Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
The PGA Professionals Championship, the most prestigious title for Vocational PGA Professionals, is set to return to its traditional format in 2023.
After the format was revised in 2022 as the world transitioned out of the pandemic, the 2023 PGA Professionals Championship will return to its traditional structure of state championships played around the country with a goal of PGA Professionals to win through to the National Final.
The PGA Professionals Championship is designed to showcase the skills of more than 250 PGA Professionals around the country who will attempt to qualify, many whom may be principally based at golf facilities teaching, servicing and managing the sport.
“We are proud of our men and women around the country whom have been helping maintain the momentum in the golf industry over recent years, and the PGA Professionals Championship allows us to continue to promote their skills in playing the game,” said PGA of Australia Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Kirkman.
“The talent of our PGA Professionals in Australia has always been strong, be it in their capacity to service the game, coach the game as well as play the game. I am confident the qualifiers for this year’s National Final will be no different.”
Upon qualifying for the PGA Professionals Championship National Final, 60 PGA Professionals will compete for $50,000 in prizemoney in addition to the leading two places receiving an exemption into the 2023 Australian PGA Championship. The National Final will be played at Heritage Golf and Country Club in Melbourne from 17-20 October.
Defending champion Scott Laycock (pictured) will be hoping to make it three wins in six years with the Royal Hobart Golf Club Teaching Professional receiving an automatic exemption into the National Final.
“The PGA Professionals Championship is high on the priority list for us professionals who get the opportunity to stay competitive and play for a national championship,” said Laycock.
“To have $50,000 in prizemoney and the exemptions into the Australian PGA Championship are great motivators to put time and effort into preparing for the championship.
“I am considering myself lucky that I don’t need to qualify this year.
“It was a shame that I didn’t get to use my exemption to play in the Australian PGA Championship last year owing to my wedding being on at the same time however I was pleased to give some of our younger PGA Professionals an opportunity that I have had the pleasure of doing many times before.”
The PGA is proud to partner with championship partners Acushnet and Club Car who have both supported PGA Vocational Professionals for extended periods, be it at their golf facilities or their professional playing ambitions.
For a full list of the state championship dates and venues, please click here.
The Women in Golf Careers Showcase is moving to the first of the regional venues at Ballarat Golf Club on Sunday May 7th.
Another chance for women and girls to come together and learn about career opportunities that exist in golf. We have confirmed an engaging panel of guest speakers working across a range of professions in the industry who are passionate about sharing their experiences.
Emily McLennan – High Performance Operations Coordinator, Golf Australia
Emily has worked at Golf Australia for five years. She grew up playing golf and was fortunate to play competitively in the US college system, so working in the industry was a natural progression once she had decided to strop pursuing a playing career.
“I love that my role is so different day-to-day, and I have the flexibility to take on new challenges and learn new skills from others in my team.”
Emily is passionate about sharing the opportunities available to women and girls and believes there are endless initiatives to grow the game.
Suzanne Burns – RTO Manager, PGA of Australia
Suzanne has only worked in golf for a year and a half but has been involved at a club level for five years in a board position. A friend found the job role advertised and brought it to her attention, “Isn’t this your dream job?”.
Suzanne loves combining her passion for golf with her career, which is in education – an industry she has been part of for over 20 years.
When asked what she thinks we are doing well, Suzanne said, “We are getting better at looking for opportunities that are available to grow our industry through further inclusion of women and girls.”
Ange Tatt – Head Professional at Ballarat Golf Club.
Ange has a long-distinguished history in the game, recently representing Australia and playing in the Australian Open. An employee and member of Ballarat Club for the past seven years, Ange has developed women’s golf clinics and made a substantial contribution to golf and Vision 2025.
“The thing I am most looking forward to is networking. Really picking the brains of all the other girls”.
“Everyone has got so many different ideas and we all learn so much about golf and what we can do to develop the game when we’re all in it together, no matter where we are in the world.
“I’m definitely an advocate for women in golf – that’s my main thing in Ballarat – so I just can’t wait for that part of it.”
For more information on the Women in Golf Careers Showcase and to register your attendance for the Ballarat showcase at Ballarat Golf Club, click HERE
Five inspirational PGA Associates have been named as the PGA Women in Golf scholarship recipients for 2023.
Christine Shin (Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club), Jan Maggio (Killara Golf Club), Stacey Edwards (The Golf School, Queensland), Aleisha Weidmann (Gosnells Golf Club) and Casey Thompson (Cowra Golf Club) will each receive financial support as they work through the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program.
Launched in 2021, the Women in Golf Scholarship Fund is designed to increase the number of female Vocational Members within the PGA of Australia.
Geoff Stewart, General Manager of Membership and Education for the PGA, says the five recipients will all make for valued additions to the PGA ranks at the completion of the Membership Pathway Program.
“Women play such a pivotal role within the PGA of Australia but we identified that we needed a greater representation among our Vocational members,” Stewart said.
“We were thrilled with the quality of applications that we received for the 2023 scholarships and believe that the five we have chosen are well on their way to becoming highly-valued Members of the PGA of Australia.
“Each have a unique story and background and it is our hope, with the support of the scholarship, that each will go on to complete the Membership Pathway Program in the next couple of years and enjoy long careers as PGA Professionals.”
This is the second year in which Aleisha Weidmann (pictured) has received the Women in Golf Scholarship.
A third-year Associate at Gosnells Golf Club south of Perth, Weidmann is undertaking the Membership Pathway Program in a part-time capacity, juggling her commitments as a single mother to a two-year-old daughter.
Like Weidmann, Jan Maggio is in the third year of the MPP at Killara Golf Club on Sydney’s north shore.
Harbouring a dream to become a PGA Professional from the age of 16, Maggio’s pathway has taken longer than she had hoped but she is now a mother to an 18-month-old with a passion to encourage more children and women to play golf.
Based at a regional club, Casey Thompson can only access limited hours of employment at Cowra Golf Club in the NSW Central West.
In the second year of the MPP, Thompson is currently working two jobs in order to sustain her position in the program while also volunteering her time with the Western Region Academy of Sport.
Hyojeong (Christine) Shin and Stacey Edwards are Year 1 Associates with equally inspiring stories.
Shin has had a major hearing impairment from a young age but used golf to help with her self-confidence. She now hopes to become a great role model and advocate for other women with disabilities.
Edwards is a mature-aged Associate who made the decision to leave her alternative career and peruse her passion to become a PGA Member this year.
The PGA Women in Golf Scholarship Fund is proudly supported by PGA of Australia partners ISPS Handa, Acushnet, TaylorMade and Callaway.
For more information on the Women in Golf Scholarship Fund click here.
The Women in Golf Careers Showcase series is primed to get underway, with the first event set to take place at the Australian Golf Centre on April 16.
A chance for women and girls to come together and learn about the career opportunities that exist in golf, we are thrilled to announce the panel for the first Showcase. Meet them below:
Stacey Peters – Women and Girls Pathway Manager and Tasmania High Performance Manager, Golf Australia
Stacey has worked at Golf Australia for six years, but her connection to the sport runs even deeper than that, having been a Professional golfer in Europe and the USA for eight years, as well as the 2013 Victorian Open Champion. Now she is passionate about sharing her experience to help the next generation of talented golfers reach their potential.
“I love that I can use my past experiences, both good and bad, to help our next crop make the transition to professional golf,” she says.
Stacey is equally excited to share her knowledge, more broadly, as a panellist at the Women in Golf Careers Showcase.
“We are doing so much as an industry to help women and girls, which is fantastic,” she says. “Days like these are all about giving women the confidence to get into the industry in one way or another.”
Kate Torgersen – Director, Environmental Golf Solutions Australia
Kate established Environmental Golf Solutions Australia in 2013 to help drive the golf industry towards a more sustainable future.
Having worked at golf courses in one way or another ever since leaving school, Kate’s passion for resolving environmental issues within golf has led her to be involved in a range of key projects over the last decade.
From helping clubs with management plans, environmental design and habitat restoration to ensure native fauna can thrive, Kate is dedicated to providing realistic and beneficial alternatives.
At the Showcase, Kate will share information on some of the recent projects she has been working on; from increasing the presence of native grasses on Australian courses, to sourcing environmentally-friendly golf products and even setting up a community kitchen and garden at Sandhurst Club – home of the PGA Golf Learning Hub.
Stephanie Jamieson – Training Manager, PGA of Australia
Currently in her eleventh year with the PGA, Stephanie works as the Training Manager, where she helps to create the best possible education opportunities for PGA Members.
“I’m blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful team who are each so passionate about their role and the difference they are making in the golf industry, every day,” she explains. “I love the diversity of the role, and enjoy taking the chance to make the PGA Membership Pathway and ACE Programs as strong as possible.”
Having had the chance to see the industry grow and change over the last decade, Stephanie loves driving increased opportunity for PGA Professionals – where the benefits flow to the entire industry.
Abby Freny – Places to Play Engagement Coordinator, Golf Australia
Abby has worked in golf for almost twelve months, having started as the first ever intern in the Clubs and Facilities department at Golf Australia. Although still relatively new to the sport, she is thriving in her time in the industry.
“I love that I am learning something new every day,” she smiles. “I started my job not knowing much about golf, and now I am fully immersed in the sport.”
Additionally, Abby is proud to work in an industry that is doing so much to promote women and girls.
“I love that I get to work in an environment that is undergoing transformational change and we do a great job to acknowledge and celebrate the women and girls who are doing great things,” she says.
Passionate about helping engage Australia’s network of clubs and facilities, Abby is looking forward to sharing her experience and continuing to advocate for diversity in leadership.
For more information on the Women in Golf Careers Showcase and to register your attendance for the 16th April at the Australian Golf Centre, click HERE
The best of the West gathered on Friday for the ADH Club Car WA Golf Industry Awards night.
A chance to honour the people, places and programs that help the game to thrive, The Grand Ballroom at Crown Perth played host, as PGA Vocational award winners and recent Western Australian Membership Pathway Program graduates were announced.
PGA Membership Manager for WA, Brendon Allanby was thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the state’s PGA Members and graduating class.
“It is wonderful to gather together and recognise the achievements of the golf industry in this way,” he said. “To be part of the broader industry award night is a special way to highlight the contribution that PGA Professionals make to the game every day.”
Four PGA Professionals won awards one the night, with categories for Club Professional of the Year, Coach of the Year – High Performance and Game Development, as well as Management Professional of the Year.
For his outstanding work at Sun City Country Club, Jim Danas was named Hilary Lawler Club Professional of the Year.
Due recognition for the exceptional service he and his team provide to club members and the general public, Danas has also significantly grown participation at the club, through a dedicated junior academy and Women and Girls programs.
Additionally, five Membership Pathway Program graduates were presented with their graduation certificates, as they prepare to begin their journeys as Full Vocational Members.
“To have five graduates on the night is amazing – recognising them and their dedication in becoming PGA Professionals is always a highlight,” Allanby said.
Joshua Herrero of the Rockingham Golf Club was one of the graduates, and also took out the gong of WA PGA Associate of the Year for the second year running.
Designed to recognise outstanding achievement across the core competencies of the PGA Membership Pathway Program, Herrero once again excelled in the playing component and his consistently strong academic results made him a deserving winner.
A full list of award winners and graduates is available below:
GRADUATES
A PGA Professional for more than twenty years, Tim Stone always knew he wanted to spend his working life in golf in one way or another.
His father the General Manager at Peninsula Golf Club for thirty years, Stone grew up with the game in his blood. Having loved his early experiences in the game, he now thrives knowing he can offer that same feeling to golfers every day.
“When I was younger, I knew I wanted to be around this industry properly. For me it didn’t necessarily have to be as a player – I just always liked golf clubs; the people and the whole atmosphere,” he recalls.
Now the head Teaching Professional at The National on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Stone enjoys the challenge of working with a range of different golfers – and tailoring his offering to what they need.
“You can’t have the same approach all the time. Instead, you have to be able to chop and change to help everyone see results and improvement.
“Ultimately, that’s very fulfilling when people want to share their improvement with you and can see themselves getting better.”
He has seen the industry change dramatically too, especially since the pandemic. What’s more, he believes it is incumbent on all PGA Professionals to be willing to embrace the changing face of the game.
“People are more lifestyle driven than before, so in terms of golf, everyone is looking for different ways of having fun,” he explains. “Golf has become more experience focussed, and we have the chance to help people find what works for them.”
In his role coaching, Stone describes himself as a “problem solver,” but enjoys the fact that he has the chance to work with members on club-fitting, hardware sales and the management of member-activities as well.
In fact, his breadth of responsibility keeps Stone on his toes – and he passionately pursues ongoing education to ensure he is offering a premium service, no matter what role he might need to play on a given day.
“I think you can always be seeking out ongoing education opportunities,” he says. “It keeps you enthusiastic and fresh. As soon as you think you know it all, you’re going backwards.”
Stone makes a concerted effort to stay on top of available courses through the PGA’s Accreditation and Continuing Education program (ACE). He has advanced status in both the Coaching and Small Business streams and is effusive in his praise of the program.
“Often, as PGA Professionals our education can be just as valuable for confirming that what we are already doing is actually right,” he says. The things you learn and the way you communicate it to golfers is very important.”
As part of his ACE education, Stone and the broader team at The National, regularly complete available courses from Myagi.
Software designed to help retailers learn, understand and advocate for brands, Myagi courses through ACE help PGA Professionals to remain at the cutting edge of the golf industry.
“It is vital that we stay as up-to-date as possible, representatives can’t come out from all the brands, all of the time,” says Stone. “Consumers these days are so well educated, so if they have an inkling that a salesperson doesn’t know the product, then they will be quick to move on.”
Through Myagi, Stone keeps abreast of the latest information on golf hardware – specifically clubs and shoes – and encourages his colleagues to do the same.
“When I see a new course become available, I am generally on it within twenty-four hours.
“We want all of our staff to be able to engage with members in the best possible fashion,” he explains. “We all need to have a broad knowledge of the products, so we can work out who and how we can help them the best.”
More broadly, Stone remains passionate about improving golfer experience in every possible way.
From looking at shorter, faster formats, to changing traditional perceptions of the sport, he really wants to help get and retain more golfers every day.
“We need to break down the idea that golf needs to be a hard sport,” he explains. “These things form roadblocks to enjoyment, and we need to be looking at breaking those down; making it faster, more accessible and enjoyable.”
For more information on Myagi training software, click HERE
For more information on the PGA’s Accreditation and Continuing Education program (ACE) and how PGA Professionals continue to upskill in all areas of the golf industry, click HERE
Perth’s Haydn Barron has completed his first full season on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia by winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Barron, 27, clinched the award when he finished tied-36th in the season-ending The National Tournament on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula over the weekend, narrowing defeating Queenslander Louis Dobbelaar.
The Western Australian finished 12th on the Order of Merit, mainly through his barnstorming finish at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in December at Victoria Golf Club, where his hole-out from a bunker for eagle at the 72nd hole pushed him into a tie for fourth.
That single moment will take Barron into the Open Championship field for his first appearance in a major in July this year as a top-five finisher in the Open.
“The Australian Open was a massive highlight,” said Barron. “That was the best I played all year, but I did play good in a number of tournaments, but didn’t necessarily finish super high. There’s definitely some positives and a few things to work on.”
Barron is a mature-aged rookie but there are reasons for that.
An outstanding amateur and captain of Western Australia, his transition to professional ranks was stalled by the pandemic and travel restrictions.
“I looked to turn pro at the end of 2019,” he said. “I went over to Europe and went to tour school and missed. Then I planned to play Australia through the following year and obviously the world shut down.
“I spent the following year at home, working as a greenkeeper actually (at his home track, the Western Australian Golf Club), and managed to get a few invites at the latter end of last year and managed to get my card through that.
“It’s been my first full year out there this year.”
Barron received the trophy on Sunday as well as a Tag Heuer watch from the tour.
“It feels good,” he said. “It’s been a long season and I’ve been away from home for a long time, but it’s been a good year.”
Tom Power Horan capped the best year of his career with an ace and a victory in The National Tournament presented by BMW on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula today.
Melbourne’s Power Horan, 30, knocked a 9-iron into the hole on the 146-metre, par-3 eighth hole at the Moonah course to send a message to the rest of the field that he would not be hunted down from his position as 54-hole leader.
Ultimately he won by just a single shot at 19-under par from his playing partner John Lyras at 18-under, both men carding final-round 67s and providing some incredible highlights to close out the season on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
It is the second win of a groundbreaking season for Power Horan, who also won in Gippsland before Christmas and who now has DP World Tour playing rights as a result of finishing second on the Order of Merit.
Lyras had to be content with another near-miss and the likelihood that the result with vault him into the top-five in the Order of Merit, giving him access to the Korn Ferry Tour’s tour school final stage later this year. He will also head to Asia this year where both he and Horan have playing rights.
Young gun Elvis Smylie finished outright third at 16-under par after another impressive day today, at one point making five straight birdies in his 68.
But it was a two-man duel at the top that Power Horan called “a bit crazy”, staged between two of the best and most consistent players on the tour in 2022-23.
Lyras immediately birdied the first hole to tie the lead, then the Victorian chipped in for eagle at the second to regain it momentarily, only to see Lyras hole out for eagle himself from close range. At the third, they both hit their approaches to within a metre of the flagstick as they drove each other to some of the best golf of the season.
The Moonah course was benign without any wind and scoring was low all day.
“I knew he (Lyras) had a low number in him. He’s been playing great. It was good fun to be a part of,” said Power Horan.
The ace at the eighth hole was a thunderclap for Power Horan, his seventh career hole-in-one celebrated when he handed the ball to his mother Esther, who was walking with him today.
Purely struck, it bounced twice and trickled into the cup.
“I haven’t had one in like five years, so it’s been a bit of a drought,” he said.
Power Horan previously won the Gippsland Super 6 this season and he finished second on the ISPS HANDA PGA tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit, which carries the carrot of a DP World Tour card for those who are in the top-three.
He also has gained Asian Tour status, a surge that he credits new coach Brad Hughes for inspiring.
Today he was completing his 11th tournament in the past 12 weeks, an extraordinary feat of endurance, and while he has next week off, he will be playing on the Asian Tour in Vietnam the week after that.
Down the track, he plans on using his Order Of Merit exemption into the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour in the United States.
“That’s always been a dream,” he said of the chances of his playing in America. “I mean, Europe’s amazing as well. I mean, my parents are Irish, I’m looking forward to playing a bit more over near my family. But for sure, the States is the place to be, I think.”
Power Horan had to fight off an amazing early charge by Lyras, who was 4-under par for the first three holes before a lull in the middle of the round.
As late in the day as the 17th hole the 26-year-old Sydney player made a miraculous up-and-down from trouble left of the par-3 17th green to stay within two shots, but his tee shot again sailed left at the 18th and he could only manage a par when he needed birdie.
“I’m proud, it’s the first time I shot four rounds in the 60s in a tournament,” said Lyras.
Power Horan, meanwhile, flared his second shot from the 18th fairway into deep rough and made bogey. But it was enough in the end, his scores of 68-68-66-67 testament to some brilliant ball-striking this week.
Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi rattled home with a typically belligerent 64 to finish tied-fourth and complete a wonderful season at home.
Tournament favourite Momoka Kobori is a better player than when she won the Women’s NSW Open just five days ago as the opening round of the Australian Women’s Classic tees off at Bonville Golf Resort on Friday.
That’s the scary proclamation of Kobori’s coach, Dominic Azzopardi, who has travelled south from his base at Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast to the Coffs Coast to prep his newest pupil for a shot at winning back-to-back WPGA Tour of Australasia events.
The pair spent an hour with two clubs and four balls on Sawtell Beach on Thursday morning honing her bunker technique and worked on adjusting her ball flight with driver on the range at Bonville prior to yesterday’s Pro-Am.
The results of that session, in particular, should send warning bells through the rest of the field.
“She drives it 215-220 yards carry with not much roll because of her flight,” Azzopardi said on the eve of the tournament.
“I spoke to her after the Aramco Series Singapore event (where she finished T16); we’ve got to get 20 yards more, 30 yards more.
“We were hitting some drives on the range this morning with an alignment stick working it from right-to-left.
“She’s hitting some 230 carries that were running out to 260. That’s 30-35 yards further than what she was hitting at Singapore.
“If she can hit it 240 carry, 260 roll-out yards, that’s going to be pretty competitive on any tour.”
Another key area of focus for the pair since they began working together in December last year has been Kobori’s putting, specifically her speed control.
With clutch putts at the final hole of regulation and the first playoff hole, that work stood up under tournament pressure at Tuncurry last Sunday… not that Azzopardi saw it.
He was only made aware that the final round was being broadcast on Kayo Sports as Kobori made her way towards the 18th green, needing to make a sand save from the left trap to force a playoff.
What he saw next vindicated everything they have been working towards and the potential that lies ahead.
“Those last two putts I saw last week, perfect speed, matched her line to speed, they were in the middle. She’s walking them in,” said Azzopardi, who also works with world No.51 male player Lucas Herbert and LPGA Tour player Karis Davidson.
“That’s where she’s going to get to with her putting, having better and better speed control.
“The stroke’s great, the mechanics have gotten better and better since we’ve started working together.
“That’s the exciting thing for me, to see what she did in Singapore and again last week.”
As he talks about Kobori’s ceiling, excitement permeates Azzopardi’s voice.
A player ranked No.179 in the world, in her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour and with two LET Access Series wins to her name with a bubbly personality and a nickname of the ‘Smiling Assassin’.
It’s a mix that Azzopardi finds intoxicating.
“She’s class,” was his succinct summation.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl as good between 75-125 metres. She is unbelievable.
“I jumped on the bag the week of the Sandbelt Invitational to have a good look at her game and she had 15-under, shot three course records and lost by a shot to Cam Davis.
“She showed herself what she was capable of that week.
“She showed me a lot too. She showed me how good she was in some areas and how we could really improve in other areas.
“Her putting needed a little bit of work, her bunker play needed a little bit of work, her chipping needed a lot of work. She drove it straight but not far enough to be mixing it with the best in the world.
“She took everything on and rolled the sleeves up.
“I’m just loving working with her because she’s just such a great person too.”
Kobori begins her Australian Women’s Classic campaign at 11.10am AEDT on Friday paired with another tournament fancy in Kelsey Bennett and amateur Charlotte Perkins.
The PGA Academy, in partnership with the PGA of Australia, is proud to launch the Trackman Performance Zone (TPZ).
A unique, state-of-the-art facility, it gives golfers the chance to learn, practice and play in a high-performance environment, 24/7. The TPZ opened on Monday, with one week of exclusive access to Sandhurst club golf members and residents.
The TPZ is a member-access facility based at the PGA Golf Learning Hub, within the Sandhurst Club precinct. Comprising of four simulators powered by Trackman technology, it gives members access to skill-development, coaching services and gameplay.
Coaching Programs Manager at the PGA of Australia, Nick Bielawski, is thrilled to open the doors to members and is excited by what the opening of the Trackman Performance Zone represents.
“In launching the Trackman Performance Zone, we are giving golfers the chance to commit to their game-improvement journey in a new and exciting location,” he said. “We know that Trackman provides unrivalled shot data, so to offer that to more golfers will help make skill-development easier than ever before.”
Additionally, the TPZ will help to enhance the coaching offering available at the PGA Academy.
“To have another indoor and controlled environment will give our coaches the chance to work with their clients in great depth,” Bielawski explained.
“To coach with that instant, accurate and detailed shot feedback will mean that clients can see how their game is evolving, even over the course of an hour-long session.”
Beyond skill-development, the Trackman Performance Zone shapes as a destination for an exceptional gameplay experience – in any weather, at any time.
Open 24/7 for members, the Trackman software has more than 200 courses available to play, including some iconic locations like St Andrews and Pebble Beach Golf Links.
“The gameplay experience on the Trackman simulators is unbelievable,” Bielawski said. “To give golfers the option to play these championship courses in less than an hour, really helps to open up the game to more people.”
Memberships to the Trackman Performance Zone are being released in stages, with the first wave available exclusively to Sandhurst Club residents and members, and set to open to the broader public this Friday.
For more information on the Trackman Performance Zone and the services available at the PGA Academy, click HERE
