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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.
It’s not often that a retired golfer returns to the professional ranks. But for Anthony Brown, he’s determined to make a statement at his hometown course for the Gippsland Super 6.
“Yallourn is where I grew up. It’s where I learnt the game and my parents still live right beside the golf course,” Brown said.
“I was pretty excited about the opportunity to get to play a tour event at my home course so that’s probably the biggest thing for me is just being able to participate in an event at my home club where I first started playing.”
The 2014 New South Wales Open champion walked away from the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia at the conclusion of the 2016 season to focus on family following an up and down career as a touring pro.
Fast forward to 2019 and the lure of a home event at Yallourn Golf Club in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley was too hard to resist.
Now the Golf Operations Manager at X-Golf in Surrey Hills, full-time work has Brown describing his game as “a little rusty” but the former Yallourn local is as eager as anyone to see how his game pans out from 7-10 November.
“I’ve played a couple of events in the last few weeks. I played a Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series tournament in Horsham and also the Medway Pro-Am which were both much needed,” he said.
“It’s been ok, I played alright both times. Time will tell how I go but I feel like I’m playing alright.”
The Gippsland Super 6 sees the introduction of a new format where following three rounds of stroke play qualifying the field will be reduced to the top-24 players, who will then compete in a six-hole medial (stroke) match play shootout to determine a champion on the fourth and final day.
Sunday’s Super 6 shootout will take place across Yallourn’s 1st, 8th, 2nd, 16th, 17th and 18th holes in a challenging combination of one par 3, four par 4’s and a short par 5.
“The holes that we’re using are in really good nick and I think that they will offer some birdie opportunities,” he said.
“The 18th is quite tough, so if the match is all tied coming up the last hole it’ll more be someone that makes a mistake maybe losing a match rather than actually finishing with a birdie on the last; it’s a pretty strong up-hill par 4.”
A number of Gippsland locals including Tim Coffey, Mark Allan and Danny Bullen will join Brown in the field following qualifying events throughout the year.
Traralgon Golf Club member Coffey secured his spot with a win at the Traralgon Classic in February with a convincing score he hopes will translate on the Yallourn layout.
“It’s going to be my first big tournament so it’s rather exciting. I’ve been trying to get as much practice in as I can between working,” Coffey said.
“Having a tournament out here is fantastic. I’ll be encouraging some mates of mine to go down and watch because it’s not very often you can go and watch high-class golfers like Geoff Ogilvy and Marcus Fraser.”
Headliners Ogilvy, Fraser and Brendon Goddard will preview the course in Wednesday’s pro-am before beginning their Gippsland Super 6 campaigns at 12:25pm on Thursday.
The field of 125 players will compete for the lion’s share of the $125,000 prize purse, World Golf Ranking Points and full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2020 season.
The opening round of the inaugural Gippsland Super 6 will tee off at 7:30am on Thursday morning at Yallourn Golf Course.
For the Gippsland Super 6 opening-round tee times visit pga.org.au.
The Gippsland Super 6 is an exciting new tournament to be played at Yallourn Golf Club in Victoria from 7 – 10 November. But how does the format work, you ask? Let us explain.
Competition at the Gippsland Super 6 will take place across three rounds of stroke play qualifying where a field of 126 competitors will be reduced to the top-24 players, who will then compete in a six-hole, medal (stroke) match play format to determine a champion on the fourth and final day.
The Gippsland Super 6 will see the introduction of medal (stroke) match play, meaning all matches will go the distance over six holes where a winner will be determined, or, the match will continue to the deciding knockout hole.
The Super 6 format will be held on Yallourn’s 1st, 8th, 2nd, 16th, 17th & 18th holes and promises to be a day not to be missed.
The combination of holes which comprise of one par 3, four par 4’s and a short par 5 all close to the clubhouse will provide exceptional viewing and plenty of birdies.
Following five rounds of medal match play, the inaugural Gippsland Super 6 champion will be crowned.
Taking place at the Yallourn Golf Club through the significant contribution of the Latrobe Valley Authority, the Gippsland Super 6 is an exciting new tournament that promises to be an outstanding event for the whole Gippsland Region.
Being the final leg of a Victorian swing that sees the Victorian PGA Championship at RACV Cape Schanck Resort, followed by the $100,000 Eynesbury Masters Pro-Am, the Gippsland Super 6 will take place 7-10 November, joining the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia schedule at $125,000 in prize money.
The Gippsland Super 6 will be fun for all ages including the Gippsland Super 6 Family Day on Sunday 10 November from 11am – 2pm.
Entry to Yallourn Golf Club and the tournament is free to the public for the duration of the four day tournament.
He is ranked 356th in the world and without a win in more than four years yet 1998 Presidents Cup hero Craig Parry believes Anirban Lahiri warrants one of International captain Ernie Els’ picks when teams are finalised this week.
Captains Els and Tiger Woods will complete their respective International and US teams late next week, adding four captain’s picks to the eight players to have already qualified for the respective teams.
Woods’s win at the ZOZO Championship in Japan clears the way for the eight-time Presidents Cup representative to make his return to the US team for the first time since 2013 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from December 9.
Now ranked No.7 in the world, Woods has the luxury of rounding out his team with the likes of Tony Finau, US Open champion Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Kevin Na, Jordan Spieth or Bubba Watson, among others.
Although he no longer has to ponder picking himself, Els has a more problematic puzzle to solve but in Lahiri, Parry believes Els has a player who will rise to the occasion.
A captain’s selection under Nick Price at Liberty National in 2017 where he picked up 1.5 points from his three matches, Lahiri shot 66 in the opening round of the Bermuda Championship but withdrew after the second round with a side strain.
His best finish on the PGA TOUR in 2019 was a tie for 30th at the Valspar Championship in March but Parry has seen enough to put his faith in the Indian star.
“I would pick Anirban Lahiri. I think he’s an unbelievable talent and he would play really well in that scenario,” Parry said.
“He’s a really nice guy, would bring a lot of energy into the team and can flat-out play.
“I played with him in Fiji a few years ago. I’ve seen some of his results and I know how far he hits it.
“That’s what you need to have to play well around Royal Melbourne.
“He brings a really good energy as far as his attitude to playing.”
In addition to endorsing the likely selection of Aussie No.3 Jason Day, Parry is also pushing for an additional Aussie with experience at Royal Melbourne.
Winner of the 2005 Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne in addition to his Presidents Cup heroics 21 years ago, Parry urged Els to consider course familiarity when he makes his four selections.
“I would pick Jason, definitely, and I’d be looking to another Aussie player too, someone like Aaron Baddeley who has experience of playing Royal Melbourne,” said Parry.
“If his game is in a reasonable state I’d have no problems picking Aaron.
“Someone with experience of playing Royal Melbourne would really help. If you’ve got two players similar in terms of the world rankings but one has won a lot of tournaments and has experience at Royal Melbourne, I’d be going those players every time.”
The highest-ranked International-eligible players not among those to have already qualified are Korean pair Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, Canadians Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners, Japan’s Shugo Imahira, Chilean Joaquin Niemann and South African Erik Van Rooyen.
Rather than world rankings, however, Parry says the best iron players will be the best fit for Royal Melbourne.
“Really good iron players, that’s what they’ll be going for,” Parry said.
“You really have to control your iron shots going into the green and place it under the hole the whole time.
“It doesn’t matter if you simply hit the green. If you hit the green and you’re in the wrong spot, guess what? You’re three and four-putting.
“You need to have a very good short game to play well around Royal but I’d say the irons are going to put you in a really good position.”
Els will finalise the International team via teleconference on Thursday at 12pm AEDT with Woods to complete the US side at 1pm AEDT on Friday in a live stream on the Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR platforms.
International team qualifiers: Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman, Abraham Ancer, Haotong Li, Cameron Smith, CT Pan.
US team qualifiers: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay.
Adam Scott has signed off on his preparation for three massive weeks in Australia with a superb final round of 5-under 67 to finish just outside the top 10 at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in China.
Chasing his eighth top-10 of the year, Scott began making up the ground he lost with a third round 75 with two early birdies at Sheshan International Golf Club and then went on a back-nine tear to climb into a tie for 11th.
PGA TOUR Player of the Year Rory McIlroy added to his impressive 2019 season with a playoff win over defending champion Xander Schauffele to claim the $US1.745m winner’s cheque with Scott again leading the Aussies home.
The spearhead for Ernie Els’ International team for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in December, Scott bogeyed the par-4 10th hole on Sunday before lighting up Sheshan International.
The 39-year-old made four consecutive birdies from the 11th hole and added a fifth at the par-4 16th, ultimately ending the week one shot outside the top 10.
As he did in an opening round of 6-under 66 that had Scott two shots off the lead, it was the Queenslander’s driving that set up his Sunday charge, hitting more than 70 per cent of fairways and averaging 338 yards off the tee, the best of the final round.
Scott’s command of his driver allowed him to hit 78 per cent of greens in the fourth round and with a sense of confidence ahead of three big weeks in Australia.
“It all looks really good but I just haven’t had any good feelings of where the golf club is in the downswing, and that’s never I nice thing,” Scott conceded.
“I’ve been trying to trust it the best I can but kind of really found it last week (at ZOZO Championship) – although my scoring didn’t really indicate it.
“It’s just starting to feel where that clubhead is a little more in the downswing.
“I worked a little bit on my setup and it’s hard to take straight away into a tournament situation. The rounds last week help get me prepared for this week.
“I’ll just be playing the Australian Open the week before the Presidents Cup so I’ll have a nice little break coming up where I can get ready for three big weeks in Australia at the end of the year.”
A final round of 3-under 69 helped Scott’s fellow Queenslander Scott Hend record his best finish at Sheshan International since 2015 with a tie for 28th while 2018 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit top two Jake McLeod and Matthew Millar were tied for 57th and tied for 67th respectively.
With his four captain’s picks to be announced later this week it was an encouraging performance from Els’ Presidents Cup International contingent with Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Abraham Ancer and Hideki Matsuyama all finishing within the top 11 and hopefuls Sungjae Im, Byeong Hun An, Jazz Janewattananond and Canadian Corey Conners all inside the top 20.
WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS
Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China
T11 Adam Scott 66-69-75-67—277 $US155,000
T28 Scott Hend 75-69-70-69—283 $76,667
T57 Jake McLeod 70-73-79-69—291 $51,000
T60 Cameron Smith 70-72-74-76—292 $49,150
Peter Senior has claimed the Australian PGA Seniors Championship by one stroke in a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Richmond Golf Club.
Senior began the final round one shot behind overnight leaders Peter Lonard, Peter Fowler and reigning champion Michael Long but was able to remain composed in hot New South Wales conditions.
Five players see-sawed up and down the leaderboard across the final nine holes however birdies on holes 16 and 18 gave Senior a one-shot clubhouse lead.
Needing a birdie on the final hole to force a play-off, Peter Fowler’s drive found the greenside trap and when he failed to get up and down, the title and trophy belonged to Senior.
“I’ve been close on a couple of occasions and to win against the calibre of this field is amazing,” Senior said.
Senior’s final round of 5-under 65 was one of the best of the day to elevate the Queenslander to a winning total of 9-under par.
A winner of 23 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia events, including two Australian PGA Championships, Senior is cemented as one of Australia’s golfing greats, a perennial crowd favourite and genuine nice guy.
“I still enjoy playing but I like to give back playing on the Legends, playing here at Richmond has been really fun,” he said.
“The guys on this tour are great and we have some fantastic tournaments.”
A final round of 5-under 65 catapulted Peter O’Malley up the leaderboard for a second place finish in the Ladbrokes Legends Tour tournament alongside Peter Fowler who held the lead of the championship with nine holes remaining.
Michael Long and Peter Lonard rounded out the top five in a tie for fourth place at 7-under the card.
In its fifth staging at Richmond Golf Club, the Australian PGA Seniors Championship is building momentum with the professional field growing in profile each year while local exposure continues to amplify.
“These tournaments really are something special, with spectators walking shoulder to shoulder with some of Australia’s golfing greats, it is an experience not to be missed,” explained David Barker, Senior State Manager of the PGA of Australia.
The Ladbrokes Legends Tour continues with a run of Sydney based tournaments this month with the next event commencing at Roseville Golf Club on Friday 8 November.
For the full leaderboard visit pga.org.au.
Continuing the growth of golf will be the key focus between the PGA of Australia and adidas, after the iconic sports brands announced a new long-term partnership.
The partnership will see adidas become the Official Apparel and Headwear partner of the PGA of Australia, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and Australian PGA Championship.
PGA of Australia Commercial Director Michael McDonald said the alignment of the two brands will enable the PGA to further enhance the profile of its Members and encourage more people to take up the sport.
“We are delighted to have an iconic brand such as adidas join the PGA of Australia as a Major Partner and we are looking forward to working with adidas to provide them an even closer alignment to PGA Professionals working in golf facilities across Australia,” McDonald said.
“This partnership will be wide-ranging as adidas will also become a major partner of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, which is owned and operated by the PGA of Australia, and the adidas brand will feature at many of the events we operate on the Tour.”
adidas will also become the Official Apparel partner of the Volkswagen Scramble, Australia’s largest Pro-Amateur golf teams event with over 30,000 participants a year.
The partnership will enable the PGA to further develop the popular teams event, which continues to grow each year.
Darryn Lowe, General Manager of adidas Golf Pacific, said the global sports manufacturer was excited about connecting with the PGA’s almost-3000 Members to promote golf.
“As adidas continues to invest in the game of golf and support its growth, we are extremely excited about our relationship with the PGA of Australia,” Lowe said.
“As part of our partnership, we will deepen our commitment and connection with all PGA Professionals across the country, as well as connect with golfers of all ages and abilities through the PGA of Australia and its PGA Professionals, who are at the epicentre of growing the game of golf.”
The PGA will work collaboratively with adidas to increase its connection with the highly skilled PGA Professionals, who are at the forefront at promoting and growing golf.
Brady Watt, Andrew Kelly and Luke Hickman have made the most of afternoon conditions to win the Medway Golf Club Pro-Am.
The trio put birdies on their scorecards early in the round however hot and windy conditions continued to make scoring difficult.
Just eight of the 52 Professionals competing in the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series event entered the clubhouse under par with the winner’s score coming in at 2-under 68.
“It was my first time at Medway and I really enjoyed the course,” said West Australian Brady Watt.
“Thank you to all the sponsors and people who made the event go ahead. I will be back next year.”
In the course’s first pro-am since 1994, Andrew Kelly commended the team on a fantastic event.
“Congratulations to Alex Pitty and Medway Golf Club for running their first event in almost two decades. The course was in great shape and it was nice to play in a metropolitan pro-am,” Kelly said.
Luke Hickman, a regular at Medway, hopes the event will continue for years to come.
“I am lucky enough to play here quite a bit with the pro shop staff and to be honest, I never play well here,” Hickman said.
“It was great to finally turn the form around and walk away with the win. Kudos to Alex and the Medway team for running a great event.”
Ruben Lal shot the score of the morning, a round of 1-under 69, to secure fourth place alongside Rick Kulacz, Dale Brandt-Richards, Theodore Coroneo and Daniel Fox.
Round 2 is underway with a star-studded list in contention for the Australian Seniors PGA.
For the up-to-date live scores, click here.
Round 1 wrap | Michael Long has started his title defence in sizzling fashion, firing a 4-under par round of 68 in the opening round of the Australian Senior Championship at Richmond Golf Club.
With a leaderboard representing an Australian Open from decades past, there is a host of legends well in contention and vying for the title.
New South Welshman Martin Peterson is also 4-under, recording a bogey free round. , while former Australian Open winner Peter Fowler (3-under) is outright third, only one-stroke back from the field.
Nine-time Australasian Tour winner Peter Lonard (-2-under) and five-time Australasian Tour winner Peter O’Malley (2-under) are in the mixed tied for fourth.
“We have some of Australia’s best on show here. The opportunity to walk shoulder to shoulder with the legends should not be missed,” said Andy Rogers, PGA Legends Tour Coordinator with PGA of Australia.
Peter Senior (1-under) was the victim of a chip-in by Michael Long during sudden death extra holes at last year’s championship and Michael Paterson.
Not to be overshadowed by his higher profiled compatriots, Paterson produced arguably the performance of round one, shooting his age with a 1-under par round of 69.
Recent Lincoln Place NSW Senior Open winner Brad Burns opening his tournament with a flurry of birdies, making the turn at 4-under before giving three back to also finish at one under and in a tie for 11th.
Tiger Woods is almost certainly going to be a playing captain for the US team at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne in December, and that’s a positive for the Internationals.
That’s the opinion of 1998 Presidents Cup hero Craig Parry who famously chipped in to beat Woods and Freddie Couples on the Saturday morning at Royal Melbourne Golf Club and then earned the first point of the final day singles with a 5 & 3 win over Justin Leonard.
That win by the International team 21 years ago remains their only success over the Americans in Presidents Cup history but the ever likely scenario of Woods using one of four captain’s picks on himself next Monday could ironically help to deliver a second.
With his win at the inaugural ZOZO Championship in Japan on Monday, Woods rose to No.6 in the world, the highest position of any American player not already qualified for the matches starting December 12.
Yet while his on-course exploits virtually demand his selection, Parry believes being immersed in his own match will limit the impact Woods can have as a captain on the matches taking place around him.
“I think he would be better off not playing,” Parry said.
“He could stand on the third tee and tell his guys not to hit too far down there whereas if he is playing at that time he can’t get all that information to his players.
“It would be better for the International team if he was playing because it takes away a lot of the knowledge that he would be able to pass on otherwise.
“If he’s playing in the morning and has to pick a team for the afternoon, obviously he’s not thinking about what he’s doing right in that moment. That’s where the International team could maybe get a point or two back off him.
“If he was just there as captain he could relay a lot more information to all his players.
“You’ve got a person who is one of the greatest golfers of all time telling you what you should be trying to achieve on a hole and the best way to play it, and he’s not going to be able to do that.”
Of the eight Americans already confirmed to play in December only Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson played in the 2011 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, earning a combined six points from the 15 matches in which they featured and losing each of their singles matches.
Woods was ranked No.50 in the world and a captain’s selection himself that year and Parry is adamant his understanding of the golf course would be better utilised in a non-playing capacity.
“It takes a lot of local knowledge to play well at Royal Melbourne,” said Parry.
“You’re not going to learn Royal Melbourne in a couple of days.
“It’s the type of golf course that you have to study and spend a lot of time on and play in all sorts of different weather.
“Tiger has played two Presidents Cups there and a person like Tiger I think would have got past President Cup video footage and given it to all of his players. The hole locations are likely to be similar to what they have been previously, the putts are going to break very similar.
“It’s about doing a lot of homework and I think that’s where Tiger is very smart.”
Crediting the insights provided by International captain Peter Thomson in 1998 for his Heineken Classic win at Royal Melbourne seven years later, Parry is open to serving as a ‘secret assistant’ under International captain Ernie Els and sharing his knowledge with those unfamiliar with the layout.
“I think it would be fantastic to be able to pass on a bit of local knowledge as to how to play Royal Melbourne,” said Parry, acknowledging Els’ own impressive record at Royal Melbourne.
“When Ernie shot 60 around Royal Melbourne I was actually paired with him. I shot 66 and felt like I had 100.
“Ernie knows that golf course inside out and will be a fantastic captain and if I could help out in any way I’d be more than willing.”
