Stars sign on for WA swing of Pro-Am season - PGA of Australia

Stars sign on for WA swing of Pro-Am season


ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Rookie of the Year Haydn Barron and three-time winner Tom Power Horan are two of the stars to have signed on for the WA swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series starting Saturday at Cottesloe.

Starting on May 13 and running through until mid June, the Western Australian leg of the Pro-Am Series has already attracted prominent names of the past along with stand-outs from the most recent Australasian Tour season.

Ahead of his major championship debut at Royal Liverpool in July, Barron (pictured) will tee it up at the $30,000 Sanwell Cottesloe Open starting Saturday along with Power Horan, winner of both Gippsland Super 6 and The National Tournament this past season.

By virtue of finishing second to David Micheluzzi on the Order of Merit, Power Horan will join the DP World Tour at the end of the year and is expected to feature prominently during his stint in the west.

Joining Barron and Power Horan at the 75th staging of the Cottesloe Open will be multiple DP World Tour winners in Brett Rumford, Marcus Fraser and Scott Strange while defending champion Braden Becker will seek to add a second champion’s jacket in 2023.

Over the course of the next six weeks players will vie for their share of the $340,000 in prize money on offer, culminating with the WS6 Broome and the $36,000 Broome Furnishings Carpet Paint & Tile Pro-Am at the stunning Broome Golf Club on June 24.

“The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues to grow year-on-year, with a 13 per cent increase in prize money across the WA swing in 2023,” explained WA Membership Manager of the PGA of Australia, Brendon Allanby.

“Golf clubs and facilities enjoy showcasing their courses through elite professional golf, at the same time providing their members a chance to play with the current and future stars of our game.

“We sincerely thank clubs, sponsors and our PGA Members for their continued commitment to deliver outstanding events to WA.”

The Lyndsay Stephen Cottesloe Invitational will be staged alongside the Cottesloe Open, with current European Senior Tour players Peter Fowler and Michael Long expected to contend for this year’s title.  Glenn Joyner, Guy Wall, Mike Clayton and David Diaz are other familiar names that will be battling it out for this special trophy.

The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues in Perth the following week, with The Green Lakelands Pro-Am and DJ Di Stasio Transport Kwinana Pro-Am before players head to Joondalup for the reigning WA PGA Tournament of the Year, the Metal West Recycling Joondalup Resort Classic on May 20-21 where Michael Sim will defend his title.

With a boost in prize money to $40,000 and a unique format in 2023, the Metal West Recycling Joondalup Resort Classic will provide an action-filled weekend for spectators. Saturday will see 60 professionals and 12 elite amateurs playing the Quarry and Lake nines, before a cut to 40 pros and four amateurs will be made for the final round.

Sunday will feature the spectacular Quarry nine being played twice – a unique order of play delivering a dramatic finish over the quarry. A shotgun start from 11am will provide fans and corporate hospitality non-stop entertainment throughout the day.

Sun City Country Club returns to the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule with the Opal Health Care Sun City Pro-Am on May 26 that will serve as a fitting end to the metropolitan leg of the series.

Heading south for the Jetline Kerbing Capel Pro-Am and Urban Quarter Dunsborough Lakes Pro-Am, players will enjoy the best of WA’s south west golf and hospitality over the week. The South West Isuzu South West Open at Bunbury Golf Club is one of the longest running events on the calendar and also sees an increase in prize money in 2023, pushing up to $40,000.

Players then head north to Geraldton for the $50,000 Mitchell & Brown Spalding Park Open from June 9-11, an increase of $15,000 from 2022 and now the richest event on the WA Pro-Am schedule.

The $20,000 Bennco Group Karratha Pro-Am has seen prize money almost double from last year and coincides with 18 grass greens in play for the first time.

The $30,000 Roy Hill Pro-Am at Port Hedland remains a favourite stop with players and is now the sole sand green event in 2023, taking place on June 17-18.

For the full schedule of the WA swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series and scores, please visit pga.org.au.


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