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The final qualifiers for the PGA Professionals Championship National Final are locked in after the postponed NSW/ACT championship was completed at Castle Hill Country Club on Tuesday.
Rain in the lead-up again raised doubt as to whether play could go ahead but exceptional work by the Castle Hill Country Club grounds staff and sunny skies saw 50 players tee it up in their quest to qualify for the National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club in November.
Cumberland Country Golf Club’s Arthur Barakat secured his spot with a round of 2-under 68 to finish at the top of the leaderboard, one clear of reigning NSW/ACT champion Cody Harper (69).
Starting from the fourth tee, Barakat began his round with six straight pars followed by birdies at 10 and 16, remaining bogey free to complete a one-stroke win.
Ken Druce earned exemption into the Australian PGA Senior Championship with the low round of those over the age of 50 while WPGA Tour of Australasia regular Danni Vasquez-Boyd is also headed to Heritage as the leading female qualifier.
Vasquez-Boyd was one of five players to post 4-over 74, a playoff required to determine the 15th and final National Final qualifier.
Castle Hill’s own Head Professional Steve Gannon, Dean Mulley, Patrick Joseph and James Single joined Vasquez-Boyd in the playoff, Gannon edging Mulley on the third playoff hole to snare the final spot.
Boasting prizemoney of $100,000, the PGA Professionals Championship National Final will be played on the St John Course at The Heritage Golf and Country Club from November 11-13.
NSW/ACT PPC qualifiers
1 Arthur Barakat 68
2 Cody Harper 69
T3 Mitchell Harry 70
T3 Jake Kable 70
T3 Ken Druce 70
6 Clayton Bridges 71
T7 Michael Smyth 72
T7 Mitchell Kellehear 72
T7 Adam Kelleher 72
T7 Jason Perkin 72
T11 Daniel Nesbitt 73
T11 Sung Park 73
T11 Mitchell Gannon 73
T11 Benjamin Burge 73
15 Steven Gannon 74
Leading female qualifier
Danni Vasquez-Boyd
Defending national champion Samuel Eaves is on course to go back-to-back after a commanding victory at the PGA Professionals Championship of South-East Queensland at Nudgee Golf Club on Tuesday.
As winner of the PPC National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club last November, Eaves’s place in the field for the 2025 National Final (November 1-13) was already secure.
Selected in the Four Nations Cup team that will travel to Canada next month, Eaves was a late entry in the field at Nudgee but ended the day first on the leaderboard with a superb 8-under 62 on the Bulka Course.
While he had played the adjacent Kurrai host that is home to the Queensland PGA Championship, Eaves was taking his first look at the Bulka, inhaling a hamburger on his way to the 10th tee before unleashing a four-stroke win in the field of 80 PGA Professionals.
“I didn’t necessarily know where the trouble was so was able to commit to a lot of the shots and gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” said Eaves, pictured with Club Car Vice President for Oceania, Kevin Gates.
“It was a late decision to play the local event knowing I had already qualified for the National Final although I am extremely glad I did and gives me plenty of confidence heading into the back half of the year.
“It’s a really big year for me not only representing Australia at the Four Nations Cup and being defending champion at the PGA Professionals Championship National Final though now also a start in the Queensland PGA Championship which is exciting.”
Nudgee’s own resident Professional Chris Duke shot 66 to finish second and secure the second exemption into the Queensland PGA and a spot in the National Final, Steve Vail (67) edging Andrew Brennan (67) on a countback to claim the third and final Queensland PGA exemption.
Matt Guyatt was the leading Professional over the age of 50 and therefore receives an exemption into the 2025 Australian PGA Senior Championship while Emily Byrne is also headed to the PPC National Final as the leading female Professional.
A big thank you to event partners Club Car, CCEP and Acushnet who help to make the day such a success, a day that also incorporates the Annual State Member Forum.
Queensland qualifiers for PPC National Final
1 Samuel Eaves 62
2 Chris Duke 66
T3 Steve Vail 67
T3 Andrew Brennan 67
T5 Cameron Bell 68
T5 Craig Davis 68
T5 Mitchell Smith 68
T8 Brenton Fowler 69
T8 Matthew Guyatt 69
T8 Luke Parker 69
T8 TJ King 69
T8 Zach Ion 69
T8 Peter Martin 69
T14 Dale Walker 70
T14 Leon Trenerry 70
T14 Zac Chipperfield 70
Emily Byrne (Leading Female Professional)
Qualifiers went down to 16th place as Eaves was already exempt into National Final
Jeremy Ward obtained full membership of the PGA of Australia 15 years ago and now sits at the centre of a three-generational tradition that is as old as the PGA itself.
Applications for the 2026 Membership Pathway Program have been open since July 1, providing not only an opportunity for enthusiastic and dedicated golfers to pursue a career in the golf industry but for existing PGA Members to help mould the next generation of PGA Members.
Ward learned the true value of mentorship first under Bruce Burrows and then David Northey at Castle Hill Country Club, Ward and Northey continuing to catch up to talk life and pro shop retail operations over dinner.
Ward has other mentors whom he seeks out to talk coaching and is now sharing that knowledge with Associates he supervises in his role as Head Professional at Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney.
Currently, Ward has Sam Reece at Oatlands in the second year of the MPP while 2025 graduate Max Dakic recently moved to the United States to take up the position of Assistant Professional at the prestigious Montecito Club in California.
It is this progression that Ward values most as a Supervising Professional.
“I’m so proud of him for that,” Ward said of Dakic, who only left Oatlands in April. “I just love that part of it.
“We have FaceTime calls every couple of weeks and he’s telling me what it’s all about.
“With Sam, I have watched this young man grow. His personality has come out over the last two years and he’s just a completely different human being.
“I’m always receiving positive feedback from members about Sam, which is awesome. That’s why I do it.”
As a Supervising Professional, Ward endeavours to instil a high level of professionalism within his Associates while offering opportunity to explore areas of the business and take responsibility for particular areas of the shop.
During his time under Ward, Dakic was trusted with the responsibility of food and drink ordering for the pro shop while, in a short space of time, Reece has become the go-to man for club repairs at Oatlands.
“A lot of the members go to Sam now for repairs,” Ward explained.
“He’ll complete the work, I’ll go and have a look at it, make sure that he’s on the right track, but that’s it. For the most part, I just let him go because he has earned that right over the past 12 months to be the repair guy.
“He’ll zip off to the repair bench and spend an hour or two there doing whatever work that needs to be done and he can do that completely unsupervised.”
It is Ward’s view that by providing an opportunity for growth, Associates don’t only become more highly-skilled, they absorb an element of the daily workload that provides the Supervising Professional time to conduct lessons and circulate amongst the membership.
Crediting former Oatlands General Manager and fellow PGA Professional Sam Howe for understanding the value of a PGA Professional, Ward invests the time saved through his Associates to better serve the Oatlands members.
“Knowing that they’re capable of doing the work allows me to do my job properly and frees me up to build relationships with members and coach,” Ward added.
As for his role within the chain of accumulated knowledge within the PGA of Australia Membership, Ward believes it is a duty that every PGA Professional should seek to accept.
“I’m a direct result of a guy like David Northey, who I learned so much from,” said Ward.
“I’m sure he felt a responsibility over me, to make sure that I finished with some idea as to how to run a golf shop and how to be a Head Professional or a Director of Golf.
“It’s the same with the Associates that I take on. I see myself as being responsible for the finished product after three years and I also feel a continued responsibility to mentor them even after their time with me has ended.
“I feel like that is my duty as a PGA Professional.”
There is still time to apply for the Membership Pathway Program. For more information click here.
The 4-hybrid that Grace Kim hit into the 72nd hole and on the second hole of the playoff at the Amundi Evian Championship will go down in history as two of the greatest shots hit by an Australian in major championship golf.
Here, her long-time coach and PGA Professional Khan Pullen outlines the key to consistent strikes with hybrid clubs and why every club golfer in Australia should be using them.
The first tip for amateurs in hitting hybrids more consistently is to make sure that they all have at least one (probably more!) in their bag.
Even if you look at the highest levels of the men’s game, where their clubhead speeds are typically significantly higher than the females, there are a lot more hybrids and fairway woods in bags because they’re so much easier to use, much easier to get elevated and are more forgiving.
Hybrids are easier to hit because of the wider sole and the lower centre of gravity. The wider sole can help to get it through the grass a little bit better if the contact’s not quite perfect and the lower and further-back centre of gravity helps to get the ball up into the air a lot easier than a long iron. They are also better for hitting out of the rough and fairway bunkers.
When hitting hybrids, the mentality and swing technique is like hitting an iron, that is, having a slightly downward angle of attack on the ball to use the club effectively.
Go and see your PGA Professional and get a proper fit for the right carry, the right height and the right spin rate for you.
Hitting a hybrid certainly proved effective for Grace at Evian.
The High Performance Manager at Golf NSW, Khan Pullen has been a PGA Professional since 1993 and in 2023 was named the PGA NSW/ACT Coach of the Year – High Performance.
Photo: Philippe Millereau KMSP
Given their shared history dating back to Mark Gibson coaching her father as a junior at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club, Ali Orchard conceded that day one felt weird.
Having spent the past four years working under Gibson at Mark Gibson’s Exceptional Golf teaching facility at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, Tuesday marked the first day of the transition to Ali Orchard Golf Performance.
It was a day where Gibson’s coaching diary was full… and greatly appreciated by his new boss.
“He’s obviously got a really strong client base that he still wants to look after and take care of,” said Orchard.
“The first day he was pumping the lessons and then he left.
“I was like, ‘Well done today.’
“I’ll remember that forever.”
At 67 years of age and a Life Member of the PGA of Australia in his 46th year of service to the game, Gibson is quick to clarify that he is not retiring.
Yes, there is a trip to Europe with his wife planned later this year, but Gibson is not yet ready to relinquish what he describes as the best of both worlds, where he is excited to go to work and excited to get home each day.
He was, however, ready to hand over the reins to a facility he has spent the past 19 years building, but only to the person he felt was perfectly suited to the role.
“I needed someone who was smart, good coach, business minded, professional, respected and with a growing profile. Every box she ticked was a no brainer,” said Gibson.
“I would’ve felt an injustice if when I finished at Royal Pines – and I’m not finishing yet – to not have someone that could carry on that legacy of the quality coaching that the team produces here.
“I’d hate to see it deteriorate and I know that won’t ever happen under Ali’s stewardship.”
The daughter of PGA Professional Paul Orchard, Ali Orchard has been able to call upon Gibson throughout her professional development.
A talented amateur player who dabbled in professional golf, Orchard completed the Sports Management Diploma at the PGA International Golf Institute where Gibson served as a PGA mentor.
It is a relationship that has only strengthened over the past four years, and which gives Orchard the foundation to build on what Gibson has established.
“Even though I admire him immensely, I’ve always felt comfortable around ‘Gibbo’,” Orchard added.
“I think he was Chairman of the PGA at the time, but I pulled him up at the PGA Awards and asked if he could take a photo of me with Mum and Dad.
“More than anything, he’ll always be a role model or a mentor. If I’m questioning something, I’ll just always ask him.
“I don’t know that I ever thought that I’d follow in his footsteps but I always felt like he’d play a part in my career.”
The opportunity is now there for Ali Orchard Golf Performance to create its own legacy.
While her work in coaching elite players and juniors and growing the number of women playing the game will continue, Orchard will apply a portion of her time to making sure her fellow PGA Members have the chance to excel.
The current coaching team also includes Nancy Harvey, Colin Edwards and Douglas Chow, Orchard eager to highlight their individual strengths within the facility.
“What excites me most about this next phase is helping everyone be the best version of themselves, both players and coaches,” she said.
“Coaches all have their own niche so it’s just highlighting why they’re awesome and then targeting their market to help more people.”
At a time when there are more and more women entering the sport, Gibson believes Orchard can leave an indelible mark during her career within Australian golf.
“To get more women professionals, you’ve got to have more women golfers. It’s a percentage thing,” said Gibson.
“Just yesterday I was reflecting on the people that I see Ali coaching, and a fairly solid proportion of her coaching list is females aged between 25-35 who are really excited to be in golf.
“Never in my whole coaching career would I have said that I had that as part of my client base.
“Ali’s going to be a great asset in bringing a lot of women into the game.”
As for their new working arrangement, Gibson likes how it has begun.
“Ali’s empathy for people will make her a great boss,” said Gibson.
“We’ve had three days so far and haven’t had a blue yet.”
Ali Orchard is currently recruiting for a Teaching Professional at RACV Royal Pines Resort. To express your interest or apply, click here.
Twelve PGA Members have secured their place at the PGA Professionals Championship National Final following state qualifiers held in South Australia and Western Australia.
Twenty-one PGA Professionals teed it up at Mount Osmond Golf Club to determine the South Australian qualifiers, 28 WA Members fighting it out for seven spots at Cottesloe Golf Club.
Based at Thaxted Park Golf Club, Cody Sherratt shot 72 at Mount Osmond to win the PGA Professionals Championship of South Australia, finishing one shot clear of Legends Tour regular Simon Pope (73).
A playoff was needed to determine the third qualifier for the National Final after Damian Wrigley, Patric Kroschel and Benjamin Stowe all shot 75, Stowe clinching his place at the National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club from November 11-13.
As the leading senior player on the day, Pope also earns a place in the field for the Australian PGA Senior Championship from November 7-9 while Anne-Marie Knight qualified for the National Final as the leading female Professional.
A playoff was needed also at Cottesloe to finalise the WA qualifiers.
Scott Barr, Stephen Herbert and Conor Brown (pictured top) each shot 3-under 69 to finish tied at the top and guarantee their spots at The Heritage in November.
Two-under 70 was enough for Brody Martin to clinch the fourth spot but four players – Damian Chatterley, Joshua Madden, Ackzel Donaldson and Michael Draper – were forced to play extra holes to decide the final three qualifiers.
Draper would be the unlucky player to miss out as Nicole Martino finished top among the female professionals to also advance to the National Final.
The NSW PGA Professionals Championship scheduled for this week had to be postponed due to the wild weather in Sydney, the Queensland qualifier due to be played at Nudgee Golf Club on July 29.
Sunshine Coast Professional TJ King will be joined by three new faces when the PGA of Australia team travels to Canada to contest the 2025 Four Nations Cup.
To be held at The Pulpit Club an hour outside Toronto from September 2-5, the 2025 tournament marks the third playing of the Four Nation’s Cup that brings together PGA Members from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.
King, the Assistant Professional at Mount Coolum Golf Club, has been a constant in the Australian team since 2022 and was part of the victorious Australian team along with Scott Laycock, Jayden Cripps and Brad McLellan at Moonah Links in 2023. The Four Nation’s Cup was not held in 2024.
The past two winners of the PGA Professionals Championship National Final, Matthew Docking (2023) and Samuel Eaves (2024), will make their Four Nations Cup debuts along with Sanctuary Cove Teaching Professional Mitchell Smith.
Smith finished tied second alongside Docking at last year’s PPC National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club and will now try to play his part in Australia’s title defence on foreign soil.
PGA Member Director, Steve Hutchison, will travel with the team as the non-playing manager and is excited that three Members will experience the Four Nations Cup for the first time.
“The Four Nations Cup is not only a chance to compete and represent the PGA of Australia internationally, it is an opportunity to learn and establish relationships with fellow PGA Members across the globe,” said Hutchison.
“The issues faced by our Members on a day-to-day basis are very similar to those that PGA Professionals around the world are experiencing.
“Sharing what we know and hearing how other Professionals deal with certain challenges can be of great benefit to our Membership as a whole.”
Eighty golf leaders of tomorrow have spent the week connecting and building the knowledge base for their future careers at the 2025 PGA National School in Brisbane.
Conducted over three days at VOCO Brisbane and Victoria Park Golf Complex, Year 1 Associates in the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program (MPP) engaged in a range of immersive sessions and heard from golf industry experts.
Attendees were given the opportunity to learn, network, and refine their craft through practical workshops on full swing technique, junior golf delivery, and long game fitting with Titleist, to deep dives into coaching technology, career preparation and customer service, all integral skills that will help to shape their futures in the sport.
The program featured presentations from respected PGA partners Coca-Cola, Titleist CoachNow and Trackman and valued insights from a plethora of PGA Professionals.
In addition to Year 1 Associates in the MPP, the National School also welcomed four students from the Tour Professional Articulation. Adam Bland, Max McCardle, James Grierson and Shane O’Brien have extensive experience playing on both domestic and international tours and are now entering an exciting new phase of their golf careers. Their attendance was only possible due to the support provided by the program partner, Titleist/FootJoy, who are committed to supporting these students on their journey to Vocational Membership with the PGA.
With tailored breakout sessions and whole-group presentations, the National School continues to be an essential stepping stone in the journey of every PGA Associate, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to thrive in Australia’s golf industry.
Applications for the 2026 intake for the Membership Pathway Program open on July 1. To register your interest in taking the first step to becoming a PGA Professional, click here.
“Want to go play?”
It’s a sentence all but guaranteed to elicit excitement in any kid, and the foundation behind the junior golf boom that is happening at Belmont Golf and Bowls Club.
The coastal layout south of Newcastle long played an important role in elite amateur golf as host venue of the Lake Macquarie Amateur up until 2016, yet their junior numbers had waned.
PGA Professional Andrew Walkley joined Lake Macquarie Golf Schools at Belmont just over five years ago. In that time, he has been a part of rebuilding Belmont’s junior base from 25 just a few years ago to the current number of around 150.
To help achieve that increase, Walkley went looking for a way to not simply coach kids, but to get them on the golf course playing the sport they were showing an interest in.
“There’s a big disconnect between being on the range and chipping and putting to actually playing golf,” said Walkley, the 2024 NSW PGA Coach of the Year – Game Development, in a recent PGA ACE Webinar on game development initiatives.
“Because Belmont is such a busy facility, it’s difficult to get the kids on the weekend, especially out onto the golf course.
“Last year, I took the opportunity to start a junior development program that asked the kids who came to the Sunday clinics whether they wanted to go further with their golf and come to golf on a Tuesday afternoon as well.”
Those who double up with a second session on a Tuesday alternate each week between skill development and precious time on the golf course.
And if Walkley senses they would prefer to play, he gives them more game time.
“They’re really enjoying that experience of getting out on the golf course and actually playing the game, rather than just standing on the range and hitting one ball after another,” he added.
“It just takes their enjoyment to another level.
“It’s important for the kids to be exposed to that from an early age.
“I know when I was a kid all I did was play. I never practised.
“With sports psychology and coaching development, it has gone the other way but playing the game’s the true art of playing golf.”
Key to providing a positive environment in which the juniors can foster their love of the game is clear communication with club executives and members.
After identifying Tuesday afternoons as a generally quiet period where the membership would be least impacted, Walkley said the support for the program has been overwhelming.
“We try to make sure that if any of the members come out for nine holes, we guide them to go the other way, so the juniors don’t feel as though they are holding anyone up,” Walkley added.
“With two groups of five or six kids, we might only play a couple of holes in an hour. Sometimes we’ll even play as a group of 12 if we just want to have some fun.
“We make sure we get that space and the club’s well on board with that.
“They can see that golf is developing and that junior golf is developing as well.”
To find a PGA Professional running a junior program near you, visit pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro
To watch the full game development webinar with Andrew Walkley, Andrew Thomas and Anne-Marie Knight, click here
Tim Elliott has booked his place in two major events this summer after navigating wet and windy conditions at the Victorian PGA Professional Championships at Portsea Golf Club.
A prolific winner on the PGA Legends Tour for more than a decade – including recently besting the likes of Jason Norris and Scott Barr at the Cottesloe Senior Invitational – Elliott birdied his final two holes in a round of even-par 71 and a one-stroke win.
A regular on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia since graduating from the Membership Pathway Program, Lachlan Armour had earlier surged to the lead on the back of three straight birdies late in his round.
But disaster would strike on his final hole, making a triple bogey at the par-4 14th to finish tied second with David Tapping with matching rounds of 1-over 72.
By virtue of his win, Elliott not only earns a spot in the PGA Professionals Championship National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club from November 11-13, he is also exempt into the Vic PGA Championship at Moonah Links Resort and the Australian PGA Senior Championship at Richmond Golf Club. Armour and Tapping also receive invites to the Vic PGA.
A field of 74 PGA Professionals teed it up at Portsea with the top 15 to advance to the National Final.
Sheradyn Johnsonwas one of five players who finished tied 14th but secures a spot at the National Final as the highest-finishing woman in the field.
Qualifiers for National Final: Tim Elliott, David Tapping, Lachlan Armour, Shane Johnson, Simon Angliss, Alex Pitty, Matthew Howell, Levi Burns, Ben Ford, Ben Murphy, Daniel Defilice, Matt Voglas, Nick Dastey, Michael Isherwood, Jack Chrystie. Reserves: Finlay Bellingham, Kevin Conlong.
