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At 38 years of age there is still much that Marc Leishman wants to achieve. A six-time PGA Tour winner, there is a Major itch Leishman is still desperate to scratch and the Tokyo Olympian has his sights set on donning the green and gold at least once more at Le Golf National in Paris in 2024.
Yet for a professional golfer who has had to confront life’s harsh realities head on, Leishman has already considered what comes next.
When his wife Audrey became gravely ill in 2015 and was given little chance of survival, Warrnambool’s favourite son’s first thought was of quitting the game entirely and raising his two boys back in Australia.
But Audrey’s miraculous recovery and the arrival of daughter Eva completed the family dynamic and allowed Leishman to refocus on what he wanted to achieve, both on and off the golf course.
With Audrey taking the lead he has helped to establish the Begin Again Foundation that includes the LeishLine Financial Aid Fund, which to date has awarded 415 one-time $1,000 grants to sepsis, acute respiratory distress or toxic shock syndrome survivors throughout America.
As a one-month promotion for the Foundation, Leishman Lager was developed in 2019 and given his knockabout personality, love of a frothy and home country’s fondness for a drop it is now in more than 300 venues throughout Australia.
Such is his interest in expanding his off-course involvements Leishman took advantage of the opportunity to talk business with one of golf’s most expansive entrepreneurs, our very own Greg Norman.
Partnered with Cam Smith at last year’s QBE Shootout in Florida, Leishman sat with Norman not in hopes of replicating the Great White Shark Enterprise portfolio but to simply glean some gold nuggets that he can apply to his own interests.
“Obviously he’s been very successful so I picked his brain a little bit on a few different things,” revealed Leishman ahead of this week’s Houston Open.
“What he said made a lot of sense. I knew why he was successful already but now that I’ve spoken to him a bit about it, I understand how he’s gone about it and why he is as successful as he is.
“As an elite athlete you’re always looking to learn and get better. It’s not just on the golf course. It’s as a person, as a businessman, as a dad, everything.
“Coming into my late 30s, you start thinking about that. You don’t know how long you’re going to be able to play golf for and you want to be able to do something afterwards.
“I’m just doing stuff that I enjoy. Everything I do, I enjoy. I don’t do anything that seems like a chore which is a good thing.
“I’ve been really lucky with my golf that I’ve been successful. I probably don’t have to do any of that other stuff but I’m always thinking ahead.
“When I do finish playing golf – hopefully it’s not for another 15 years – but when I do I want to have something to keep striving towards and keep getting better and keep improving.
“I don’t want to be sitting around and not having a whole lot to do.
“I need a purpose.”
While he is as hands on as he can be, Leishman attributes his growing brewing empire and philanthropic efforts to the people he has around him.
As President, Audrey drives much of the Begin Again Foundation activity – “I’ve just got to be in certain places at certain times” – and Leishman Lager is a passion project for which he is happy to serve as chief taste tester.
“The beer’s a lot of fun,” Leishman concedes.
“Just going and spending some time with the boys and something that I can do when golf’s done.
“It started out just as a one-month beer for our foundation here in Virginia Beach.
“It’s expanded throughout Virginia, we’re in Florida as well, and then obviously we started the Leishman Lager in Australia.
“That’s gone Australia wide already. Anywhere in Australia that you want to get the beer, you can get it. If golf clubs want it, we have reps that they can get it from.
“We’re at over 300 venues now in Australia and we’re looking to expand that.”
In the first of a series of PGA Flashbacks detailing the five Australians to have won the US PGA Championship we unveil the dramatic finale to Jim Ferrier’s triumph in 1947 and thus becoming Australia’s first Major champion.
Walter Hagen described him as the “greatest golfer of all time”.
Byron Nelson, who refereed the 36-hole final, declared he “is the greatest I ever saw at getting down with a chip and single putt”.
Although a naturalised US citizen at the time of winning, Jim Ferrier’s 1947 US PGA Championship broke down the barrier to Major championship glory for Australian golfers and cemented his stature as one of the greatest players of his time.
The son of Manly Golf Club secretary Ben Ferrier, Jim Ferrier was destined for the golf course yet his brazen approach to both his play and sense of style caused angst within the Australian golf hierarchy.
Winner of the NSW Amateur Championship in 1931 at just 16 years of age, Ferrier’s mix of bright pullovers and powerful yet at times erratic play was unlike anything the genteel golf aristocracy had previously witnessed.
He added to his 1931 victory with further NSW Amateur titles in 1934, 1937 and 1938 and was the Australian Amateur champion four times between 1935 and 1939. In 1938 and 1939 he also won the Australian Open.
Yet the publication of a book titled How I Play Golf and his unwillingness to serve two years in a pro shop before turning professional convinced Ferrier to move to America at 25 years of age.
Unable to play in the 1940 US Amateur due to having published a book, Ferrier turned professional in 1941 based out of the Elmhurst Country Club near Chicago.
The first of his 17 PGA TOUR wins didn’t come until the Oakland Open in 1944 but top-10 finishes in both the Masters and US Open had Ferrier well fancied for the 1947 US PGA Championship.
Having set the qualifying record of 134 strokes the year prior and a leading contender in the early majors of 1947, Ferrier was regarded as one of the tournament favourites as players gathered at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield, Michigan.
Announcing he would only continue to play the Masters annually, Byron Nelson was a notable absentee but when the strokeplay section began defending champion Ben Hogan was considered the man to beat, the Daily Oklahoman describing the Plum Hollow layout as “made to order for his game”.
Opening with a 2-under par 70, Ferrier qualified for the matchplay section comfortably with a second round of even par 72 to finish five shots back of medallist Jimmy Demaret with Claude Harmon, Bobby Locke and Sam Snead also prominent.
It took until the 19th hole for Ferrier to edge Willie Goggin in the first round and when he moved past Herman Barron 3&2 in the second round set up a showdown with Harmon in the round of 16.
Ferrier’s defeat of Harmon at the 37th hole was considered an upset in the local Detroit press and set up a quarter-final against 1946 US Open champion Lloyd Mangrum.
He accounted for Mangrum 4&3 and when he eagled the first hole in his 36-hole semi-final match with Art Bell to take a lead he would never relinquish, Ferrier ensured his place in the final against Melvin ‘Chick’ Harbert.
The record books show that Ferrier triumphed 2&1 yet the drama that unfolded remains etched in American golf folklore.
In front of a crowd of some 6,000 spectators, Ferrier was said to have seven times benefited from his ball bouncing back into the fairway after hitting a member of the gallery while Harbert’s hopes faded after he hit a lady spectator on the sixth hole of the afternoon round and caromed out of bounds, the resulting penalty stroke allowing Ferrier to win the hole and take the lead.
But the final is perhaps best remembered for the daring and somewhat fortunate shot that Ferrier played on the third hole of the afternoon round when a wayward tee shot seemed destined to result in a penalty stroke of his own. Instead, Ferrier was granted a free drop after his ball landed on top of a tarpaulin spread over a hedge.
He would have to play a sweeping hook around trees and from a maintenance yard littered with garden tools in order to reach the green with his 5-iron and he did so in spectacular fashion.
Ferrier subsequently made the putt from 15 feet and proceeded to use his putter as a magic wand the remainder of the round, requiring just 54 putts for the 35 holes and only once being required to putt twice by Harbert; the 35th and final hole of the championship.
“When I saw this fellow in 1930 I thought he was the greatest golfer of all time, and I still think so,” Hagen declared in the locker room that evening.
Ferrier’s Major victory signalled the start of an extraordinary period of success on the PGA TOUR.
Less than two months later he shot 66 in the final round to win the St Paul Open and between 1948 and 1952 would add a further 14 PGA TOUR wins to his tally.
He won the Canadian Open on two occasions and twice partnered with Sam Snead to win the Inverness Invitational Four-ball.
He was 46 years of age when he won his 18th and final PGA TOUR title – the 1961 Almaden Open Invitational – and was runner-up at the 1950 Masters and 1960 US PGA championships.
Ferrier’s five wins on the PGA TOUR in 1951 was the most by an Australian in one season until it was matched by Jason Day in 2015, who claimed the US PGA Championship that same year.
He was made a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1985 and died a year later in Burbank, California at the age of 71.
He would have been showered with presents on his 40th birthday this August yet Jarrod Lyle’s greatest gift might be to help children fighting cancer better understand their illness and the treatment they are receiving.
For the third year the #DoingItForJarrod campaign supported by both the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia will raise funds for Challenge to help children and families dealing with cancer, Australian golf clubs invited to host a day, wear yellow and collect a gold donation from participants.
The #DoingItForJarrod campaign will run for three months from August through to October with Saturday, August 21 to represent both a sombre occasion and a day of celebration.
It is the day of Jarrod Lyle’s 40th birthday, his passing three years ago devastating friends, family and the entire golf world yet his legacy of kindness and good humour carries forward through his long association with Challenge.
First diagnosed with Leukaemia in 1999, Lyle became a Challenge Ambassador in 2004 with the primary aim of easing the pressure and pain of those who go through what he and his family endured on three separate occasions.
All monies raised during the #DoingItForJarrod campaign go towards Jarrod’s Gift to continue his work of advocating, understanding and raising awareness to support kids travelling a similar journey to his own.
“We are currently working on our first project, which is to create a special resource that will help to teach kids about cancer,” explained Jarrod’s wife, Briony Lyle.
“For many years, cartoonist Mark Knight has given his time and expertise to Challenge by creating images and illustrations that help explain aspects of cancer and cancer treatments in a way children can understand.
“So far these incredible illustrations have only been used within the Challenge organisation and among our families, and it is our goal to compile them into a single resource that we hope to make available to anyone who needs it.
“Jarrod often said he learnt far more from Mark’s images than he did from his own doctors and he knew firsthand how hard it was to talk about cancer to young children, which is why we are undertaking this project as part of Jarrod’s Gift.”
For Australian golf clubs the process is simple:
“In his role as ambassador for Challenge, Jarrod didn’t do anything big and flashy but instead focused on smaller, more practical things,” Briony said.
“He knew that the big, once-in-a-lifetime experiences were great for the kids, but he also understood that it was often more important to help get the family through one day and on to the next.
“With the money raised by golf clubs around Australia, we want to make sure our families continue to get through each day and can hopefully make their way through their individual cancer journeys.”
Saturday, August 21 will be a popular choice as organisers aim for a total of 300 #DoingItForJarrod days across the country and Briony has no doubt as to how Jarrod would have celebrated turning 40.
“More than likely he would be at Shepparton Golf Club, playing a round with his good mates, talking shit about their footy teams and their golf swings,” Briony pondered.
“He’d call in to his Nan’s house for some sweet treats for afternoon tea and then a barbecue dinner in someone’s backyard.
“There would be a mountain of presents (because he loved getting presents!), a plate of fairy bread that he would eat all by himself and ice cream cake.
“He would make sure it was a celebration that would be enjoyed by his own kids as much as by his adult mates.”
And that is a spirit everyone in Australian golf can celebrate.
The #DoingItForJarrod campaign has partnered with Titleist, Jarrod’s life-long golf sponsor, allowing every participating golf club to receive a #DoingItForJarrod Prize Pack which includes products unique to this campaign. Each year, #DoingItForJarrod culminates in Yellow Day at the Australian PGA Championship where a special Honour Board is revealed with the names of every participating golf club. In addition, every golf club that takes part is entered into the annual Major Prize Draw which gives three individuals a money-can’t-buy experience at the Australian PGA Championship.
Challenge is a not-for-profit organisation that provides daily support for children and families living with cancer or a life-threatening blood disorder from the time of diagnosis, through treatment and beyond. It is a unique organisation that has a very personal connection to the families it supports.
Minjee Lee has become the first “graduate” to dip into her own pocket to help fund Golf Australia’s high performance pathway through its revolutionary Give Back program.
Lee, 24, has paid a percentage of her winnings from 2020, essentially to invest in the next generation of elite amateurs as they seek to emulate her professional achievements.
It is the first formal donation since Give Back – a mandatory program for national or rookie squad players – was formalised in 2015.
“I think it’s a really special thing to do,” said world No.12 Lee, herself a dual recipient of the similar Karrie Webb Scholarship in 2013 and 2014.
“All the things I got out of Golf Australia’s high performance pathway really helped me to this point in my career, so I’m really happy to be able to give back to the kids who are in the program right now.
“I’ve watched `Webby’ giving back for so long, so I feel like I’m following in her footsteps to give back to the kids and leave the next generation of golfers in Australia in a better place.
“That was my goal when I was growing up and about to turn professional, so it’s a great honour for me.”
Give Back is simple. Once athletes reach a world rankings threshold – top 125 for men and top 50 for women – a small percentage of their prizemoney is returned to high performance programs throughout Australia.
Golf Australia high performance general manager Brad James was delighted that all athletes had so enthusiastically bought into the concept.
“It is important for the future of Australian golf to build a system and culture whereby athletes contribute back to the game, particularly in cases where athletes have achieved considerable on-course financial success,” James said.
“All the key stakeholders of Australian golf have played a pivotal role in the success of our international stars and Minjee is no different.
“We are collectively extremely proud of her achievements and we know that her leading role in Give Back will inspire more Australians to play more golf – and just maybe help us find that next champion.”
West Australian Lee has been a fixture in the world top 10 for the past three years.
She has five wins on the LPGA Tour, won on the LET last year and has two Vic Open crowns on home soil.
The Royal Fremantle member was an Olympian in 2016 at Rio and is again almost certain to represent Australia in Tokyo this year.
James said no athlete would be asked to give back for more than five years, nor more than the funds they received through the program when they were participants.
There is no compulsion for players who don’t reach those benchmarks to contribute and endorsement deals aren’t taken into account.
Money will only be given back once an athlete reaches his or her sixth year as a professional. This allows athletes time to establish themselves before the commitment begins.
WPGA Tour chief executive Karen Lunn said GA’s rookie program had been critical in establishing Lee as a world-class player.
“This funding enabled her to embark on her professional career with all of the resources she required and without many of the stresses so many young players have to deal with,” Lunn said.
“It is fantastic to see that now Minjee has firmly established herself as one of the world’s leading players, she is in a position to contribute to the Give Back program which will ensure that other talented young Australians benefit in the future.”
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland was delighted Lee had become the first to contribute back to the “groundbreaking” program.
“In giving back to her sport, Minjee is recognising where she has come from and is paving the way for the next generation of talented golfers to follow her and benefit from our high performance program,” Sutherland said.
“This is a great credit to Minjee – and whilst she may be the first, we know she won’t be the last world class Australian golfer to give back.”
Bundaberg Golf Club has claimed a thrilling victory at the 2019/20 Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final as the team from Yowani Country Club was crowned the Women’s Final champions.
Conditions at Twin Waters Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast could not have been better for the final round of the 2019/20 Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final.
Monday’s third and final round went down to the wire as a flurry of Clubhouse leaders, including RACV Club Healesville and Town of 1770, each took their turn at the top of the leaderboard.
An unbelievable finish in the form of a scintillating eagle on the final hole saw overnight leaders Bundaberg Golf Club storm home to clinch the 2019/20 title over RACV Club Healesville.
Their final round 56.9 nett result gave Bundaberg a 163.7 total across the tournament to steal the win from RACV Club Healesville by just 0.4 shots.
The par-3 17th hole only saw four birdies all day, yet Bundaberg Golf Club found a way to secure a much-needed birdie thanks to Tim Russell, who drained a monster 50 foot putt to put himself within reach of personal back-to-back Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final victories.
This left the team of Head Professional Mick Murnane, Josiah Manteit, Nicole Allen, Thomas Jameon and Russell with an intense final hole, where only an eagle would give them the win.
“Just as we arrived at the 18th tee we saw Town of 1770’s score in the clubhouse and thought we needed at a birdie to tie and eagle to win. Then as we were about to hit our second shot we saw RACV Healesville edge them by 0.6 and knew we needed an eagle here to win,” said Murnane.
“Josiah was sitting 210 out, from the rough and a slight downhill lie and he goes and puts it to ten foot for the eagle putt, the purest shot hit all day.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the team as they struggled to find their rhythm early in the round.
“We were sitting 130 out on hole 13 when Tim Russell hit the flagstick, we then had a 10 foot putt which we all missed,” said Murnane.
“We were thinking it was just going to be one of those days. We might not have been feeling our best this morning so I think we will be keeping things fairly tame and just quietly enjoying ourselves.”
In his first appearance in the Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final Murnane was ecstatic to be taking home the victory after a thoroughly enjoyed four days.
“It’s amazing,” said Murnane. “Such a great tournament, you can see why everyone wants to get involved in these events because it is just so much fun.”
Following a surge up the leaderboard in round two of the 2019/20 Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final, the women’s team from Yowani Country Club aimed to build on their two shot lead coming into the final round.
The team, consisting members of Margo Bain, Roseanna Barritt-Eyles, Patricia Noel and Rhonda Riches led by PGA Professional Paul Finkle, carded a third round of 7-under 56 for a nett score of 59.1.
Their third-round effort took the team to a total of 170.3 and an unassailable four shot lead over second placed Prospect Vale Golf Club.
Yowani Head Professional Paul Finkle was tasked with keeping his team composed from the first tee, saying: “we want to keep a calm head today and just play our natural game.”
“We didn’t look at the scores all day, we didn’t want any added pressure as some of the girls were a bit nervous as we began this morning.”
Finkle was wrapped with his team’s performance and ability to hold onto to their strong overnight lead.
“The teamwork the ladies showed out there today was just great,” said Finkle.
“We are all very happy with our effort. We worked pretty hard today so it is a great feeling to get the win.”
Finkle was quick to appreciate how their strong performance in round two set them up in an ideal position coming into the final day.
“A really good day yesterday was key.”
In their quest to reach the Championship Final Finkle thanked Yownai’s local Volkswagen Dealership for their support alongside Volkswagen Group Australia’s sponsorship of the Scramble over the last few years.
“Our local Dealer has been sponsoring our Yowani event for years now so it’s great to be able to repay their faith in us with a win at the Championship Final.”
Finkle hopes his victory in the Championship Final will act as a stepping stone and spur on fellow Scramblers in the ACT to get involved in the events as the Volkswagen Scramble continues to grow.
For all the round three scores and final results please click HERE.
Highlights were plenty during the second round of the Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final at Twin Waters Golf Club with Gailes Golf Club Head Professional Brent Barlow stealing the limelight with an incredible hole-in-one effort on the par-3 seventh.
Playing in his fourth Championship Final at Twin Waters, Barlow is no stranger to the big stage and the Twin Waters layout. After 36 years of playing golf Barlow was certain he would never achieve the glory of a hole-in-one, however, he now finds himself with two inside as many months.
You can view the full wrap up on the incredible shot here.
Moving day well and truly earned its name with both the Championship Final and Women’s Championship Final seeing new leaders after the second round.
The team from Bundaberg Golf Club, led by PGA Professional Mick Murnane, stepped up their game by posting a red-hot score of 13-under 59 for a nett score of 50.9, the lowest nett score posted so far this weekend. This gives them a 106.8 nett total coming into the final round.
The team consisting of Head Professional Mick Murnane, Josiah Manteit, Nicole Allen, Thomas Jameon and Tim Russell felt confident ahead of their second round which was a sign of things to come as they hit a run of five birdies through the first five holes.
“Everything clicked a little bit better,” explained Murnane. “As soon as someone hit an average shot someone hit one to ten feet and then drained the putt.”
Bundaberg team member Tim Russell played an integral role in the 2019 Championship Final-winning team with Bargara Golf Club and has high hopes of going back-to-back this year.
“He’s an absolute weapon. He hits the ball further than anyone you have ever seen,” said Murnane.
“Even with the course playing a little damp, he is still hitting some 320 and 330 metres.”
Having taken the win in a sudden death playoff in 2019, there is no doubt that Russell’s experience will come in handy during the Championship Round on Monday as they look to hold off Barossa Valley Golf Club who sit just a single shot behind after posting back-to-back nett scores of 53.9.
Round one leaders RACV Club Healesville are also well within reach from just one shot further back following their nett 55.7 score in round two.
Murnane is keen to see what unfolds on Monday.
“If we play our best, we could certainly take it away from them.”
Leading the charge into the final round in the Women’s Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final is Yowani Golf Club, led by Head Professional Paul Finkle and consisting of Margo Bain, Roseanna Barritt-Eyles, Patricia Noel and Rhonda Riches.
Both leading teams putting in 13-under 59 off the stick, giving the Yowani ladies a 53.1 nett score and a handy two shot lead over round one leaders Prospect Vale Country Club. They will have some work to do tomorrow to hang onto the lead as the greens aren’t giving much away.
In typical Scramble fashion, Finkle complemented the camaraderie and teamwork of the team in round two, stating: “all the girls were sensational today, I couldn’t pick a standout.”
Will that two-shot lead be enough to see Finkle and the Yowani team claim victory tomorrow?
“It depends how we fair tonight,” joked Finkle. “But I think if we keep playing like we did today we are in with a good chance.”
The Championship round of the 54-hole tournament starts at 10.40 on Monday and you can CLICK HERE to view the leaderboard and follow the action.
A new program unveiled by the PGA of Australia and WPGA aims to not only provide an inviting entry point for women new to the game of golf but also showcase the female coaches who can guide them.
The Women’s Golf Network was launched at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne on March 22 and was followed by a full day of clinics and networking for 80 participants at Ballarat Golf Club.
With sponsorship from both adidas and Callaway REVA they represent the first of 12 clinics to be conducted around the country by mid-July with an expectation that more will follow in the second half of the year.
Each day consists of an adidas Performance Clinic for established golfers and the Callaway REVA Beginner Clinic for those new to the game and continues the collaboration between the PGA of Australia and the rebranded WPGA Tour.
The goals are twofold. To provide an encouraging environment for women eager to try golf for the first time and to provide a pathway for existing golfers to further their games and perhaps join the growing number of women working within the golf industry.
“Golf has seen a surge in popularity over the past 12 months but we understand that some women can find that initial introduction to the game somewhat intimidating,” says WPGA CEO Karen Lunn.
“With the Women’s Golf Network we wanted to create an opportunity for ladies to come and try golf in clinics run by our female PGA Professionals and for those girls and ladies already playing to receive expert coaching and get the most out of their golf.”
Lee Harrington completed her traineeship at Riverside Oaks in the mid-1990s and now runs The Golf School based at Palm Meadows Driving Range on the Gold Coast.
As a past board member of the ALPG and currently Director of Development for the WPGA, Harrington has no doubt that exclusively using female Professionals provides the environment that women new to the game are looking for.
States such as Queensland and New South Wales have seen increases in female participation of some 25 per cent year on year in the summer just past. Whether returning to the game or new golfers completely, the Women’s Golf Network caters to all women.
“The comment that we hear is that it is nice to spend some time with a female coach,” says Harrington.
“Every coach communicates a little bit differently but I’d like to think as female PGA Professionals we’re fairly engaging.
“For those in the adidas Performance Clinic, we conduct a clinic in the morning and then send them out onto the golf course in the afternoon.
“Those in the Callaway REVA Beginner Clinic join us for lunch and networking, participate in a clinic with our coaches and then we all finish together with networking drinks.”
Currently making up just six per cent of all PGA Professionals in Australia, the Women’s Golf Network also serves as a showcase of female coaches, PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman hopeful that number will increase significantly in the coming years.
“In order to have more female coaches we need more women playing the game so the Women’s Golf Network is first and foremost a way to encourage more female golfers,” Kirkman says.
“But as their journey in golf continues we hope that they will see the opportunities available to them within the golf industry, one of which is to undertake our Member Pathway Program and one day move into coaching themselves.
“The industry has recognised that greater engagement with women is integral to the future health of our sport and a big part of that is having talented and accomplished female coaches at our golf clubs.”
Given such significant growth within the female sector the past year Harrington believes more clubs than ever recognise the value that having more women at their facilities represents to the business.
“Overall I think clubs as a business understand the value of the female and the family more than they ever have,” says Harrington.
“That’s good for the bottom line and good for getting more women and beginners into the game.”
The Women’s Golf Network aims to inspire women to play golf by showcasing female professional golfers; providing a warm environment to play golf and the opportunity to network with like-minded women. The Women’s Golf Network mantra is to be inspired, have fun, play golf. The next Women’s Golf Network event will be held at Royal Canberra Golf Club on Monday, April 19 with further clinics to be held in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. www.womensgolfnetwork.com.au
Women’s Golf Network schedule
April 19 Royal Canberra GC
April 26 Latrobe GC
May 9 Bunbury GC
May 13 Wembley GC
May 20 The Grange GC
May 24 The Lakes GC
June 3 Long Reef GC
June 6 Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC
July 11 Windaroo Lakes GC
TBC Moore Park GC
Our partner, Swiss luxury watch brand TAG Heuer has revamped and upgraded the popular Golf Edition of its Connected watch, introducing improved mapping and an innovative club recommendation tool.
The TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition, launched in June of 2020, quickly established itself as the smartwatch of choice for the global golfing community. The brand’s CEO Frédéric Arnault explains, “Playing with a TAG Heuer Connected is a true game-changer that will give any golfer an immediate competitive edge. And it does so without compromising on elegance and style.”
Professional golfer and TAG Heuer brand ambassador Tommy Fleetwood says, “I love wearing this watch both on and off the course. The features are really well thought out, making the game more precise and I can’t think of a golfer whose game wouldn’t benefit from it. If I could choose one stand out feature for me, I really enjoy the distance shot feature, I see how my drive is performing on the golf course taking into account the real conditions I am playing in, the timing of this has worked perfectly for me as I’ve been testing my new clubs.”
Features include:
Improved 2D & 3D mapping
TAG Heuer Golf has always visually stood out with its unique mapping technology, displaying interactive 2D maps on the watch, and realistic 3D courses on the phone. But TAG Heuer is bringing the experience to another level with this latest update. The Connected Watch now displays upgraded 2D maps with even more details, including forests and single trees. The mobile application also comes with massive 3D map improvements, both on Android and iOS, as all textures (water, rough, fairway, etc) and assets (trees, walls, etc) have been upgraded. On iOS devices, TAG Heuer innovated by using SceneKit, the latest Apple high-level 3D graphics framework, to make the 3D renderings more detailed than ever. IOS users will even enjoy simulated shot trajectory for better post-round visualization on their phone. The overall feel and design make the experience more realistic than ever before and recall the visuals seen on telecasts of professional tournaments. These renderings are unique to TAG Heuer Golf and show the brand’s commitment to constant innovation.
The Driving Zone feature, unique to TAG Heuer, has met with great success since its launch in June 2020. It automatically shows players the landing zone of their previous tee shots, helping them adopt the strategy that suits them best.
The TAG Heuer Golf app has accurate, up-to-date maps of more than 40,000 courses around the world and can accompany any player no matter where their love for the sport takes them.
Club recommendation
One of the most exciting new features on the watch is the innovative club recommendation tool. As the user moves the target on the map, he is recommended the right club based on distance. The user can first set up distances for each of his club, and the watch will then take into account the shots he recorded for even better recommendation. The feature can be easily disabled for players in tournaments or on courses where its use is not allowed.
Enhanced scoring
Keeping score on the watch is one of the features most appreciated by Golf Edition owners. The revamp of the app now enables visualizing the score in stroke play, stableford, or match play, making the watch the perfect companion for friendly rounds as well as competitions.
For players who wish to play with both their TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition watch and their smartphone, a new built-in Bluetooth connection allows for faster synchronization, which delivers an even smoother experience when starting a round or synchronizing scores and shots.
Click here for more information: https://www.tagheuer.com/golf.html
Australian golf is riding a new wave of popularity with huge participation rises recorded over the summer.
Figures released by Golf Australia today show that handicap rounds of golf played leapt by 12 per cent in the 2020-21 summer months compared to the previous summer’s figures.
The figures are tracked by GA using data from its national computerised GOLF Link handicap service over December 2020 and January-February 2021. They do not include casual, non-handicapped golf, which also has seen big rises in playing numbers.
There were 2.89 million rounds played in summer 2020-21 compared to 2.58 million rounds in the previous summer.
Encouragingly for golf, the biggest advances came in lower age groups.
The 10-14 years age bracket jumped 30.2 per cent, the 20-24 years group leapt by 54.5 per cent and the 25-29 years group rose by 49.8 per cent over the summer months.
Of the states, New South Wales recorded the highest increase at 22.6 per cent over the three-month period. Queensland was next with a 20.8 per cent increase.
New South Wales and Queensland recorded the biggest jumps in rounds played by women at a whopping 25 per cent higher than last summer.
Handicap rounds of golf were up by three per cent in calendar year 2020, despite golf courses being closed in one of the most popular golf states, Victoria, for much of the winter. Nationally there were 11.06 million competition rounds played compared to 10.73 million in 2019.
The numbers are at levels never previously experienced in the 10 years the GOLF Link service has delivered comprehensive reach across Australia’s affiliated clubs.
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said that while the past 12 months had seen a clear surge in golf participation, the game had been presented with a significant opportunity for further growth.
Club membership figures for 2020 have not been released but to the end of October 2020, more than 42,000 new members had joined clubs around Australia, indicating a strong increase in the annual figure is on the cards.
Website traffic at golf.org.au has risen, too. During the seven main weeks of summer (15 December to 31 January), the website saw an 11 per cent lift in users compared with the same period in 2019-20, and a 16 per cent increase in new users.
Channel Seven’s mini-golf reality show, Holey Moley, won the ratings battle with 983,000 viewers on its opening night last month, and was a spectacular success in an environment where golf is looking for new entry points for players.
“We expected families and kids to embrace Holey Moley, but the public reaction went well beyond our expectations,” said Sutherland. “From the feedback I’ve seen come out of many mini golf facilities around Australia, Holey Moley has inspired huge numbers of kids and younger adults to get a club in their hands and to give golf a go. That’s really exciting for anyone who loves our game.”
Overseas, the situation is similar, with golf experiencing a worldwide boom.
In the United States, total rounds of golf played in 2020 were up 13.9 per cent over 2019, according to Golf Datatech, which describes this as a record increase.
The previous-best number was a 5.7 per cent surge in rounds in 2012, with Golf Datatech providing the figures since 1998.
In New Zealand, huge rises have been reported in rounds played through the latter part of 2020, as high as 39 per cent up in September.
“Golf is being seen for exactly what it is: a safe, outdoor, healthy and sociable way to spend time,” said Sutherland.
“Every bit of data that we’ve collected since the beginning of last year has reinforced what we’ve seen and heard anecdotally – that golf clubs and facilities were thriving again.
“Our job is to ensure these increases are a part of a long-term trend, and are not just a temporary spike. We are about continuing to build on the ground that has been made.”
Sutherland said participation programs such as Get Into Golf, the MyGolf junior clinics and Vision 2025, the women’s participation strategy, had all made an impact at grassroots level.
“Golf delivers significant physical and mental health benefits to its participants, which has been particularly valuable over the past 12 months. It’s the perfect game for social distancing.
“It’s a game for everyone, and it’s a game for life.”
adidas has expanded its apparel and headwear partnership with the PGA of Australia to become its official footwear partner and naming rights partner of the PGA’s Pro-Am Series.
In addition, adidas will also become the official apparel and footwear partner of the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
“This is a first for both the PGA and WPGA tours to collaborate on a commercial partnership such as this, and we look forward to continuing to provide a range of opportunities across both organisations for our existing and future partners,” said Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia.
The PGA and WPGA will provide engagement opportunities to their Members and adidas will have access to both organisations’ range of digital and broadcast assets to engage Australian golf fans.
The adidas Pro-Am Series is a national event platform for both professional and amateur golfers. A feeder tour for the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, the adidas Pro-Am Series hosts tournaments all across Australia and New Zealand with close to 200 events run at local golf clubs.
🎥 Episode 1: Golf with Grylls – a rough time
— #ThePlayersSeries (@PGAofAustralia) January 29, 2021
We could all lean on the help from one of the world’s greatest adventurers to help find our lost golf balls ⛳️
🗞️ https://t.co/HjtHimAdDM
@adidasau @adidasGolf pic.twitter.com/ygSZ6GSeta
Chief executive of the WPGA Tour of Australasia Karen Lunn said she was excited to align with one of the world’s most recognisable and iconic brands.
“In partnering with both the PGA of Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia, adidas will be represented at every level of the professional game in our country and we applaud them for promoting diversity and inclusion in our sport.”
General Manager of adidas Golf Pacific, Darryn Lowe, was thrilled to extend their footprint in supporting the growth of women’s golf.
“Through these partnerships, we will be able to connect with more golfers than ever before in a fun a progressive way while further supporting the growth of the game,’ Lowe said.
The PGA and WPGA will launch this new expanded partnership with adidas at this weekend’s Players Series tournament at Rosebud Country Club.
The Players Series is a new and innovative tournament concept developed by the PGA and WPGA tours, and will feature the country’s leading male and female professionals competing in the same field for the same prize purse
The Players Series Victoria will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo on Saturday and Sunday.
