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Victorian Joel Mitchell has set his sights on more state success after cruising to an eight-stroke victory at the ADH Club Car WA PGA Associate Championship at Chequers Golf Club.
Runner-up at the Victorian PGA Associate Championship at Tocumwal in April, Mitchell took what appeared to be an unassailable six-stroke advantage into the fourth and final round on Tuesday.
That margin ballooned to eight when Lakelands Country Club Associate Daniel Hoeve double-bogeyed the first hole of the day, Mitchell maintaining his eight-stroke lead until the very end.
A third-year Associate at Rosanna Golf Club in Melbourne, Mitchell will now turn his attention to the NSW/ACT PGA Associate Championship at Tura Beach Country Club starting next Tuesday followed by the Queensland PGA Associate Championship in October.
It’s all part of making his final year as a PGA Associate one where he maximises his playing opportunities.
“I always had eyes for playing a lot more this year, especially late last year when I was having a bit of success in the pro-ams,” said Mitchell.
“I’ll keep that going for the rest of the year and hopefully win a couple more.
“All that’s changed really is that I’m playing more days during the week rather than playing a match on Monday and then trying to get to the range.
“A lot more golf during the week has helped.”
With Hoeve’s early stumble, a closing round of 2-over 73 and 2-under total was enough for Mitchell to record a comfortable win.
One-under through 12 holes, Mitchell dropped four shots in the space of three holes but steadied with a birdie at 16 to keep the likes of Hoeve at bay.
“I tend to be a very aggressive player so taking the foot off the gas is not a style I like,” Mitchell added.
“I tend to feel a bit claustrophobic when I’m doing that so I had to still be aggressive.
“The game plan doesn’t change at all, it’s more a case of not letting the lead slip and to try and build it if possible.
“Even though today’s result in terms of the individual round wasn’t amazing and not what I was looking for, there was a little bit of a hiccup late in the round but I was able to hold it together.”
After his unfortunate start Hoeve closed with a round of 4-over 75 to snare outright second, seven shots clear of Jeffrey Ahn (79) from Hartfield Country Club.
Victorian Joel Mitchell produced the round of the tournament in Round 2 and then bettered it by one to take complete command of the ADH Club Car WA PGA Associate Championship at Chequers Golf Club.
The tight, tree-lined layout 45 minutes north-east of Perth has provided a stern test to Associates from all around the country yet Mitchell mastered it on a 36-hole day two to move out to a six-stroke lead.
Tied with Daniel Hoeve (Lakelands Country Club) after Round 1, Mitchell shot 2-under 69 in Round 2 on Monday morning and then went one better with a 3-under 68 in Round 3 to build a handy buffer heading into Tuesday’s final round.
“I had the driver on a string, which was really good,” said the third-year PGA Associate at Rosanna Golf Club in Melbourne.
“The course is extremely tight and the greens are very small so picking your spots is very important.
“I hit a lot more greens today which helped out the putting a little bit; wasn’t too much stress on those up-and-downs.
“Then you’re just waiting for the putts to drop and a few of them did today.”
Starting from the 10th tee, three birdies in the space of four holes on his back nine gave Mitchell a three-shot lead heading into Round 3.
It was on the front nine again where he excelled, picking up shots at three, six and eight before really separating himself from the field with an eagle at the par-5 10th.
Back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13 gave the chasing pack a brief respite before he steadied with five straight pars to be 4-under through 54 holes.
“Through 10 everything was going pretty good. Driver was going nice and straight, putts were dropping,” Mitchell added.
“I made one little mistake going into that par 5 due to a poor second shot. The other bogey I didn’t really deserve so it wasn’t like it was getting into my head, more holding on to the round.”
Playing in WA for the first time, Mitchell was full of praise for the playing surfaces on offer at Chequers Golf Club.
“Never played in WA before and I’m very impressed,” he said.
“They’re the best fairways I’ve played on in a while in terms of kikuyu. This is awesome to play on some good fairways.
“The greens are challenging. They’re a very, very strong grass so that is a challenge but other than that it’s been working for the week.”
The final round begins at 7.30am AWST with the final group of Mitchell (-4), Hoeve (+2) and Jeffrey Ahn (+5) to tee off at 8.18am.
Daniel Hoeve and Joel Mitchell will start Round 2 two shots clear of the field after the pair delivered the best scores on day one of the ADH Club Car WA PGA Associate Championship.
With three-time defending champion Josh Herrero now a full PGA Member, the small yet competitive field are fighting it out to add their name to an honour roll that also boasts Ritchie Smith, coach of Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee and Hannah Green, among others.
The Chequers Golf Club 45 minutes north-east of Perth more than held its own in Round 1, Hoeve and Mitchell navigating the tight fairways and small greens best with rounds of 1-over 72.
Based at Lakelands Country Club, Hoeve had just the one birdie and two bogeys in his round, his patient approach not yielding the results he might have hoped on the greens.
“Quite a few two-putts. Hit quite a few greens in regulation,” was Hoeve’s summary.
“It’s pretty narrow. Tiny targets, tiny greens, greens are tricky to read. Condition-wise the course was great, you’ve just got to keep it in play.
“Hit fairways, hit greens in regulation and if you’re on the green you’re not going to have too long of a putt.”
Like Hoeve, Mitchell had two bogeys and a birdie in his round of 72, his birdie coming at his very first hole, the par-5 10th.
A third year PGA Associate at Rosanna Golf Club in Victoria, Mitchell dropped back to even par with a bogey at the par-4 16th and then joined Hoeve at 1-over with a dropped shot at the par-5 sixth.
Three players are in a share of third at 3-over 74, Fritz Arnold (Lake Karrinyup Country Club), Arno Madel (Busselton Golf Club) and Mitchell Jovic (Royal Perth Golf Club) all two strokes off the lead.
PGA Associates from Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria are competing to claim the WA PGA Associate crown, 84 amateurs playing alongside them in Round 1 on Sunday.
Players will complete 36 holes on Monday with Round 2 to tee off from 7am and Round 3 12pm AWST.
Christine Shin’s deafness means she’s never heard the distinctive sound of a well-struck drive but golf is filling her life with something greater.
Her PGA Women in Golf Scholarship has launched her into Year One of the Membership Pathway Program at Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club in Sydney’s north.
For Shin, 23, she counts the benefits from pursuing golf as a career almost daily beside Terrey Hills Head Professional Glenn Knott.
Those gains may be invisible to some, but mixing with a greater range of people and feeling more confident about solving problems she may have avoided in the past are just two strong examples in everyday life.
“As someone born with congenital deafness, I have encountered numerous obstacles in my life,” Shin explains.
“My journey with golf has been transformational, empowering me with confidence, social connections and vital life skills.
“I am extremely grateful for this scholarship. It enables me to continue my education and to realise my dream of growing the game of golf for children with disabilities.”
Shin was born deaf and wears cochlear implants. She has never let it define her on course and had a string of teenage achievements in Sydney’s west while a member at Castle Hill Country Club.
“My early childhood years were challenging due to my hearing impairment and it took me longer to develop my speech and communication skills than other children,” Shin adds.
“Discovering golf at 12 was life-changing. As I improved my golfing abilities, I also noticed a remarkable increase in my self-confidence.
“Golf allowed me to interact with people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures and I developed strong social skills from communicating with the ladies at Castle Hill.
“While my golf handicap went down, so too did the apparent impact of my hearing handicap on my life.”
Shin won the women’s title, at 19, at the 2019 Australian Deaf Championships at Tasmania’s Prospect Vale Golf Club when playing off a handicap of 6. She’s currently off 5.7.
Working in the pro shop at Terrey Hills at a busy Sydney golf club has been an upbeat move.
“Working here has boosted my self-confidence with the learning of new skills. In the beginning, I was a bit insecure but as I’ve gained more experience and mastered my tasks, my confidence has increased,” she says.
“I also feel more confident in my skills after compliments from my managers and co-workers. At Terrey Hills, the work atmosphere is encouraging and welcoming, which contributes significantly.”
Shin’s view on the game of golf as a broader vehicle to help within the community is an admirable take for one so young.
“I aim to make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities. I believe that the game of golf can help these children develop critical skills, such as confidence, teamwork and social connections, just as it did for me,” Shin says.
“I also want to show others that having a disability does not stop you from achieving your goals and making an impact in society.”
Her ambitions are encouraged through the Membership Pathway Program.
“I hope to become a PGA member, pursue a teaching career, promote inclusiveness, motivate others, advocate for greater accessibility to golf for people with disabilities, help others develop their skills and have fun doing it,” Shin adds.
Continue on this positive path and she’ll feel the impact around her, if not the sounds of laughter and success. It’s like flushing a driver off the tee.
“I might not hear a well-hit driver but my body still feels the impact of a well-hit drive,” she says.
“When I make a clean touch and see the ball fly through the air, I feel accomplished and satisfied.”
Applications are now open for the Membership Pathway Program. For more information on the various career opportunities on offer visit pga.org.au/education/membership-pathway-program/
For further information on the PGA Women in Golf Scholarship Fund, visit pga.org.au/education/pga-women-in-golf-scholarship-fund/
Like many Aussie kids, Arthur Barakat’s introduction to golf came through his father. After watching his dad head off to Cumberland Country Golf Club with his friends after taking up the sport later in life, eight-year-old Arthur soon began to tag along. He was almost instantly besotted by a sport his grandparents knew nothing about.
That is the reality of second and third generation Australians of migrant parents whose direct family members come from countries where golf is traditionally played by only a select few.
There is only one golf course in Lebanon – the Golf Club of Lebanon in Beirut – but Barakat is one of a handful of Lebanese golfers around the world who have been chosen to help grow the game within the Lebanese community.
By flying the flag of Lebanon in top amateur and professional tournaments, Barakat hopes to open the game up to a whole generation of golfers from many communities who might never have had the opportunity to play.
“We’re trying to grow the game of golf for kids of all different backgrounds,” said Barakat, who is in the third year of the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program at Cumberland Country Golf Club in western Sydney.
“When I first started playing junior golf and pennants, there wasn’t really many people from the Middle East playing. I see now with a lot of the kids that I coach, there’s a lot more kids from different backgrounds and different nationalities.”
Featured in the Daily Telegraph as a 15-year-old with aspirations of playing on the PGA TOUR, Barakat’s amateur results caught the eye of the Lebanese Golf Federation.
In truth, they were simply looking for golfers of Lebanese background with handicaps.
In Lebanon, the LGF tries to spread the game of golf through visits to schools but they recognised that assisting Lebanese players to reach the highest level of the sport would be an inspiration in itself.
When the likes of Min Woo Lee, David Micheluzzi, Zach Murray, Blake Windred and Dylan Perry were representing Australia at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Barakat was also on the leaderboard, the Lebanese flag displayed proudly beside his name.
At The DGC Open in Delhi in March, Barakat and American Peter Badawy created history as the first Lebanese players to tee it up in an Asian Tour event.
His ultimate aspiration remains to play on the PGA TOUR but Barakat knows that any exposure to high-level professional golf will trickle down to an increase in people of Lebanese descent taking up the game.
“There might be some Lebanese kids in Sydney or America who never really thought about taking up the game,” Barakat reasons.
“I know with my grandparents, some of them don’t even know what golf is.
“Us being there flying the flag is motivating for these kids.
“I couldn’t have done it without the support of the members at Cumberland. They raised the money for me to be able to go.
“To be honest, I think they might have been even more excited than I was!”
Two paths into professional golf
When Barakat made an admittedly nervy start to the opening round of The DGC Open, he had a steadying influence right by his side.
In something of a reversal of their regular routine, Barakat had Cumberland Country Golf Club PGA Professional Joanne Bannerman on the bag.
As Barakat tossed up whether to pursue a university degree or chase his dream of becoming a professional golfer, it was Bannerman who opened his eyes to opportunities offered by the Membership Pathway Program.
COVID-19 may have delayed his start date by a year but Barakat began the MPP in 2021 and has never looked back.
Not only has he received awards for his academic performance, Barakat has won a number of open matches, crediting Bannerman for the support she has provided every step of the way.
“Jo has been a massive influence on me,” Barakat added.
“She was on annual leave the week before my first PGA Associate match. She came back from her holiday to give me a lesson and help me out before my first tournament. I’ll never forget that. I don’t know how many supervising pros who would do that.
“Jo is always learning and improving and it was great to see her win the 2020 PGA National Club Professional of the Year. She really deserves that.”
Barakat, too, is having a positive influence on the membership at Cumberland.
By representing his heritage so proudly, he shows junior golfers that there is a place within golf for everyone, no matter their background.
He estimates that there are now more than 10 Cumberland members of Lebanese background and is regularly encouraging them to bring friends out to play at the club.
Just as he hopes to provide inspiration by his own performances on the golf course on the global stage, Barakat acknowledges that as a PGA Professional he can have a significant impact at a local level.
“There’s only one golf club in Lebanon at the moment, which I visited back in 2019,” Barakat said.
“Their goal is to bring joy and a refuge for kids to go and play the sport and just bring joy to people.
“In Lebanon at the moment it’s still pretty tough, in terms of living circumstances. It’s still a Third World country, especially with the explosion they had there in 2020 which wasn’t good and set the country back a fair bit.
“They’re trying to find role models around the world who come from a Lebanese background and try and inspire kids to take up the sport, not only in Lebanon but around the world.
“If I can be a role model for some of those kids to look up to as a PGA Professional, that’s a massive achievement I think.”
But now that he has had a taste of life on tour, Barakat has been inspired himself to continue to chase his dreams.
Once he completes the MPP at the end of this year he will seek further playing opportunities internationally, the prospect of representing Lebanon at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles an enticing one.
“We talked about having an Olympic team coming up in the next Olympics after Paris. That would be massive for the game of golf in Lebanon,” Barakat said.
A final round of four-over 76 has seen Hervey Bay’s Lachlan Wood finish in a tie for eighth at the inaugural G4D Open at Woburn’s Duchess Course in England.
Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor took out overall honours with a three-round total of three-over par, edging reigning Australian All Abilities champion Kipp Popert by two strokes.
Wood posted 18-over for the three rounds to lead the four Australian representatives home, a 10-over 82 on day one proving to be the difference in pushing for higher honours.
Only Lawlor and Popert bettered Wood’s score of 152 for the final two rounds, the third year PGA Associate closing with two birdies and six bogeys in a world-class field.
After bogeys at two and four in the final round Wood picked up a shot at the par-5 sixth but bogeyed nine to turn in two-over.
He dropped a shot on 11 before making his second birdie of the day at the par-4 12th. Bogeys at 13 and 14 followed but he parred his way in to guarantee a top-10 finish.
Prior to leaving Australia, Wood racked up victories at the Vic Open Inclusive Championship, TPS Hunter Valley All Abilities, NZ All Abilities and the Queensland Inclusive Championship.
Now 32 years of age, Wood was seriously injured while a passenger in a single-car accident in Rosebud at the age of 16.
It has left him with a left leg held together by 14 screws and a metal plate bigger than his hand.
His back still bears the long scar from where two muscles were taken to graft into the repair work on his shattered and now shorter left leg. He has had more than 30 surgeries and there will be more to come.
Of the other Aussies, veteran Geoff Nicholas was tied for 23rd, Webex All Abilities series winner Cameron Pollard finished 30th and Adam Letherbarrow 71st.
One of the rounds of the day has moved Hervey Bay’s Lachlan Wood to within two strokes of the top 10 with one round to play at the G4D Open in London.
A third year PGA Associate at Hervey Bay Golf Club in Queensland, Wood’s four-over par 76 was bettered by only six players on Thursday as Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor moved to a one-stroke lead from Australian All Abilities champion Kipp Popert.
The two leading players on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) are separated by just a single stroke going into the final 18 holes over the renowned Duchess Course.
Ireland’s Lawlor, the world No.2, missed chances with his putter in a two-over-par second round of 74 yet still signed for an impressive level-par total of 144.
World No.1 Popert, 24, dropped three shots in his first four holes but, like his opening round, the Englishman recovered on the back nine to post a three-over 75 and trail by a shot on 145 for 36 holes.
After a 10-over 82 on day one Wood made a shaky start with back-to-back bogeys.
He got those back with birdies at four and six before dropping a shot at seven.
A birdie on 12 got Wood back to one-over on his round before bogeys at 13, 14 and 18 saw him end the day in outright 12th position.
Geoff Nicholas and Cameron Pollard are both inside the top 30 despite enduring difficult days on Thursday.
Nicholas had nine bogeys, two double bogeys and a triple bogey in his round of 16-over 88 to fall to a tie for 20th while Pollard had eight bogeys, two doubles and a triple in his 15-over 87 to be in a tie for 28th.
Australia’s final representative, Adam Letherbarrow, had 106 in Round 2 to be tied for 68th.
Lachie Wood slept in his car and racked up more than 40,000km on the open road last year in the build-up to the peak event for the world’s best golfers with disability.
His start at The G4D Open at Woburn in England from Wednesday is the realisation of hard work and ambition for the third year PGA Associate at Hervey Bay Golf Club in Queensland.
The 54-hole tournament, launched by The R&A, is the “major” for all abilities golfers in the eyes of Wood and fellow Australians Cam Pollard, Geoff Nicholas and Adam Letherbarrow.
Wood’s recent 71-75 effort for four-over-par at the Queensland All Inclusive Championship at Redcliffe Golf Club was his fourth title this year. The Victorian Inclusive Championship, the TPS Hunter Valley All Abilities Championship and the New Zealand All Abilities Open have also fed his winning confidence.
He’s motivated to now prove himself at Woburn in the company of golfers like Ireland’s world No.2 Brendan Lawlor and English rankings-leader Kipp Popert.
Wood had his first look at Woburn in a Monday practice round with Popert, who was born with a form of cerebral palsy. Popert closed with a two-under 69 at Victoria Golf Club last December to win the Australian All Abilities Championship.
“It is exciting to think how far I’ve come this year from 50th to the world top 10 and what a good performance this week could mean,” Wood said.
“Last year, I had a mattress in the back of my SUV so I could sleep a night when I was driving around Queensland to different Monday trainee pro-ams as part of the PGA Membership Pathway Program.”
Cool, cloudy English weather this week poses its own hurdle for a golfer who has a shorter left leg held together by 14 screws and a plate since the major car accident that changed his life in his teens.
He feels the colder conditions through his hips, back and the metal in his legs which is one of the reasons he relocated to the warming Queensland sunshine from Rosebud on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
The field of 80 men and women drawn to The G4D Open represent the resilience of the human spirit as well the doorway that golf has opened for many. The upbeat Wood openly says golf “has changed my life”, even saved it.
Last month, Lawlor revelled in playing the ISPS HANDA Championship Japan on equal footing with the pros of the DP World Tour.
With 81-77, he missed the cut but changed perceptions for anyone who watched the high standard of his play.
The Irishman’s shorter stature and limbs stem from being born with the rare bone disorder Ellis-van Creveld Syndrome.
“It was a true honour in Japan to spread the word about disability golf to show that anything is possible. I try to surround myself with the best golfers so I can see how my game stands up,” Lawlor said.
PHOTO: Lachie Wood prepares at Woburn today. Photo: R&A Media
Tim Walker has overcome a nervy start to complete a commanding wire-to-wire win at the $50,000 Victorian PGA Associate Championship at Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club.
Six strokes clear at the start of Friday’s final round, Walker gave the chasing pack some encouragement with three early bogeys on Tocumwal’s Captains Course.
He’d made just one bogey in the 54 holes prior but bounced back quickly from his early miss-steps.
Birdies at 11 and 12 re-established his dominant position at the top of the leaderboard, sealing a seven-stroke win with a birdie from 30 feet to close out a two-under par round of 70 and 14-under total.
Although without a prior State Associate title, Walker’s form at Tocumwal had him pegged as a tournament favourite when play began on Tuesday.
The third year Associate at Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club had never shot over par in the previous three years of this tournament and commended the greens staff for the presentation of the course for the 2023 championship, declaring it the best he had ever seen it.
Walker also thanked his golf club and PGA Professionals Ben Davey and Stuart Byrnes for their support.
Rosanna Golf Club’s Joel Matthews delivered the best score of the final round, his five-under 67 elevating him all the way up to outright second at seven-under par.
The PGA were proud to announce earlier this week that the tournament will return to Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club in the Berrigan Shire until 2027 after committing to a five-year extension.
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Peninsula Kingswood Associate Tim Walker has tightened his grip on the Victorian PGA Associate Championship with a bogey-free five-under 67 at Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club on the Murray River.
Walker, a second year Associate at the 36-hole Mornington Peninsula facility, is 12-under through 54 holes and will take a six-stroke lead into Friday’s final round.
The former Mississippi State college representative has made just the one bogey through three rounds and was again flawless on Thursday.
It took until the ninth hole to register his first birdie for the day but he added four more at 11, 13, 17 and 18 to move well clear of his nearest rival, Queensland’s Jack Wright, who posted a two-under par 70 to sit at six-under and outright second.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Associate Baxter Droop fired a three-under 69 to elevate himself into third position and into the final group for Friday’s final round.
Reigning Victorian Order of Merit winner Sheradyn Johnson (73) is currently sitting in a tie for sixth alongside Wanasa Zhou (71) while Linus Yip matched Walker’s round-of-the-day 67 to move into a share of eighth at one-over par..
Friday’s final round will get underway at 8am off both the first and 10th tees with the leading group expected to tee off around 9.20am.
