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Ben Campbell earned the biggest prize of his professional golf career so far by winning the 2025 Victorian PGA Associate Championship at Club Tocumwal.
The only player to shoot under-par rounds on the Captains Course on each of the four days, Campbell (71-71-68-71) finished on 7-under-par to beat fellow Victorian Tony Walker by a shot, with Queensland’s Drew Herbert a further stroke behind in third place.
A first year associate professional from The Sands Torquay, Campbell has made the switch to the Membership Pathway Program after experiencing life as a Tour pro and as a college player in the United States.
He was the third-round leader by one, but made a horror start to his final round, stumbling to a double-bogey on the par-4 first hole followed by a bogey at the par-3 second.
However he picked up a birdie at the fourth before holing out for an eagle at the par-4 fifth and gaining another shot at the sixth.
Walker, a former Tasmanian Open champion now based at Yarramat Park Golf Course, challenged with three consecutive birdies on the back nine but had his challenge thwarted by a bogey at the par-4 16th.
It wasn’t the eagle that was at the forefront of Campbell’s mind post-round. He was quick to look back on a hole-out from a bunker for a birdie on the par-3 17th that was pivotal to him securing the win.
“That allowed me to go two ahead of Toby. It was a pretty wild round really,” the 27-year-old said.
“Holing out on the fifth got me settled into the round.
“Playing 72-hole Tour events in the past really helped me to stay patient, knowing it would be a long week and there’d be some ups and downs.”
Campbell says he has always had an interest in golf coaching and decided to head down that career path after trying out Tour life.
“It’s been really seamless. I’m really enjoying it and where I’m at,” he said.
“I’m not sure if I’ll back to the Tour or not. We’ll just see how the rest of the year plays out.”
Leaderboard
-7: Ben Campbell (Vic) 71-71-68-71
-6: Toby Walker (Vic) 69-69-73-71
-5: Drew Herbert (Qld) 73-68-72-70
-4: Joseph Hodgson (SA) 78-67-68-71
-2: Levi Sclater (Vic) 70-73-71-72
-1: Daniel Gill (Vic) 71-72-68-75; Lachlan Chamberlain (ACT) 75-70-72-70; Ryan Thomas (Tas) 74-72-73-68
A hole-in-one and an eagle in the space of five holes has propelled Huntingdale Golf Club’s Jack Deftereos-Brennan to a two-stroke lead after day one of the 2025 Victorian PGA Associate Championship at Club Tocumwal.
A field of 142 Associates from across the country came out firing at Club Tocumwal’s Captain’s Course on Tuesday, none better than the 5-under 67 posted by Deftereos-Brennan in ideal morning conditions.
Blustery winds made scoring more challenging for the afternoon groups, Deftereos-Brennan one of only four players under par heading into Round 2 on Wednesday.
Despite dropping a shot at the opening hole of the championship, the man commonly known as ‘Jack D-B’ unleashed a stunning stretch of holes to surge to the top of the leaderboard.
He made a hole-in-one at the 136-metre par-3 second and then backed it up with further birdies at three and four.
The flurry came to an end with a regulation par at the par-4 fifth but Deftereos-Brennan put it back into top gear with an eagle at the 495-metre par-5 sixth.
He moved to 6-under through seven holes with birdie at the 400m par-4 seventh and was 7-under when he picked up yet another birdie at the short par-4 13th.
Deftereos-Brennan had the tournament by the scruff of the neck, only to give the chasing pack a glimmer of hope with bogeys at each of his final two holes.
The nearest challenger entering Round 2 is Toby Walker (69) followed closely by 2023 National champion Levi Sclater (70) and Ben Campbell (71).
Round 2 teed off at 7am on Wednesday morning, the championship to reach its conclusion on Friday.
Christine Shin’s dreams of representing Australia and of becoming a fully qualified PGA Professional are a step closer thanks in part to the Women in Golf Scholarship.
The Women in Golf Scholarship was founded in 2021 with the intention of increasing the representation of women within the ranks of PGA Professionals and to promote women into leadership positions within the golf industry.
In the short time since it was established, it has already produced a number of success stories.
Having completed the MPP at Barnwell Park Golf Club in Sydney, Sarka Seifertova is employed as a PGA Teaching Professional at Education City Golf Club in Qatar while Nicole Martino was last year named PGA Management Professional of the Year for her contribution at The Western Australian Golf Club and represented the PGA of Australia at the 2022 Women’s PGA Cup.
A recipient in 2023, Shin is one of four to be awarded the Women in Golf Scholarship this year along with Nina Bohan (Toowoomba Golf Club), Julie Crafter (South Lakes Golf Club) and Aleisha Weidmann (Melville Golf Centre).
Each receive partial scholarships to assist their progress through the Membership Pathway Program, of which Shin is in her third year at Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club in Sydney.
Born with congenital deafness, Shin’s path has presented more challenges than most, yet she has overcome them all.
Eager to pursue playing opportunities and advance inclusive programs through coaching once she has completed the MPP, the Women In Golf Scholarship has played an important role in her development.
“As someone with a hearing impairment, effective communication is especially important in my role as both a coach and aspiring professional,” Shin said.
“The scholarship has allowed me to invest in developing these skills, helping me to connect more confidently with players, students and colleagues.
“Beyond the practical support, the scholarship has also given me the freedom to focus on my growth and learning without the constant stress of financial pressure.
“It’s bringing me one step closer to becoming a fully qualified PGA professional – ready to contribute meaningfully to the sport and help make golf more inclusive, accessible, and inspiring for others, especially women and people with disabilities.”
After learning of golf’s place within the Deaflympics just last year, Shin set her sights on representing Australia at Tokyo this November.
She was recently selected in the first Australian golf team to contest the Deaflympics from November 15-26 where Shin will have to compete without the use of her cochlear implants.
“Competing in the Australian Deaf Championship back in 2019 was the first time I played without my Cochlear implants, and it was a truly eye-opening experience,” she said.
“It felt different at first, but it also helped me grow as an athlete. I became more attuned to body language, timing, and staying focused in the moment.
“Training without my cochlear implants has now become an important part of my preparation for the Deaflympics.
“Beyond the competition itself, I’m inspired by the sense of community the Deaflympics fosters.
“It’s a space where barriers are broken and athletes with hearing impairments are celebrated for their talent and determination.
“I’m especially driven by the opportunity to inspire others – particularly women and those with hearing loss – to chase their goals and challenge perceptions.
“For me, this is about more than sport; it’s about proving that hearing impairment is not a limitation, and I’m proud to take this step forward.”
The PGA Women in Golf Scholarship Fund is proudly supported by PGA of Australia partners Acushnet and Callaway.
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
