, Matt Griffin
68: Ruben Lai, Harry Goakes, Andrew Kelly
69: Jake Fullerton, Steven Jones
(Vic players unless noted)
NEXT UP
The majority of the field that played at Cohuna will contest the 67th cluBarham Border Open at cluBarham Golf and Sports Club this weekend with 18 holes on both Saturday and Sunday.
