The home course of PGA TOUR star Lucas Herbert and 2021 TPS Sydney champion Andrew Martin, it was Martin who looked set to take advantage of local knowledge early on in the second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series event in the region in as many days.

Birdies at each of his first two holes set an ominous tone for the rest of the field and when he added a third at the ninth to reach three-under it looked like little could get in the way of a hometown win.

Martin (68) made his fourth birdie at the 11th but back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16 would prove to be costly as he finished two shots shy of Baglin’s winning total of five-under 66.

Like Martin, Baglin (pictured, right) began his round with a birdie at the par-5 ninth but gave it back at the very next hole with a bogey at the par-3 10th.

He got that back and then some with an eagle three at the par-5 11th and would round out the back nine with birdies at 13, 17 and 18.

Further birdies at four and six opened up a three-shot buffer, a lead that would be trimmed by one with a bogey at his closing hole, adding to his victory at the Air Adventure King Island Pro-Am in January.

“It’s nice to come to Bendigo for a few days and play such great country courses as these two,” said Baglin, who was tied for third at the Axedale Pro-Am on Thursday.

“This place just keeps getting better and better.

“It wasn’t easy out there. Taylor (Gardiner, the Course Superintendent) had set some pretty tricky pins and you had to make sure you got on the right side of them to avoid three-putting.”

Martin’s 68 held up to take outright second with Cooper Gentle, Dale Crothers and Kris Mueck sharing third spot with rounds of two-under 69.

Prize money for the two tournaments around Bendigo were bolstered by financial contributions made by Herbert, a wonderful gesture by one of our leading lights to support his home region.

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