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An extraordinary front nine highlighted by an albatross at the par-5 eighth has propelled Sanctuary Cove’s Mitchell Smith to a runaway nine-stroke victory at the GOLFMATE NSW/ACT PGA State Associate Championship.
Seeking to complete a wire-to-wire win at Moruya Golf Club on the New South Wales South Coast, Smith began the fourth and final round with a three-shot buffer, a lead that was reduced to two when Jackson Jubelin (Palm Meadows) opened his round with a birdie.
But after pars at his opening two holes Smith then set about separating himself from the rest of the field, making three straight birdies from the third hole and then holing his second shot from close to 200 metres out at the 468-metre par-5 eighth.
After a front-nine of 6-under 30 and with the chasing pack kept at bay, Smith made 10 pars in succession to complete a round of 6-under 65 – the best of the week – and record a dominant victory with a four-round total of 7-under.
A round of 1-under par 70 was enough for Goulburn’s Luke Humphries to claim outright second at 2-over par with Beau McDonald from Hawks Nest Golf Club finishing at 3-over par after also completing the final round in 1-under 70.
TOURNAMENT RAFFLE RESULTS
1st Place – Graeme Fairchild (1 set of Titleist T200 T-Series Steel Irons *Custom Fitted*)
2nd Place – Phil Chesham (1 Scotty Cameron Putter)
3rd Place – Mark McDougall (1 Riverside Oaks Stay & Play Package for two; including 2 rounds of golf with motorised cart plus 1 nights’ accommodation in a Deluxe Room with Breakfast)
4th Place – Jordan Peters (1 Mid-Week round of golf for 4 including Motorised Carts at Riverside Oaks Golf Resort)
5th Place – Ian Anlezark (1 Titleist Stand Bag)
6th Place – Greg Kable (1 Pair of Footjoy MyJoys)
A final round showdown looms at the GOLFMATE NSW/ACT PGA State Associate Championship after runaway leader Mitchell Smith came back to the field in Wednesday’s third round at Moruya Golf Club.
The icy blast sweeping the eastern seaboard hit hard on the New South Wales South Coast, a hailstorm forcing a brief postponement of play.
Eight shots clear at the halfway mark of the tournament, the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club Associate struggled to maintain his heady pace in the bitterly cold conditions, three bogeys on each nine adding up to a 6-over 77 to be the only player under par through 54 holes at 1-under.
As Smith struggled, fellow Queenslander Jackson Jubelin (Palm Meadows) made up ground albeit in wildly fluctuating fashion.
Despite bogeys at one and three and a double-bogey at the par-4 seventh, Jubelin made the turn in 1-over, two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine enabling him to cut the margin by five strokes with a third round of 72.
The two Maroons will have a host of New South Welshman hot on their heels on Thursday with Toby Williams (St Michaels) and former tour player Luke Humphries (Goulburn) four strokes back of Smith in a share of third.
Williams was the only player able to better par in Wednesday’s difficult conditions, his round of 3-under 68 featuring three straight birdies to close out the front nine and back-to-back birdies to complete his round and move inside the top five.
First groups tee off at 7.15am on Thursday morning with the group of Smith, Jubelin and Williams to commence their final rounds at 8.27am.
Sanctuary Cove’s Mitchell Smith shows no signs of slowing down as he extended his lead to an imposing eight shots at the halfway mark of the 2021 GOLFMATE NSW/ACT PGA State Associate Championship at Moruya Golf Club.
The New South Wales South Coast threw up some challenging conditions for players on day two but after a steady opening nine Smith continued to separate himself from the pack.
Backing up from a brilliant 5-under 66 in the first round, Smith made the turn in 1-over before moving to Moruya’s front nine where he picked up birdies on the second, fourth and eighth holes in a round of 2-under 69.
At 7-under through 36 holes Smith is eight strokes clear of Links Shell Cove’s Danielle Vasquez (73) and Palm Meadow’s Jackson Jubelin (74) with a total of 53 players qualifying for the final two rounds.
Two of just five Queenslanders to have made the cut, Smith and Jubelin will likely feel some State of Origin heat from the NSW players on their tails with Brayden Petersen (70) and Beau McDonald (73) in a share of fourth at 2-over through two rounds.
The third round will commence at 7am Wednesday morning.
Sanctuary Cove Associate Mitchell Smith has shown an instant affinity with the Moruya Golf Club layout on the New South Wales South Coast, taking the early lead at the 2021 GOLFMATE NSW/ACT PGA State Associate Championship.
Smith has already established a three-shot buffer at the top of the leaderboard following a brilliant round of 5-under 66 on Monday highlighted by an eagle three at the 468-metre par-5 eighth, fellow Gold Coaster Jackson Jubelin (Palm Meadows) in outright second at 2-under.
With four birdies and a lone bogey Smith’s round was all the more notable given he had only flown into Canberra and driven down to Moruya the day before but he quickly adjusted to Moruya Golf Club’s pure putting surfaces.
“It was good to get down here on the South Coast and play on some NSW greens,” Smith said.
“The conditions were magnificent and I was glad I managed to take full advantage of the conditions out there.
“The greens are pretty quick, so if I can manage to get the ball in the right areas and stay consistent with the putter, I should be well in-contention come Thursday.”
Cromer Golf Club Associate Corey Fairchild and Danielle Vasquez (Links Shell Cove) share third place after opening rounds of 1-under 70, only four players breaking par on the twisting, tree-lined layout.
Round 2 begins Tuesday morning at 7.30am with live scores available at pga.org.au.
Lachlan Aylen has cruised to a five-shot victory to claim the Vic/Tas PGA Associate Championship.
The second year PGA Associate at the Eynesbury Golf & Homestead in Victoria, lead wire-to-wire to secure the title, and created tournament history in the process.
Aylen shot a steady 1-under par 71 around the Captains course of the Tocumwal Golf & Bowls Club to record a comfortable victory.
The forecast was a foggy start to the morning but the players awoke to another beautiful Tocumwal morning.
There was no breeze to speak of and the only challenge that was presented to the players was the Captains course and their quick greens.
Aylen put any nerves to rest from the outset with a birdie at the first followed by another at the seventh, but these were offset by bogeys at the fifth and sixth holes.
Unfortunately, neither of his playing partners were able to apply any pressure and Aylen was able to complete a great week with a birdie on the 71st hole to have a relaxed walk down the 72nd.
Aylen finished with a Tournament Record equalling total of 17-under par 271 ahead of Steffi Vogel (Cobram-Barooga) in outright second on 276.
Tim Walker (Peninsula-Kingswood) was outright third on 280. Tied for fourth was Danny Nesbitt (Wollongong) and Connor McLean (Melton Valley) on 283.
With his win Aylen not only claimed the Vic/Tas PGA Associate title and just over $6000 in prizemoney but also the Victorian PGA Associate Championship which was played concurrently during the tournament.
View the final leaderboard at pga.org.au.
Lachlan Aylen has taken a four shot lead at the halfway mark of the 2021 Vic/Tas PGA Associate Championship at Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club.
The Year 2 PGA Associate from the Eynesbury Golf & Homestead followed his round of 65 on Tuesday with a 6-under 66 on Wednesday around the Captains course to record the equal best round of the day.
Aylen sits at the top of the leaderboard with a two-round total of 13-under par 131, four strokes ahead of Tom Bond in second place.
Bond, from Adelaide Shores Driving Range in South Australia, added a solid second round of 2-under par 70 to his opening score of 65 for a total of 9-under par 135.
Luke Humphries (Goulburn – NSW) also shot a 6-under par 66 to vault to outright third and to a two-round score of 7-under par 137. Humphries’ round was highlighted by a holed wedge shot for eagle from 112m on the seventh hole. Camran Walton also holed out for eagle on the fourth hole from 79m.
Lachlan Armour (Settlers Run – Vic) and Steffi Vogel (Cobram-Barooga) are currently tied for fourth place at 5-under par 139. Armour produced a nice comeback after being 4-over through three holes to finish with a 1-under par 71. In contrast, Vogel has played very steady golf that featured six birdies and a lone bogey through 36-holes.
The cut fell at 7-over par with 54 players making their way through to rounds three and four. Defending Champion Dale Crothers (Yarrawonga & Mulwala) is placed in a tie for 22nd on 2-over par 146 at the half way mark of the tournament.
There were three women in the field and two have made the cut. Vogel (5-under) and Jade Shellback (Royal Melbourne – 6-over par 150) will contest the final two rounds.
A highlight of the day was a hole-in-one on the 8th hole by Max Edmanson. He used a 4-iron from 180m to find the bottom of the cup.
Round three begins on the Presidents course at 7:20am with the leaders teeing off the first at 8:32am.
Four of Australia’s leading PGA Associates are tied at the top of the Vic/Tas PGA Associate Championships leaderboard thanks to stunning scores of 7-under 65 to open play on the President’s course at Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club.
Lachlan Aylen (Eynesbury – Vic), Tom Bond (Adelaide Shores Driving Range – SA), Stephen Dark (Wembley – WA) and Nick Thompson (Grange – SA) lead the field of 126 PGA Associates after round one with calm, sunny conditions aiding scoring across the opening 18 holes.
From the same group Aylen and Bond played the front-nine in 3-under before recording five birdies and one bogey each on the back-nine.
After starting on the 10th tee Thompson made the turn in 5-under par. A bogey on the second hole was followed by three straight birdies and then all pars to the Clubhouse.
Dark also started on the 10th hole and made the turn in 1-over par before catching fire on the Presidents course front-nine, shooting an 8-under par 29.
Sitting three strokes behind the leaders, Danny Nesbitt (Wollongong – NSW), Lachlan Armour (Settlers Run – Vic) and Connor McLean (Melton Valley – Vic) carded scores of 4-under par 68.
A total of 24 players are currently under par as the field moves to the Captains course for round two. A cut of 50 PGA Associates and ties after round two will move onto rounds three and four with kind weather conditions expected to remain until Friday.
Earlier in the week the PGA Associates hosted a junior clinic for local primary schools. A total of 80 children from four primary schools enjoyed over 1.5 hours of tuition learning the basic skills of golf in fun and interactive games.
Monday’s Championship Pro-Am saw 150 players consisting of club and tournament sponsors join the PGA Associates for the ambrose event on another beautiful day.
Later that evening the golf club hosted the welcome dinner for all players in the Championship plus sponsors, members and guests. The event was a fantastic occasion with entertainment from ex-AFL players and media personalities Jason Dunstall and Ben Dixon.
Follow live round two scores from the Vic/Tas PGA Associate Championships at pga.org.au.
PGA Associates from around the country will meet at Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club on Tuesday for the Victorian and Tasmanian PGA Associate Championships.
The club welcomes players back after missing the 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic to celebrate its 18th year hosting the Championship.
Following a junior clinic conducted by the Associates for primary school children from Tocumwal and Berrigan on Monday, the first round of the tournament tees off on Tuesday with a total of 128 Associates representing every state in Australia.
“We are very excited to have the PGA Associates back here again after missing last year,” said Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club CEO, Paul Gemmil.
“Both courses are in excellent condition so we can expect some great scoring this week.”
Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort PGA Associate and 2019 champion Dale Crothers will defend his title across four rounds while competing for a share in the $35,000 prize purse.
Crothers’ record-breaking 6-stroke victory in 2019 proved the catalyst to win the 2019 Victorian Associate Order of Merit and is a feat he will aim to repeat in 2021.
Other notable entries include Lachlan Aylen (Eynesbury – Vic), Steffi Vogel (Cobram – Vic), Lachlan Armour, (Settlers Run – Vic), Luke Humphries (Goulburn – NSW), Danny Nesbitt (Wollongong – NSW), Robert Spence (McLeod CC – QLD) Tom Bond (Adelaide Shores Driving Range – SA) and Stephen Dark (Wembley – WA).
Berrigan Shire Council Mayor, Cr. Matthew Hannan hopes the depth of talent on display will bring locals and visitors alike out to watch the future stars of Australian golf in action.
“We are pleased to support the PGA Associate Championships in 2021,” Hannan said.
“Having a PGA tournament in our backyard is excellent exposure for our region and the great golf courses we have.”
The Victorian and Tasmanian PGA Associate Championships tees off on Tuesday 4 May with the final round to be played on Friday 7 May. Entry to the tournament is free. Find out more at pga.org.au.
Strathfield Golf Club hosted the 2020 NSW/ACT PGA Graduation and Awards Dinner on Thursday evening, celebrating the achievements of 25 Trainees graduating to Full Vocational Membership of the PGA of Australia.
The PGA Members were joined by PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman, Deputy Chairman of the PGA David Stretton, NSW/ACT Vocational Committee Members, Acushnet representatives Nic Hibbert and Andrew Williams and many family and friends of the graduating class.
Gavin Kirkman gave the opening address, highlighting the value of the Membership and the task ahead of the golf industry in retaining golfers new to the game and promoting the sport through their career within the Association.
Having navigated the bushfires in 2019 and COVID-19 in 2020, a common theme throughout the night was the recognition of their achievements and successfully graduating into Full Membership after such a tumultuous 18 months.
The awards night also recognised Academic in Excellence Awards which were awarded to Darcy Boyd (Kiama Golf Club) and Danielle Vasquez (Links Shell Cove) who in the first year of the program finished first and third respectively for their year groups.
Darcy was ranked first in his year group for academic excellence, finished seventh for the year on the national performance rankings, held an adjusted average of -0.47, by the end of 2020 he had won two trainee matches at Gosford and Brighton Lakes respectively and rounded out the year with three runner-up results and five top-5 finishes including a tied fifth finish at the Rich River classic.
PGA Trainee Graduates – Class of 2020
Damien Anderson
Bovorn Bovornratanaraks
Craig Cox
Jayden Cripps
Jye Forrester
Mitchell Gannon
James Gleeson
Michael Gunawan
Jarrod Harding
Harrison Hartman
Allan Haughie
Nicholas Heath
Lauren Hibbert
Christina Kang
Ricky Kato
Claudia Lim
Benjamin Morgan
Kesava Nair
Luke O’Carrigan
Samuel Pasquali
Justin Roach
James Sampson
Liam Sheils
Stefan Tuionetoa
Billy Watson
Jordan Widdicombe
The 2021 PGA Graduation and Awards dinner was held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on Tuesday 16 March to celebrate the achievements of Victorian and Tasmanian Trainees in 2020, including the graduation of 25 Trainees into Full Vocational Membership of the PGA of Australia.
The night was attended by PGA Life Member Brian Simpson, Bruce Green and Bob Shearer, PGA CEO Gavin Kirkman, PGA COO Stuart Hergt, as well as representatives from PGA Education partners Acushnet and On Course Golf.
Victorian Committee Chairman and PGA Life Member Tim Moore welcomed our newest PGA Members to the Association and wished them well for a career as long and as fulfilled as his.
Each graduate shared stories about their journey through the Program and thanked their partners, family and friends, their indenturing PGA Member, their golf club and acknowledged the support they received throughout their Traineeship from PGA staff and look forward to a long career in the golf industry.
The Titleist and FootJoy Excellence in Education Awards were presented by Matt Street, PGA Training Manager and Andrew Reed, FootJoy Brand Manager from Acushnet. The Academic Awards were won by Steffi Vogel (Year 1 – Cobram-Barooga), Caleb Webster (Year 2 – The National) and Jarryd Collis (Year 3 – Country Club Casino).
Ben Paine (Year 1 – Rossdale) took out the 2020 Victorian Trainee Order of Merit title following a successful year that consisted of eight wins, 15 top fives from 18 matches and a top-20 finish at the Rich River Classic.
The 2020 Victorian Trainee of the Year was awarded to Steffi Vogel, Year 1 Trainee at the Cobram-Barooga Golf Club. Vogel achieved the mark of High Distinction in Game Development and Small Business and Distinction in Coaching and Management. These results helped her finish second in the National Academic Rankings for Year 1 Trainees. Vogel won two matches, finished in the top-10 six times in 10 official matches which saw her finish seventh in the Victorian Order of Merit and 12th in the National Trainee Averages.
Full List of Award Winners and Graduates
