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A bogey-free round of 5-under 67 has seen Peter Fowler take out the 2019 David Mercer Senior Classic at Killara Golf Club.
Fresh from winning The Australian Golf Club Legends Pro-Am earlier this week, Fowler sprinted out of the blocks at the Ladbrokes Legends Tour tournament to take a one-stroke victory over Michael Harwood.
Fowler headlined a stellar field including the likes of Peter Senior, Peter O’Malley, Terry Price and Rodger Davis, all vying for the title named after one of the most iconic and distinguished Club Professionals in David Mercer.
“Dave is an absolute legend and I’m honoured to win the event named in his honour,” Fowler said.
“I have been working with Gary Barter from The Australian over the past few weeks and that has really made a difference to my result and I was happy to get the win today.”
The David Mercer Classic was the first public showing of the newly designed Killara layout and the PGA Professionals were singing the praises of designer Harley Kruse.
“They have certainly made the course much more accessible and, even better, the course is very pleasing to the eye,” he said.
Michael Harwood claimed second place with a round of 4-under 68.
Other notable scores came from John Wade and Steve Conran who finished the tournament at 2-under par.
The Ladbrokes Legends Tour kicks off again next Monday 18 November at Castle Hill Country Club for the NSW PGA Seniors Championship.
Neven Basic and Adam Groom have topped a competitive Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series field at the Bite Me Bakehouse Asquith Pro-am with rounds of 4-under 66.
The pair’s experience on the Asian and Japan tours proved beneficial around the tricky Asquith Golf Club layout against a field of 60 PGA Professionals.
“I thought the greens were fantastic today and it’s great to share the win with a good mate,” Basic said.
“It’s always great to play out here so thanks to the club for putting on a great event.”
Brad McIntosh set the pace in the morning field with a round of 3-under 67.
The New South Welshman was later joined by Jordan Mullaney and Mitchell Gannon on the same mark to finish in a tie for third place.
ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia regular Dale Brandt-Richards finished in sixth place at 2-under the card alongside Daniel Clay and Leigh McKechnie.
Peter Fowler has dominated a quality field to win The Australian Legends Pro-Am with a round of 6-under 66 around the challenging Australian Golf Club layout.
Just three weeks out from the upcoming Emirates Australian Open, The Australian Golf Club played host to the Ladbrokes Legends Tour for their annual pro-am.
Battling strong winds and haze from the NSW bushfires Peter Fowler showed why he is still one of the best senior golfers in the world.
Fowler posted an astonishing seven birdies and two eagles in his round around a course that has been tough for him to conquer throughout his career.
The New South Welshman completely dominated the par 5’s, playing them in 6-under par to claim a three-shot victory.
“During my career I’ve always found this course tough to play well and I was glad to get around in one of the best rounds I have had here at The Australian,” Fowler said.
Ben Jackson’s round of 3-under 69 in the morning field looked to be enough for victory in the challenging conditions.
Yet a charging afternoon field tightened the scoring at the top of the leaderboard to see Jackson and Michael Long tie for second place.
Glenn Joyner and Peter Lonard rounded out the top five on 2-under 70. Current Ladbrokes Legends Tour order of Merit leader Michael Harwood finished a further shot back at 1-under 71.
Oakley will continue to stage one of the most popular activations at the Australian PGA Championship after renewing its naming rights agreement of the Oakley Gold Coast Beach Club.
The world-renowned sports performance and lifestyle brand has helped make the 16th hole at RACV Royal Pines Resort a feature of the Aus PGA by building a relaxed and sociable atmosphere.
“It will be great to see the Gold Coast beaches bought to life on the golf course again this year with an expanded fan zone that will be free to enter in 2019,” Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia, said.
“Oakley has been an integral part of expanding this activation zone and we are excited to have them back on board this year.
“Fans will be able to swap their golf shoes for thongs and wear their favourite beach wear to watch the golf in comfort with a bar, food, music and the golf live on a big screen along with all the action of the 16th hole right in front of them.”
The Oakley Gold Coast Beach Club will be open on each day of the tournament from Thursday 19 December to Sunday 22 December.
The first 100 people into the Beach Club each day will receive a stubby holder to keep their drinks cool while they sit back, relax and enjoy the Australian PGA Championship.
Lucas Herbert has given extraordinary insight into the challenges of a Professional golfer on the international circuit.
Speaking on the PGA Golf Club podcast with hosts Adam White and AFL legend Kevin Bartlett, Herbert, who plays on the cut-throat European Tour, said he had to rediscover his love for the game following a lengthy period on the road.
“Halfway through the year when I came home from the Irish and Scottish Opens, I didn’t even know if I wanted to play golf anymore. I didn’t enjoy the game. I was playing great (but) didn’t enjoy it at all,” Herbert said.
“The many sacrifices you have to make to play well, I just was not in a place that I wanted to make them.”
Hear the full interview via The PGA Golf Club podcast.
Tom Power Horan has stormed home to win the inaugural Gippsland Super 6 by one stroke in an electric third and final round at Yallourn Golf Club.
Power Horan battled against West Australian Brady Watt for the duration of the tournament with the duel reaching a climax during the final nine holes.
The 26-year-old faulted with bogeys at 11 and 13, which swung the momentum into Watt’s favour. But Power Horan responded with a birdie at 15 and a stunning 25-foot putt on the 17th to move two shots clear.
A bogey on the last was one of only six for the tournament that was reduced to 54 holes due to multiple downpours and flooded greens that forced lengthy suspensions in play.
“I’m really relieved,” an elated Power Horan said.
“It was a 25-footer and I just hit it and it went in so it was really nice to have a two-shot cushion on the last which proved critical, but it was really great to hole it.”
“I really didn’t think we were going to get it done today. I didn’t think we were going to play at all but we did and everything was managed really well to finish in the end.
“I was a bit nervous to start with but it was ok in the end.”
Following multiple play delays throughout the four-day tournament, the third and final round was played into dying light after a 4pm shotgun start.
The tumultuous four days provided a challenge for all on course however in completing the three rounds an official winner was able to be crowned.
Starting 2019 without a card on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, Power Horan is now exempt into all PGA Tour of Australasia events until the end of the 2020 season, including the Australian PGA Championship.
“I was planning on pre-qualifying for the rest of the tournaments this year. I was literally just hoping to finish top-10 so I could get a start at the next event so it’s a bit different now,” he said.
“It’s really good and unexpected. I entered these two tournaments, this and the Vic PGA, trying to see how I’d go and I did not expect this at all so it’s nice.”
After returning to the course on Sunday morning to complete his second round, Watt began the third round with a slender one-stroke lead.
An eagle on the par-5 fifth extended the lead, but the sodden course quickly became challenging for the West Australian, who will look to gain momentum from his Gippsland Super 6 form.
“It was a big rush in the end but we all worked together and ran through the last 18,” Watt said.
“My game’s good. I’ve played a lot of good golf this year. This is my best result so far and I can take a lot of positives out of this week and will hopefully spur on for the remainder of the year.
“Tom played well, I’m just really happy for him. We’re a close-knit group, we all bond together. I’ve known tom for a lot of years and I know he’s had a year off but it’s good to see him play well and get the win.”
New Zealand’s Ryan Chisnall battled through illness to finish in third place at 8-under par.
Back-to-back rounds of 68 saw James Marchesani record yet another strong finish at 7-under the card while an in-form Taylor Macdonald rounded out the top-five at 6-under.
A number of big names featured in a tie for sixth place including Matthew Millar, Marcus Fraser, Campbell Rawson and Maverick Antcliff.
Power Horan will receive the lion’s share of the $125,000 prize purse as well as Official World Golf Ranking Points and a place in the NSW Open field later this month.
Tiger Woods will play in Australia next month.
The captain of the United States team for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne confirmed he would play in the event for a ninth time.
In doing so, the world No.7 will become the first playing captain since Hale Irwin in the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994.
Woods used his other three selections to choose Tony Finau, Gary Woodland and Patrick Reed, rounding out a powerhouse squad to play from 12-15 December, meaning there will be 21 previous Presidents Cup appearances amongst its members with five players on debut compared to the six of the International team.
Woods, the reigning Masters champion, hasn’t played in Australia since the 2011 edition of the Presidents Cup. Remarkably, he will have played in all three editions of the tournament held at the jewel in Melbourne’s Sandbelt, including the International team’s only victory in 1998.
Woods was uncharacteristically coy when he announced himself as the final selection, even though all those in the team’s inner circle had been urging him to do it for months.
“It’s weird talking about yourself in the third person,” the 15-time major champion said after reeling off a little of his bio to the media conference.
“It was a difficult process … for me ZOZO (his recent win in Japan) was a big event and it validated that I could still play.”
Woods left the door ajar on whether or not the Americans would add an additional vice-captain to Fred Couples, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson given his own selection.
“It’s going to be difficult (to be playing captain), but I have amazing assistants – three great minds to help me out when I’m playing,” he said.
“But I just have to play one match (minimum) before singles … so it’s about me getting an understanding of the guys and an understanding of the course … for all of us to see how it fits.
“It’s going to be a lot of work.”
Woods said he was in regular contact with world No.1 Brooks Koepka, who’s in some doubt after a recent operation on a torn patella tendon in his left knee.
Of the “about five” heart-breaking non-selection phone calls he had to make, Woods singled out Rickie Fowler’s omission as particularly tough.
But he wouldn’t be drawn on anyone who was in line to replace Koepka should his injury not come up in time to play.
“Technically we can change a player right up until the Wednesday (before the tournament starts) … but all I’ve said to Brooks is focus on your rehab and when you get around to playing golf, let me know,” Woods said.
“Right now he’s in the team.”
Finau and Woodland, ranked No.14 and No.16 in the world respectively, were natural selections for their Presidents Cup debuts, Woods said, not only for their stellar seasons, but also because everyone on the team “wants them in the locker room”.
He stopped short of that same assessment of Patrick Reed, the world No.15, but said he, too, was an easy teammate to call on given his “all-in” style of play in team events.
“He has an amazingly solid record in (what will be his third) Presidents Cup, he’s as fiery as they come and bleeds red, white and blue. He’ll do anything to get a point for you.”
The automatic selections to complete the American team were Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson and Matt Kuchar.
All 12 of the American team are ranked inside the world’s top 22 players, with the International team having just two representatives – Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama – before that slot.
Woods said he didn’t know if it would be his final time playing in Australia, but logic suggests there won’t be many more opportunities for his legion of Aussie fans.
“There’s always that chance, but let’s just focus on coming to Royal Melbourne and this competition,” he said.
“On paper, we certainly have an advantage in world rankings … but when it comes down to it, and as I’ve told the guys, when we start on Thursday it’s 0-0 and anything can happen.”
Courtesy: Mark Hayes, Golf Australia
Samsonite has joined the PGA of Australia ranks as an Official Partner.
Samsonite will leverage the PGA’s popular digital and tournament assets to showcase their renowned brand, and provide exclusive benefits to PGA Members so they can travel in style.
“We are excited to have a premium brand like Samsonite partner with us and the PGA team is looking forward to assisting Samsonite in connecting with our members, golf fans and golf travellers,” said Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia.
“Golf Tourism is a $20b industry with 30 per cent of regular golfers taking a specific golf holiday annually.
“Samsonite has recognised a great opportunity to engage with golf travellers and enable us to continue to enhance this industry which ultimately benefits our PGA members”.
Ernie Els made his captain’s picks for the upcoming Presidents Cup today … and he’s gone for youth.
As expected, Els made Jason Day the fourth Australian on the International team, with the Queenslander having finished narrowly outside the eight automatic selections.
He then turned to Canada to add Adam Hadwin for his second Presidents Cup start, primarily based on some outstanding recent form.
But in next adding Chilean Joaquin Niemann – who turns 21 today – and Korean Sungjae Im, also 21, he turned his already underdog squad into the youngest ever team to play in the Presidents Cup, to have its 13th edition at Royal Melbourne from 12-15 December.
Those four join automatic picks Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith, all of Australia, South African Louis Oosthuizen, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, China’s Haotong Li and CT Pan, of Taiwan.
The newcomers make it the most “diverse” International team in history, too, with China, Taiwan and Chile all represented for the first time in a team whose average age is just a tick over 29.
The International team has 22 total previous Presidents Cup appearances among its members, but six players will make their debuts, the second most first-timers behind the seven of 2013.
Els, in his first appearance as captain after eight as a player, said his decisions had been among the toughest jobs he’d faced in golf.
He highlighted fellow South Africans Branden Grace and Erik Van Rooyen among the unlucky players, along with Canadian Corey Conners and Korean Ben Ahn.
But Els said putting had been a key factor as he seeks to find a squad capable of replicating the International team’s only Presidents Cup win at Royal Melbourne in 1998.
“This was a very difficult for me. There were numerous guys I had to call and I did before
the selected guys, guys who were really close (to being chosen,” he said.
“It was really difficult to tell them they were not on the team.
“I wanted good driving (and) good ball striking, but putting is very important. In my experience of this Cup, it comes down to pressure putting in a lot of instances.
“So I went with four guys who are consistent and strong under pressure.”
Els fully expects his American counterpart Tiger Woods to choose himself to become the first playing captain since Hale Irwin in the inaugural 1994 Presidents Cup when the United States team is finalised tomorrow.
“I don’t think he’s got any choice,” Els said with a chuckle.
“But yes, it’s a very, very big chance he’ll choose himself … and under the format rules he only has to play once before Sunday, not that he will want to do that.”
But Els said regardless of their opponents, he expected his team to come out fighting at Royal Melbourne.
“I didn’t mean to make such a young team, it just happened,” Els said.
“But I’m not afraid to play anyone (of my players at any point in the event).”
“From our point of view, we’re comfortable and happy and ready to go come December.
“It’s going to be one hell of a Cup.”
Courtesy of the US PGA Tour, here are the relevant bios of Els’ captain’s picks:
Jason Day (finished No.9 in the International Team standings) will return for his fifth consecutive Presidents Cup and first as a captain’s pick. The former world No.1 rounds out the Australian contingent of the International team made up by Marc Leishman (No.1), Adam Scott (No.4) and newcomer Cameron Smith (No.8).
Day owns a 5-11-4 Presidents Cup record but has had plenty of success in match play elsewhere on the PGA Tour, having compiled a 22-14-0 record and two victories (2014, 2016) in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.
After narrowly missing out on one of the eight automatic qualifying berths, Day will return to the site of his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in 2011, where he finished with a 1-3-1 record. Day competed at Royal Melbourne two years later in the 2013 World Cup of Golf and teamed with Scott to successfully defend on their home soil.
Adam Hadwin (No.18) will make his second consecutive Presidents Cup appearance and first as a captain’s pick. The 31-year-old finished the 2018-19 PGA Tour season with five top-10s but made his best case for a captain’s pick after finishing runner up in his first start of the 2019-20 season at the Safeway Open, which was then followed with a T4 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Hadwin is just one of three Canadians to compete in the Presidents Cup, joining 2019 captain’s assistant Mike Weir (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) and Graham DeLaet (2013).
Hadwin finished with a 0-2-1 record in his Presidents Cup debut at Liberty National.
Korea’s Sungjae Im (No.11) will continue a memorable first year on the PGA Tour by making his Presidents Cup debut. The 21-year-old’s stellar rookie season was highlighted by 16 top-25 finishes in 35 starts, a trip to the Tour Championship as the only rookie in the field and earning the Arnold Palmer Award as the Rookie of the Year.
Im continued his strong form into the early stages of the 2019-20 PGA TOUR Season, collecting top-5 finishes at the Sanderson Farms Championship (2nd) and the ZOZO Championship (T3) to further convince Els that he deserved a captain’s pick.
Im is one of five players in Presidents Cup history to compete before turning 22 years old, joining Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa (2009, 2011), Jordan Spieth (2013), Hideki Matsuyama (2013) and Joaquín Niemann (2019).
Joaquín Niemann (No.28) is a former world No.1 amateur and will be the first player from Chile to compete in the Presidents Cup after becoming the country’s first PGA Tour winner with his victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in September.
Niemann is the sixth player from South America to qualify for the Presidents Cup, joining Carlos Franco (Paraguay/1998, 2000) Angel Cabrera (Argentina/2005, 2007, 2009, 2013), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina/2017), Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela/2017) and Camilo Villegas (Colombia/2009). He is one of five players in Presidents Cup history to compete before turning 22 years old, joining Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa (2009, 2011), Jordan Spieth (2013), Hideki Matsuyama (2013) and Sungjae Im (2019).
Niemann earned his PGA Tour card at 19 years old and enjoyed a successful first full season on the PGA Tour in 2018-19 that yielded four top-10 finishes in 28 starts. His win at the 2019-20 season opener was a coming-out party for the young talent, who turned a three-stroke 54-hole lead into a six-stroke victory with a final-round 64.
Courtesy: Mark Hayes, Golf Australia
The Gippsland Super 6 has injected a sense of excitement into the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia this week with a new format and new course.
Wild winds and heavy rain are expected to throw a spanner in the works for the 125-man field, however, with locals and legends alike set to tee it up at Yallourn Golf Club the inaugural trophy could belong to anyone come Sunday.
The Tour staff have their squeegees ready and the TI’s picks are prepared so let’s get this week underway.
MAVERICK ANTCLIFF
Mav is a multiple winner up in China this year and it’s great to see him back in Australia. He’s been working with PGA Professional Grant Field now for over a year and it’s paying dividends. I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs back home this summer, starting with the Gippsland Super 6.
MARCUS FRASER
I thought I was going to salute at the last event when I tipped Marcus at the Vic PGA but he ran into one better. None the less I’m giving him another crack. No explanation needed!
SCOTT STRANGE
After securing his Japanese card for 2020 I’m thinking Scott will be full of confidence. He’s had a rough trot of late with injuries but I reckon he’s back to his best. Watch this space. And the leaderboard at Yallourn.
TAYLOR MACDONALD
T-Mac has been putting up some good results up of late so I’m going to throw him in my picks. The Redcliffe export has all the ability in the world and another good result wouldn’t be a surprise. Let’s see if it’s the gold this time.
JAY MACKENZIE
Jay is a bit of a left-field pick here but he could be the straightest driver of the golf ball I’ve ever seen. The tightish country course will suit him and it would be great to see the young guy have a week out.
