The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia gets back into action this week, with the CKB WA PGA presented by Civil TX & Logistics returning to Kalgoorlie Golf Course and the ‘Gold Capital of Australia’.
The second event of the season after Will Bruyeres claimed the PNG Open, the WA PGA kick-starts a two-week swing in Western Australia and a run of nine events in 10 weeks as players seek not just titles, but the rewards on offer via the Order of Merit that will again offer pathways overseas, including to the DP World Tour.
Bruyeres has made the trip to the oasis-like fairways and greens set amongst the red dirt of the region, and will be joined by the likes of past champions Ben Eccles, Dimi Papadatos, Jarryd Felton and Brett Rumford.
Meanwhile, players have returned from overseas, with Haydn Barron back home in WA after his rookie season on the DP World Tour, Cameron John fresh off his challenge for the Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland and Jasper Stubbs, Ryan Ang and Connor Fewkes all teeing it up following the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Japan.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Ben Eccles (Victoria)
PRIZEMONEY: $250,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The CKB WA PGA presented by TX Civil & Logistics is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 4pm-7pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 2pm-7pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
THE COURSE
Designed by Graham Marsh on the site of an old garbage dump, Kalgoorlie Golf Course came into existence in 2010 after the concept had been in planning for almost a decade. Kalgoorlie-born Marsh went on to create a uniquely Australian layout.
The natural red dirt, native trees and brush present on the site before the course remain a strong feature, and potential hazard, surrounding the undulating fairways and elevated greens that present a range of short game options and treachery if the wrong choice is made.
Measuring more than 6,700 metres from the back tees, the par-72’s red dirt bunkers standout visually and as part of the challenge, while the closing three-hole stretches to both nines provide plenty of excitement.
On the front nine, a dogleg left par-4 of 365 metres at the seventh is followed by a long uphill par-3 before the testing par-4 ninth, where Eccles holed a bunker shot on the final day in 2023 to ignite his charge.
To close out the back nine, the par-4 16th features one of the native trees in the fairway as an added hazard, while the par-3 17th will again offer up a car for the first player to record a hole-in-one over the weekend. The final hole is a journey of more than 528 metres that includes a dramatically three-tiered green.
HEADLINERS
Ben Eccles – 2023 WA PGA champion
Will Bruyeres – 2024 PNG Open winner
Dimi Papadatos – Four-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner
Cameron John – 2023 winner of The National Tournament
Jak Carter – Sixth on the 2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
Jake McLeod – Former Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner
Jasper Stubbs – 2023 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship winner
Brett Rumford – Six-time DP World Tour winner
Haydn Barron – DP World Tour player
Tom Power Horan – Three-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner