Five inspirational PGA Associates have been named as the PGA Women in Golf scholarship recipients for 2023.
Christine Shin (Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club), Jan Maggio (Killara Golf Club), Stacey Edwards (The Golf School, Queensland), Aleisha Weidmann (Gosnells Golf Club) and Casey Thompson (Cowra Golf Club) will each receive financial support as they work through the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program.
Launched in 2021, the Women in Golf Scholarship Fund is designed to increase the number of female Vocational Members within the PGA of Australia.
Geoff Stewart, General Manager of Membership and Education for the PGA, says the five recipients will all make for valued additions to the PGA ranks at the completion of the Membership Pathway Program.
“Women play such a pivotal role within the PGA of Australia but we identified that we needed a greater representation among our Vocational members,” Stewart said.
“We were thrilled with the quality of applications that we received for the 2023 scholarships and believe that the five we have chosen are well on their way to becoming highly-valued Members of the PGA of Australia.
“Each have a unique story and background and it is our hope, with the support of the scholarship, that each will go on to complete the Membership Pathway Program in the next couple of years and enjoy long careers as PGA Professionals.”
This is the second year in which Aleisha Weidmann (pictured) has received the Women in Golf Scholarship.
A third-year Associate at Gosnells Golf Club south of Perth, Weidmann is undertaking the Membership Pathway Program in a part-time capacity, juggling her commitments as a single mother to a two-year-old daughter.
Like Weidmann, Jan Maggio is in the third year of the MPP at Killara Golf Club on Sydney’s north shore.
Harbouring a dream to become a PGA Professional from the age of 16, Maggio’s pathway has taken longer than she had hoped but she is now a mother to an 18-month-old with a passion to encourage more children and women to play golf.
Based at a regional club, Casey Thompson can only access limited hours of employment at Cowra Golf Club in the NSW Central West.
In the second year of the MPP, Thompson is currently working two jobs in order to sustain her position in the program while also volunteering her time with the Western Region Academy of Sport.
Hyojeong (Christine) Shin and Stacey Edwards are Year 1 Associates with equally inspiring stories.
Shin has had a major hearing impairment from a young age but used golf to help with her self-confidence. She now hopes to become a great role model and advocate for other women with disabilities.
Edwards is a mature-aged Associate who made the decision to leave her alternative career and peruse her passion to become a PGA Member this year.
The PGA Women in Golf Scholarship Fund is proudly supported by PGA of Australia partners ISPS Handa, Acushnet, TaylorMade and Callaway.
For more information on the Women in Golf Scholarship Fund click here.
A hot putter and the guiding hand of son Bailey has earned Jason Norris a four-stroke win at The Lutheran Homes Baroosa Legends Tour Pro-Am at Tanunda Pines Golf Course.
The South Australian native delivered a course record of eight-under 64 in the second round for a 13-under total, four strokes clear of reigning SParms PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit winner Andre Stolz.
The picturesque bushland layout in the Barossa Valley an hour outside of Adelaide offered up ideal conditions for both days, the abundance of quality wines in the area only adding to the enjoyment for the 60 Senior Professionals taking part.
A winner at Murray Bridge earlier in the week with a course record 62 in the second round, Norris again produced his best golf on day two, making four birdies on the trot on the front nine in a bogey-free round of eight-under par.
Adding to the thrill of victory was having 12-year-old son and ‘super caddie’ Bailey on the bag.
Tanunda Pines also played host this week to the SA Senior Foursomes Championship where Roland Baglin and Robert Mitchell came out on top.
In a solid field that included Terry Price playing with Peter O’Malley and Victorian Foursomes champions Brad Burns and Chris Taylor, the team of Baglin and Mitchell combined for a round of four-under 68 in the alternate shot format.
That was enough to edge out O’Malley and Price by one stroke.
In a round that consisted of five birdies and one bogey, Mitchell and Baglin combined perfectly, driving the ball well which was the key to their round.
Price and O’Malley got off to a hot start to be four-under through the front nine which included an eagle at the par-5 sixth hole.
Unfortunately for two of the legends of Australian golf, bogeys on the first two par 3s on the back nine halted their charge.
The South Australian swing of the SParms PGA Legends Tour now moves on to Thaxted Park for the Glenn Joyner Legends Invitational on Saturday, the star-studded field boasting Champions Tour regular David McKenzie.
Tournament favourite Momoka Kobori is a better player than when she won the Women’s NSW Open just five days ago as the opening round of the Australian Women’s Classic tees off at Bonville Golf Resort on Friday.
That’s the scary proclamation of Kobori’s coach, Dominic Azzopardi, who has travelled south from his base at Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast to the Coffs Coast to prep his newest pupil for a shot at winning back-to-back WPGA Tour of Australasia events.
The pair spent an hour with two clubs and four balls on Sawtell Beach on Thursday morning honing her bunker technique and worked on adjusting her ball flight with driver on the range at Bonville prior to yesterday’s Pro-Am.
The results of that session, in particular, should send warning bells through the rest of the field.
“She drives it 215-220 yards carry with not much roll because of her flight,” Azzopardi said on the eve of the tournament.
“I spoke to her after the Aramco Series Singapore event (where she finished T16); we’ve got to get 20 yards more, 30 yards more.
“We were hitting some drives on the range this morning with an alignment stick working it from right-to-left.
“She’s hitting some 230 carries that were running out to 260. That’s 30-35 yards further than what she was hitting at Singapore.
“If she can hit it 240 carry, 260 roll-out yards, that’s going to be pretty competitive on any tour.”
Another key area of focus for the pair since they began working together in December last year has been Kobori’s putting, specifically her speed control.
With clutch putts at the final hole of regulation and the first playoff hole, that work stood up under tournament pressure at Tuncurry last Sunday… not that Azzopardi saw it.
He was only made aware that the final round was being broadcast on Kayo Sports as Kobori made her way towards the 18th green, needing to make a sand save from the left trap to force a playoff.
What he saw next vindicated everything they have been working towards and the potential that lies ahead.
“Those last two putts I saw last week, perfect speed, matched her line to speed, they were in the middle. She’s walking them in,” said Azzopardi, who also works with world No.51 male player Lucas Herbert and LPGA Tour player Karis Davidson.
“That’s where she’s going to get to with her putting, having better and better speed control.
“The stroke’s great, the mechanics have gotten better and better since we’ve started working together.
“That’s the exciting thing for me, to see what she did in Singapore and again last week.”
As he talks about Kobori’s ceiling, excitement permeates Azzopardi’s voice.
A player ranked No.179 in the world, in her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour and with two LET Access Series wins to her name with a bubbly personality and a nickname of the ‘Smiling Assassin’.
It’s a mix that Azzopardi finds intoxicating.
“She’s class,” was his succinct summation.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl as good between 75-125 metres. She is unbelievable.
“I jumped on the bag the week of the Sandbelt Invitational to have a good look at her game and she had 15-under, shot three course records and lost by a shot to Cam Davis.
“She showed herself what she was capable of that week.
“She showed me a lot too. She showed me how good she was in some areas and how we could really improve in other areas.
“Her putting needed a little bit of work, her bunker play needed a little bit of work, her chipping needed a lot of work. She drove it straight but not far enough to be mixing it with the best in the world.
“She took everything on and rolled the sleeves up.
“I’m just loving working with her because she’s just such a great person too.”
Kobori begins her Australian Women’s Classic campaign at 11.10am AEDT on Friday paired with another tournament fancy in Kelsey Bennett and amateur Charlotte Perkins.
The PGA Academy, in partnership with the PGA of Australia, is proud to launch the Trackman Performance Zone (TPZ).
A unique, state-of-the-art facility, it gives golfers the chance to learn, practice and play in a high-performance environment, 24/7. The TPZ opened on Monday, with one week of exclusive access to Sandhurst club golf members and residents.
The TPZ is a member-access facility based at the PGA Golf Learning Hub, within the Sandhurst Club precinct. Comprising of four simulators powered by Trackman technology, it gives members access to skill-development, coaching services and gameplay.
Coaching Programs Manager at the PGA of Australia, Nick Bielawski, is thrilled to open the doors to members and is excited by what the opening of the Trackman Performance Zone represents.
“In launching the Trackman Performance Zone, we are giving golfers the chance to commit to their game-improvement journey in a new and exciting location,” he said. “We know that Trackman provides unrivalled shot data, so to offer that to more golfers will help make skill-development easier than ever before.”
Additionally, the TPZ will help to enhance the coaching offering available at the PGA Academy.
“To have another indoor and controlled environment will give our coaches the chance to work with their clients in great depth,” Bielawski explained.
“To coach with that instant, accurate and detailed shot feedback will mean that clients can see how their game is evolving, even over the course of an hour-long session.”
Beyond skill-development, the Trackman Performance Zone shapes as a destination for an exceptional gameplay experience – in any weather, at any time.
Open 24/7 for members, the Trackman software has more than 200 courses available to play, including some iconic locations like St Andrews and Pebble Beach Golf Links.
“The gameplay experience on the Trackman simulators is unbelievable,” Bielawski said. “To give golfers the option to play these championship courses in less than an hour, really helps to open up the game to more people.”
Memberships to the Trackman Performance Zone are being released in stages, with the first wave available exclusively to Sandhurst Club residents and members, and set to open to the broader public this Friday.
For more information on the Trackman Performance Zone and the services available at the PGA Academy, click HERE
The domestic golf season reaches its climax this week on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula with The National Tournament presented by BMW.
Months of toil and travel for the players will come to fruition when the Moonah course at The National at Cape Schanck hosts the season-ending tournament on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
A season spanning 16 tournaments that began in mid-October, 2022, will close at The National from Thursday where the Order of Merit will be decided.
It is a pivotal point for many of the 110 players in the field for the $200,000 tournament, because at stake are some big opportunities.
The winner of the Order Of Merit has been decided with Victorian star David Micheluzzi producing a season for the ages with three wins, and earning himself the place in the field at Royal Liverpool for the fabled Open Championship in July that the OOM champion receives.
The top three finishers in the Order of Merit will receive playing rights for the DP World Tour in the 2023-24 season, giving them starts on what used to be known as the European Tour. These are the main carrots with many other opportunities that basically see any player in the top 20 or so gain some type of benefit, such as a spot at final stage of the Korn Ferry or DPWT qualifying schools.
Currently Micheluzzi, who has won two tournaments in a breakout summer, leads from Canberra’s Brendan Jones and Victorian Andrew Martin.
The Australasian Tour Order of Merit is being calculated this season for the first time on a points system rather than dollars. There are 190 points for the winner at The National.
“In many ways the Order of Merit and the exemptions that it provides for players are what we’re about with the tour,” said Dastey.
“We’re trying to operate a tour that is competitive for participants and attractive to fans, but also a tour that provides great opportunities for the players that perform well across the season.
“The tournament at The National is the culmination of that for this season and I’ve got absolutely no doubt there will be a bunch of players going to The National thinking that it’s a very big few days for them and their future career opportunities.”
Dastey said the Tour was excited to be working with The National to create this unique tournament on one of the world’s most stunning pieces of golfing land.
“The National and the Moonah course is a brilliant championship venue, we are very optimistic for the vision of this event and it’s capabilities to grow into the future as one of our major events” said Dastey.
Players to watch in the season-ender include Micheluzzi, who has won the WA PGA Championship, the NSW Open and the TPS Sydney events on the Tour this season, Tom Power Horan, winner of the Gippsland Super 6 and ranked inside the top-three on the OOM and Martin, whose remarkable feats of putting under pressure gave him victory in the Victorian PGA championship at Moonah Links late last year.
Aside from the top three in the Order of Merit getting DP World Tour cards, the next three in order receive an exemption into the final stage of DP World Tour qualifying school, and the next seven players get into the second stage of Q-school. The top five overall receive an entry to the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-school in the United States, and the players ranked 6th to 15th are into the second stage of Q-school for that tour, which serves as the gateway to the lucrative PGA Tour in America.
“This might be the end of a long season for the players,” said Dastey. “But it’s absolutely huge for many of them and we have no doubt that it’s going to bring the best out of them. To put that kind of contest on to a world class golf course like the Moonah at The National, it showcases our sport at a very high level.”
The final two rounds will be broadcast on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Sky Sport NZ starting from 12pm on Saturday and 12.30pm Sunday AEDT.
How to follow:
For live scoring and the latest news visit www.pga.org.au. Exclusive content and tournament updates will also be posted regularly on the PGA of Australia’s social media channels.
Instagram: @pgatouraus
Twitter: @PGAofAustralia
Facebook: @PGAofAustralia, @PGATourAus
Official hashtag: #TheNationalTournament
How to watch:
Catch the action of the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday, broadcast live, on Foxtel (Channel 505), Kayo Sports and Sky Sport NZ.
TV Times (AEDT)
Round 3
Saturday April 1
LIVE 2.30pm – 5.30pm on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, and Spark Sport (NZ)
Round 4
Sunday April 2
LIVE 12 noon – 5pm
Event overview
The National Tournament presented by BMW is the season-ending event on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, with the Order of Merit to be decided on Sunday.
This is the second year of the event, which was played on The National’s Gunnamatta course in 2022.
The Order of Merit is a points-based, season-long ranking which carries numerous exemptions into big tournaments in 2023-24 for the top players.
The National is world-renowned as a golf facility, and the Moonah course, designed by Greg Norman, is ranked among the top courses in Australia.
Players to watch
David Micheluzzi: Three-time winner this season and Order of Merit winner for 2023.
Zach Murray: Former NZ Open champion who returns from European duties.
Scott Hend: Asian Tour and DP World Tour veteran returning for his second start of the season at home.
Andrew Martin: Vic PGA winner and OOM contender in 2022-23.
Louis Dobbelaar: NZ PGA winner and one of the brightest young talents in Australia.
How to attend:
Entry is free for all spectators.
A worldwide adventure, Susie Mathews continues to enjoy a rich and varied career in golf.
First as a player – both at an amateur and Professional level, and now working vocationally, she finds it deeply rewarding to be part of the industry every day.
A journey that began playing casually with her parents, Susie’s aptitude for the sport was quickly apparent. Initially highlighted by her selection for Division One Pennant at Kooyonga Golf Club in South Australia, it led to state team representation and then a stint at the Australian Institute of Sport once she completed school.
“For me, it was all a stepping stone process as I progressed with my golf,” she recalls. “I would perform well and opportunities would keep opening up for me.”
Significantly, Susie’s strength of performances earned her a full scholarship at UCLA in America, where she was able to blend her passion for elite golf, with her vocational interest in professional communications.
“That was an excellent thing for me to do, of course it was daunting to start with, but it was fabulous.
“In that environment, you always have someone to practice with, compete against and learn from.”
During her time overseas, Susie’s team won the National Championship. A personal highlight, it inspired her next move, as she embraced the challenge of playing golf professionally.
Stints in China and throughout Asia ensued, as well as playing the women’s circuit in Australia, before Susie earned a full card in 2010 to play on the Japanese Tour.
Although injury meant this would only be for a season, Susie’s time as a Professional opened a range of doors for her when she returned to Australia, looking to maintain her connection to golf.
“I sort of fell into a role back at Kooyonga, helping out with the junior programs – and that kickstarted my career in golf as a worker, rather than a player.
“A lot of what I was doing was assisting the PGA Professionals at the club and that started the thought process for me that I really wanted some formal qualifications.”
Having played enough to qualify for the PGA Tour Articulation to Full Vocational Membership of the PGA, Susie completed her course in 2016 and couldn’t be happier with her decision.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat – for anyone who has the opportunity, then I would highly recommend it.
“Now as a PGA Professional, it is so rewarding to be in a position to help people with their golf and pass on knowledge.”
Currently the Golf and Membership Manager at Kooyonga, Susie is passionate about creating a warm and welcoming environment; ensuring that the golf club is somewhere people can find a real sense of joy.
“Camaraderie from a club perspective can give people some real purpose and something they can enjoy,” she explains. “From there, I love to help create a club environment where people feel supported and safe.
“In golf, we are lucky that we are in a profession where we can help people.”
Equally keen to get back into coaching and pass on her technical knowledge to the game’s next generation, Susie is heartened by the extent of impact that she, and all other PGA Professionals can make every day.
More broadly, she is energised by the continued growth and development of the game for women, something Susie describes as “an instrumental change,” over the course of her time in the industry.
“Where once when I was a junior, you might have been a bit scared to walk through the clubhouse, over the years we have seen golf become so much more open,” she explains.
“Now we have special measures for women and that is really important.
“It’s lovely to see golf helping more women and girls get into golf and take up the game. It’s much more welcoming than it ever was before.”
Imbued with the desire to help give all golfers the skills and resources to enjoy themselves on the course and around the club, Susie is excited by the possibilities that exist in the sport.
“My ultimate goal is to continue helping all people enjoy the game.
“I’m really looking forward to what’s possible.”
For more information on Women and Girls month, click HERE
“I had never picked up a golf club – I didn’t even know who Tiger Woods was.”
Up until the age of sixteen, Qianyao (Yoyo) Han had never considered golf. Born into a family of high performing athletes, she instead had her heart set on becoming a champion track and field athlete.
“I was selected by a state coach to go and train full time for hurdles and triple-jump at a camp in the South of China,” she recalls. “At the age of thirteen, I was taken away from my parents, living with other kids where we trained with great intensity.
“We were not allowed to leave.”
Perhaps as a consequence of the rigorous regime, which saw the group train before and after school every day, Yoyo’s body broke down. A serious lower back injury left her incapable of walking, let alone hurdling, so there was a decision to be made.
“The way it worked was that if I didn’t go and compete and win a medal at the state-sponsored games, then either me – or my coach – would have to pay a fee for all the training,” Yoyo remembers. “I was not of any use to them injured, so we had to find a solution.”
Remarkably, it was golf – a sport Yoyo had never considered – that proved her calling.
A state-sponsored and somewhat experimental golf program designed for talented athletes was set to operate out of Mission Hills, and Yoyo’s athletics coach nominated her for selection.
“I was told to pack my clothes for one week and wait at the gate the next day,” she says. “I didn’t even know where I was going, I didn’t know what golf was. I just decided to go with the flow, hoping to get picked and fortunately I did.”
Yoyo quickly proved herself amongst the group and was selected as one of ten to come to Australia to continue to develop her career in golf.
Inspired to work on her game like never before, Yoyo was also reinvigorated by the opportunity she experienced in her new home.
“I started to realise a new sense of freedom,” she explains. “Out on the golf course I could show my emotions – whether I was angry, happy or sad, I was allowed to show it.
“Since moving here, my mindset has changed drastically.”
Although she wanted to turn professional at this stage, the persistent effects of her injury, along with her relative inexperience, made that very difficult.
So, determined to keep her Visa and stay in the country, Yoyo enrolled in the Membership Pathway Program to become a PGA Professional. A journey that fostered her burgeoning love for the game, it also gave her the chance to learn a lot about herself as she set about creating a career in golf.
“It (The Membership Pathway Program) took me five years to complete,” she remembers. “I couldn’t speak English very well at that time, but I had such great support that made it possible for me.
“I was so determined and would practice before and after studying every day – no matter the weather or the conditions, I was trying as hard as I could.”
Her efforts duly rewarded, Yoyo became a fully qualified PGA Professional in 2017. A proud day, it was the culmination of an extraordinary journey and a testament to her unwavering persistence.
“The day I graduated, it was a big relief,” she smiles. “Knowing I could actually start my dream of being a golf coach, I am very proud.”
After working at the Sandhurst Club for a period of time both as a coach and in the shop, Yoyo has found her niche as one of the most in-demand coaches at the thriving Yarra Bend Golf complex just outside Melbourne’s CBD.
Although she often finds herself coaching for 12 – 14 hours a day, Yoyo is happy, knowing that she is making a tangible difference every day.
“I love talking to people, all sorts of different people,” she explains. “Coaching people of all different levels is rewarding, and seeing them progress – often in the space of an hour is great.
“I love that moment when they hit a perfect shot, turn around and have that excited look in their eyes.”
Ultimately, Yoyo’s assessment of where she started in sport, to the relationship she now has with golf, is a heart-warming one.
“Previously, everything I was doing was all about ‘win, compete, survive,’” she says. “Now I realise that golf is quite enjoyable.
“I enjoy it so much more now.”
For more information on Women and Girls month, click HERE
Australia’s newest PGA Professionals have been honoured over the last week, as NSW/ACT and Victoria held graduation ceremonies for their respective classes of 2022.
The achievements of twenty-five Associates were recognised, as fifteen graduated in NSW/ACT, while a further ten accepted their PGA Professional roundel in Victoria.
The NSW/ACT graduation was held at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney on Friday evening.
Membership and Events Administrator, Corinne Kelleher, joined Senior State Manager David Barker in welcoming graduates, along with their family and friends for a wonderful night of celebration.
“It really is a special night,” he said. “All of our fifteen graduates tonight have done an exceptional job to earn that roundel and we know they will do us proud as fully qualified PGA Professionals.”
Their graduation comes after three years of training and education through the Membership Pathway Program, where each Associate completed a blend of workplace training, virtual and face-to-face education, as well as a Diploma-level qualification.
“It is a rigorous process, so each of our graduates should be very proud,” said Barker.
On Tuesday night, Victorian graduates gathered at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne’s south east.
PGA of Australia Chair, Mr Rodger Davis, as well as Chief Executive Officer Gavin Kirkman, Member Director Ian Baker-Finch and Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Hergt were all present, as they celebrated the achievements of Victoria’s graduates.
They were joined by General Manager for Membership and Education, Geoff Stewart, along with Victorian Membership Manager Luke Bower and Membership and Events Administrator, Garth Webster for an evening of celebration for a further ten PGA Professionals.
“There can be no doubt that our class of 2022 were exceptionally strong,” Bower explained. “It is great to have the chance to recognise that tonight and wish them well for their careers in the industry.”
See below for a full list of graduates from each state:
VIC:
Jay | McKenzie |
Bryan | Milligan |
Marcus | Raptopoulos |
Finlay | Bellingham |
Ben | Paine |
Jade | Shellback |
Callum | Wilkinson |
Jordan | McDonald |
Blair | St. Anne |
Cameron | Kelly |
NSW:
Cameron | Banks |
Aaron | Maxwell |
Sarka | Seifertova |
Phil | Mackay |
Jack | McLeod |
Mark | Panopoulos |
Ryan | Jones |
Jake | Kable |
Nikki | Campbell |
Darcy | Boyd |
Nicholas | Nicolitsis |
Aaron | Walters |
Lucy | Harris |
Andrew | Dodt |
Harold | Drewitt-Smith |
Ben Weatherly doesn’t mince words when he describes what would have happened had he not been adequately insured when Mooroopna Golf Club flooded in October 2022.
Heavy rain through the week convinced Weatherly – in consultation with the match committee – to cancel Saturday’s members comp as parts of the course were already flooding.
Mooroopna’s resident PGA Professional decided to open the pro shop on Saturday morning in case some members wished to have a social hit.
By midday, he had moved his pro shop stock into the clubhouse and headed home before the Shepparton-Mooroopna Causeway was closed at 6.30pm that night.
It would be three weeks before he would be able to return.
The golf course itself was closed for almost a month but due to his insurance policy via Golf Business Australia, Weatherly had the peace of mind to know that he would not suffer financially.
Managing Director of Golf Business Australia, Daniel Bateup, has become a valued conduit between PGA Professionals and insurance companies and has formulated a policy that is designed to protect the business interests of PGA Members during difficult times.
Whether it has been bushfires, flooding, rain events or malicious or accidental damage, many golf clubs have been forced to close their doors temporarily the past few years.
Given that many clubs are unable to obtain insurance for flooding or it is prohibitively expensive, the Business Interruption (Loss of Attraction) cover sourced by Golf Business Australia provides a much-needed source of income.
It was a source of income that Weatherly insists saved his business.
“I don’t think I’d be here anymore if it wasn’t for insurance. Definitely not,” says Weatherly, who was also insured through Golf Business Australia at his previous posting at Craigieburn Golf Club.
“My business would have gone for sure.
“For a young family, the financials were our biggest concern. Rent, car payments, all that sort of stuff.
“All the stress about living within our means and making sure we could pay our bills because there was no income coming in.
“The insurance kicked in and that helped us to get back on our feet.”
Describing the service provided by Bateup and his team as “emotionally comforting”, Weatherly contacted Golf Business Australia on the Sunday, October 16.
Initially unsure whether his policy covered flooding, Weatherly says the communication and efficiency of the Golf Business Australia team was crucial in such a stressful period.
“You feel like you might be asking almost stupid questions about what’s covered and what’s not but Daniel and his team walk you through it all and provide that guidance that you need,” Weatherly adds.
“I didn’t know what my policy covered. Not exactly.
“Sunday night I messaged Daniel and said, ‘Not sure what’s going to happen here, am I covered?’ Daniel was straight onto it and said, ‘Yes, you’re covered for flood’ and that he would get back to me on what needed to happen.
“They had the assessors come out, all of the reports, all of the stock, all of the equipment listed out.”
For Bateup, it was another example of the specific cover required by PGA Professionals.
“GBA is very proud of the outcome achieved for Ben at Mooroopna Golf Club,” Bateup said.
“We will continue to work closely with our insurer partners so that PGA Members continue to receive the best possible protection and competitive premiums.”
Weatherly paid tribute to the golf club management and members who helped to strip out the pro shop while he was cut-off from the course and also Paul Jamison and the team at On Course Golf.
And he was extremely grateful for an insurance settlement facilitated by Golf Business Australia.
“The golf club was absolutely incredible. They had some members rip up the carpets for me because I couldn’t get over there,” Weatherly said.
“And I highly, highly recommend Daniel, Steve and their team.
“I can’t imagine where I’d be right now without that insurance policy.”
Golf Business Australia is a partner of the PGA of Australia. To get a free quote or take advantage of the Golf Business Australia discount offer available to PGA Members visit https://members.pga.org.au/MyPGA/MemberOffer/Member_Benefit_Detail.aspx?Id=17725&seqn=21
Passionate about his ongoing education as a PGA Professional, Billy Watson is part of a new wave in Australia’s golfing industry, who are determined to transform the traditional offering of a golf coach.
After completing his PGA Associateship to become a PGA Professional in 2021, Watson, who currently works as the Head Teaching Professional at Long Reef Golf Club in New South Wales, was thrilled to have the opportunity to start work in an industry that was booming in the wake of the pandemic and keen to take advantage of it.
“There’s no doubt that period has been great for golf as so many people got into it,” he explains. “So, coming into the industry as a PGA Professional at that time, it was pretty clear to me that my goal should be to keep all of these new golfers – be they young kids or older people – in the game for life.
For me as a coach, that is simply a process of picking apart different parts of a player’s game and working out where there is room for improvement.”
To aid that process and to elevate his offering as a coach, Watson sought further education opportunities. Certified with the Titleist Performance Institute, TrackMan University and abreast of all of the PGA’s Accreditation and Continuing Education programs, he was hungry for more.
A chance to expand his thinking and round his perspective, he decided to complete a coach certification course with Circles.
A digital shot-data platform, Circles is designed to give coaches greater insights into the performance of their players, to help develop targeted practice plans. Purpose-built to drive precision and effectiveness for both the coach and the player, Watson is effusive in his praise, both for the platform and the process of upskilling.
“I spent two days doing the certification,” he recalls. “There was an introduction to the program, we went through the data categories and even learnt how PGA Tour players use Circles.
“The big thing for me was how we can use it to help players peak when it is important – understanding they can’t be at full peak year-round.”
That high-level insight is particularly relevant for Watson as a coach, as he works with ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia players, James Grierson and Jay McKenzie.
“Now with an in-depth understanding of the platform, I have all the data on what my players are doing on the course and it is my job as a coach to analyse that, work out where they are good and where they might be lacking.”
This process of staying at the cutting edge of industry trends is something that Watson is particularly proud of, too.
He feels it is especially relevant for golf coaches responsible for guiding the game’s next generation.
“I think the best coaches continue to educate and upskill themselves,” he says. “The more knowledge you have, the better for the student and ultimately that’s all I care about.
I’m still very young in the industry, I don’t take that lightly. I want to continue to learn and grow and spend more time with the other Professionals in the game.”
It is that process of bettering the student that has driven Watson’s other passion in recent months. At the age of just twenty-three, he, along with five other partners, opened Strokes Gained Studios in Brookvale.
An innovative all-in-one golf facility, Watson is proud to combine the most advanced in golf performance technology, with a purpose-built physical training centre to offer a one-stop-shop for golfers looking to realise their potential.
“Whether it’s through technique or skill instruction, personal training, physio, we feel like we are that one-stop shop to either prolong your career, or to help you towards your specific goals and get better,” Watson explains. “The whole team here is TPI qualified, has an interest in golf and a real passion to help people improve.”
Combining TrackMan simulators, SAM Putt Lab, Capto Precision Putting, Watson and his team have left no stone unturned in providing golfers the resources they need to succeed.
“You look at the best players in the world and they have got a swing coach, a personal trainer, a dietitian, a sports-psychologist – so we know that in order to perform, you need to be as well-rounded as possible,” he says. “So that all-encompassing approach to your game is what we are trying to offer.”
Evidently, they are scratching an itch, too, having registered more than 50 members in their first three months, and also signing deals with clubs in the local area to extend their innovative offering to more golfers than ever.
“We’ve definitely got a winning formula at Strokes Gained,” Watson smiles. “Whether we are helping professional golfers or everyday players, seeing them get better is our long-term goal.”
As he enjoys the process of running his own business, Watson has come to realise the appetite that currently exists for golf’s alternative formats, and is confident that the industry is heading in the right direction by embracing that.
I think it’s great to see the game moving away from just being played in traditional formats,” he says. “It’s only going to get more people into golf; all the indoor centres are awesome, interactive and attracting a new demographic.
“We also need to remember that because we are so time poor, people want things instantly and this new approach means they can go there and get their golf fix, rather than relying on spending a long time away from family.”
More broadly, Watson believes that PGA Professionals have the chance to utilise indoor golf facilities to offer a welcoming introduction to the game to ensure a positive first experience for more golfers than ever before.
“A soft introduction is an important thing – getting people involved in the first instance,” says Watson. “Understanding all of these innovations and changes, ultimately our role as PGA Members is to continue to give a good experience.”
The PGA will be running a coach certification course in partnership with Circles on March 8th and 9th at the PGA Learning Hub, Sandhurst Victoria. This programme has been delivered to over 350 leading coaches across USA, China, and New Zealand. The Circles’ Coach Certification Programme educates and supports coaches to understand & implement a data-led coaching program and is most suitable for those who are interested in implementing data-led coaching insights, and are prepared to dedicate time to achieving this for the long-term profitability & success of their business.
More information on the Circles’ Coach Certification Programme and registration is available: HERE
You can find your nearest PGA Professional, accredited to help you in all aspects of your game, using our updated Find a PGA Pro platform at: https://pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro/