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Kids who had never previously picked up a golf club have helped to reignite Jade Longstaff’s passion for coaching and instilled a determination to advance the game in the Northern Territory.
Now based at Alice Springs Golf Club, Longstaff’s transition from the Membership Pathway Program into a career as a PGA Professional has been a circuitous one.
Shortly after completing the MPP, Longstaff and her partner embarked on an eight-month trip around Australia, stopping to play golf courses along the way.
Longstaff also took time to offer the occasional golf lessons, including at Katherine Country Club three hours south of Darwin.
Yet when Longstaff’s partner was offered a job in Alice Springs, she didn’t immediately seek to return to the golf industry.
Challenges Longstaff faced while completing the MPP gave her cause to consider other potential careers.
She had stints as a flight attendant and working in the Northern Territory Police Force call centre, but when the chance to work under Justin Speirani at Alice Springs was offered late last year, Longstaff jumped at it.
As she introduced herself to the Alice Springs members, it was an opportunity to conduct MyGolf clinics that reminded Longstaff why she wanted to coach in the first place.
“When the MyGolf Girls program came up, my boss, Justin, said, ‘That’s perfect for you’,” Longstaff said.
“I’ve been doing those every week and we’ve actually been getting quite a few junior girls.
“Most of them are quite young – like five or six years old – but we’ve had about 15 to 20 kids rock up each week and we’re like, Where have you come from?
“A lot of them have never picked up a golf club before. The parents see free clinics during the school holidays on Facebook and they come down and we have to start from the very basics.
“It’s kind of hard to tell whether they’re going to be the ones that continue golf or if this is just a free holiday activity, because none of the girls have ever come to our Tuesday junior clinics.
“That’s why I was so surprised when I got so many of them.”
But it’s not just the little ones who are inspiring Longstaff’s coaching progression.
As she establishes her presence at Alice Springs, Longstaff is still connected with those she worked with during her time at Darwin Golf Club where she had a lasting impact.
“I feel like it’s definitely brought me back,” Longstaff said of her work with juniors.
“Even the couple of Alice Springs members that I’ve coached, they’ve come back to me after they’ve won the comp a couple of times since then.
“I saw a member from Darwin who was playing the Alice Springs Open.
“I gave him a lesson probably two years ago and he said that ever since that lesson, he’s been able to get out of bunkers first try.
“That sort of feedback is what is keeping me coaching and that’s what has made my passion come back.
“The more I do it and the more positives I see out of it, the more I realise that this is where my heart is.
“I’m glad that I came back.”
Tasmanian pair Scott Priest and Luke Hickman are the first two qualifiers for the $100,000 PGA Professionals Championship National Final in November.
Priest had three birdies and three bogeys to finish on top at the PGA Professionals Championship of Tasmania played at Ulverstone Golf Club on Friday, three clear of Hickman.
The Head Professional at Devonport Country Club, Hickman birdied the par-5 17th to build a two-stroke buffer from Darren Spencer, a buffer he would need as he closed with a bogey for a round of 3-over 75.
The Teaching Professional at Tasmania Golf Club, Priest’s round of 72 ensured he qualified for the National Final for the second consecutive year.
Outright third with a round of 4-over 76, Spencer will also attend the National Final as the Senior PGA Championship qualifier.
The next qualifying event is the PGA Professionals Championship of North Queensland to be played at Mirage Country Club on Monday, April 28.
Participants are already asking when they can play again after a second highly successful Ready Steady Golf – Salty Fish All Abilities Tournament on Sunday, April 6.
An initiative built on the back of the Ready Steady Golf program for people with a disability established by PGA Professional Mark Tibbles more than a decade ago, the second such event was attended by 48 players made up of physically, psychologically and intellectually challenged participants of all ages and abilities along with family members and volunteers at the Vines Golf and Country Club in Perth.
The Ready Steady Golf Program conducted by Tibbles at The Vines Resort has been proudly supported by the WA Golf Foundation since its inception and provides a program for children and adults with additional needs.
Going beyond ‘come and try’ sessions, the program aims to provide a pathway for individuals to transition to mainstream programs, the playing of social golf and the opportunity of club membership/competition golf.
Peter West, whose son Joseph has a mild intellectual disability and cerebral palsy, said his third-place finish will be an achievement he dines out on for months.
“Golf is funny with Jo as every term, like clockwork, the “Nah, don’t want to go,” and “I’m
doing something else,” excuses turn up as he does get anxious,” Peter said post event.
“When the day is finished it’s all he talks about. Now that he got third place and a prize it’s all I’ll hear for months.”
Like Jo, Evan Lee has a mild intellectual disability and cerebral palsy and was similarly excited by the medal he received for playing alongside his father.
“Evan had a wonderful time and was so proud to show off his participant medal to all at our family dinner last night,” said Evan’s mother, Jane.
“He’s worn it to school this morning, too.”
There were also representatives from Special Olympics Australia, Variety Children’s Charity, Sport4All and the WA Disabled Sports Association.
Western Australia State Coordinator for Special Olympics Australia, Kendall King, spoke glowingly of the spirit in which the tournament was conducted.
“The event truly captured the spirit and values of Special Olympics – inclusion, unity and the power of sport to bring people together,” said Kendall.
“It was a celebration of inclusion and perseverance as an opportunity to showcase the skills and dedication of participants, some of whom have been involved for over 10 years, alongside others experiencing the joy of being on a golf course for the very first time.
“It serves as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we take a strength-based approach by focusing on what athletes can do, not what they can’t.”
After a successful first year for the concept in 2024, Queensland’s Asha Flynn has been awarded this year’s Karrie Webb Coaching Scholarship presented by Nippon Shaft.
Since completing the PGA of Australia Membership Pathway Program (MPP) in 2019, Flynn has been making waves not only in her home state of Queensland, but around the country.
Flynn was twice recognised as the PGA of Australia National Coach of the Year – Game Development in consecutive years (2023 and 2024), and has a significant impact on her regular students at Brisbane Golf Club and the Golf Australia High Performance athletes she mentors.
“I was a big Karrie Webb fan growing up,” Flynn said. “When I got the text message from her the other day saying, ‘Hey Asha, it’s Karrie’ … I was like, ‘Yep, that’s it, I can die happy now’.”
With more work with the Golf Australia High-Performance program on the horizon, like escorting the Australian team to this year’s Annika Invitational in Europe, Flynn is eager to develop her elite coaching through the scholarship.
“I feel like I’ll be able to dedicate more time to the high-performance area and grow my expertise in that,” she said.
“Seeing what the best coaches do at that level when you’re working with those elite high-performance players will be valuable.
“Then I can obviously use that for my own players, but also as a coach myself and see what I can improve on and include.”
Along with the mentoring opportunities, Flynn will also receive $7,500 to help enhance her high-performance coaching skills.
Proud that the coaching scholarship is building a legacy alongside the Karrie Webb Series players scholarship, Webb herself has no doubt this scholarship will enable Flynn to further develop and elevate her skillset through mentoring and shadowing opportunities and exposure to current world-class High-Performance coaches.
“I’m very excited that Asha has been awarded the coaching recipient for this year,” said Webb.
“Asha not only showed how passionate she is to continue to grow as a coach but has also impressed many of her peers in the industry.
“I hope this is a great year of growth for Asha.”
Previous scholars:
2024: Jenna Hunter
Busselton Golf Club went home with three of the major awards as the Western Australian Golf Industry celebrated another wonderful year of achievement at The Grand Ballroom at Crown in Perth.
The glittering function welcomed representatives from the PGA of Australia, GolfWA, Golf Australia, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of WA and Golf Management Australia (WA) and acknowledged the wonderful contributions made by nominees across 18 separate categories.
Busselton Golf Club Head Professional Grant Williams was named the Hilary Lawler PGA WA Club Professional of the Year for the second consecutive year, his beginner women’s clinic that was recognised nationally with a win at the R&A Women in Golf Charter Awards part of his accomplishments the past 12 months.
The Swing & Sip Women’s Beginner Program was also named Outstanding Game Development Program and, on top of joining the graduating class of 2025, Jeremy Crabb was named PGA WA Associate of the Year to complete the Busselton Golf Club trifecta.
PGA WA Coach of the Year – Game Development was won by Mark Tibbles of The Vines Golf & Country Club for a second time while it was an eighth win for Ritchie Smith in the PGA WA Coach of the Year – High Performance category.
A three-time winner on the LPGA Tour last year, Hannah Green received the Outstanding Golf Achievement Award and John Hopkins was the recipient of the WA Golf Industry Distinguished Service Award.
A loyal servant to the game both in Australia and abroad for decades, Hopkins has held key positions with Golf Australia and was previously President of the Australian Golf Union along with serving as a referee at major tournaments, including The Open Championship, US Open and Australian Open.
Photo: Courtney Holloway
Award winners
PGA Graduates: Tyler Clark (Royal Fremantle Golf Club and Wembley Golf Course) and Jeremy Crabb (Busselton Golf Club)
PGA WA Associate of the Year: Jeremy Crabb (Busselton Golf Club)
PGA WA Club Professional of the Year: Grant Williams (Busselton Golf Club)
PGA WA Coach of the Year – High Performance: Ritchie Smith (Royal Fremantle Golf Club)
PGA WA Coach of the Year – Game Development: Mark Tibbles (The Vines Golf & Country Club)
PGA WA Tournament of the Year: South West Isuzu South West Open (Bunbury Golf Club)
PGA WA Management Professional of the Year: Andrew MacAuslan (Margaret River Golf Club)
Course Apprentice of the Year: James Courtney-Bennett (Lake Karrinyup Country Club)
Course Superintendent of the Year: Des Russell (Cottesloe Golf Club)
WA Golf Industry Distinguished Service Award: John Hopkins
Outstanding Game Development Program: Swing & Sip Women’s Beginner Program (Busselton Golf Club)
Volunteer of the Year: Jackie Dickson (Margaret River Golf Club)
Employee of the Year: Danielle Harrison (Joondalup Country Club)
Regional Golf Course of the Year: Kalgoorlie Golf Course
Metropolitan Golf Course of the Year: Lake Karrinyup Country Club
Regional Golf Facility of the Year: Margaret River Golf Club
Metropolitan Golf Facility of the Year: Mandurah Country Club
Outstanding Golf Achievement Award: Hannah Green
Anne-Marie Knight never imagined that a single golf lesson could change someone’s life.
An outstanding amateur golfer who finished second at the 1995 US Women’s Amateur and was named Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year 12 months later, Knight’s ultimate move into coaching as a PGA Professional was centred around helping others to play better golf.
Life changer? Never a consideration.
Yet an opportunity offered by the late Peter Ormsby to conduct a coaching session with a group of disabled golfers in Adelaide challenged both Knight’s abilities as a coach and her understanding of golf’s potential impact.
Knight works across a wide variety within the disability sector including amputees, blind golfers and children with Autism, but it is her work with people diagnosed with younger onset dementia that has unveiled golf’s hidden powers.
A relationship stretching back close to a decade, Knight has seen first-hand the difference golf can make to a person’s life.
“There was a lady by the name of Lee Martin who just stayed at home every day,” recalls Knight, who coaches out of the Anne-Marie Knight Golf Academy at West Beach Parks.
“No family, no one came to visit her, and the ACH (Aged Care and Housing) program encouraged her to come out and play golf.
“She’d never played golf before, and it just transformed her life.
“It has slowed down her condition and she’s got friends for life who go out to the movies together and do pottery together.
“I get goosebumps when I hear stories like that.”
In a story published by The Sunday Mail, Lee spoke of the difference connecting with others through golf made to her life.
“I wouldn’t go out and I was quite fed up with my life,” said Lee, who was diagnosed with younger onset dementia at just 57 years of age.
“I didn’t have a life before I met these girls. Now I’ve got lots of friends.”
One of the most difficult challenges faced by those with younger onset dementia – a condition that occurs in people between the ages of 14-65 – is a withdrawal from friends and family and from social situations.
This is often due to those closest to them being unaware of a condition that can be difficult to diagnose in the first place.
“For some, it’s just the outing. For others, it’s making connection to a golf ball and that sense of accomplishment,” says Knight.
“It’s not competitive-based at all; it’s just about that social connection.
“They’re always smiling, they’re interacting with you and that interaction improves over time and they trust you.
“It’s just such a beautiful, beautiful thing to be able to experience that.”
Acknowledging that the demand from the disability sector for access to golf continues to increase – “I could almost work full-time with disability groups” – Knight wants to see golf’s influence grow with it and change even more lives for the better.
“There are all these groups of golfers that might not have been afforded opportunities in other sports, but golf can provide that space for them,” Knight adds.
“There are some awful stories of what their lives were like, so if I can provide that little bit of hope and that little bit of happiness in their lives, then I know I’ve done my part.”
The PGA All Abilities Coach Accreditation equips PGA Professionals and their venues/facilities with additional training and resources in providing support for those golfers with physical, sensory or intellectual disability. To find your closest PGA Professional visit golf.org.au/pga-all-abilities-coaches/
Qualifiers for the PGA Professionals Championship National Final will compete for a record prize purse when it is played at The Heritage Golf and Country Club in November.
The PGA Professionals Championship of Tasmania on April 11 will mark the start of the state qualifiers, leading players from each state to advance to the $100,000 National Final from November 11-13.
In a further boost to the PPC, Heritage Golf and Country Club has extended its role as host venue for the next three years having first staged the National Final in 2023.
“We are very proud of our course and facilities here at The Heritage Golf and Country Club and are equally proud and excited to be staging the PGA Professional Championship over the next three years,” said PGA Professional and Heritage Golf and Country Club Operations Manager, Michael Dean.
“This event, coupled with the Heritage Classic, allows us to showcase what we have achieved and reinstates our position in the industry as a top-class tournament venue.
“We are big advocates for women in golf, so are excited to be a part of an event that recognises women PGA Professionals equally to the men.”
In addition to the support of The Heritage Golf and Country Club, the prize money increase from $65,000 last year to $100,000 in 2025 is only possible thanks to partnerships with Club Car, Acushnet and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
While they spend the majority of their working lives improving the golf experience for others, PGA of Australia CEO, Gavin Kirkman, believes it is important to reward Members who maintain a passion for playing themselves.
“PGA Professionals are the lifeblood of the golf industry so it is only fitting that our Members are afforded the opportunity to compete for a national championship,” said Kirkman.
“The support of our partners, including The Heritage Golf and Country Club, has allowed us to increase total prize money, and the leading two men will qualify for the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in November.
“The establishment of the Women’s PGA Professionals Championship last year was a welcome addition and I hope to see that grow in the years to come.”
PGA Professionals Championship schedule
Friday April 11
PGA Professionals Championship of Tasmania
Riverside Golf Club
Monday April 28
PGA Professionals Championship of North Queensland
Mirage Country Club
Monday June 16
PGA Professionals Championship of Victoria
Portsea Golf Club
Friday June 20
PGA Professionals Championship of South Australia
Mt Osmond Golf Club
Monday June 30
PGA Professionals Championship of Western Australia
Cottesloe Golf Club
Tuesday July 1
PGA Professionals Championship of NSW/ACT
Castle Hill Golf Club
Tuesday July 29
PGA Professionals Championship of South-East Queensland
Nudgee Golf Club
November 11-13
PGA Professionals Championship National Final
Heritage Golf and Country Club
As the seriousness of the threat of Cyclone Alfred hit home for the players at the cancelled Australian WPGA Championship, a logical question for professional golfers served to remind again how the golf industry and community comes together in support.
Following an early morning player meeting on Tuesday at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, where the combined WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour (LET) field was advised to leave the Gold Coast area, the search for a place to practice began.
As WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn, PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman and LET staff addressed the players, the PGA of Australia network was already being mobilised to assist.
With the majority of the 80 or so European Tour players, and even interstate WPGA Tour members, set to play next week’s Australian Women’s Classic in Coffs Harbour, and the Women’s NSW Open in Wollongong, the New South Wales region was the target.
The PGA membership of the state not disappointing, with a formal list of 10 clubs and PGA professionals being provided to players as a potential temporary home base, while others headed to other parts and no doubt similar generosity of facility use.
“When I spoke with the playing group around the cancellation of the Australian WPGA Championship, I mentioned that we are a member organisation and that our PGA members would support visiting golf professionals,” Kirkman said.
“We wanted to ensure the players, especially internationals, felt safe during what is set to be a challenging, uncertain period and that while in Australia they are considered part of our PGA and WPGA family alongside the more than 3,000 members.
“This was as our team was starting the conversations with PGA members around New South Wales asking for their assistance, but I was beyond confident anyone that could help, would. It is so heartening to see that proven true, which serves as a reminder of how our industry comes together quickly and immensely during a time of need.”
Although extensive, the list of clubs provided and the associated PGA member deserves to be recognised for their generosity and support that will not only help the players to prepare for the two weeks of co-sanctioned events, but also remind global players why Australia is a special place to visit and play.
Port Macquarie Golf Club – via Head Professional James Single
Forster-Tuncurry Golf Club – via Head Professional Jason Wood
Nelson Bay Golf Club – via General Manager David Lulham and Director of Golf Duard Nel
Magenta Shores Country Club – via General Manger Paul Riley
Horizons Golf Club – via Director of Golf Vince Owen
Kew Country Club – via Head Professional Luke Garel
Hawks Nest Golf Club – via Head Professional Andrew McCormack
Newcastle Golf Club – via Head Professional Andrew Bowles
Tamworth Golf Club – via Head Professional Brock Sampson
Kooindah Waters – via Director of Golf David Stretton
For 21 of the LET players, a familiar landing place was Magenta Shores, where they contested the Women’s NSW Open last year.
The generosity for those headed for the Central Coast of New South Wales extending beyond practice facilities and course access, with the gym and pool facilities able to be used, and those players being billeted out to residents. A common theme for all the supporting clubs, whose members will get an up close look at some of the best talent in women’s golf over the coming days.
“All of us in professional golf know how quickly plans can change, and that finding suitable locations to practice and play on short notice is no easy task. To see the support of golf clubs and facilities and PGA members around New South Wales has helped to remind everyone just what an amazing industry we are in,” Lunn said.
“It was obviously crushing to make the decision to cancel the Australian WPGA Championship in the interest of safety for players, staff, fans and more, especially given how amazing every element of the event looked on the ground. However, the silver lining of support and readiness to act has helped to soften the blow and will only serve to encourage our LET visitors to return again next year.”
As Elvis Smylie closes in on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, coach Ritchie Smith shares how a team of people applied the finishing touches to an elite young talent.
Elvis is obviously an exceptional talent. He and his previous team had done a lot of great work but when we started to work together 12 months ago, we took a more collaborative approach.
One key area that we wanted to address as a team was his relationship with the ground and building a solid foundation.
Part of that was coaching – his awareness of the ground and how you use it. How his body relates to that ground and how his body relates to the different segments of the golf swing.
That entailed work with physiotherapist Marty McInnes and strength and conditioning coach Luke Mackey because previously Elvis had some instability through the swing and associated pain.
To achieve that we needed a single message being fed through each person and to be quite assertive in what was required.
Elvis responded really well to that and trusted in what we were telling him. That transferred to some really good results at the start of the summer and wins at the WA Open and Australian PGA Championship.
He is now hitting at 17 miles an hour faster and his body is healthier.
Yes, that has something to do with coaching, but it is more to do with the collaborative nature of his entire team in working towards a single outcome.
Based at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, Ritchie Smith was named the 2024 PGA National Coach of the Year – High Performance, the third time he has won that award. Ritchie’s athletes include Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee and Elvis Smylie.
We’ve come a long way since the first days of pizza delivery. Forget endless take-away alternatives delivered straight to your door, you can now get groceries, medication and even a nice bottle of red without ever having to leave your house.
The same now applies to golf coaching.
Like so many elements of the global golf industry, online coaching exploded in popularity as golfers sought ways to stay sane during Covid-19 lockdowns.
PGA Professionals around the world began generating content for social media, offering solutions to golf’s most common swing ailments.
Ryan Mouque was based at Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane at that time, commuting as much as an hour each way to give a half-dozen in-person lessons each day.
Mouque now gives as many as 20 lessons a day to clients all over the world, all without having to leave his backyard.
Nominated for both the PGA Coach of the Year – Game Development, and Coach of the Year – High Performance, at the 2024 Queensland Golf Industry Awards, Mouque gave 4,000 online lessons in the past 12 months.
He is adamant online coaching is as, if not more, effective than in-person lessons.
“The biggest thing with online is realising that too much information for someone can be overwhelming,” explains Mouque.
“If they’ve got set-up issues, grip issues, takeaway issues, wrist angles at the top of the backswing issues, online you can nail the set-up as their first lesson.
“Obviously you can do that in person, but you might not see them for another month or more.
“Players on my unlimited plans can send me a video immediately after practising their set-up in their loungeroom and I will give them feedback within 24 hours.”
More and more golfers have access to simulators and many have nets set up in their backyard, yet Mouque and other PGA Professionals don’t need to see a ball in the air to make meaningful improvements.
If that sounds contradictory, consider that the great Norman Von Nida gave lessons later in his life purely by the sound the ball made off the clubface.
“Someone hitting into a net in their basement, I’ve seen that many swings I know what ball flight is coming out of that particular swing 95 per cent of the time,” says Mouque.
“I don’t necessarily think you need to see ball flight to help someone. You can make a big enough change in someone without seeing the ball flight. Most of the time you can see the swing and know the ball flight produced by that swing.”
More than anything, Mouque says that the immediacy and convenience of having a golf coach on call is why so many of his clients see consistent and sustained improvement.
“Essentially, you’ve got a coach in your back pocket 24/7,” Mouque adds.
“I’ve been able to create some pretty insane transformations to students’ golf swings and their games.
“I’ve taken one guy from a seven handicap to a plus-two. That’s even more satisfying because there are a lot of people out there that say, ‘Oh, online’s not for me. I need that personal touch.’
“My response is always, ‘I honestly bet that you don’t. And if you gave me six months, I can prove it.’”
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