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City Golf Club’s Minami Inoue has emerged victorious from a marathon week of strokeplay and match play to become the first player of Asian heritage to win the Pampling Plate.
Starting with a two-hole playoff to snare a Round 1 bye as one of the top eight qualifiers in Monday’s 36-hole strokeplay at Caboolture Golf Club, Inoue played a total of 99 holes across three days to earn a spot in Thursday’s final against Southport Golf Club’s Justin Morley.
That match would ebb and flow throughout the day, Inoue ultimately bringing the week to an end at the 34th hole with a 3&2 win.
Winner of the Norris Motor Group Associate Pro-Am at Royal Queensland Golf Club earlier in the year, Inoue was thrilled to claim another of the marquee events on the Queensland PGA Associates calendar.
“At Royal Queensland, just a little bit of that extra money just sort of gets me going I think,” said Inoue, who was presented the Pampling Plate by sponsor Rod Pampling’s mother, Marge.
“And the competition gets a little bit trickier. Everyone’s pretty much a striker around here, so you’ve got to really play well and I did, so that’s good.”
Born in Japan before moving to Australia with his family aged six, Inoue was 2 up after just three holes on Thursday morning but was unable to push further ahead.
Morley dragged the match back to all square by winning the 10th and 11th holes and then went 1 up when he won the 14th.
Inoue won the next hole to level the match again through 18 holes, Morley fighting back once again to square the match with nine holes to play.
Wins at the 28th and 29th holes would give Inoue a buffer that he would never give up, pushing further ahead by winning the 32nd hole to go 3 up with four to play.
“Iron off the tee was my play,” said Inoue, who barely missed a fairway across the 34 holes and went eight extra holes against James Bonnor on Tuesday to qualify for the quarter-finals.
“I think I only hit five drivers during the whole 18 round. You’ve got to just hit irons off the tee no matter what on a lot of doglegs and just find a fairway.
“When you find fairways, you are beating the field. When you hit it in the rough, well you have to scramble. You can’t hit the greens and expect it to be inside that 10-foot range.
“So yeah, fairway is key.
“I was looking at the names underneath the plate and there wasn’t any Asian names, so that’s pretty cool. I’ll be the first one in there.”
It was a courageous performance from Morley who went two extra holes before defeating Jack Jones in Round 1 of the match play and then upset defending champion Reilly Wunderlich in Round 2.
“No doubt, a little bit of a disappointing day for sure after such a long week to get myself into a position,” said Morley.
“Mentally, it’s a draining week. You definitely have to prepare yourself for that situation.
“Physically… I’m honestly physically exhausted and the last 10 holes or so out there, I couldn’t even feel my right arm.
“It’s taken a toll. The amount of golf that I’ve had to play this week – had a few extra holes on Tuesday morning and went the distance most of the other matches – so I think it’s somewhere around 141 holes over four days.”
In the third-place playoff, Queensland PGA Associate Captain Jordan Rooke defeated Jordy McGarry 1 up.
Marathon man Minami Inoue survived a quarter-final scare and then claimed a semi-final scalp to book his place in the 36-hole final of the Pampling Plate Match Play at Caboolture Golf Club.
The City Golf Club Associate will face off against Justin Morley from Southport Golf Club on Thursday after both won their semi-final matches 2&1 on Wednesday afternoon.
On the back of eight extra holes in his Round of 16 match that went late into Tuesday, Inoue looked like joining a host of other top feeds to have fallen when he trailed 3 down against Caerwyn Ross with just six holes to play.
Starting with winning the 13th hole, Inoue completed an unlikely comeback when he won the 15th, 16th and 18th holes to advance to the semi-finals.
It was there that he met Jordan Rooke, winning three holes straight from the ninth hole to seal a 2&1 win in a match in which he never trailed.
“I was honestly thinking that I lost. I was like, I’m done,” said Inoue, who credited fellow Associate Jayke Merrell who was on the bag for turning his fortunes around.
“I wasn’t going to be sad about it, but then, yeah, for some reason he (Merrell) put another gear into me so it was good.”
The match against Rooke was absorbing from the outset.
Rooke twice fought back to square the match and pushed Inoue all the way to the 17th hole, Inoue winning the penultimate hole to claim victory.
“Rooke is such a nice bloke,” Inoue added.
“I hated saying, ‘Oh, you got to putt that from four feet.’ I hated saying that, but we both played amazing.”
While Inoue has played 97 holes in three days to make the final, Morley has played 107, including two extra holes in the opening round of match play on Tuesday.
His quarter-final match against Garry Kissick was all square through 10 holes before Morley won three holes in succession on his way to a 3&2 win.
Against Jordy McGarry in the semi-final, Morley won the second hole yet, like the other semi-final, McGarry twice squared the match.
It was all square through 12 holes until Morley won the 13th and 15th holes and then halved the 16th and 17th holes to book his place in Thursday’s final.
The 36-hole final will tee off at 7:20am with the 18-hole third-place playoff between McGarry and Rooke to tee off at 11:30am.
Jeremy Ward obtained full membership of the PGA of Australia 15 years ago and now sits at the centre of a three-generational tradition that is as old as the PGA itself.
Applications for the 2026 Membership Pathway Program have been open since July 1, providing not only an opportunity for enthusiastic and dedicated golfers to pursue a career in the golf industry but for existing PGA Members to help mould the next generation of PGA Members.
Ward learned the true value of mentorship first under Bruce Burrows and then David Northey at Castle Hill Country Club, Ward and Northey continuing to catch up to talk life and pro shop retail operations over dinner.
Ward has other mentors whom he seeks out to talk coaching and is now sharing that knowledge with Associates he supervises in his role as Head Professional at Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney.
Currently, Ward has Sam Reece at Oatlands in the second year of the MPP while 2025 graduate Max Dakic recently moved to the United States to take up the position of Assistant Professional at the prestigious Montecito Club in California.
It is this progression that Ward values most as a Supervising Professional.
“I’m so proud of him for that,” Ward said of Dakic, who only left Oatlands in April. “I just love that part of it.
“We have FaceTime calls every couple of weeks and he’s telling me what it’s all about.
“With Sam, I have watched this young man grow. His personality has come out over the last two years and he’s just a completely different human being.
“I’m always receiving positive feedback from members about Sam, which is awesome. That’s why I do it.”
As a Supervising Professional, Ward endeavours to instil a high level of professionalism within his Associates while offering opportunity to explore areas of the business and take responsibility for particular areas of the shop.
During his time under Ward, Dakic was trusted with the responsibility of food and drink ordering for the pro shop while, in a short space of time, Reece has become the go-to man for club repairs at Oatlands.
“A lot of the members go to Sam now for repairs,” Ward explained.
“He’ll complete the work, I’ll go and have a look at it, make sure that he’s on the right track, but that’s it. For the most part, I just let him go because he has earned that right over the past 12 months to be the repair guy.
“He’ll zip off to the repair bench and spend an hour or two there doing whatever work that needs to be done and he can do that completely unsupervised.”
It is Ward’s view that by providing an opportunity for growth, Associates don’t only become more highly-skilled, they absorb an element of the daily workload that provides the Supervising Professional time to conduct lessons and circulate amongst the membership.
Crediting former Oatlands General Manager and fellow PGA Professional Sam Howe for understanding the value of a PGA Professional, Ward invests the time saved through his Associates to better serve the Oatlands members.
“Knowing that they’re capable of doing the work allows me to do my job properly and frees me up to build relationships with members and coach,” Ward added.
As for his role within the chain of accumulated knowledge within the PGA of Australia Membership, Ward believes it is a duty that every PGA Professional should seek to accept.
“I’m a direct result of a guy like David Northey, who I learned so much from,” said Ward.
“I’m sure he felt a responsibility over me, to make sure that I finished with some idea as to how to run a golf shop and how to be a Head Professional or a Director of Golf.
“It’s the same with the Associates that I take on. I see myself as being responsible for the finished product after three years and I also feel a continued responsibility to mentor them even after their time with me has ended.
“I feel like that is my duty as a PGA Professional.”
There is still time to apply for the Membership Pathway Program. For more information click here.
Damon Stephenson is the new Zigrete Queensland PGA Associates champion after a rollercoaster final day at Windaroo Lakes.
The leader after all three rounds, building on his gap to his nearest challengers each day, Stephenson surrendered a four-shot advantage early in the final round before rallying on the back nine to score a one-shot victory – his first in a four-round professional event.
A second year associate pro at nearby Gainsborough Greens Golf Club, Stephenson finished at 8-under-par for the tournament after his closing 3-over-par 76, holing a curling three-metre par putt on the final hole to see off ACT’s Lachlan Chamberlain (73) by a single shot.
Drew Herbert’s best of the day 6-under-par 67 moved him into outright third place, two back.
Stephenson’s hard-earned four-shot overnight lead disappeared within six holes today thanks to a double-bogey and two bogeys and a charge from former champion Jack Wright who went 4-under-par through the same stretch.
“I went out with a four-shot lead, not being complacent at all, but it disappeared really quickly and then it was a mental reset,” Stephenson said.
“It was like ‘okay, we’re tied for the lead. How do we approach this now’?”
While Wright, who had started the day seven behind, fell away on the back nine, Stephenson showed great resilience to birdie 10, 12 and 13 to regain his advantage.
Chamberlain moved back in touch thanks to an eagle on 16 and had a real chance to force a playoff when the leader bogeyed the 17th to see his margin cut to one and then missed the final green with his approach shot.
“I was reading the putt (to win) and I could feel myself getting emotional about it, thinking about making it,” Stephenson said.
“I had to snap back and realise you’ve just got to hit a good putt here. You’ve still got to make it, otherwise you’re going to a playoff.
“I got back in the present and just read it perfectly. It was lightning fast, broke about three cups and it went right in the heart. It was awesome.”
Next on his target list – a bottle of celebratory red wine with his father and maybe a late start at work at tomorrow.
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasted minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
Leaderboard
1 Damon Stephenson 74-69-72-76 (284)
2 Lachlan Chamberlain 69-70-73-73 (285)
3 Drew Herbert 72-71-76-67 (286)
T4 Dylan Knox 73-70-69-76 (288)
T4 Justin Morley 71-74-73-70 (288)
6 Jack Wright 70-72-73-75 (290)
T7Jordan Rooke 79-69-71-73 (292)
T7 Campbell Jones 73-75-74-70 (292)
T9 Conor Whitelock 69-77-70-79 (295)
T9 Samuel Reece 74-74-73-75 (295)
Damon Stephenson is one round away from completing an all-the-way victory in the 2025 Zigcrete QLD PGA Associate Championship at Windaroo Lakes.
The leader by two shots following round one and three shots after round two, Stephenson will take a four-stroke lead into Thursday’s final round after shooting a 1-under-par 72 today.
His nearest challengers are fellow Queenslander Dylan Knox, whose 69 was the best score in round three, and ACT’s Lachlan Chamberlain who lost ground with his 73.
Chasing his biggest win as a professional, Stephenson’s steady third round included two birdies and the solitary bogey to move him to 11-under for the tournament.
“I’m in a good position,” the Gainsborough Greens associate professional said.
“I just need to execute my game plan, stick to my process and do what I’ve been doing and hopefully that’s good enough at the end of the week.
“Nothing’s going to change in terms of prep. Just go home, recover, rest up and a bit of a later tee time so a bit more sleep and get back out here tomorrow.”
Knox made his move with a back nine of 4-under 33. After being six shots behind Stephenson following round one, he has four to make up on the final day.
“I was just giving myself a lot of birdie looks and chances and that’s all I can really ask for out there, Knox, a third year associate from Indooroopilly Golf Club, said.
“I’ve really got to compliment my iron play. That’s something I’ve been working pretty hard on and I’m really happy with it.”
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
Leaderboard
1 Damon Stephenson 74-69-72 (208)
T2 Dylan Knox 73-70-69 (212)
T2 Lachlan Chamberlain 69-70-73 (212)
T4 Jack Wright 70-72-73 (215)
T4 Beau Lavery 69-71-75 (215)
6 Conor Whitelock 69-77-70 (216)
7 Justin Morley 71-74-73 (218)
T8 Jordan Rooke 79-69-71 (219)
T8 Drew Herbert 72-71-76 (219)
For the second straight year, Damon Stephenson is the 36-hole leader at the Zigcrete QLD PGA Associate Championship at Windaroo Lakes.
The associate professional at nearby Gainsborough Greens followed up his opening round 67 with a 69 today to be 10-under-par for the tournament, three shots clear of ACT’s Lachlan Chamberlain (69-70).
In last year’s event, Stephenson led by four at the halfway mark before eventually finishing third.
“Everything’s in a good spot,” the 32-year-old said.
“Head feels good, swing feels good. Last year was last year, this year’s this year so it is just going to be about staying present, staying patient and just trying to execute my game plan.”
Stephenson has had 13 birdies throughout the first two rounds but noted the par-5s at Windaroo had not been as gettable as they were in this championship last October.
“A lot of the fives, which were probably iron into last year, are now either a 3-iron hybrid or a 3-wood,” he said.
“It’s more about leaving those approaches in the right spot around the greens to give yourself an easy up and down.”
Chamberlain, with top-10s on his record from both the NSW and Victoria Associate Championships, is on his first visit to Windaroo Lakes but has shown he will be a threat over the final two rounds.
“It’s my first time seeing the course and I’m enjoying it,” he said.
“Getting used to the grain has been a little bit tricky coming from Canberra so that’s been a bit of an adjustment.”
The big move in the second round came from Jordan Rooke who followed an opening 79 with a 4-under-par 69 to climb to a share of 13th place.
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
Leaderboard
1 Damon Stephenson – 67-69 (136)
2 Lachlan Chamberlain – 69-70 (139)
3 Beau Lavery – 69-71 (140)
4 Jack Wright – 70-72 (142)
T5 Drew Herbert – 72-71 (143)
T5 Dylan Knox – 73-70 (143)
T7 Bronson White – 69-76 (145)
T7 Justin Morley – 71-74 (145)
T7 Minami Inoue – 75-70 (146)
Opting for a late change of mind with his putter proved to be a good decision for Damon Stephenson who leads the 2025 Zigcrete QLD PGA Associate Championship by two shots after day one at Windaroo Lakes Golf Course.
Stephenson shot a 6-under-par 67 to lead a group of five players following a round that featured eight birdies, the leader revealing post-round the thinking behind his equipment switch the night before the opening round.
“I’ve been tossing up between two putters this week. I had the Scotty Cameron and the L.A.B. which I’ve been using for about eight months,” Stephenson said.
“I played the practice round with the Scotty yesterday and then woke up this morning and said ‘nah, put the L.A.B. in’. It was a pretty last-minute thing, but I just went back to what was comfortable and putted pretty well for most of the day.”
Based at nearby Gainsborough Greens, Stephenson caught fire on the front nine, with birdies at the third, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in just 31 shots.
His back nine started with a couple of bogeys but three birdies in a row from the 13th hole ensured the 32-year-old would be the overnight leader.
“It was relatively stress-free. Obviously pretty good scoring conditions today with no wind and pretty soft,” Stephenson said.
While the Queensland PGA Associates Championships has been dominated by players from the south-east corner of the state, Beau Lavery, from Rowes Bay Golf Club in Townsville, is flying the flag for the northerners.
He is part of the group of four players at 4-under-par following a round that was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 12th.
Also firing 69s on day one were Bronson White (Noosa), Conor Whitelock (Brisbane), and Lachlan Chamberlain (Gold Creek).
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
The second round gets underway at 7am Tuesday.
Leaderboard
67: Damon Stephenson
69: Bronson White, Conor Whitelock, Beau Lavery, Lachlan Chamberlain
70: Jack Wright, Caerwyn Ross, Kane Whitelock
71: Justin Morley
The Queensland PGA Associate Championship will take place at Windaroo Lakes Golf Course for the seventh straight year but in a new spot on the calendar and with a new title sponsor.
Moving from its traditional date in October, the 72-hole 2025 Zigcrete Queensland PGA Associate Championship starts Monday, June 2 and will draw Associates currently undertaking the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program from across Australia to the City of Logan.
With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional.
In his final year of the Membership Pathway Program (MPP) at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club, Jack Wright will return to defend the title that he won in dramatic fashion last year but face stiff opposition from fellow Queenslanders and interstate players alike.
Damon Stephenson, Wade Edwards and Dylan Knox are other strong contenders from Queensland, Victoria’s hopes will be led by Lachlan Chamberlain and Ryan Isherwood while Thomas Heaton, Ho Tae Kim and Lachlan Tisma are expected to feature from New South Wales.
With close to 100 aspiring professionals set to tee it up for the richest purse in the tournament’s history, City of Logan Mayor Jon Raven is thrilled that the tournament will be held in the region for the seventh year in succession.
“The City of Logan is a great place to live, work and play which means it’s also an amazing location to host the Queensland PGA Associate Championship,” Mayor Raven said.
“We love having this event in Logan and want to keep it here for as long as we can.
“Windaroo Lakes Golf Course is a great course from the tee to the green which is why it’s able to attract this high-profile competition here.
“I’m sure the 2025 event will be action-packed, and I wish all the players success on the course.”
Given the flooding that the course sustained in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred in March, PGA Membership Services Coordinator for Queensland and the Northern Territory, Mark Weir, paid tribute to the course staff at Windaroo Lakes to get the course ready for a June hosting.
“The event has been held in October in the past so it’s been an amazing effort from Course Superintendent Daniel Stack and his team to get the course to get the course back in such great condition after Cyclone Alfred,” said Weir.
“The Queensland PGA Associate Championship has made Windaroo Lakes and the City of Logan its home in recent years and, with the support of Zigcrete, we’re thrilled to increase total prize money on offer once again.”
When the tournament nears its conclusion on Thursday, June 5, all attention will turn to the final four holes at Windaroo Lakes.
The party hole at the par-3 15th will bring the energy while the par-5 16th – affectionately known as ‘Snake Gully’ for the water that winds its way down the left – will bring the drama.
PGA Associate Katie Buckley hopes to see golf clubs across Australia express their creative side after launching a recycling initiative with a difference at Townsville Golf Club.
In the first year of the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program, Buckley transferred from the New South Wales South Coast to North Queensland earlier this year, a phone call from none other than seven-time major winner Karrie Webb convincing to pack the car – and her cat Denzel – and head north.
Shortly after arriving, Buckley was made aware of broken tees from the golf course being washed into adjoining waterways and, ultimately, out onto the Great Barrier Reef.
Sensing an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the club’s environmental impact while also feeding her creative side, Buckley instigated a ‘teecycling’ program that will result in an artwork that will be displayed in the clubhouse.
“We asked everyone to pick up five tees when they went out and played and to put them in a vase that we have on the counter at the pro shop,” says Buckley.
“The members got really engaged with it and the vase filled up really fast. Then the juniors got really excited and made it a little game within themselves.
“I’d be out playing and they would run over from other fairways with bundles of tees that they had collected.”
But it is not just the members at Townsville Golf Club who are excited by Buckley’s ‘teecycling’ program.
Rosemary Veitch is not only a member and Women’s Golf Group Coordinator at Townsville Golf Club but also a Townsville Northern Suburbs Lions Club member.
She presented the idea to a meeting of Lions Clubs in North Queensland, word spreading as far as south-east Queensland as ‘teecycling’ took on a life of its own.
“Rosemary’s very passionate about recycling and the environment so she was really excited when I wanted to do it,” Buckley adds.
“As well as the wooden tees, there are lots of little plastic tees that get broken which go into the waterways which is washing into our ecosystems with the animals and then feeds out into the reef water.
“As Rosemary said, it’s a little thing that everyone can do and it’s so easy to do, but actually if you compile it, it makes such a big difference.
“It was such a little idea. We’ll pick up the tees because they’re a problem and I’ll make an art project. And then within a couple of months, it’s literally spreading across Queensland and got so much interest, which is really cool.”
It also reaffirmed to Webb why she was so eager to have someone such as Buckley complete her PGA training at Townsville Golf Club.
“You can see how enthusiastic and full of energy she is,” Webb says.
“I think she’s someone that brings people together and all golf clubs need people like her.
“I look forward to seeing what Katie’s organised when I’m home next.”
With the vase on the pro shop constantly filling up, Buckley hopes to unveil her artwork to the Townsville members in March next year.
She is keeping tight-lipped on what can possibly be created with thousands of broken tees but would love to see other creative types express their visions at golf clubs across Australia.
“I went and played an Associates match at Tropics Golf Club recently and they had my poster up and a vase on the counter with tees in it,” she adds.
“I didn’t even know they were doing that, so it was cool to walk into another golf club and see it happening.
“Hopefully we see some cool art projects popping up in random golf courses all over Australia and perhaps I could judge them.
“I would love that. That would be right up my alley.”
He was handed a golf club after being plucked from the surf on the New South Wales South Coast and now Wil Daibarra will join a line-up of some of the world’s best golfers at the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Daibarra arrived at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Monday still in something of a daze, granted a place in the field courtesy of his come-from-behind victory at last week’s PGA Associate National Championship at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
It’s not unlike his introduction to the sport, invited to give it a go by then Kiama Golf Club Professional Shaun O’Toole as he walked through the golf course surfboard tucked under his arm.
So taken was O’Toole by this surfer kid with a natural swing that he had him playing junior pennants in a matter of weeks.
That season, Daibarra went through undefeated.
“He was walking past the tee with the surfboard under his arm,” O’Toole recalled.
“Two of his mates were playing and I said, ‘You going to have a hit?’ He said, ‘I haven’t had a hit.’
“He had a go and I thought he had a good swing without even ever being shown.”
Under the guidance of first O’Toole and Elle Sandak and, most recently, Toby McGeachie at Links Shell Cove, Daibarra’s game flourished.
In a region that has produced the likes of Jordan Zunic and Travis Smyth in recent years, Daibarra was projected to follow a similar path.
Recruited to play pennants at Bonnie Doon Golf Club in Sydney, COVID stalled his playing opportunities, the now 22-year-old option to begin the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program.
He is now in his final year as an Associate and has a renewed belief that his game could be good enough to mix it with the best in the game.
“I felt like my first couple of years I wasn’t kind of maximising what I thought I was capable of,” said Daibarra, who was unable to opt into the Playing stream of the Membership Pathway Program at the start of the year but will play with Kiwi Sam Jones and fellow Aussie James Conran in rounds one and two.
“I kind of just always found myself feeling a bit bummed-out at the end of tournaments.
“Last week was really good, to finally play one that I felt like that’s how I should be playing.
“I’ve still got enough time to try practise and really try to push the playing stuff now. And then if it doesn’t work out, I’ve got coaching or something to fall back on.”
Having seen the raw talent and freedom with which he played as a junior, O’Toole’s only advice is for Daibarra to tap into the laidback attitude that made him such a prolific winner.
“I had kids in state teams and Australian teams and whatever – I worked a lot with good kids – and he just had something in the swing that looked good to me,” said O’Toole.
“It was like there was no pressure on him at all because he had no expectations.
“He just went out and played and he just kept winning. And he thought it was the easiest game in the world.
“He can hit every shot they can hit. If he can go in and play like he used to play, like a big kid with no pressure, that would be great to see.”
