Gold Creek Country Club hosted one of the strongest pro-am fields ever assembled in Australia and it was thanks in large to PGA Professional Matt Millar who calls the Canberra and the Gold Creek Country Club home.

In his 17-years as a Member of the PGA of Australia, Millar has become one of the most respected and admired players not just in Australia, but around the world, forging friendships which were on display at his own event in Canberra yesterday.

Locals might have been mistaken for thinking the Australian Open was being played in their own backyard, with Marcus Fraser, Peter O’Malley and Andre Stolz just a few of the big names to come to the nation’s capital to play one of the strongest pro-am swing’s on the 2016 Choice Hotels PGA Pro-Am Series.
 
Joining the household names were some of the rising stars of Australian golf, including 2014 BMZ New Zealand Open champion, Dimi Papadatos, 2014 NSW PGA champion Lincoln Tighe, 2015 Tahiti International Winner, Callan O’Reilly, and Victorian young guns, Kris Mueck and Rory Bourke.

The series has delivered big names winners this week, including Canberra’s own Brendan Jones who fired a 6-under 66 to capture the Federal Pro-Am on Monday along with Victoria’s Michael Choi .

Millar’s good friend and frequent travel companion David Bransdon has proven to be the man to beat in Canberra after his round of 5-under 65 was matched by Bourke and PGA Tour of Australasia rookie, Lyndsay Wilson, to share the spoils at the Queanbeyan Guns ‘N’ Hoses Carwash Pro-Am on Tuesday.

Bransdon showed why he is still one of the best players in the country, carding an amazing 4-under 68 in the afternoon field at Gold Creek to take victory and keep Millar chasing his first win at home. 

"The fields have been the strongest we have ever seen in Canberra," said Jake Nagle who hosted the tour on Tuesday at Queanbeyan and the grandson of PGA Life Member and Australian golfing icon, Kel Nagle.

 Although relatively new to the tournament scene, the Austbrokers Canberra Gold Creek Country Club Pro-Am has established itself as one of the best events in the country and with the name of Matthew Millar behind it, it is no wonder the event has received such great support from the local Canberra community and his fellow PGA Professionals.

"I am delighted to have the chance to come out and support his event this year," said Marcus Fraser, who narrowly missed out on a berth at Augusta this week.

Millar captured his first PGA Tour of Australasia victory last year, the Holden New Zealand PGA Championship, and followed up with one of the most sensational years ever seen on the Australasian Tour.

"It was a year which I didn’t see coming and it exceeded all expectations," said Millar.

It was the consistency of such a year which made him the unanimous selection for the 2015 PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year, which was awarded at the inaugural Greg Norman Medal Ceremony on the Gold Coast during the 2015 PGA Championship.

It should also be no surprise that Millar’s form has continued this week, finishing just one shot back from the leaders at Federal and Queanbeyan, but a 1-over 73 at Gold Creek was only good enough for a share of ninth place.

Millar and Bransdon will feature in the rest of the week, with players teeing it up at Yowani Pro-Am, on Thursday and the Murrumbidgee Country Club Pro-Am on Saturday before the final leg of the swing at Goulburn Soldiers Club Pro-Am on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Related links 

Schedule / Choice Hotels PGA Pro-Am Series.