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#TeamMullet has won another Zurich Classic of New Orelans for Australia.
Having adopted the unofficial name in honour of Cam Smith’s “throwback” hairstyle, he and Marc Leishman hung tough during a wild back nine at TPC Louisiana for a playoff victory.
The great mates, in foursomes mode, combined for a par up the first playoff hole after Louis Oosthuizen made a rare mistake off the tee, driving his ball into the water and leaving teammate Charl Schwartzel only the slightest of chances.
After taking the conservative route up the par-five, Smith rolled in a 2m par putt with the South Africans staring down a double-bogey.
It was Smith’s second win in the team event, having shared the trophy with Sweden’s Jonas Blixt in 2017 for his first win of what is now three wins on the US PGA Tour.
But to have done with his great mate Leishman was clearly important to dual Australian PGA champion Smith.
“It was a pretty cool week (and) we just played some really solid golf,” said the Queenslander after the pair’s closing round of two-under-par 70 that featured a rollerocast final hour of two birdies and three bogeys.
“It was really tough, that back nine was brutal, but we got it done.”
Leishman, after picking up his sixth PGA Tour victory, made what turned out to be the crucial shot just when the South African pair looked set to pounce.
With a one-shot deficit on the tee of the driveable par-four 16th, Smith turned what first appeared to be a really solid 3-wood over and it bounded left into the water near the green.
Leishman took his penalty drop and then, with the team’s third, played a stunning little chip that trickled into the hole for the most unlikely of birdies.
“I wasn’t walking up there thinking I wanted to give him a little jab in the ribs or anything,” Leishman joked afterwards.
“I was just concentrating on the next shot and it was lucky enough to be on an upslope and I made it.
“It was a lot of fun doing that.”
Leishman and Smith combined for rounds of 63-72-63-70 to reach the playoff at 20 under, again highlighting their great teamwork.
You may not know it – you may never have even heard of it – but the song chosen by Aussie pair Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith for the Zurich Classic starting Friday morning AEST is oh so appropriate.
Leishman and Smith – World Cup partners, great mates and Presidents Cup teammates – are one of two all-Aussie pairings at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, a PGA TOUR event where two-man teams play rounds of fourball and foursomes on alternate days.
Veterans Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers have teamed up together, Honda Classic champion Matt Jones will play alongside American JJ Spaun, Aaron Baddeley is partnering Canadian Roger Sloan, Rhein Gibson has paired with England’s Ben Taylor while Kiwis Danny Lee and Tim Wilkinson will be partnered by Sangmoon Bae and George McNeill respectively.
Given their history – and Smith’s victory in the 2017 event alongside Swede Jonas Blixt – the most prominent Aussie pairing are considered one of the tournament favourites but Leishman’s song selection and Smith’s inspiration may turn even more heads.
“It’s actually funny,” Smith explained, whose back-to-back Masters top-10s are the only thing currently overshadowing his flowing mullet hairstyle.
“Leish found this song or looked up a song and he’s already entered it; I didn’t even get a choice.
“It’s called ‘The Mullet Song’. We’re going to be rocking that going to the first tee. And maybe a few other surprises.”
Think a mix between Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus and you’re close to Jay Powell’s homage to the resurgent follicle fashion statement that has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube since its release in August last year.
It doesn’t quite have the upbeat tempo that Percy has selected for he and Chalmers, ‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim – “Get us focused,” Percy explained – but Leishman hopes his choice will set a fun tone that he and Smith can carry all the way through to late Sunday.
“It’s pretty funny and very true, particularly in Cam’s case,” Leishman added.
“The walk-up music is something different; I think it’s fun. You got to try and make it fun and embrace it and I think we’ll do that. Try and enjoy ourselves, get the day started off on the right foot and go from there.”
Although Ernie Els chose not to pair Smith and Leishman together at the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, Smith believes that their bond – and that of their respective caddies Sam Pinfold and Matty Kelly – is a definitive advantage when it comes to foursomes.
“I think the banter makes us a good team,” said Smith.
“If one of us hits a bit of a crappy shot or doesn’t get off to a good start or something like that, we’re always in each other’s ear just playing around and maybe saying some stuff that gets us fired up and ready to go.”
Strategically speaking, an investigation of the numbers convinced Leishman that he would be best served teeing off on the odd-numbered holes in foursomes and Smith on the even-numbered holes.
And if the Aussies are successful at the end of 72 holes, The Mullet Song may earn a reprise in a presentation ceremony with a difference.
“I told the missus that I would cut it if I won, but I don’t know, everyone loves it,” said Smith, currently Australia’s highest-ranked male player at No.25 in the world.
“I’ve got a lot of attention, I guess, a lot of support out on the golf course with it, so I don’t know, might hang around for longer than I anticipated.
“I think it’s a good thing, just something different. Everyone has a laugh. I know ‘Leish’ has a laugh at it and he picks on me sometimes about it, but no, it’s good. I love it.”
Minjee Lee’s two-year wait to defend her Hugel-Air Premia LA Open title is already underway with Lee posting an opening round of 1-under 70 at Wilshire Country Club.
Su Oh is positioned to push for her best LPGA Tour finish courtesy of an opening round of 5-under 66, two better than the next best Aussie through 18 holes, West Australian Hannah Green who is tied for 17th.
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
Zurich Classic
TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana
10.13pm* Danny Lee/Sangmoon Bae, DJ Trahan/Ricky Barnes
11.44pm Tim Wilkinson/George McNeill, Sepp Straka/Josh Teater
3.05am Cameron Percy/Greg Chalmers, Rob Oppenheim/Grayson Murray
3.44am Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith, Collin Morikawa/Matthew Wolff
4.23am Matt Jones/JJ Spaun, Max Homa/Talor Gooch
4.36am* Aaron Baddeley/Roger Sloan, Rasmus Hojgaard/Vaughn Taylor
5.02am* Rhein Gibson/Ben Taylor, Rafael Campos/Mark Anderson
Defending champions: Ryan Palmer/Jon Rahm (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Cameron Smith (with Jonas Blixt, 2017)
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Smith/Marc Leishman
TV schedule: Live 5.30am-8.30am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503.
European Tour
Gran Canaria Lopesan Open
Meloneras Golf, Gran Canaria, Spain
12.30am* Jake McLeod, Eduardo De la Riva, Matthew Jordan
12.40am* Austin Bautista, Ross Fisher, Scott Jamieson
5.40am* Maverick Antcliff, Berry Henson, Cormac Sharvin
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Maverick Antcliff
TV schedule: Live 11pm-4am Thursday, Friday; Live 11pm-3am Saturday; Live 10pm-2.30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503.
LPGA Tour
Hugel-Air Premia LA Open
Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, California
Through Round 1
T4 Su Oh 66
T17 Hannah Green 68
T31 Sarah Kemp 69
T43 Gabriela Ruffels 70
T43 Minjee Lee 70
T57 Sarah Jane Smith 71
T105 Katherine Kirk 74
T134 Lydia Ko 78
Defending champion: Minjee Lee (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2019)
Top Aussie prediction: Hannah Green
TV schedule: Live 8.30am-11am Friday, Saturday; Live 8am-11am Sunday on Fox Sports 511.
Korn Ferry Tour
Veritex Bank Championship
Texas Rangers Golf Club, Arlington, Texas
11.15pm* Brett Drewitt, Evan Harmeling, David Kocher
11.55pm* Harrison Endycott, Kevin Roy, Chandler Blanchet
3.35am Jamie Arnold, Andres Gonzales, Tyson Alexander
4.15am John Senden, Whee Kim, TJ Vogel
4.35am* Nick Voke, John VanDerLaan, Brent Grant
4.55am Ryan Ruffels, Max Greyserman, Shane Smith
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Harrison Endycott
Challenge Tour
Limpopo Championship
Euphoria GC, Modimolle, South Africa
11.20pm* Deyen Lawson, Toto Thimba Jnr, Keith Horne
Defending champion: JC Ritchie
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Symetra Tour
Copper Rock Championship
Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah
2.15am Julienne Soo, Ingrid Gutierrez Nunez, Alivia Reynolds
5.11am Stephanie Na, Julie Aime, Madison Pressel
6.39am Robyn Choi, Dottie Ardina, Amanda Doherty
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Robyn Choi
A 16-month exile ends for seven Aussies this week as they make their return to the Japan Golf Tour needing to make up lost ground on the moneylist of a wraparound 2020/2021 season that ends in December.
Not since Brad Kennedy lost in a playoff to Ryo Ishikawa at the 2019 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup has an Australian appeared in an event on Japanese soil, the COVID-19 pandemic decimating the majority of the 2020 schedule.
Four events that Australian players did not have government approval to play in were conducted at the end of 2020 and late visa approvals meant that they spent last week’s Token Homemate Cup watching from their hotel rooms in quarantine.
Coached by Australian PGA Professional Gareth Jones, last week’s winner Takumi Kanaya sits atop the moneylist with earnings already of ￥55,895,000, Matthew Griffin the only Aussie to have banked any cash courtesy of his tie for 41st at the co-sanctioned SMBC Singapore Open last January.
It puts them at a disadvantage but with 24 events still scheduled for the remainder of 2021 there is time in which to make their way up the moneylist and maintain their status for 2022.
Since his narrow loss to Ishikawa more than a year ago Kennedy has extended the golden period of the later years of his career.
The 46-year-old Queenslander added a second New Zealand Open title last March, made his maiden appearances in PGA TOUR and World Golf Championships events, won the inaugural tournament of The Players Series and claimed the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown.
Although two weeks spent cooped up in a hotel room is perhaps not ideal preparation, Kennedy can tap into some positive memories from his victory in the Kansai Open Golf Championship in 2013, albeit it at a different golf course.
Now boasting ¥428,486,406 ($A5,131,886 approx.) in career prize money in Japan, Kennedy has finished inside the top five in the event four times since his victory eight years ago but will be getting his first look at Arima Royal Golf Club, the Royal Course hosting for the first time since 1985.
Griffin enjoyed a consistent start to the year in Australia without ever really contending, logging four top-25 finishes in six starts with his best result a tie for eighth at the ISUZU Queensland Open in February.
Anthony Quayle is another returning to Japan this week with strong showings under his belt this year, finishing tied for fifth in the defence of his 2020 Queensland Open title and tied for seventh at the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links.
Victorian Todd Sinnott will hope to hit the ground running having played only five events with world rankings points attached since the end of 2018 while Adam Bland, David Bransdon, Dylan Perry and Kiwi Michael Hendry will seek a strong start in what shapes as a busy season ahead.
Round 1 tee times AEST
Japan Golf Tour
Kansai Open Golf Championship
Arima Royal Golf Club (Royal Cse), Hyogo
8.30am Brad Kennedy, Nakazawa Daiki (a), Rikuya Hoshino
8.40am* Adam Bland, Shuhei Shimoke (a), Yuta Kinoshita
9.30am* Anthony Quayle, Min-Gyu Cho, Akio Sadakata
9.40am Dylan Perry, Yusuke Sakamoto, Yuwa Kosaihira
9.50am Todd Sinnott, Yuta Yoshikuwa, Masatsugu Fujishima
12.50pm Matthew Griffin, Daichi Sato, Tomohiro Ishikaza
1.40pm David Bransdon, Ryo Ochiai (a), Hiroshi Iwata
1.50pm Michael Hendry, Masayuki Yamashita (a), Chan Kim
Defending champion: Tomoharu Otsuki (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Brad Kennedy (2013)
Top Aussie prediction: Brad Kennedy
Former New South Wales Amateur champion Austin Bautista has taken another step towards a permanent place on the European Tour and risen more than 1,000 places in the Official World Golf Rankings courtesy of a top-10 finish at the Austrian Golf Open.
Fresh from proposing to his partner Chiara just two weeks ago and with two wins on US soil already to his name in 2021, Bautista was issued an invitation to tee it up at Diamond Country Club and took full advantage.
Bouncing back from an opening round of 74 to shoot 67 in Round 2 to make the cut, Bautista birdied the 15th and 16th holes in a final round of 3-under 69 to finish tied for seventh in just his second start on Europe’s main tour.
As a result, the Bonnie Doon Golf Club member has played his way into the field for this week’s Gran Canaria Lopesan Open in Spain and risen to a career high of 841st in the world rankings, a rise of 1,066 spots on the week prior.
It was a positive return to Europe for Gold Coast-based Deyen Lawson who matched Bautista’s round of 69 in the final round to finish tied for 33rd with Queenslander Maverick Antcliff the third and final Aussie to make the cut, ending the week tied for 53rd.
The best round of his flourishing PGA TOUR career had Cameron Smith well placed after Round 1 of the RBC Heritage tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links but the 2020 Masters runner-up had to settle for a tie for ninth in South Carolina.
Smith’s 9-under 62 on day one placed him at the top of the leaderboard through 18 holes but heading into the final round on Sunday he was sitting just inside the top 30.
Top-10 at The Masters a week earlier, Smith rediscovered some of that Round 1 form to post the second-best round of the final day – a bogey-free 5-under 66 – to rise 18 places and squeeze inside the top 10.
It was another very solid week also for Cameron Davis whose tie for 25th saw him rise five places in the FedEx Cup points race to be 63rd.
A second round of 65 propelled Aaron Baddeley to a tie for fifth at the Korn Ferry Tour’s MGM Championship in Las Vegas while Hannah Green’s tie for 12th was the best of the Aussies as Kiwi Lydia Ko claimed the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in Hawaii.
PGA TOUR
RBC Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
T9 Cameron Smith 62-71-74-66—273 $US186,375
T25 Cameron Davis 69-69-70-68—276 $52,274
MC Danny Lee 68-73—141
European Tour
Austrian Golf Open
Diamond CC, Atzenbrugg, Austria
T7 Austin Bautista 74-67-71-69—281 €20,940
T33 Deyen Lawson 77-70-71-69—287 €6,725
T53 Maverick Antcliff 72-74-71-73—290 €4,042
MC Jake McLeod 81-81—162
LPGA Tour
Lotte Championship
Kapolei Golf Club, Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii
1 Lydia Ko 67-63-65-65—260 $US300,000
T12 Hannah Green 70-67-66-68—271 $31,197
T27 Su Oh 73-68-66-67—274 $16,152
MC Minjee Lee 71-71—142
MC Gabriela Ruffels 70-72—142
MC Katherine Kirk 69-74—143
MC Sarah Jane Smith 75-70—145
Korn Ferry Tour
MGM Resorts Championship
Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Mountain Course), Las Vegas, Nevada
T5 Aaron Baddeley 71-65-73-70—279 $US20,100
T35 Harrison Endycott 75-66-70-73—284 $3,450
T52 Brett Coletta 69-72-72-75—288 $2,538
T69 Rhein Gibson 72-67-79-76—294 $2,334
MC Jamie Arnold 72-71—143
MC Steven Alker 72-71—143
MC Brett Drewitt 72-71—143
MC Ryan Ruffels 75-70—145
MC Curtis Luck 76-72—148
MC Robert Allenby 80-73—153
MC Nick Voke 82-72—154
Symetra Tour
Casino Del Sol Golf Classic
Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Arizona
T60 Robyn Choi 71-73-76-75—295 $690
T62 Hira Naveed 76-69-71-80—296 $670
MC Stephanie Na 74-74—148
MC Soo Jin Lee 76-75—151
MC Julienne Soo 79-73—152
Champions Tour
Chubb Classic
Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida
T32 Rod Pampling 76-70-69—215 $US10,560
T32 David McKenzie 69-69-77—215 $10,560
T44 Stephen Leaney 70-75-72—217 $5,600
Will Heffernan has taken out top spot in the Final Stage of ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School with a score of 5-under 283 on the Open Course at Moonah Links.
After strong winds blasted the seaside course from rounds one to three, Heffernan made the most of benign conditions on Friday to post a final round of 2-under 70 and take a one-stroke victory over David Micheluzzi, Aaron Wilkin and John Lyras in second place.
Heffernan now holds Category 9 Tournament Exemption on the PGA Tour of Australasia for the 2021/22 season that will see him receive automatic entry into all events on the Tour including the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open.
“It feels really good. I played solid all week. I holed some nice putts and just stayed patient out there. It was pretty windy the whole week so I just hung in there,” Heffernan said.
“I knew I had to be steady all day. I made an early birdie then I went pretty quiet for a while, just playing it safe and then made one on the back-nine so I was pretty happy.”
In 2020 Heffernan spearheaded the charge for the Australians at Asian Tour Qualifying School, finishing second to earn an exemption for the 2020 season that was later cancelled due to COVID-19.
Looking to the year ahead the Victorian has the welcome challenge of building a schedule filled with both local and overseas tournaments when the PGA Tour of Australasia resumes in August.
“I actually went over to the UK and Italy and played on the Alps Tour,” said Heffernan of his year in 2020.
“I will just try and play as many tournaments as I can; try and balance my schedule between this (Australasia) and Asia and hopefully they match up and I can play a few of the bigger ones.”
The Tour’s marquee tournaments including the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open, Vic Open and New Zealand Open are among the events Heffernan will eagerly anticipate.
“I’m really excited for them. They’ve always been a dream since I first started in golf so I’m very, very excited,” he said.
Queensland’s Aaron Wilkin (70), Victorian David Micheluzzi (70) and New South Welshman John Lyras (71) completed Qualifying School in a tie for second place at 4-under 284 to lead the players finishing from 2nd to 30th position including ties to earn a Category 13 exemption for the 2021/22 season.
Players with a Category 13 exemption will receive exemption into most events for the 2021/22 season with those who finished higher boasting a greater likelihood of being exempt into all Tour events.
Amongst the list of the top-30 players and ties rising star Jed Morgan (-2) lead the charge for the amateurs, finishing tied for fifth ahead of Lawrence Curtis (+3), Edward Donoghue (+3), Jackson Bugdalski (+7) and Lawry Flynn (+8) who finished birdie, birdie to sneak in on the number.
European Tour winner Sam Brazel, who finished in a tie for fifth place alongside Morgan, will return to the Tour alongside regulars Jason Norris (-1), Damien Jordan (+2), Peter Cooke (+4), Peter Wilson (+4), Matt Jager (+5), James Marchesani (+7) and Aaron Pike (+7) who regained status for the season ahead.
A Tour rookie in the 2020/21 season, Matias Sanchez narrowly secured his Category 13 status by making an eagle on 18 to finish tied for 30th at 8-over.
In addition to results from the Final Stage of Qualifying School at Moonah Links, a special New Zealand Qualifying School was held in conjunction with last week’s Muriwai Open where Luke Brown and Luke Toomey were successful in gaining Category 13 tour cards for 2021/22.
Players from positions 31 to 50 are entitled to become Full Tournament Members for the 2021/22 season but will not be allocated an exemption category.
View the Final Stage Qualifying School results at pga.org.au.
The PGA Professionals Championship will return in its traditional format of state qualifying events across Australia in 2021, giving PGA Professionals the chance to win through to the PGA Professionals Championship National Final at Hamilton Island Golf Club in September.
The series of state qualifying events will return in May and June, where 50 of the country’s leading Vocational PGA Professionals will qualify for the PGA Professionals Championship National Final to be played from 3-5 September.
Players will vie not only for the lion’s share of $55,000 in prize money at the National Final, but also two coveted positions in the Australian PGA Championship field at Royal Queensland Golf Club from 2-5 December.
Gavin Kirman, chief executive of the PGA of Australia, is looking forward to the skills of Vocational PGA Professionals again once being on show around the country.
“The last 12 months has shown just how resilient PGA Professionals can be and having our Vocational PGA Professional competing in their marquee event is further signs of a strong recovery,” said Kirkman.
“Hamilton Island has proved the perfect venue to showcase the skills of our leading PGA Professionals and since moving the event to the iconic location 10 years ago, the PGA Professionals Championship has continued to grow in stature.
“We are proud to provide the two leading PGA Professionals from the National Final the opportunity to compete in the Australian PGA Championship and form an integral part of what is expected to be a world class field.”
Seven qualifying tournaments will be held around Australia over the coming months with a variety of qualifying positions on offer at each event.
| Date | Event | Course | # National Final Qualifiers |
| Friday 14th May | PGA Professionals Championship of Western Australia | Mosman Park GC | 6 |
| Tuesday 25th May | PGA Professionals Championship of South Each QLD | Victoria Park GC | 12 |
| Monday 31st May | PGA Professionals Championship of North Queensland | Mackay GC | 2 |
| Monday 31st May | PGA Professionals Championship of Victoria | Commonwealth GC | 13 |
| Tuesday 1st June | PGA Professionals Championship of NSW/ACT | Twin Creeks G&CC | 12 |
| Sunday 6th June | PGA Professionals Championship of Tasmania | Royal Hobart GC | 2 |
| Monday 21st June | PGA Professionals Championship of South Australia | Glenelg GC | 2 |
Playing alongside the 50 PGA Professionals at Hamilton Island will be 52 amateurs who will compete for the title of Hamilton Island Amateur Golf Champion. As one of the most unique and memorable golfing experiences, Hamilton Island Enterprises is excited to welcome championship golf back to the island.
“We are excited to welcome competitors back to Hamilton Island in 2021 after not being able to do so last year, and we are confident that their golfing and holiday experience will be just as good if not better than it has been pre-pandemic,” said David Boyd, Hamilton Island General Manager Retail, Activities, Marina & Concessionaires.
“Our golf course has always been memorable due to the wonderful layout and spectacular views it provides and it will again be in outstanding condition in the earlier time of September this year.
“Hamilton Island has proved itself to be well geared to keep our guests safe during the pandemic whilst continuing to provide first class service and facilities, and we are confident that this year’s tournaments will provide the perfect opportunity to reiterate this.”
For further information on the Hamilton Island Amateur Golf Championship please click here.
For all information on the PGA Professionals Championship please visit www.pga.org.au
A few days after another top-10 finish in the Masters, Australia’s top-ranked male player Cameron Smith has soared to the first-round lead in the RBC Heritage.
Smith, 27, rammed home nine birdies in his opening 62, the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.
At nine under par, he leads the tournament at Harbour Town links in South Carolina by a shot.
“I don’t know, everything just came together,” Smith said afterward. “It was a great day on the green. I was hitting my irons really good. I had lots of good looks, and I just took advantage of them.”
Smith carded 31 on both nines and holed out from a bunker at the 17th. Then at 18, he produced what he called “icing on the cake”, a pure iron shot to just more than a metre for his ninth birdie. “I feel like after last week, I feel like chipping around here is almost like a breeze,” he said. “I was so scared almost last week on every chip shot, and I feel like I can be really aggressive around here.”
Smith said he was in a good place in recent times. “I don’t know, I just feel really comfortable. Mentally I feel very free out there. I feel like I can hit the shot that I need to hit and going ahead and trying to execute it. I just feel like every shot I’m hitting, I’m putting 100 percent into it, and on a day like today, it’s really rewarding.”
The world No. 26 recently took over from Adam Scott as the No. 1 Australian player on the men’s tour. Rested up after Augusta, he went home to Jacksonville for a couple of days and found some time to indulge his passion for fishing.
He certainly came back to the course with some fire in the belly.
Sydneysider John Lyras’s love affair with Moonah Links will reach new heights on Friday if he can maintain his position at the top of the leaderboard and claim the major prize on offer at the Final Stage of the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School.
One of only three players to break 70 on Thursday as Peter Thomson’s imposing Open Course and the Mornington Peninsula’s wicked winds once again kept scoring in check, Lyras sits atop the leaderboard at 3-under par alongside Victorian Will Heffernan (71) heading into Friday’s final round.
David Micheluzzi (73) and Aaron Wilkin (70) are in a share of third just one shot further back with 2020 Australian Amateur champion Jed Morgan (73) and 2016 Hong Kong Open winner Sam Brazel (74) the only other players under par through 54 holes.
It was 12 months ago that Lyras, a member at St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, birdied the 72nd hole to avoid a playoff for a PGA Tour of Australasia card and he held at least a share of the lead through the first three rounds of the Moonah Links PGA Classic in February, also played on the Open Course.
Although he succumbed to a blistering Bryden Macpherson final round that day to ultimately finish tied for fourth, the rewards on offer on Friday are just as significant, the winner receiving Category 9 exemption that would earn them automatic entry into each of the proposed 16 events for the 2021/22 PGA Tour of Australasia season.
The win would be just as significant for Heffernan, whose rookie year as a professional was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Heffernan had secured his immediate future by earning an Asian Tour card at Q School last January but the ongoing impact of the pandemic and travel restrictions has prevented Heffernan from taking his game overseas for the time being.
Despite registering top-10 finishes at both the ISPS HANDA Vic Open and Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA Championship in 2020 Morgan has retained his amateur status to date, his transition into the professional ranks all the more smoother if he can secure playing rights on his home tour.
The incentive to finish first on Friday is significant but there is plenty to play for down the leaderboard also.
Players who finish from second to 30th will receive Category 13 status for the 2021/2022 season with those who finish higher boasting a greater likelihood of being exempt into all Tour events.
The PGA Tour of Australasia conducted a special New Zealand Qualifying School, which was held in conjunction with last week’s Muriwai Open.
Ten players competed for two category 13 tour cards, which was won by former Order of Merit champion Ryan Fox.
Luke Brown and Luke Toomey were successful in gaining these spots and ensuring they have regained their playing status for 2021/22.
A new program unveiled by the PGA of Australia and WPGA aims to not only provide an inviting entry point for women new to the game of golf but also showcase the female coaches who can guide them.
The Women’s Golf Network was launched at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne on March 22 and was followed by a full day of clinics and networking for 80 participants at Ballarat Golf Club.
With sponsorship from both adidas and Callaway REVA they represent the first of 12 clinics to be conducted around the country by mid-July with an expectation that more will follow in the second half of the year.
Each day consists of an adidas Performance Clinic for established golfers and the Callaway REVA Beginner Clinic for those new to the game and continues the collaboration between the PGA of Australia and the rebranded WPGA Tour.
The goals are twofold. To provide an encouraging environment for women eager to try golf for the first time and to provide a pathway for existing golfers to further their games and perhaps join the growing number of women working within the golf industry.
“Golf has seen a surge in popularity over the past 12 months but we understand that some women can find that initial introduction to the game somewhat intimidating,” says WPGA CEO Karen Lunn.
“With the Women’s Golf Network we wanted to create an opportunity for ladies to come and try golf in clinics run by our female PGA Professionals and for those girls and ladies already playing to receive expert coaching and get the most out of their golf.”
Lee Harrington completed her traineeship at Riverside Oaks in the mid-1990s and now runs The Golf School based at Palm Meadows Driving Range on the Gold Coast.
As a past board member of the ALPG and currently Director of Development for the WPGA, Harrington has no doubt that exclusively using female Professionals provides the environment that women new to the game are looking for.
States such as Queensland and New South Wales have seen increases in female participation of some 25 per cent year on year in the summer just past. Whether returning to the game or new golfers completely, the Women’s Golf Network caters to all women.
“The comment that we hear is that it is nice to spend some time with a female coach,” says Harrington.
“Every coach communicates a little bit differently but I’d like to think as female PGA Professionals we’re fairly engaging.
“For those in the adidas Performance Clinic, we conduct a clinic in the morning and then send them out onto the golf course in the afternoon.
“Those in the Callaway REVA Beginner Clinic join us for lunch and networking, participate in a clinic with our coaches and then we all finish together with networking drinks.”
Currently making up just six per cent of all PGA Professionals in Australia, the Women’s Golf Network also serves as a showcase of female coaches, PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman hopeful that number will increase significantly in the coming years.
“In order to have more female coaches we need more women playing the game so the Women’s Golf Network is first and foremost a way to encourage more female golfers,” Kirkman says.
“But as their journey in golf continues we hope that they will see the opportunities available to them within the golf industry, one of which is to undertake our Member Pathway Program and one day move into coaching themselves.
“The industry has recognised that greater engagement with women is integral to the future health of our sport and a big part of that is having talented and accomplished female coaches at our golf clubs.”
Given such significant growth within the female sector the past year Harrington believes more clubs than ever recognise the value that having more women at their facilities represents to the business.
“Overall I think clubs as a business understand the value of the female and the family more than they ever have,” says Harrington.
“That’s good for the bottom line and good for getting more women and beginners into the game.”
The Women’s Golf Network aims to inspire women to play golf by showcasing female professional golfers; providing a warm environment to play golf and the opportunity to network with like-minded women. The Women’s Golf Network mantra is to be inspired, have fun, play golf. The next Women’s Golf Network event will be held at Royal Canberra Golf Club on Monday, April 19 with further clinics to be held in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. www.womensgolfnetwork.com.au
Women’s Golf Network schedule
April 19 Royal Canberra GC
April 26 Latrobe GC
May 9 Bunbury GC
May 13 Wembley GC
May 20 The Grange GC
May 24 The Lakes GC
June 3 Long Reef GC
June 6 Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC
July 11 Windaroo Lakes GC
TBC Moore Park GC
Cameron Smith and Hannah Green will be out to tap into the form that has earned them top-15 Major finishes of late when they tee it up on their respective tours this week.
Following a week in which the golf world’s attention was placed squarely on Augusta National there are 29 Aussies in action across six tours from Thursday including the return of the European Tour after a short layoff and the first appearances of Australian players on the Champions Tour for 2021.
The Japan Golf Tour also recommences its wrap-around season this week but the Aussie contingent are waiting patiently in quarantine before they will be able to join the field at next week’s Kansai Open Championship, Brendan Jones unable to defend his Token Homemate Cup victory of two years ago.
The majority of Aussies who contested The Masters have chosen to skip this week’s RBC Heritage tournament at Hilton Head with the exception of Smith.
Now the highest-ranked Australian male player at No.26 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Smith was tied for 10th at Augusta and is considered one of the favoured chances at a venue that has proven to be kind to his fellow countryman over the years, Graham Marsh, Greg Norman, Peter Lonard and Aaron Baddeley all victorious at Harbour Town Golf Links.
There is a large collection of our best female players in action this week at the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship with Green eager to build on her tie for 14th at the ANA Inspiration and Minjee Lee seeking a second win at the event, albeit at a different venue.
Recording her third top-20 finish at a Major at the ANA, rookie professional Gabriela Ruffels is seeking her breakthrough LPGA Tour title that would secure her status on the world’s premier female tour.
The resumption of the European Tour will see Jake McLeod and Deyen Lawson make their first appearances for the year at the Austrian Golf Open where Austin Bautista will make his second start on the European Tour a week after getting engaged.
The pursuit of a 2022 PGA TOUR card continues on the Korn Ferry Tour in Las Vegas this week where Brett Drewitt enters the MGM Resorts Championship at Pauite as the only Aussie inside the top 25 on the moneylist in 22nd position.
Curtis Luck is currently in 37th position followed by Brett Coletta (58th), Ryan Ruffels (70th) and Harrison Endycott (80th), all of whom are in the field in Vegas.
Round 1 tee times AEST
European Tour
Austrian Golf Open
Diamond CC, Atzenbrugg, Austria
3.50pm Austin Bautista, Maverick Antcliff, Laurenz Kubin
5pm Deyen Lawson, Jeff Winther, Alexander Knappe
8.30pm* Jake McLeod, Aron Zemmer, Janne Kaske
Defending champion: Marc Warren
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Maverick Antcliff
TV schedule: Live 9.30pm-2.30am Thursday, Friday; Live 10pm-2am Saturday; Live 9.30pm-2am Sunday on Fox Sports 503.
PGA TOUR
RBC Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina
9pm* Danny Lee, Denny McCarthy, Tyler McCumber
9.22pm Cameron Davis, Kyle Stanley, Maverick McNealy
2.45am Cameron Smith, Tyler Duncan, Sebastián Muñoz
Defending champion: Webb Simpson
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1977), Greg Norman (1988), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006)
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Smith
TV schedule: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503.
LPGA Tour
Lotte Championship
Kapolei Golf Club, Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii
3.55am* Minjee Lee, Jennifer Kupcho, Jenny Shin
4.06am Katherine Kirk, Sei Young Kim, Inbee Park
4.06am* Su Oh, Cristie Kerr, Hyo Joo Kim
4.17am* Hannah Green, Brittany Altomare, Kristen Gillman
7.55am Sarah Jane Smith, Pavarisa Yoktuan, Lindsey Weaver
9.01am Lydia Ko, Moriya Jutanugarn, Cheyenne Knight
9.34pm* Gabriela Ruffels, Emma Talley, Haru Nomura
Defending champion: Brooke Henderson (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2016)
Top Aussie prediction: Gabriela Ruffels
TV schedule: Live 9am-1pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox W 511.
Korn Ferry Tour
MGM Resorts Championship at Paiute
Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Mt GC), Las Vegas, Nevada
11.40pm* Aaron Baddeley, Johnson Wagner, Kevin Dougherty
11.51pm* Jamie Arnold, Trey Mullinax, Jared Wolfe
12.33am* Steven Alker, Shawn Stefani, John Chin
12.43am Robert Allenby, Seth Reeves, Brandon Harkins
1.04am* Ryan Ruffels, Matt Atkins, Patrick Fishburn
1.15am Nick Voke, Michael Miller, Chandler Blanchet
1.15am* Harrison Endycott, Rico Hoey, Brent Grant
4.45am Curtis Luck, Whee Kim, Drew Weaver
5.16am Rhein Gibson, Scott Gutschewski, Taylor Moore
5.16am* Brett Drewitt, Chad Ramey, Charlie Wi
5.58am* Brett Coletta, Sangmoon Bae, Jim Knous
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Brett Coletta
Symetra Tour
Casino Del Sol Golf Classic
Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Arizona
1.18am* Robyn Choi, Jenny Lee, Savannah Vilaubi
4.51am* Julienne Soo, Emilee Hoffman, Mia Landegren
5.02am* Soo Jin Lee, Amanda Doherty, Isi Gabsa
5.35pm Stephanie Na, Cindy Ha, Laura Wearn
6.19am Hira Naveed, Marta Martin, Min A Yoon
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Robyn Choi
Champions Tour
Chubb Classic
Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida
Aussies in the field: Stephen Leaney, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling
Defending champion: Scott Parel
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Rod Pampling
TV schedule: Live 2am-4.30am Saturday on Fox Sports 506; Live 5am-7.30am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505.
