Playing in the afternoon groups, Vasquez and Anthony Choat both shot 8-under 64 to finish one stroke clear of Jay Mackenzie (65) and another women’s PGA Professional in Emma Ash (65).

There has been an influx of women PGA Professionals and WPGA Members playing the Queensland swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series this season, Vasquez the first woman to have a win since Grace Lennon’s joint victory at the Eastwood Pro-Am in Melbourne in 2019.

“Monkey off my back. Finally got a win,” said Vasquez, who was fourth at the Clermont Pro-Am two weeks ago.

“I knew it was coming. I’ve been playing well the last few months, but I just haven’t had everything click in one round. Today it happened.”

It was something of a drought-breaker, too, for Choat, the New South Welshman enjoying his first pro-am success since the Stuart Appleby Cohuna Pro-Am last September.

“I’ve been chopping and changing, trying to get better the last few years and things are starting to stabilise,” said Choat.

“To actually be out there in contention, to be really way under par and to be thinking about only making birdies and trying to shoot 10, 11, whatever under, it’s really, really good.

“I feel really good about my game and have for a while, but it’s nice to actually shoot a good one and get a result.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUNDS UNFOLDED

Playing in the group ahead of Vasquez, Choat went backwards before going forward, making bogey at his opening hole, the par-4 fifth.

He rebounded with birdies at seven and eight before unleashing on the Biloela back nine, peeling off six birdies and three pars for a back nine of 6-under 30.

His ninth and final birdie came at the par-3 second, coming up just short of a birdie on his final hole that would have secured an outright win.

Vasquez had to come up with an up-and-down of her own to match Choat’s score of 8-under.

Unlike Choat, Vasquez was fast out of the blocks with birdie at her first hole, the par-5 fourth.

She added a second at the short par-3 eighth and then eagled the par-5 ninth to head to the 10th tee 4-under par.

There were birdies at 12, 14, 17 and 18 before three closing pars to round out a bogey-free 64.

WHAT THE WINNERS SAID

Danni Vasquez: “I knew because it was my last par 5 of the day, I knew I had to do something but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself. I knew the chip that I had was tough, but I knew if I just landed it on the fringe, it would roll up to a hole-able length. Ended up holing my five-footer which I was very happy about.”

Anthony Choat: “It was an amazing day. I know I’ve been hitting the ball. I haven’t been scoring great, but I knew it couldn’t be too far away. When the putter started to get hot, I was just like, don’t watch a leaderboard. Let’s go make as many birdies as we can.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
T1        Anthony Choat            64
T1        Danni Vasquez             64
T3        Jay Mackenzie              65
T3        Emma Ash                   65
T5        Bradley Kivimets          66
T5        Dean Jamieson            66
T5        Christopher Wood       66
T5        Harrison Wills               66
T5        William Bruyeres          66

NEXT UP

One of the marquee tournaments of the season starts on Wednesday with the $60,000 Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am at Rockhampton Golf Club followed by the inaugural Maryborough Pro-Am next Monday.

Winner of the North Queensland Series in May, Page followed up the equal best round of day one with a 5-under 67 in windy conditions in Round 2, his 12-under total enough for a one-stroke victory from Zach Maxwell (66) with James Marchesani (69) third at 10-under par.

In a field full of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regulars, Page needed something special on the final hole to edge clear.

Going to what had been a trusty cut off the tee all tournament, Page double-crossed himself and hit his tee shot onto the opposite fairway.

It was a mere blip, however, as he lofted a shot over the trees to two feet and the winning birdie.

“It was good to do it in the moment. It was a good feeling,” said Page.

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

Beginning his second round from the 17th tee, Page opened with three pars before unleashing a birdie barrage.

He had five birdies in the space of seven holes from the third hole, his momentum disrupted only by a bogey at the short par-4 sixth.

A bogey at the par-4 11th for the second straight day was another step back but a birdie at the par-5 13th and his miracle closer on 16 was all he needed to get the job done.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“It was good to back it up today in the bit of wind and shoot 5-under,” said Page.

“Just kind of got my putting going a bit more over the last couple of days than I have this whole trip.

“The mentality kind of shifts a little bit from going low. Just kind of damage control when it’s this windy. I was lucky to stick a few close I guess and make some birdies when I needed to.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Nathan Page                65-67—132
2          Zachary Maxwell          67-66—133
3          James Marchesani        65-69—134
T4        Lachlan Armour           65-70—135
T4        Lincoln Tighe               66-69—135
T6        Jay Mackenzie              67-69—136
T6        Caleb Bovalina             68-68—136
T6        James Conran              69-67—136

NEXT UP

The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads south on its Queensland swing on Saturday for the inaugural Biloela Pro-Am at Biloela Golf Course.

A veteran of 17 years on Tour, Cooke has recently transitioned into a coaching role at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide.

This trip to Broome was as much a winter break to catch up with long-time friends and supporters yet twin eagles in a course record 9-under 63 in Round 2 was enough to come away with a two-stroke victory in the final event of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series WA swing.

Three back after an opening round of 2-under 70, Cooke’s 63 for a two-round total of 11-under saw him finish two clear of West Australian rookie Jordan Doull (67) with PGA Legends Tour regular Scott Barr (68) outright third at 8-under.

“Days like today, shooting numbers like this, it does make you think, Should I keep going? Should I have a little crack?” Cooke mused post-round.

“Hopefully I can put my coaching rates up after this week.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

When it comes to course records, time is of the essence.

After two opening pars starting from the 13th tee, Cooke went to work.

He made birdie at the 162-metre par 3 15th, eagled the par-5 16th and then birdied the par-5 17th to be 4-under through just five holes.

Five pars and a birdie at the short par-4 second followed over the next six holes before an eagle at the par-4 sixth elevated Cooke into contention.

A regulation birdie at the par-5 eighth got Cooke into double digits under par and he closed it out with a final birdie at the par-4 11th to establish a new scoring benchmark at Broome.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“I’m probably not the longest guy out here, but it is not a course that you can overpower,” said Cooke.

“You’ve got to be pretty straight. You can’t make a lot of mistakes and I think it’s just a tough test.

“You’ve got to have a lot of patience and I think this course has over time, taught me patience.

Nine-under today wasn’t a score that I sort of saw out there but, at the same time, if you keep hitting fairways, you get a lot of wedges into greens, there are low numbers out there.

“Today, things just came together really nicely.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Peter Cooke     70-63—133
2          Jordan Doull    68-67—135
3          Scott Barr         68-68—136
T4        Braden Becker  70-69—139
T4        Josh Greer        69-70—139
6          Scott Strange   67-74—141
7          Rick Kulacz       72-70—142

NEXT UP

The two-day Lunar Mining Emerald Pro-Am reaches its conclusion on Sunday with the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series to continue on Wednesday with the JET Group Clermont Pro-Am.

One of the most popular stops on the Mining Towns swing, Tieri once again was witness to some spectacular golf, Darcy Boyd and Hart both producing rounds of 9-under 64 across the two days.

The in-form Boyd led by three after his 10-birdie round on day one but it was Hart who finished the stronger, matching Boyd’s 64 in Round 2 for a 14-under total and one-stroke win.

Tied for third at Tieri, James Mee continues to lead at the halfway mark of the Mining Towns Series at 25-under par, one clear of Boyd followed by Blaike Perkins (23-under) with Hart now three back at 22-under.

“You can take one side of the course out of play, just keep it on the planet and then just make a score from there,” said Hart.

“That’s generally what I’ve done for the best part of a decade out here and it’s worked well.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

Trailing Boyd by four, Hart was forced to play catch-up in Round 2 and wasted little time in making his move.

After opening with two pars Hart reeled off three straight birdies from the fourth hole and then added a fourth at the par-5 ninth.

Birdies at 11, 14, 15 and 18 saw Hart play the back nine in 4-under, his closing birdie at the par-5 first rounding out a bogey-free tournament and victory by one.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“I’ve found some form with my long game, which is good out here and managed to just take advantage of this course,” said Hart.

“I love it out at Tieri and it was just good to play 36 without making a bogey and just play solid golf.

“I managed to put the foot down early and made a few putts, which I think’s big out here. If you can see it going in really early, you can sort of feed off that.

“I didn’t really hole much yesterday and then a few went in early today, so it just kept going and a couple more just kept going in.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Tim Hart           68-64—132
2          Darcy Boyd      64-69—133
T3        Blaike Perkins   67-67—134
T3        James Mee       67-67—134
T5        Paul Donahoo  67-69—136
T5        Jay Mackenzie  68-68—136

NEXT UP

The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues its cross-country stretch with the 36-hole Broome Furnishings – Carpet Paint and Tile Pro-Am starting Friday with the Mining Towns Series to resume on Saturday with the two-day Lunar Mining Emerald Pro-Am.

Final results

Thanking good mate Brady Watt for enticing him to make the 1,600-kilometre trip north of Perth, Owen came from two strokes back of Round 1 leader Scott Strange with a birdie barrage in the second round.

He had 10 birdies and no bogeys for a two-round total of 16-under par, three clear of Braden Becker (64), Ryan Peake (65) and Jordan Doull (60), who smashed the course record with 11 birdies, an eagle and a single bogey.

New Zealand-born but now a Perth resident who won the 2022 Victorian Amateur, the Lake Karrinyup Country Club member adapted quickly to the vagaries of sand greens for his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win.

“This is my first time on sand greens, so I have not had any success,” Owen said.

“It was a new experience and I think I did pretty well.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Paired with Josh Greer and starting from the third tee, Owen generated early momentum with birdies at three of his first five holes.

He made pars at both eight and nine to enter the back nine 3-under on his round and would be 10-under by the time he walked off the 18th green.

Owen made back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 and again at 13 and 14 before reeling off three straight from the 16th hole to take control of the tournament.

Becker and Doull both made charges and Peake went 36 holes bogey-free yet it wasn’t enough to rein Owen in.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“Yesterday I actually didn’t feel like I hit it that well,” said Owen.

“I putted well on the sand greens from close range so today I thought if I could hit it a little bit better and give myself a few more opportunities, I thought I was a good chance to have a good round. I think I did that.

“I made really good birdies on 16 and 17. I thought those were two pretty tricky holes and to birdie those gave me a good little cushion going into my last three holes.

“That was key.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Joseph Owen               66-62—128
T2        Braden Becker              67-64—131
T2        Jordan Doull                71-60—131
T2        Ryan Peake                  66-65—131
5          Scott Strange               64-68—132
6          Peter Cooke                 66-68—134
7          Joshua Greer                66-69—135
8          Brady Watt                   69-67—136

NEXT UP
Broome Golf Club hosts the WS6 Invitational on Tuesday in the lead-up to the two-day Broome Furnishings – Carpet Paint and Tile Pro-Am starting Friday while in Queensland the Mining Towns Series continues at Tieri on Wednesday with the JET Group Tieri Pro-Am.

The second leg of the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series, Aylen needed a clutch putt on his penultimate hole and then chipped in from 20 metres at his final hole for a round of 7-under 65 and one-shot win over Tim Hart (66) with Darcy Boyd, Connor McDade and Paul Donahoo all sharing third at 5-under 67.

“One of those rounds I got extremely lucky out there,” Aylen said of his second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win.

“Everything that could go right did go right, which is pretty rare for golf.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

It took just two holes for Aylen to get into red figures at Middlemount Golf Club and he backed it up with two further birdies in his next three holes to be 3-under through five.

He sandwiched a bogey on 15 between birdies at 14 and 16 to get to 4-under and then made a three at the par-4 18th.

With Hart applying pressure courtesy of twin eagles at 10 and 14, Aylen had no option but to continue to push.

A birdie at one helped to maintain his buffer at the top of the leaderboard but a three-putt bogey at the par-3 third brought Hart and others back into the mix.

He rolled in a birdie putt from six feet dead centre on four and then holed his chip shot on five to come out on top.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“A chip-in on the last hole from about 15 or 20 metres really sealed the deal,” said Aylen.

“I thought it was missing and it sort of wobbled back and went in the hole.

“Missed a couple of short ones and made a few long ones so it was a good day.

“I usually only look at the leaderboard when I’m trying to chase last money, which has been pretty common as of late.

“I just sort of plodded along, everything was going right and didn’t really think it was necessary to look at it.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Lachlan Aylen               65
2          Tim Hart                       66
T3        Darcy Boyd                  67
T3        Connor McDade          67
T3        Paul Donahoo              67
T6        Dylan Gardner              68
T6        Blaike Perkins               68

NEXT UP

The Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series now moves on to Tieri Country Club for the two-day JET Group Tieri Pro-Am starting Wednesday.

An opening round of 7-under 65 saw Kivimets trail Lucas Higgins by one heading into the second round of the IMS Moranbah Pro-Am at Moranbah Golf Club, the first event in the six-leg Mining Towns Series.

Birdies at his first and third holes in Round 2 was the ideal start, a pitching wedge to five feet to set up eagle on eight proving crucial at day’s end.

“I had a bogey a few holes before that so it kind of got me back to 3-under for the day,” Kivimets said.

“I didn’t know where I stood at that time in the grand scheme of things but that sort of got me back on track and then I managed to kind of keep going from there.”

Kivimets posted 5-under 67 in Round 2 for a 12-under total, enough to finish one clear of James Mee (66-67), Ben Henkel (67-66) and Brendan Smith (69-64).

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

Round 2 began on the second hole for Kivimets and jumped straight out of the blocks with a birdie at the 495-metre par 5.

He followed that up with a birdie on four only to take a step back with a bogey on six.

The eagle on eight turned momentum Kivimets’ way, birdies at 10, 13 and 14 giving him enough of a buffer to absorb a final bogey at the par-4 15th.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“Played well from inside 120, which you kind of need to do around here,” said Kivimets.

“Some of the longest stuff was a bit scrappy at times, but it didn’t cost me too much.

“Anytime I had 8-iron or less in, I was able to have a pretty good look at it and made a few putts. Kept momentum going at times and didn’t put myself in too much trouble.

“This is win number five, first two-day event that I’ve ever won. The other four that I’ve won were single day events so it’s nice to win one that’s more than 18 holes.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Bradley Kivimets          65-67—132
T2        James Mee                   66-67—133
T2        Ben Henkel                  67-66—133
T2        Brendan Smith             69-64—133
5          Riley Taylor                  66-69—135
T6        Caleb Bovalina             66-70—136
T6        Dillon Hart                   67-69—136

NEXT UP

The Mining Towns Series continues with the Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Pro-Am on Friday while the two-day Roy Hill Golf Classic Pro-Am begins at Port Hedland Golf Club.

The two-day IMS Moranbah Pro-Am tees off at Moranbah Golf Club on Tuesday morning, marking the start of a six-event Series worth a total of $135,000 in prize money and the lure of a $6,500 bonus for the overall winner.

For the past five years that has been Hart, who since making his Mining Towns Series debut 10 years ago has four wins at Moranbah, three at both Emerald and Middlemount and two each at Blackwater and Tieri.

While he has enjoyed success at each stop along the Mining Towns schedule, Hart admits he has a special affinity for Moranbah having won each of the past four tournaments dating back to 2019.

“For some reason, every year there I always just tear it up and I think I’ve won the last four at Moranbah,” Hart said.

“I guess it’s like anywhere you go back and you have good memories. Even if you’re not playing too well or striking it too well, if you go back to a course you’ve done well in the past, you always seem to find something there.

“For me, when I’m hitting driver well, I can take advantage and when I’m not hitting it so well around those sort of courses you get away with a lot.

“You can just aim one side of the course and you’re always going to have a shot or you can manoeuvre something.”

The Mining Towns Series takes on special significance for Brendan Smith, who splits his time playing events on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series with a full-time job working as a warehouse supervisor for the Oaky Creek coal mine outside Tieri.

When golf’s travelling circus rolls into Tieri, Smith serves a number of roles, serving as a player liaison, working to prepare the golf course each day and then teeing it up in his home event.

“You sort of blow them away a little bit with what the clubs produce, what they put on for them,” said Smith, who met his current employers while playing the Middlemount Pro-Am and is the defending champion at Blackwater.

“We try and treat them like kings and queens really because we want them to come back. If they don’t come back, we’ll still have an event, but it wouldn’t be the same.”

2024 Mining Towns Series

June 11-12

IMS Moranbah Pro-Am            $26,500

June 15

Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Pro-Am   $14,000

June 19-20

JET Group Tieri Pro-Am            $29,000

June 22-23

Lunar Mining Emerald Pro-Am $26,500

June 26

JET Group Clermont Pro-Am    $13,000

June 29-30

Blackwater Pro-Am                  $26,500