At the course where PGA TOUR and Champions Tour winner Rod Pampling began as a junior, 59 Associates currently undertaking the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program from Queensland and New South Wales will tee it up in Monday’s 36-hole strokeplay qualifying.

From there, the top 24 advance to three days of matchplay competition with the winner facing the possibility of playing 36 holes four days straight to claim possession of the Pampling Plate.

With the past three winners – Mitch Smith (2021), Dylan Gardner (2022) and Lachlan Wood (2023) – all now graduating to full Vocational Membership of the PGA, it will be a first-time winner who emerges from one of Australian golf’s most gruelling examinations.

Two of the favourites to join the Pampling Plate honour roll will be Jack Wright (Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club) and Damon Stephenson (Parkwood Golf Club) who have 17 Associate wins between them this year already.

The 2023 runner-up, Dylan Knox (Indooroopilly Golf Club), will be hoping to go one better while Jordan Rooke (Keperra Golf Club) and Zach Ion (Virginia Golf Club) are also expected to go deep into the tournament.

First-year Associates Justin Morley (Southport Golf Club) and Campbell Jones (Pacific Golf Club) will be out to make an impression in their first appearance in an event supported for the past 20 years by the Pampling family.

Not only do the Pamplings provide financial support to the $5,000 prize purse, but Rod’s mum Marge keeps all the players fed by manning the sausage sizzle and providing her now famous home-made biscuits.

Round 1 tees off at 6:45am on Monday morning in conditions that are expected to get extremely hot throughout the day.

Round 1 draw