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In 15 years of playing pro-ams throughout the country PGA Professional Paul Williamson saw all manner of faults among amateur golfers.
Poor decision-making, succumbing to pressure and weird and wonderful swings that often defied the laws of physics gave him a grounding on what the vast of majority of golfers need to play better.
High performance coaches such as Matt Ballard have told Williamson that the thought of coaching those who can’t break 90 is akin to torture. Yet for the Emerald Lakes Golf Club-based PGA Professional it is his personal experience that makes him the perfect option for such golfers.
The concept of ‘building a brand’ among individuals sounds to many like a lesson in developing an inflated ego but Williamson has come to learn that a PGA Professional’s personal brand need not be anything more than the story behind why they are the coach that they are.
“Why do I coach the way I coach and what do I truly believe about what people need?” says Williamson, who has become a mentor with the RGX Coaching Training system.
“That then resonates with a certain amount of people. It also helps me to identify that the person standing in front of me who just wants to cure their slice is probably not my ideal client.
“Become very clear on your core beliefs about why you coach the way you do. Some coaches like to use technology and know the numbers and there are a ton of golfers out there who are exactly like that and respond best to that.
“Understanding your why, your story and how you are different to everyone else. From there it’s about creating an understanding amongst people that you might be someone they would like to be involved with.
“The brand – my story – has helped to create the tribe that is bringing more people in who are in turn telling the story for me.”
The combination of a clear personal brand with the internationally recognised symbol of the PGA of Australia is a powerful one.
The PGA brand is synonymous with golf excellence and expertise across the globe and should be used in conjunction with a PGA Professional’s own personal identity.
“When our PGA Professionals combine a strong personal brand with the recognition of the PGA brand, they present an excellent image to golfers – skills, knowledge, experience and strength,” says PGA of Australia GM of Membership and Education, Geoff Stewart.
“I encourage all of our PGA Members to consider their personal brand and ensuring the recognition of the PGA brand is incorporated.
“Our most successful PGA Members in a range of roles ensure the PGA brand is a component of their overall, effective personal brand.
“Don’t rely solely on external brands for career success. Your long-term career success is primarily determined by your personal brand – your knowledge, skills and experience and how you convey this to new and existing golfers.”
It was a focus on new golfers and the lack of lessons being undertaken by the existing membership at Rosebud Country Club that shaped Matt Bolton’s career trajectory.
In addition to the establishment of Bolton Performance Golf with club-fitting capabilities and the latest in technology, Bolton developed a program that enticed new golfers into the club and fostered an environment that has converted many into Rosebud members.
“One of the things that I have worked out over my time is that people don’t want to look stupid,” offers Bolton.
“We try to create an environment that isn’t like that. It’s welcoming, it’s an environment where people want to come and they don’t feel like they’re being watched.
“We developed a program called Learn to Golf. It is a six-month program and teaches them everything from rules and etiquette to basic technique and how to score for the regular formats that we play.
“The whole idea was to get those students to a point where they could join as a nine-hole member at the end of the six months.
“My pitch to the Board was that if we have these people here for six months they’re not going to go anywhere else; you’ve got a captive audience.
“Before COVID-19 we had two groups of 20 participants and we signed up 18 as members.
“If you work out the recurring spend over five years on just those 18 new members there is a lot of revenue there for golf clubs.”
Williamson’s way of differentiating himself from other golf coaches was to offer a guarantee of improvement.
‘Get Good at Golf’ guarantees that those currently shooting scores of 90 and above that they will improve by 10 shots per round if they follow Williamson’s instruction for a 10-week period.
It speaks to those Williamson knows he can help in a way that resonates with all golfers who want to get better.
“The people who sign up and accept those conditions know that I am going to keep coaching them for free until they get to their 10-shot target,” Williamson explains.
“That guarantee is something that entices a lot of people in.
“Is that for everyone? No, not even close. But it is for those who are fed up with whatever’s not been working.
“I’m getting the right people and there’s not one person on my books right now that I don’t really enjoy coaching. I’m really excited to get up in the morning and help every one of them.
“By understanding my ‘why’ I’ve created my own tribe who enjoy what I’m doing.
“And it means that I’m not getting lost in the crowd.”
Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters win remains an Aussie pantheon moment.
This article first appeared on Global Golf Post, a worldwide digital golf publication. Sign up to your free weekly digital magazine here.
To Scott, the 15-foot putt looked straightforward. Pin-high on the right of Augusta National’s 10th green, he felt his line was a cup’s width above the hole.
He just needed to calm his nerves on this second playoff hole, put a nice smooth stroke on his broomstick putter and trickle his Titleist across that slope and on the path to Masters glory …
But his caddie, Steve Williams, was having none of it.
“No way, it’s at least two cups, Adam,” Williams said firmly. “Trust me, I know this putt.”
The straight-talking New Zealander recalled a similar putt when carrying Greg Norman’s bag at Augusta 25 years earlier. And he was adamant there was more right-to-left curve in the putt than Scott could see.“And the reason I remembered it is that it’s so difficult to get the ball to the back of the 10th green – almost everyone comes up short,” Williams said later in an interview. “So I’d stored away that information.”
Looking at the video of that 2013 Masters playoff now, you can see Williams standing behind Scott, who is on his haunches and lining up the putt, shaking his head vigorously at Scott’s suggested line – and setting him straight.
Swayed by the conviction in his caddie’s voice, Scott aimed two cups wide, swung the broomstick in a perfect pendulum and watched as the ball tracked down the slope, just as Williams had predicted, before toppling into the cup.
The scenes of jubilation which followed have become part of Masters’ folklore: Scott, his pants flecked by rain, leaning backwards, arms outstretched, veins bulging in his neck, yelling out in triumph.
His vanquished opponent and friend, President’s Cup teammate Ángel Cabrera, walked towards him offering his hand and then gave Scott a heartfelt hug.
So, after almost 80 years of trying and seven runner-up finishes, Australia had finally produced its first Masters champion.
On Australian talkback radio and internet forums, one question kept recurring the day after Scott’s drought-breaking victory: Where did his feat rank in the pantheon of great Aussie sporting achievements?
There are four or five moments that always get mentioned when “the pantheon” question arises: Cadel Evans’ victory in cycling’s Tour de France in 2011; Rod Laver winning tennis’ Grand Slam in 1962 and 1969; Cathy Freeman, an indigenous Australian sprinter who lit the Olympic flame at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, claiming the 400m gold medal days later; and Australia in 1983 wrenching the America’s Cup out of the New York Yacht Club for the first time in 132 years, ending the longest winning streak in sports history.
Now, though, they had a challenger. Several respected commentators thought Scott was worthy not only of a place in our shrine of sport but his effort in conquering Augusta actually surpassed all those world-beating feats that had gone before him.
(When Australia won that America’s Cup, incidentally, the prime minister at the time, the garrulous Bob Hawke – who once had an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for downing a yard of ale, 1.4 litres, in world-record time of 11 seconds – jubilantly declared: “Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum.’’)
Mercifully, 30 years later, bosses around the country again heeded Hawkey’s message and tolerated the tardy arrivals.
This year, Scott tied for 34that Augusta, 18 shots off victor Dustin Johnson.
For any Australian with a serious interest in sport – and in this wide, brown land that means a fair slice of the population – the Monday of the Masters is the day when you arrive to work late.
The final stages of the 2013 tournament attracted even greater Australian interest than before, with Scott, Jason Day and Marc Leishman all in contention after 54 holes.
And when Scott lined up that 4-metre curler across the hill at the 74th hole, the nation held its breath.
The resulting roar from Australia’s living rooms could have been heard all the way down Magnolia Drive, as the Twittersphere in this part of the world revved into overdrive and everyone from Prime Minister Julia Gillard down joined in the nationwide high-fiving.
“Huge congratulations to Adam Scott – the first Australian ever to win the Masters,” tweeted Gillard.
Aussie golfers Norman, who admitted to watching with a tear in his eye, Steve Elkington and Geoff Ogilvy as well as a host of other sporting, business and political figures lauded the win. Even US surfing champion Kelly Slater and UK boy band One Direction got in on the act.
So, seven years on, what effect did Scott’s victory have on Australian golf?
Those who witnessed Norman’s impact on the local scene in the 1980s after he swaggered his way to the world No.1 ranking, and his first British Open, were hoping it might produce the same kind of grass-roots surge in popularity. That school children might look up from their smartphones long enough to see in Scott, a wholesome and charming ambassador for the game, a figure worth emulating.
Yet it has not exactly panned out that way.
Yes, Day won the US PGA Championship in 2015 and reached the world’s No. 1 ranking for a total of 51 weeks after that triumph, but his career trajectory has since been stalled by injury and self-doubt. He sat No. 41 in the world rankings as the Masters began and is winless since May 2018.
Even though he turned 40 this year, Scott remained the highest-ranked Australian, at No. 15. Marc Leishman was next best, at No. 26, and continues to be a regular presence on PGA Tour leaderboards, while Cam Smith is a dogged competitor and Lucas Herbert is making waves on the European Tour.
But the anticipated torrent of talent has never materialised at the top echelon of the men’s game.
On the women’s side, Minjee Lee was ranked No. 8, but there’s only one other Australian in the top 50, Hannah Green at No. 21.
At the grass-roots level, golf remains a popular pastime among a certain, older demographic – and even the smallest country towns usually boast a golf course, even if only a nine-hole layout with sandscrape greens.
But the sport, as is the case in just about every other country, still struggles to win over the younger crowd, for whom it is seen as decidedly dowdy, frumpy and un-cool – a game their parents play.
Interestingly, the pandemic has actually proved a boon for golf in this country. In a recent report, titled Australian Golf Rounds – Trends and Impacts of COVID-19, it was determined that competitive rounds played by people aged between 20 and 49 had surged 44 percent since April.
The report found that golf’s natural advantages, which allow players to exercise outdoors while abiding by social-distancing guidelines, had sparked an increase in interest from players in every age group up to 75.
So, in the greatest of ironies, perhaps it will take a deadly pandemic, which is causing untold misery around the planet, to help reveal golf’s beauty – and turn around the sport’s fortunes.
As for Scott, in his own quiet way, he will keep returning to his homeland each summer to support the Australasian Tour, do his bit for the pre-tournament promotions, accept every media request for an interview, sign each autograph book thrust his way and hope that, by being thoroughly decent, he can be the catalyst for a slow-burn transformation in the game’s popularity.
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Currently the Singapore Golf Association National Coach, PGA Professional Matt Ballard is renowned for his short game expertise. In 2017 he helped to prepare Adam Scott for The Masters where he finished tied for ninth. Here he shares the challenge posed by Augusta National’s green complexes and the drills he used to sharpen Scott’s short game.
To the right of the par-4 11th. Over the back of both the par-5 13th and 15th holes.
At some stage over the course of 72 holes the winner of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club will be required to display some short-game wizardry that keeps their name at the top of the leaderboard.
The back of 15 is the perfect example of players having to control their spin and trajectory to land their ball in the section of the green that gives them the best chance to get up-and-down.
If you miss at the back-left of 13 you have to chip it up from that little valley and stop it on the top tier. I’ve seen players chip in and others chip it off the other side and almost into Rae’s Creek.
They’re the holes and shots that I like watching because the best players in the world have to fly it into the right portion of the green and control their spin.
Whether I am coaching club golfers, elite amateurs or helping professionals, my starting point is to make sure the player understands the low point in their swing and that they can hit it on a consistent basis.
I’m a big advocate of players understanding how to hit the ground and where to hit the ground. A lot of golfers try and achieve ball-first contact but in my mind that’s where a lot of issues come in.
Putting the ball back in your stance and pushing your hands forward are the two biggest mistakes that I see amateurs make. It leads to hitting the ground with the leading edge and effectively negates using the sole of the club and the trailing edge.
I like to have the ball more forward, have the shaft more neutral at address and the face slightly open. That set-up change alone will help a fair portion of amateurs who struggle with their chipping.
Back in 2017 I worked with Scotty on a short-game training plan for the shots he would need at Augusta.
One drill that I had him do was to chip from a spot off the green and using the same club land the ball in three different segments – just on the green, six-feet on and 12-feet on – and still have his ball stop next to the pin.
By varying his landing zones Scotty had to control both the energy of the ball, flight of the ball and subsequent spin to get the ball as close to the hole as possible.
A slight variation on that is to put a club on the green and play three different shots to get the ball close to the hole; one where the ball bounces twice before going over the club, then once and then have the ball carry the club on the full (below).
Golf is a sport in which we are constantly trying to control where the ball stops but few players give due consideration to – particularly in shots into the green – creating a predictable first bounce.
Being really specific about where the ball lands on the green is really important because that is how we create the most predictable first bounce possible.
When players survey the green before playing a chip shot or a pitch shot they are looking for the flat spot and if they land the ball in a certain position whether it will kick left, right or go forward. Do I want the ball to kick forward? Do I want it to check?
The complexities of greens such as those at Augusta and Royal Melbourne are such that you might want to fly the ball onto a different tier to get a certain kick so that it then can release down to the hole. Sometimes it can be like trying to land your golf ball on a frying pan in a certain spot to get the desired first bounce but if you can control that first bounce then ultimately the player can predict where their ball is likely to stop.
Your ability to control spin is paramount coming into the green because if you mis-hit your chip and it comes out with no spin, it will kick forward, roll and can get away on you very quickly.
When the margins for error are so tight it can make even good chippers look stupid but the ones who have good control with clean contact and can land their ball in the right sections will look like geniuses.
And quite possibly leave with a green jacket.
Ask Adam Scott to recount his most vivid memory from his 2013 Masters triumph and he nominates the one thing he knows will be most absent this week: The noise.
Striding down the 10th fairway at the first hole of the playoff with Argentine Angel Cabrera, the normally soft-spoken Scott had to lean in and raise his voice just so that caddie Steve Williams could hear what he was saying.
Undeterred by the fading light and falling rain, crowds lined the right side of the 10th fairway, craning to catch a glimpse of history in the making.
The putt that sealed his fate as the first Australian to win at Augusta National has by no means been forgotten but seven years and seven months removed from the win that electrified a nation, it’s the noise Scott remembers most.
“It was getting very late in the day, it was getting a little bit dark at that point, it was cool, it was raining and it was very loud,” Scott answered at his Monday press conference.
“It was a unique atmosphere at that point for me to be in. It felt like it was really raw sports fans left out there.
“It shows how much everyone loves the event because they stay out there and get wet and want to see it right to the end.
“I remember walking all the way down the 10th hole, it was so loud that it was hard to talk to my caddie at a normal volume.
“That whole experience down the 10th I remember very well.”
Win or lose it’s an experience Scott won’t have again in a 2020 Masters with a difference.
Crowds will be limited to immediate friends and family of those taking part, the roars that course through the rolling topography of Augusta National each April put on mute for the time being.
Having played the US PGA Championship and US Open minus spectators, Scott says the lack of atmosphere will be the element most notable by its absence.
“A lot’s different about the year but this week and The Masters and these circumstances, there’s no doubt that the missing galleries is going to be the biggest difference,” said Scott.
“I’ve played two major championships since we’ve come back from this COVID break and it couldn’t be more different playing major championship golf without the spectators out there and the crowds and the atmosphere. That is a huge difference.
“From my point of view it was fantastic to have galleries back on the golf course (last week). It makes the world of difference for me.
“(The Masters) still means the same to us all and maybe even more so because we return to Augusta National every year.
“It’s an incredible experience and that’s why it means so much to us all. That will be the same.
“We’ll be missing one element but it is a huge element to the experience of playing The Masters.”
That Scott is playing at all looked doubtful less than a month out when he tested positive for COVID-19.
It necessitated 10 days spent in isolation in Los Angeles before making a return to tournament play at last week’s Vivint Houston Open, where he was tied for 32nd.
Winner of the Genesis Invitational in February, Scott was building strongly towards a second green jacket before the COVID-19 pandemic through his season into a tailspin.
“It’s been very challenging for me personally,” Scott admitted of the disrupted schedule.
“I’m not going to sit here and complain about how difficult it’s been but I was in good form back in the Spring and because of all the circumstances it’s really affected my preparation and practice and many things since returning.
“Certainly my form hasn’t been as good since, everything’s been very inconsistent.
“Since testing positive, last week wasn’t too bad. There was a lot of good stuff in there and hopefully the work that I have been able to do the past couple of months will accumulate and I’ll be able to finish the year with a bang here this week.”
Adam Scott’s Masters preparation is back on track as he makes his PGA TOUR return alongside world No.1 and fellow COVID-19 sufferer Dustin Johnson at this week’s Vivint Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course in Texas.
Recording a positive test to COVID-19 prior to the ZOZO Championship on October 22, there were initial fears that Scott could miss next week’s Masters at Augusta National altogether. But his appearance this week at the tournament he won back in 2007 represents an important step toward competing for a second green jacket.
Named the 2019 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, Scottie Scheffler had to withdraw from the US Open due to a positive COVID-19 test and admitted that time spent in isolation had a tangible effect on performance upon his return.
“Taking those basically two weeks off took me out of my rhythm,” Scheffler conceded.
“I would have definitely not have liked to have taken that much time off, especially when you’re playing
well.
“Even if I am going to take two weeks without playing, I’m going to go out and hit a few balls, play a few money games and stuff like that at home to make sure I can stay in shape.
“Due to COVID I was not able to do that so took me a little bit to find my swing again.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the PGA TOUR in March Scott had climbed to No.6 in the Official World Golf Rankings, thanks in part to his win at the Genesis Invitational.
He adopted a cautious approach to his return to the Tour and played just four events – his best finish a tie for 22nd at the PGA Championship – before another enforced layoff.
Scott and Jason Day are the only Aussies exempt into the Masters who are playing the Houston Open, Matt Jones hoping to replicate his success at this event six years ago on the back of a top-five finish at the Bermuda Championship last week.
The other Australians in the field are Cameron Davis and Greg Chalmers along with Kiwi Danny Lee.
Whilst it is business as usual on the PGA TOUR, two tournaments in Europe this week boast innovative formats that are sure to create tremendous interest amongst golf fans.
Playing at the Aphrodite Hills Resort in Cyprus for the second straight week, Maverick Antcliff, Jason Scrivener and New Zealand legend Michael Campbell are contesting the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.
The top 32 players through 36 holes will have their scores rest for the third round with the top 16 to then progress to the final round where the scores will again be reset prior to the final day’s play.
But the biggest break with tradition is at the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic on the Ladies European Tour, the only event on any men’s or women’s major tour that features day/night tournament play.
Formerly played as the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, this is the second Moonlight Classic at the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club with LPGA Tour regular Minjee Lee joining fellow Aussies Stephanie Kyriacou and Whitney Hillier in Dubai.
Round 1 tee times (AEDT)
PGA TOUR
Vivint Houston Open
Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas
11.45pm Matt Jones, Rory Sabbatini, Henrik Norlander
11.45pm* Cameron Davis, Danny Lee, Russell Henley
5.05am* Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Tyrrell Hatton
5.15am Greg Chalmers, Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Walker
5.15am* Jason Day, Viktor Hovland, Phil Mickelson
Defending champion: Lanto Griffin
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Devlin (1972), Bruce Crampton (1973, 1975), David Graham (1983), Stuart Appleby (1999, 2006), Robert Allenby (2000), Adam Scott (2007), Matt Jones (2014)
Top Aussie prediction: Matt Jones
TV schedule: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Fox Sports 503
European Tour
Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown
Aphrodite Hills Resort, Paphos, Cyprus
4.05pm Maverick Antcliff, Connor Syme, Dave Coupland
5.45pm Jason Scrivener, Richard McEvoy, Alejandro Canizares
7.15pm Michael Campbell, Zander Lombard, Sebastian Heisele
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Jason Scrivener
TV schedule: Live 8.30pm-1.30am Thursday, Friday; Live 9pm-1.30am Saturday; Live 8.30pm-1am Sunday on Fox Sports 503
Ladies European Tour
Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic
Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Cse), Dubai
5pm Lydia Ko (10th tee)
11.30pm Minjee Lee (1st tee)
11.30pm Whitney Hillier (11th tee)
11.30pm Stephanie Kyriacou (15th tee)
Defending champion: Nuria Iturrioz
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Minjee Lee
TV schedule: Live 2am-5am Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports 503
Champions Tour
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona
Aussies in the field: Stephen Leaney, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling
Defending champion: Jeff Maggert
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Rod Pampling
TV schedule: Live 8am-10.30am Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Fox Sports 503
The longest layoff of his professional career and a word of warning from his physio have hampered Peter Lonard’s preparation for this week’s Australian Senior PGA Championship at Richmond Golf Club in western Sydney.
Although Peter Senior has been prevented from defending his title due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Lonard is part of a stellar field that will converge on Richmond from Thursday, the host venue for the Australian Senior PGA Championship until at least 2022.
Household names such as Peter O’Malley, Peter Fowler, Andre Stolz and Glenn Joyner are all competing for a share of the $50,000 in prizemoney following the resumption of the PGA Legends Tour last week.
No Legends Tour events were held between March 17 and July 27 and after four events in Queensland the tour resumed on October 29 with the Springwood Country Club Legends Pro-Am followed by the ICF Haulage Legends Pro-Am at Blackheath Golf Club last Friday won by Peter Fowler.
Lonard was intending to play both tournaments as a pre-cursor to this week’s 54-hole Senior PGA but the back injury that has plagued him for more than a decade didn’t cope with a return to practice, a possibility he had been previously warned about.
“The one thing that my physio did say ages ago was that I’m now at the age where I’ve just got to keep playing and practising and doing everything,” said Lonard, who received further treatment on Monday morning.
“Once you stop, it’s not going to be like when you were young and you could take a week off and come back and play. That’s when you’re going to get hurt, when you have a week or two off and then come back. That’s when you’re going to pull muscles and do your back.
“Turns out he was right!
“I played a sweepstakes day with the seniors at Oatlands and played pretty good so I was actually really looking forward to playing at Springwood and Blackheath so when my back went I was obviously very disappointed.
“Normally it takes a couple of days to repair but this time it’s taken a bit longer.
“Sunday was the first time I’d hit a ball since Tuesday so I have no expectations whatsoever other than I hope I make it and play all three rounds. And that I don’t make an idiot of myself.
“Obviously not playing and being old makes life a bit difficult.”
Originally intending to spend 2020 on the European Seniors Tour and Monday qualifying for Champions Tour events later in the year, Lonard has been based in Sydney for an extended period for the first time since he was struck down with Ross River Fever almost 30 years ago.
Doubtful as to whether he will play overseas until perhaps 2022, the 53-year-old has had to adjust to a life not on tour.
“I’ve actually enjoyed being home. I’ve travelled for 20-30 years so I’d never been in one spot for a long period of time ever,” said Lonard, who was tied for fourth at Richmond 12 months ago and is a multiple winner of both the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open.
“I used to take two weeks off a year where I didn’t play golf and the rest of the time I practised from morning to night, tournament to tournament.
“I’ve been looking after the three-year-old and spending time with the family which is the total opposite to what I’ve ever done. That’s been interesting.
“It’s been a lifestyle for so long that it’s something that’s really hard not to do.”
As for the ball-striking that has been a hallmark of his career, Lonard is confident that the skills are still there even if some of the speed might be lacking.
“Some guys play a lot, some guys practise a lot; I practised a lot. I could hit balls all day and then go home but once you get into the seniors you have to work differently,” Lonard explained.
“Over time I’ve had to practise less. The ball-striking doesn’t vary that much but you definitely lose speed. Whether that’s age or injuries or a combination of the two you definitely lose speed, there’s no doubt about that.
“In COVID I probably took my foot off the pedal quite a bit so I’ve got a bit of weight to lose and a bit of speed to find from somewhere.”
The Australian Senior PGA Championship will be held at Richmond Golf Club from Thursday, November 5 until Saturday, November 7. For further information visit pga.org.au.
Terry Gale’s sporting prowess was many and varied but he admits to feeling a great sense of pride at becoming just the third golfer to be named to the Western Australia Hall of Champions.
Gale’s place among the greatest sporting names in WA history was confirmed on Monday night, the winner of 42 professional golf tournaments now alongside Graham Marsh and Maxine Bishop as golf’s sole representatives in WA’s highest sporting esteem.
A prolific winner of professional events in his home state whilst still an amateur, Gale didn’t join the ranks of professionals until after the requirement to serve a traineeship was waived at the age of 29.
Ten of Gale’s 15 PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments came between 1981 and 1983 and he won the national opens of Malaysia (three times), Singapore and Indonesia along with two Japan Golf Tour titles.
Yet as a young boy growing up on a wheat farm in the tiny town of Yelbeni three hours north-east of Perth, golf wasn’t Gale’s only sporting interest.
He hit tennis balls out the back of the house pretending to be Lew Hoad. He wanted to bat like Norm O’Neill, going to be selected in the WA state squad and captaining a Perth Cricket Club first grade team that featured a fast bowler by the name of Dennis Lillee.
“That was interesting, controlling Dennis,” Gale quipped.
He also represented the WA Schoolboys cricket team alongside Rod Marsh in 1960 in Sydney, travelling three days by train across the country for the privilege.
By the age of 14 he was also playing first grade Australian Rules football with the local team, although not with the blessing of all members of the family.
“My mother wasn’t very happy with that at the time. Now with grandkids of my own I can understand why. Kids aren’t that big when they’re 14,” he added.
But as his golf tournament wins began to accrue and with the associated financial reward being enjoyed by others, Gale made the decision to make golf his sport of choice.
A motion put forward by WA representatives Jock Borthwick and John Hadley at the PGA of Australia’s 1975 Annual General Meeting opened the door for leading amateurs to join the professional ranks without undertaking a three-year apprenticeship.
As the 1974 Australian Amateur champion (where wife Julie was his caddie), three-time Eisenhower Trophy representative, three-time winner of the Nedlands Masters as an amateur and two-time WA Open winner as an amateur, Gale fit the bill beautifully.
“I never actually thought I was going to be a professional golfer. Like most kids I just wanted to play cricket and football,” Gale reveals.
“In 1966 I got selected in the State Junior golf team and later that year in the State Senior side.
“These things gradually happened and each was a step towards getting away from cricket.
“Back then if you even dreamt of being a pro and told someone you were likely to be kicked out of the club or be banned from playing pennants.
“Jock Borthwick and John Hadley came to me and said that because I was winning a lot of events they’d prefer to have me as a professional than an amateur.
“I thought I may as well do it because I got sick of winning silver trays or another set of glasses.”
Gale made his professional debut in a tournament in Perth on Australia Day 1976 before making his Tour debut at the Tasmanian Open followed by the Victorian Open. The first of his 34 wins as a professional came at the 1977 Forbes Classic where he defeated prolific Australian winner Billy Dunk in a playoff.
“That was the kiss of death for that tournament; they’ve never had it since,” Gale said.
Encouraged by Graham Marsh to take his talents to the burgeoning Asian circuit, Gale won just the second event he played in, the 1978 Singapore Open title opening the door to play regularly on the more lucrative Japan Golf Tour.
In 1979 he was encouraged by a local Perth car dealer to travel to the UK to contest the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, opening with a 71 and going on to finish tied for 13th, his best result in eight Open appearances.
Once he qualified for the seniors circuit Gale returned to Europe and enjoyed great success on the European Seniors Tour, winning seven times including The Belfry PGA Seniors Championship just two months after his 50th birthday.
“My best win I would consider to be the Dunlop Open in Japan,” offered Gale, a Life Member of Royal Perth Golf Club where he has been a member for the past 58 years.
“I had my second son Bradley on the bag and I was on the bottom of this electronic leaderboard they were using.
“I was hovering around there and made a bogey five holes from home and my name disappeared from the leaderboard.
“I holed four big putts on the last four holes and made four birdies. Suddenly my name went up and up and up, hit the top of the board and as luck would have it no one got in front of me.
“It was the biggest tournament win I ever had money-wise and having Bradley on the bag made it that extra special.
“I never really thought of doing what I have done but if you’re a competitor I suppose you just try to make the most of whatever ability you may have.
“It’s indeed an honour to be inducted into the Hall of Champions and I feel very fortunate to be included alongside a lot of people that I’ve followed all my life.
“There are a lot of AFL footballers and cricketers, the more popular sports, but there have only been two for golf prior to me being Graham Marsh and Maxine Bishop.
“I feel very honoured to be able to join them as the third.”
Image: Golf WA
While most of our biggest stars gear up for the year’s remaining majors, we had Aussies crack the top 10 on three different tours this week.
It was a quieter week around the world’s top tours as The Masters and US Women’s Open draw nearer. The European Tour began the first of a two-week stint in Cyprus and Jason Scrivener found some form in the sunshine.
The West Australian bounced back from three straight missed cuts to notch his third top 10 in Europe since the mid-year resumption of play.
After dropping out for just a week, Scrivener finds himself back inside of the top 200 on the world rankings.
Steph Na led the charge for the women on the secondary circuit in the US, the Royal Adelaide member eventually recording her second-best finish for the 2020 Symetra Tour season.
After starting the season with three consecutive top 10s in three starts on the Champions Tour, Stephen Leaney managed a fourth such finish in Florida this week.
But our #AussieOfTheWeek came from further south in Bermuda, as Matt Jones forced his way back inside the world’s top 100.
The Sydneysider had a sniff heading into the final round in Bermuda and while a closing round of 4-under wasn’t enough to win, the T4 result is his best since February’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
PGA TOUR
Bermuda Championship
Port Royal Golf Course, Bermuda
Won by Brian Gay (USA) at -15 in a playoff over Wyndham Clark
T4 – Matt Jones, -12, 68-71-66-67
T26 – Cameron Percy, -6, 70-72-71-65
T49 – John Senden, -1, 68-74-69-72
MC – Rhein Gibson, +2, 68-76
MC – Aaron Baddeley, +6, 75-73
EUROPEAN TOUR
Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open
Aphrodite Hills Resort, Paphos
Won by Callum Shinkwin (ENG) at -20 in a playoff over Kalle Samooja
T6 – Jason Scrivener, -17, 70-66-67-64
T41 – Maverick Antcliff, -8, 69-69-71-67
SYMETRA TOUR
Carolina Golf Classic
Pinehurst No. 9, North Carolina
Won by Ana Belac (SVK) at -7 by four shots
T27 – Steph Na, +9, 70-78-76-73
MC – Robyn Choi, +8, 73-79
MC – Hira Naveed, +11, 78-77
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
TimberTech Championship
The Old Course at Broken Sound, Florida
Won by Darren Clarke (NIR) at -17 by one shot
T10 – Stephen Leaney, -12, 70-66-68
T26 – David McKenzie, -8, 69-69-70
26 – Rod Pampling, -8, 69-65-74
One of New Zealand’s pre-eminent sporting events, the New Zealand Golf Open, scheduled to be played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills in February 2021 has been cancelled.
The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr John Hart, confirmed the cancellation, due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic and the related health and financial risks.
The 102nd New Zealand Open will now be played between 17th and 20th February 2022.
“We are extremely disappointed to have had to come to this decision but the effects of the pandemic, borders being closed, and the financial risk associated with a potential later cancellation due to any further Covid-19 outbreaks means we have no other alternative other than to cancel this event now.”
“With up to 300 international participants coming from offshore (including professional players, amateur players, caddies, and officials of our Tour partners (the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour), we need absolute certainty now in terms of accessibility to New Zealand and this is clearly not possible,” said Hart.
“We would like to thank Millbrook Resort (the tournament underwriter), The Hills, our many commercial partners, both domestic and international, led by our presenting sponsor Sky Sport, Government and the Queenstown Lakes District Council for their support and understanding. Further thanks go to our Tour partners, New Zealand Golf, our professional players, our sold-out amateur field, and our amazing volunteer force.”
“This is not a decision we have made lightly, and we are particularly disappointed for the Queenstown region who have suffered many setbacks during this Covid-19 era.”
“We are very proud of what we have created with the New Zealand Open becoming one of New Zealand’s most recognised and applauded international sporting events.”
“We remain very committed to once again showcasing the very best of Queenstown and New Zealand in February 2022 at a time when hopefully we will all be operating in a more certain and safer environment,” said Hart.
The cancellation of the New Zealand Open follows announcements in the past 10 days of the cancellation of Australia’s four major golf tournaments; the Australian Men’s Open, the Australian Women’s Open, the Australian PGA Championship, and the Victorian Open, all similarly planned for February 2021.
It’s official: Australia is the best place on the planet to play golf.
The host nation of the 2019 Presidents Cup and 2018 World Cup of Golf was announced as the world’s most desirable golf location Thursday at the World Golf Awards, a global travel body that celebrates and rewards excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations.
Australia held off the likes of Vietnam, USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Dubai and Mexico for the top gong, after what has been a tumultuous time for international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This news, however, is sure to light a fire within for local tour operators, who collectively have lost millions of dollars in revenue while international travel has remained in limbo.
“I’m ecstatic Australia has been recognised as the world’s best golf destination,” said Richard Tessel, whose company Easygolf Worldwide Australia also took out the award for Oceania’s Best Golf Tour Operator for 2020.
“We all know just how tough the tourism industry has been hit during the pandemic. It’s been a disaster unlike anything we have ever experienced. This accolade provides some level of comfort and a lot of hope that, when everything does return to normal, Australia will be No.1 on the list for travelling golfers far and wide.”
Tessel, who himself has lobbied for Australia to be recognised as the world’s best golf destination for more than five years, paid credit to PGA of Australia boss Gavin Kirkman, who helped present a formidable case to the judges this year.
“All the kudos goes to Gavin, along with the state of Victoria and the US PGA Tour for allowing Australia to once again host the Presidents Cup and The World Cup of Golf in recent times. I have no doubt the exposure those two events gave our country certainly helped with this award.”
World Golf Awards is part of the World Travel Awards, currently celebrating its 27th anniversary. World Golf Awards voting runs from February to September each year. Votes come from professionals working within the golf travel and tourism industry, including senior executives, tour operators, agents and media professionals, and may also be cast by the public (golf tourism consumers).
“Despite the many challenges that the golf tourism and hospitality industry has faced in this most unprecedented of years, votes were cast by hundreds of thousands of golf consumers from a record 129 countries,” said World Golf Awards managing director Chris Frost.
“Strong support has also come from the leading golf industry professionals and media from every single participating nation in the programme. I can happily report that the appetite for golf tourism has never been as keen, as golf fans pushed for World Golf Awards to continue, and for the leaders in our industry to be acknowledged and rewarded. This bodes well for golf tourism’s future as the global recovery begins.
“With all of this taken into account, this year’s World Golf Awards winners are more deserving than ever before. Rewarding your commitment to excellence, whatever the challenges, and the determination to become the undisputed market leader.”
This article was originally published by Australian Golf Digest and republished here with permission.
Image: Gary Lisbon
