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Damon Stephenson is the new Zigrete Queensland PGA Associates champion after a rollercoaster final day at Windaroo Lakes.
The leader after all three rounds, building on his gap to his nearest challengers each day, Stephenson surrendered a four-shot advantage early in the final round before rallying on the back nine to score a one-shot victory – his first in a four-round professional event.
A second year associate pro at nearby Gainsborough Greens Golf Club, Stephenson finished at 8-under-par for the tournament after his closing 3-over-par 76, holing a curling three-metre par putt on the final hole to see off ACT’s Lachlan Chamberlain (73) by a single shot.
Drew Herbert’s best of the day 6-under-par 67 moved him into outright third place, two back.
Stephenson’s hard-earned four-shot overnight lead disappeared within six holes today thanks to a double-bogey and two bogeys and a charge from former champion Jack Wright who went 4-under-par through the same stretch.
“I went out with a four-shot lead, not being complacent at all, but it disappeared really quickly and then it was a mental reset,” Stephenson said.
“It was like ‘okay, we’re tied for the lead. How do we approach this now’?”
While Wright, who had started the day seven behind, fell away on the back nine, Stephenson showed great resilience to birdie 10, 12 and 13 to regain his advantage.
Chamberlain moved back in touch thanks to an eagle on 16 and had a real chance to force a playoff when the leader bogeyed the 17th to see his margin cut to one and then missed the final green with his approach shot.
“I was reading the putt (to win) and I could feel myself getting emotional about it, thinking about making it,” Stephenson said.
“I had to snap back and realise you’ve just got to hit a good putt here. You’ve still got to make it, otherwise you’re going to a playoff.
“I got back in the present and just read it perfectly. It was lightning fast, broke about three cups and it went right in the heart. It was awesome.”
Next on his target list – a bottle of celebratory red wine with his father and maybe a late start at work at tomorrow.
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasted minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
Leaderboard
1 Damon Stephenson 74-69-72-76 (284)
2 Lachlan Chamberlain 69-70-73-73 (285)
3 Drew Herbert 72-71-76-67 (286)
T4 Dylan Knox 73-70-69-76 (288)
T4 Justin Morley 71-74-73-70 (288)
6 Jack Wright 70-72-73-75 (290)
T7Jordan Rooke 79-69-71-73 (292)
T7 Campbell Jones 73-75-74-70 (292)
T9 Conor Whitelock 69-77-70-79 (295)
T9 Samuel Reece 74-74-73-75 (295)
Damon Stephenson is one round away from completing an all-the-way victory in the 2025 Zigcrete QLD PGA Associate Championship at Windaroo Lakes.
The leader by two shots following round one and three shots after round two, Stephenson will take a four-stroke lead into Thursday’s final round after shooting a 1-under-par 72 today.
His nearest challengers are fellow Queenslander Dylan Knox, whose 69 was the best score in round three, and ACT’s Lachlan Chamberlain who lost ground with his 73.
Chasing his biggest win as a professional, Stephenson’s steady third round included two birdies and the solitary bogey to move him to 11-under for the tournament.
“I’m in a good position,” the Gainsborough Greens associate professional said.
“I just need to execute my game plan, stick to my process and do what I’ve been doing and hopefully that’s good enough at the end of the week.
“Nothing’s going to change in terms of prep. Just go home, recover, rest up and a bit of a later tee time so a bit more sleep and get back out here tomorrow.”
Knox made his move with a back nine of 4-under 33. After being six shots behind Stephenson following round one, he has four to make up on the final day.
“I was just giving myself a lot of birdie looks and chances and that’s all I can really ask for out there, Knox, a third year associate from Indooroopilly Golf Club, said.
“I’ve really got to compliment my iron play. That’s something I’ve been working pretty hard on and I’m really happy with it.”
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
Leaderboard
1 Damon Stephenson 74-69-72 (208)
T2 Dylan Knox 73-70-69 (212)
T2 Lachlan Chamberlain 69-70-73 (212)
T4 Jack Wright 70-72-73 (215)
T4 Beau Lavery 69-71-75 (215)
6 Conor Whitelock 69-77-70 (216)
7 Justin Morley 71-74-73 (218)
T8 Jordan Rooke 79-69-71 (219)
T8 Drew Herbert 72-71-76 (219)
For the second straight year, Damon Stephenson is the 36-hole leader at the Zigcrete QLD PGA Associate Championship at Windaroo Lakes.
The associate professional at nearby Gainsborough Greens followed up his opening round 67 with a 69 today to be 10-under-par for the tournament, three shots clear of ACT’s Lachlan Chamberlain (69-70).
In last year’s event, Stephenson led by four at the halfway mark before eventually finishing third.
“Everything’s in a good spot,” the 32-year-old said.
“Head feels good, swing feels good. Last year was last year, this year’s this year so it is just going to be about staying present, staying patient and just trying to execute my game plan.”
Stephenson has had 13 birdies throughout the first two rounds but noted the par-5s at Windaroo had not been as gettable as they were in this championship last October.
“A lot of the fives, which were probably iron into last year, are now either a 3-iron hybrid or a 3-wood,” he said.
“It’s more about leaving those approaches in the right spot around the greens to give yourself an easy up and down.”
Chamberlain, with top-10s on his record from both the NSW and Victoria Associate Championships, is on his first visit to Windaroo Lakes but has shown he will be a threat over the final two rounds.
“It’s my first time seeing the course and I’m enjoying it,” he said.
“Getting used to the grain has been a little bit tricky coming from Canberra so that’s been a bit of an adjustment.”
The big move in the second round came from Jordan Rooke who followed an opening 79 with a 4-under-par 69 to climb to a share of 13th place.
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
Leaderboard
1 Damon Stephenson – 67-69 (136)
2 Lachlan Chamberlain – 69-70 (139)
3 Beau Lavery – 69-71 (140)
4 Jack Wright – 70-72 (142)
T5 Drew Herbert – 72-71 (143)
T5 Dylan Knox – 73-70 (143)
T7 Bronson White – 69-76 (145)
T7 Justin Morley – 71-74 (145)
T7 Minami Inoue – 75-70 (146)
Opting for a late change of mind with his putter proved to be a good decision for Damon Stephenson who leads the 2025 Zigcrete QLD PGA Associate Championship by two shots after day one at Windaroo Lakes Golf Course.
Stephenson shot a 6-under-par 67 to lead a group of five players following a round that featured eight birdies, the leader revealing post-round the thinking behind his equipment switch the night before the opening round.
“I’ve been tossing up between two putters this week. I had the Scotty Cameron and the L.A.B. which I’ve been using for about eight months,” Stephenson said.
“I played the practice round with the Scotty yesterday and then woke up this morning and said ‘nah, put the L.A.B. in’. It was a pretty last-minute thing, but I just went back to what was comfortable and putted pretty well for most of the day.”
Based at nearby Gainsborough Greens, Stephenson caught fire on the front nine, with birdies at the third, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in just 31 shots.
His back nine started with a couple of bogeys but three birdies in a row from the 13th hole ensured the 32-year-old would be the overnight leader.
“It was relatively stress-free. Obviously pretty good scoring conditions today with no wind and pretty soft,” Stephenson said.
While the Queensland PGA Associates Championships has been dominated by players from the south-east corner of the state, Beau Lavery, from Rowes Bay Golf Club in Townsville, is flying the flag for the northerners.
He is part of the group of four players at 4-under-par following a round that was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 12th.
Also firing 69s on day one were Bronson White (Noosa), Conor Whitelock (Brisbane), and Lachlan Chamberlain (Gold Creek).
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
The second round gets underway at 7am Tuesday.
Leaderboard
67: Damon Stephenson
69: Bronson White, Conor Whitelock, Beau Lavery, Lachlan Chamberlain
70: Jack Wright, Caerwyn Ross, Kane Whitelock
71: Justin Morley
The Queensland PGA Associate Championship will take place at Windaroo Lakes Golf Course for the seventh straight year but in a new spot on the calendar and with a new title sponsor.
Moving from its traditional date in October, the 72-hole 2025 Zigcrete Queensland PGA Associate Championship starts Monday, June 2 and will draw Associates currently undertaking the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program from across Australia to the City of Logan.
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
In his final year of the Membership Pathway Program (MPP) at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club, Jack Wright will return to defend the title that he won in dramatic fashion last year but face stiff opposition from fellow Queenslanders and interstate players alike.
Damon Stephenson, Wade Edwards and Dylan Knox are other strong contenders from Queensland, Victoria’s hopes will be led by Lachlan Chamberlain and Ryan Isherwood while Thomas Heaton, Ho Tae Kim and Lachlan Tisma are expected to feature from New South Wales.
With close to 100 aspiring professionals set to tee it up for the richest purse in the tournament’s history, City of Logan Mayor Jon Raven is thrilled that the tournament will be held in the region for the seventh year in succession.
“The City of Logan is a great place to live, work and play which means it’s also an amazing location to host the Queensland PGA Associate Championship,” Mayor Raven said.
“We love having this event in Logan and want to keep it here for as long as we can.
“Windaroo Lakes Golf Course is a great course from the tee to the green which is why it’s able to attract this high-profile competition here.
“I’m sure the 2025 event will be action-packed, and I wish all the players success on the course.”
Given the flooding that the course sustained in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred in March, PGA Membership Services Coordinator for Queensland and the Northern Territory, Mark Weir, paid tribute to the course staff at Windaroo Lakes to get the course ready for a June hosting.
“The event has been held in October in the past so it’s been an amazing effort from Course Superintendent Daniel Stack and his team to get the course to get the course back in such great condition after Cyclone Alfred,” said Weir.
“The Queensland PGA Associate Championship has made Windaroo Lakes and the City of Logan its home in recent years and, with the support of Zigcrete, we’re thrilled to increase total prize money on offer once again.”
When the tournament nears its conclusion on Thursday, June 5, all attention will turn to the final four holes at Windaroo Lakes.
The party hole at the par-3 15th will bring the energy while the par-5 16th – affectionately known as ‘Snake Gully’ for the water that winds its way down the left – will bring the drama.
The putter switch instigated by Minjee Lee’s back-nine collapse 12 months ago gets its ultimate shot at redemption at this week’s US Women’s Open at Erin Hills.
A major winner at Evian in 2021 and at Pine Needles in 2022, Lee was at the top of the leaderboard with nine holes to play at last year’s US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club when her putter began to fail her.
For one of golf’s premier ball-strikers, putting was her occasional Achilles heel, any frailties cruelly exposed in a final nine holes where Lee shot 6-over 41 to fall into a tie for ninth.
A two-footer at the par-4 10th that didn’t touch the hole was the catalyst for change but it wasn’t until the end of the 2024 season that she and coach Ritchie Smith discussed experimenting with a broomstick putter to help clean up misses from four feet and in.
“We needed time to actually apply a bit of training to it and actually educate ourselves on it because a broomstick’s a different beast, and we’d never even considered using it,” admitted Smith.
Rather than seeking her own counsel, Lee trusted Smith to find the way it would work best.
Smith identified more stability in the face almost instantly, Lee trialling different grips with her right hand before settling on a “pistol grip”.
“He may have spoken to a couple of people about the fundamentals and the basics of how to putt with a broomstick but for me, personally, I didn’t really speak to anyone,” Lee told Golf Channel on ‘Live From The US Women’s Open’.
“You have to be open-minded to try this. The first few events were a bit of a trial for me.
“It got easier and easier as I was playing in tournaments and got a little more confidence in it.
“I don’t think I took to it straight away but it’s getting easier and easier to get the speed on more the long putts.
“The shorter putts are definitely easier.”
The numbers in 2025 back that up.
Dating back to 2021, Lee had never been higher than 127th on the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting.
This year Lee, who celebrated her 29th birthday on Wednesday, is tied ninth and is 21st in putts per green in regulation, a welcome addition to the arsenal of a player also 12th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee.
Mentally fresh after a two-week break in which she and Smith spent time fine-tuning her swing, Lee is once again invigorated by what the USGA are going to put forth this week at Erin Hills.
“Because of the coverage, I saw so much of it on TV so it became the one I’ve always wanted to win,” said Lee.
“That win in ’22 is very special to me.
“You want it to be challenging enough, but kind of fun for the viewership to be able to follow along where you make your birdies.
“Reachable par-4s or short par-3s but that have a lot of bunkers, like the ninth hole this week.
“For us, it’s more fun and more challenging to play courses like that than more of a real grind of a golf course.
“That’s really what makes a championship a championship.”
The 80th US Women’s Open is broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo all four days. Coverage of the first two rounds is 2am-10am Friday and Saturday with coverage to begin at 3am Sunday and 4am Monday.
Round 1 tee times AEST
US Women’s Open
Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconson
10:18pm Stephanie Kyriacou
10:18pm* Hannah Green
10:40pm* Lydia Ko (NZ)
3:41am Gabriela Ruffels
4:36am Minjee Lee
4:58am* Grace Kim
5:31am Jennifer Elliott
Past champion: Yuka Saso
Past Aussie winners: Jan Stephenson (1983), Karrie Webb (2000, 2001), Minjee Lee (2022)
Prize money: $US12m
TV times: Live 2am-10am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday; Live 4am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR
the Memorial Tournament
Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio
11:15pm Cam Davis
1:10am Ryan Fox (NZ)
1:30am Min Woo Lee
3:10am Adam Scott
Past champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1980); Greg Norman (1990, 1995)
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live 9:45pm-8am Thursday, Friday; Live 12am-9:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 12am-3am Monday on Fox Sports 507; Live 3:30am-8:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Austrian Alpine Open
Gut Altentann GC, Salzburg, Austria
4pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
4:40pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
5:05pm Jason Scrivener
8:20pm* Danny List
9:20pm* David Micheluzzi
10:15pm Elvis Smylie, Daniel Gale
Past champion: John Catlin
Past Aussie winners: Richard Green (2007)
Prize money: $US2.75m
TV times: Live 8:30pm-1:30am Thursday, Friday; Live 9pm-1:30am Saturday; Live 8:30pm-1:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
Principal Charity Classic
Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa
Aussies in the field: Steve Allan, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Brendan Jones, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.
Past champion: Ernie Els
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2m
TV times: 12:30pm-2pm Saturday; 1pm-2:30pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 5am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
UNC Health Championship
Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh, North Carolina
8:45pm* Harrison Endycott
10:30pm* Harry Hillier (NZ)
2:45am Rhein Gibson
Past champion: Kaito Onishi
Past Aussie winners: Mark Hensby (2000)
Prize money: $US1m
Japan Golf Tour
Road to the British Open Mizuno Open
JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, Okayama
12:55pm Michael Hendry (NZ)
1:25pm* Brad Kennedy
Past champion: Ryosuke Kinoshita
Past Aussie winners: Brian Jones (1990), Roger Mackay (1991), Brendan Jones (2004, 2013), Chris Campbell (2005), Brad Kennedy (2012)
Prize money: ¥100m
LET Access Series
Santander Golf Tour – AVILA
Naturavila Golf, Spain
4:50pm* Belinda Ji
5pm* Justice Bosio
5:15pm* Kristalle Blum
5:25pm* Abbie Teasdale
10pm* Stephanie Bunque
Past champion: Helen Briem
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €45,000
HotelPlanner Tour
Challenge de Cadiz
Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, Spain
4:20pm Hayden Hopewell
9pm Sam Jones (NZ)
Past champion: Jonathan Goth-Rasmussen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
Sunshine Tour
Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge
Benoni Country Club, Gauteng, South Africa
4:10pm Austin Bautista
Past champion: Daniel van Tonder
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: R2m
As the sport of golf continues to change and grow following the pandemic-influenced boom, so too do the clothes golfers wear when they play.
Consistently among the most popular brands for golf clothing and footwear, adidas is largely known for its performance apparel and footwear, however, one of the German company’s latest releases falls into line with the evolution of golf and culture.
Reinforced by CEO of adidas Bjørn Gulden at the global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany during a special media event launching the new line, adidas remains a sports brand first and foremost.
“We are a sports brand … and the culture born from it,” Gulden said during the early unveiling of the adidas Originals golf line.
Officially launched in the lead-up to the year’s first major, The Masters, the golf Originals line pays homage to adidas’ past while also engaging the modern style and freedom of clothing choice that is part of the current golf world.
The Originals name will be familiar to many, even if not by its moniker. Reserved for special products inspired by the archives and identified by the brand’s trefoil logo, the wider Originals branding includes some of the most popular footwear products in the world, including Stan Smith and Samba shoes.
For golf, it is a largely new frontier, with Ludvig Aberg sporting items from the line at Augusta National that were in part inspired by the style of Sandy Lyle’s adidas apparel from his win in 1988. Aberg’s fellow Swede, Linn Grant, sported the women’s collection during the first women’s major, The Chevron, last week.
“Our iconic Originals range has always been defined by classic styles that have transcended time. We used our heritage as our muse and created Originals Golf with that same mindset, with the ultimate goal of building out a premium assortment of apparel that represents the convergence of fashion and culture that we are seeing in the game,” Global Apparel Director of adidas Golf Shaun Madigan said.
Including footwear, clothing and accessories, the Originals line is limited and owns a unique connection to company history, that is a constant source of inspiration for adidas via the extensive company archive at its Campus, which includes shoes worn by Lyle and Bernhard Langer at Augusta in winning years.
However, while appealing to one of the growing demographics of golfers that is certainly rising in Australia in younger players interested in fashion and standing out from the traditional crowd, the Originals line doesn’t represent a complete change in strategy for adidas.
Performance wear, identified by the triangle three stripe logo, continues as the primary output of the sports brand, with the likes of Grace Kim on the LPGA, and numerous players on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia staying true to the performance line-ups.
“I think the performance side is going to continue to be providing the best performance based product for the athlete. And when we look at that, there’s opportunities to explore a newness,” Madigan said.
“I want to say it’s just Originals, lifestyle and infused. A lot of that comes from the brand direction and the power of the brand and where the brand, the momentum behind it and where it’s going. That to me is really going to continue to be our focus, but we always have to ensure we take it back to be relevant for the game of golf.”
As the entire Australian golf community knows, what is relevant to the sport in this country is constantly evolving and on an upward path, with adidas determined to reflect and service those trends.
For more on the adidas Originals golf range, visit www.adidas.com.au/golf
adidas is a partner of Golf Australia, PGA of Australia and WPGA Tour of Australasia
An individual win for Marc Leishman, a commanding win by the team and a brand new baby boy for captain Cameron Smith made it a week to remember for the Ripper GC boys in Miami.
With the notorious ‘Blue Monster’ at Trump National Doral giving the LIV Golf Miami field all it could handle, it was the Aussie boys who navigated the wind and water best, Leishman leading Ripper GC to an eight-shot win in the teams event.
The result wasn’t so clear cut in the individual event.
Leishman made a crucial up-and-down on the final hole as he closed out his round of 4-under 68 with eight consecutive pars in what was the only bogey-free round of the tournament.
He was first in the clubhouse at 6-under and then had to watch on as Sergio Garcia went looking for the birdie he needed to force a playoff.
The Spaniard would ultimately make bogey to finish third, Charl Schwartzel finishing second one stroke behind Leishman.
Without a win since he and Smith teamed up to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2021 and coming off a tie for 51st in Singapore, the 41-year-old admitted that he’d started to wonder whether he would ever win again.
“Of course you doubt yourself, especially after a week like I had in Singapore. I played terribly,” said Leishman.
“I’ve played well in a lot of LIV events. I’ve had a chances to win, haven’t won. You wonder if you’re going to win again.
“I’ve been so happy. I’ve been the happiest person out here. I’ve loved every minute of it, but I’ve probably just missed — everyone loves winning.
“I doubted myself, but that just made it all just so much sweeter today, to be able to win and hold up another trophy and then the team winning, as well, is awesome.”
It was a truly team effort on Sunday as Ripper GC ended the week at 4-over par and eight shots clear of Crushers GC.
In addition to Leishman’s 68, Smith climbed into a tie for ninth with a 2-under 70, Matt Jones had 1-under 71 and Lucas Herbert 2-over 74.
Admitting that it was hard to drag himself away from son Remy to lead the team in Miami, Smith reflected on a truly life-changing week.
“It’s so cool. I miss him so much, actually,” Smith said of fatherhood.
“It was hard to come away this week. I mean, I’ve had a few times where it’s been hard to get away from home, but it was a different level this week. I can’t wait to see him tonight.
“He’s the winning formula for the team, obviously. One from one, Remy is.
“People express – I’ve got two great dads next to me (Leishman and Matt Jones) – how cool it is to be a father, but you really can’t put it into words.
“It’s been so awesome.”
There were Aussie top-10s elsewhere this past week.
Stephanie Kyriacou made it to the quarter-finals of the T-Mobile Match Play on the LPGA Tour, Kelsey Bennett was tied for eighth at the Joburg Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour and David Bransdon and Greg Chalmers were tied seventh at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational on PGA TOUR Champions.
Photo: Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
Valero Texas Open
TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), San Antonio, Texas
1 Brian Harman 66-66-72-75—279 $US1.71m
MC Ryan Fox (NZ) 76-73—149
MC Aaron Baddeley 75-76—151
LPGA Tour
T-Mobile Match Play
Shadow Creek Golf Course, North Las Vegas, Nevada
Quarter-finals
Lauren Coughlin def. Stephanie Kyriacou 1 up
Round of 16
Stephanie Kyriacou def. A Lim Kim 2&1
Round Robin-Day 1
Grace Kim def. Amy Yang 2&1
Stephanie Kyriacou def. Nasa Hataoka 4&3
Minjee Lee def. Jasmine Suwannapura 1 up
Hira Naveed def. Lydia Ko (NZ) 6&4
Gabriela Ruffels def. Carlota Ciganda 4&3
Round Robin-Day 2
A Lim Kim def. Grace Kim 2 up
Stephanie Kyriacou def. Ayaka Furue 4&2
Lydia Ko (NZ) def. Gabriela Ruffels 6&5
Carlota Ciganda def. Hira Naveed 2&1
Madelene Sagstrom def. Minjee Lee 3&2
Round Robin-Day 3
Jenny Shin def. Grace Kim 2 up
Stephanie Kyriacou halved Auston Kim
Gabriela Ruffels halved Hira Naveed
Carlota Ciganda def. Lydia Ko (NZ) 2 up
Patty Tavatanakit def. Minjee Lee 1 up
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Miami
Trump National Doral, Florida
1 Marc Leishman 71-71-68—210 $US4m
T9 Cameron Smith 73-74-70—217 $409,167
T9 Danny Lee (NZ) 75-71-71—217 $409,167
T18 Lucas Herbert 77-69-74—220 $250,000
T21 Matt Jones 74-76-71—221 $220,000
T53 Ben Campbell (NZ) 79-76-82—237 $50,000
Ladies European Tour
Joburg Ladies Open
Modderfontein Golf Club, Johannesburg
1 Mimi Rhodes 65-69-71—205 €45,000
T8 Kelsey Bennett 71-72-69—212 €7,350
T33 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 72-73-73—218 €2,415
T39 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 70-75-74—219 €1,665
MC Amelia Garvey (NZ) 76-73—149
Korn Ferry Tour
Club Car Championship
The Landings Golf & Athletic Club (Deer Creek), Savannah, Georgia
1 Jeremy Gandon 67-70-65-69—271
Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff
T6 Harry Hillier (NZ) 71-68-69-66—274
MC Rhein Gibson 74-71—145
PGA TOUR Champions
James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational
The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Florida
1 Ángel Cabrera 68-66-71—205 $US330,000
T7 David Bransdon 68-72-71—211 $64,240
T7 Greg Chalmers 69-70-72—211 $64,240
T12 Michael Wright 70-71-71—212 $44,733
T32 Cameron Percy 74-71-73—218 $14,520
T41 Stuart Appleby 73-74-73—220 $9,460
T41 Brendan Jones 73-72-75—220 $9,460
T56 Steve Allan 74-71-79—224 $4,620
74 John Senden 80-77-75—232 $1,452
PGA TOUR Americas
70th Brazil Open
Rio Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1 Maxwell Moldovan 63-67-68-68—266 $US40,500
MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 69-73—142
WD Grant Booth 70
Elvis Smylie may have been crowned the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner last Sunday at the Heritage Classic but there remains much to be decided at the season finale.
The National Tournament at The National Golf Club’s Gunnamatta Course marks the conclusion of a 19-event season that began with Will Bruyeres’s PNG Open breakthrough and will climax on Sunday.
Given Smylie earned exemption on the DP World Tour by virtue of his victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, three additional players will secure DP World Status for the 2026 season.
NZ Open champion Ryan Peake is already guaranteed the first of those, the likes of Jack Buchanan, Anthony Quayle and Curtis Luck all looking to advance their chances at The National.
There are further rewards on offer through Order of Merit finishes, not the least of which is earning status for next season for those who end the year inside the top 50.
The Order of Merit champion two years ago, David Micheluzzi returns this week, as does 2022 Order of Merit winner Jed Morgan along with 10 winners from the current season all seeking to end the year on a high.
The final two rounds of The National Tournament will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo with coverage starting at 3pm AEDT on Saturday and 1pm Sunday.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPION: Cameron John
PRIZEMONEY: $200,000
COURSE DESIGNER: Tom Doak (Gunnamatta Course)
COURSE RECORD: 65, Derek Ackerman (Round 1, 2022) and Harrison Crowe (Round 4, 2022)
LIVE SCORES: pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The National Tournament is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 3pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
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HEADLINERS
David Micheluzzi: 2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner
Jed Morgan: 2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner
Ryan Peake: NZ Open winner
Jack Buchanan: 2024 WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia champion
Curtis Luck: Korn Ferry Tour winner
Josh Geary: 2025 Vic Open winner
Anthony Quayle: Two-time Tour winner
Jack Thompson: 2021 Gippsland Super 6 winner and 2025 NZ Open runner-up
Elvis Smylie has achieved his season-long goal by becoming the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion for the first time.
A T53 finish today at the Heritage Classic in outer Melbourne ensured Smylie had enough points to secure the 2024/25 title with one tournament remaining.
It guarantees the 22-year-old Queenslander a host of rewards including a berth in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July, his second appearance in as many years at the sport’s oldest major.
He’s only the fourth lefthander to win the OOM title, following on from Richard Green (2004), Nick O’Hern (2006) and Greg Chalmers (2011, 2014).
“This is pretty special,” Smylie said after receiving his Order of Merit medal.
“It’s a goal that I set out at the start of the season last October and it’s an honour to win the title and the opportunities that it comes with.”
Smylie’s surge to the top of the Order of Merit standings started with a third place in his season debut at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil and Logistics at Kalgoorlie Golf Course.
He then secured the first title of his career at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open, beating Jak Carter in a sudden-death playoff on a windy afternoon at Mandurah Country Club.
“The last round at the WA Open, when everything was going south with the weather, I felt like I really did a good job with keeping my composure,” he said.
“I hung in there and I got the job done and then that was probably the turning point for everything to fall into place the way it has.”
The big Order of Merit points came across the Aussie majors fortnight, his victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club, which also earned Smylie a coveted DP World Tour card, followed by a tie for fifth at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open on the Melbourne Sandbelt.
He picked up another top-10 finish at the NZ Open presented by Sky Sport.
“As soon as I won at RQ, I’m like ‘right, I’m in the box seat. So let’s just keep going’,” he said.
“It’s starting to sink in now that I’ve achieved what I set out to do, which is cool.”
As the Order of Merit champion, Smylie also receives a place in the final stage of PGA TOUR Qualifying School, although he has sights on gaining PGA TOUR status for 2026 without taking that route.
“So my goal now shifts to the European Tour and focusing on trying to finish in the top-10 on the Order of Merit there to try and get a PGA TOUR card in America,” Smylie said.
“That’s my main focus now, but there’s a couple other goals that I’ll have a look at that with my team.”
His next events will come in China on the DP World Tour in April.
PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said: “Our congratulations go to Elvis on becoming a first-time Order of Merit champion on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
“Starting from our Western Australia swing, he has had an outstanding season, highlighted by his great win at the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
“With one tournament remaining, there are still plenty of rewards up for grabs for our leading professionals on our Order of Merit including the much sought after three DP World Tour cards for 2025/26.
“We’re looking forward to a great season finale at The National Tournament next week.”
Smylie’s spectacular season has also seen his Official World Golf Ranking climb from No.1119 prior to the WA PGA Championship to just outside the top-200.
Previous Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia OOM champions include Greg Norman (six times), Bob Shearer and Peter Senior (four times), Craig Parry (three times) and Adam Scott (twice).
Elvis Smylie 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia results
3rd CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil and Logistics
1st Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open
T8th Webex Players Series South Australia
5th Queensland PGA Championship
T24th Ford NSW Open
1st BMW Australian PGA Championship
5th ISPS HANDA Australian Open
T8th NZ Open presented by Sky Sports
T53rd Heritage Classic
Last 10 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champions
2024/25 Elvis Smylie (Qld)
2023/24 Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
2022/23 David Micheluzzi (Vic)
2021/22 Jed Morgan (Qld)
2020/21 Brad Kennedy (Qld)
2019 Ryan Fox (NZ)
2018 Jake McLeod (Qld)
2017 Brett Rumford (WA)
2016 Matt Griffin (Vic)
2015 Nathan Holman (Vic)
