Victorian amateur Zach Murray will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Nexus Risk Services TSA Group WA Open.

Shooting 3-under 69 to be 13-under the card, Murray will have a chance to win the tournament wire-to-wire if he is able to hold off his playing partners, David Micheluzzi and Damien Jordan who each had rounds of 4-under 68 to be 12-under the card.

“One shot is enough to win and I have a good game plan for the course. I am just going to stick to it. I know my long irons are my strength. There are a lot of them off the tee around this course,” said Murray who admits he will be nervous as he tries to close out the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament.

“I am always nervous; I’m just a nervous player because it means something to me which is good. It doesn’t affect me, it’s in the back of my mind, it’s just the way I play golf.

“I have never been in this position before but it’s one that I am more than likely going to be in the future. I have to learn how to handle it and it will be good fun tomorrow with Damien and Dave.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Micheluzzi is focused on shooting a low number in the final round to try and become the third amateur in seven years to win the WA Open.

“I hope he’s (Murray) not too nervous, I sure won’t be nervous. I’m just trying to go and shoot as low as I can,” said Micheluzzi.

“He’s done a very good job. It’s a one-shot lead, anything can happen. I could make birdie on the first and he could make bogey on the first and there it is, I’ve got the lead.”

“Any win is really good, especially at a professional event, it would be awesome.”

Hoping to spoil the amateur’s party is 2017 Victorian PGA Champion Damien Jordan who was very complementary of his playing partners.

“I am pretty confident, I played pretty well today, the putter was pretty good in spots,” said Jordan.

“They are fearless, especially David, he just hit driver everywhere. He got a bit unlucky on a couple of good drivers he hit today. Zach hit some unbelievable iron shots today.”

Brett Rankin and Cameron John each fired third rounds of 4-under 68 to be 10-under the card and tied fourth.

Sitting two shots further back is Matt Millar while Brady Watt and Ben Ferguson are the leading West Australians on 7-under the card.

The final round of the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open tees off at 8.40am with Murray, Micheluzzi and Jordan on course at Mount Lawley Golf Club at 10.30am.

Victorian amateur Zach Murray has stormed into the clubhouse recording an emphatic victory at the Nexus Risk Services WA Open.

A wire-to-wire winner, Murray fired rounds of 64, 70, 69, 69 for a tournament total 16-under 272 to win by two shots from fellow amateur David Micheluzzi.

Murray put on a show for the crowds on the back-9 reeling off birdies on the 15^th, 16^th and 17^th holes to ensure he headed to the 18^th tee with a four-shot lead.

“I am sort of starting to calm down now; the adrenaline has been running high all day. I came home really strong which was really nice under the pressure,” added Murray.

“I holed a really big putt on 12 for birdie and that calmed me down. I hit a great shot into 13 and missed it. Then hit probably one of my worst shots for the week on 14 and made bogey. That made me re-set.

“I had finished well on the last few holes all week so in the back of my mind, I knew I could do it, which was crucial.

“It was nice to birdie 15 and 16. Then I hit probably two of the best shots I hit all week on 17 to have a two-putt birdie. It definitely made it a lot easier having a four-shot lead going down the last.

While his playing partner, Micheluzzi, made a birdie on the 72^nd hole of the tournament and Murray made a bogey, the trophy still went to the 21-year-old who had his dad caddying for him.

“It feels pretty special and it’s pretty cool to have dad here caddying for me,” added Murray.

“I knew dad was going to cry if I won, which he did. He works super hard to support my golf. It was so cool to have him here this week, to witness a win I haven’t had in a while, and my first win on the PGA Tour of Australasia.”

Murray becomes the third amateur in seven years to win the WA Open after Oliver Goss achieved the feat in 2012 as did Curtis Luck four years later.

“This means a lot; it is something I have been striving towards ever since the WA Open last year,” added Murray, who finished tied 9^th last year.

“It was really good for my confidence so I would say the WA Open will forever be a big part of my career and life.”

With his win Murray has earned full status on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2019 season, should he decide to turn pro in that time. However, it is a decision that he won’t rush into.

“I definitely had plans of turning in the near future but I have no idea what I will do,” added Murray.

“I have had a couple of mates turn pro, Brett Coletta and Ben Eccles who have won on Tour as well; from their experience, I know that it is a pretty tough decision.

“It’s one that I will have to sit down and have a good hard think about. It’s going to be my job so I don’t want to rush into things. I just have to make the best decision I can.”

Finishing outright third on 13-under the card, Matt Millar has walked away with the winner’s prize cheque of AU$15,000.

At 10-under the card, Jordan Mullaney, Blake Proverbs, Stephen Leaney, Brett Rankin and Damien Jordan all shared fourth place.

For all final scores please visit pga.org.au.

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia heads to Brisbane Golf Club for the Isuzu Queensland Open next week.

For the full schedule please visit pga.org.au.

First-round leader Zach Murray has retained the top spot on the leaderboard heading into the weekend at the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open.

The Victorian amateur posted 2-under 70 in the second round to be 10-under the card and two shots clear of fellow Victorian amateur David Micheluzzi and Queenslander Damien Jordan.

“I just didn’t make as many putts as I did yesterday. I just had to stay pretty patient,” said Murray, who has set up a weekend tee time with his mate.

“He (Micheluzzi) is a good buddy of mine; we play together pretty much every day. We’ve had a couple of really good battles over the last couple of years. It will be nice to go head-to-head.

“He got me in the Vic Amateur late last year; he smoked me so I might have to get a bit of revenge.”

While Murray was happy to grind out his second round, Micheluzzi fired 4-under 68 to make up ground on the leader.

“I was playing a bit of catch-up this morning. I am happy to finish with two consecutive 68’s and get myself into the tournament,” said Micheluzzi, whose second round was highlighted by his second eagle on a par-4 for the week.

“I pitched in on the 16^th from about 40 metres; it was about the same distance as the 18^th yesterday.

“I got a bit lucky, it was going about six feet past and it hit the middle of the pin and dropped in,” added Micheluzzi, who is playing a smart game plan around Mount Lawley Golf Club.

“I am playing aggressive, but smart; I hit an iron off the 1^st and some other holes. But I am very versatile with my driver, I can hit it low, I can hit it high, so I think I will make more birdies with the driver than with irons.

“This course, the greens are small so it is easy to short side yourself, I have done that a few times this week.

“I just want to put myself in the right positions off the tee and be aggressive at pins when I need to.”

Matt Millar continues to show why he is referred to as Mr Consistent, the Canberra resident fired 6-under 66 to be 7-under the card and three shots off the lead.

He is joined at 5^th on the leaderboard by defending champion Stephen Leaney and Ben Ferguson who is making his professional debut this week.

The second round cut was made at 4-over par with 51 professionals and 16 amateurs making the weekend rounds.

The third round will tee off at 8.40am with Murray, Micheluzzi and Jordan on course at Mount Lawley Golf Club at 10.30am.

Victorian David Micheluzzi has ensured the amateurs maintain a stranglehold on the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open following the morning field of the second round.

Following a challenging first round where he fired 4-under 68 with the Fremantle Docter in full effect, David Micheluzzi returned his second consecutive 68.

Posting 8-under the card after two rounds, Micheluzzi joined fellow Victorian amateur and overnight leader Zach Murray at the top of the leaderboard just as Murray prepared to tee off his second round.

“It was definitely easier today. I had my fair share of chances but just didn’t convert as well as yesterday but thankfully I finished with a birdie on the last,” said Micheluzzi.

“I was playing a bit of catch-up this morning. I am happy to finish with two consecutive 68’s and get myself into the tournament.

“Zach and I have both been playing well but not producing any scores so it was good to see him go low yesterday and for myself to play well in that wind.”

Micheluzzi’s second round has highlighted by his second eagle on a par-4 for the week.

“I pitched in on the 16th from about 40 metres; it was about the same distance as the 18^th yesterday.

“I got a bit lucky, it was going about six feet past and it hit the middle of the pin and dropped in,” added Micheluzzi, who is playing a smart game plan around Mount Lawley Golf Club.

“I am playing aggressive, but smart; I hit an iron off the 1^st and some other holes. But I am very versatile with my driver, I can hit it low, I can hit it high, so I think I will make more birdies with driver than with irons.

“This course, the greens are small so it is easy to short side yourself, I have done that a few times this week.

“I just want to put myself in the right positions off the tee and be aggressive at pins when I need to.”

Matt Millar continues to show why he is referred to as Mr Consistent, the Canberra resident fired 6-under 66 to be 7-under the card and one shot back of the amateurs.

Playing in the same group as Micheluzzi, rookie pro Cameron John also fired 6-under 66 to be tied sixth.

The afternoon field is now on course.

Victorian amateur Zach Murray has fired into the first round lead at the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open after equalling the course record at Mount Lawley Golf Club.

Playing in the morning field and starting on the 10^th tee, Murray got off to a steady start with six straight pars before making birdies at the 16^th and 17^th to be 2-under the card at the turn.

Murray ignited on the front-9 reeling off six birdies to be in the clubhouse at 8-under 64 and equal the course record set by Mitchell Brown in 2003.

“It’s nice to have a low opening round, it takes a little bit of pressure off having to try and come home late,” said Murray.

“Last year I seemed to have one or two-under, just plot my way along and then shot low in the last round.

“The conditions were great and the course is great so the opportunities were out there if you managed to roll a few putts in, which I did.”

The 21-year-old was looking forward to returning to the West after he finished 9^th in the WA Open last year, a result he credits with kick-starting his summer of golf.

“It is always nice to come back, I love Perth. I played here in a schoolboys championship about five or six years ago,” added Murray.

“Then I got a lot of confidence out of the WA Open last year, being able to compete at a professional event.”

Sitting one shot behind Murray is 2017 Victorian PGA Champion Damien Jordan who was complimentary of the amateur’s low round.

“It was absolutely perfect out there this morning. I thought I was playing pretty good but to see someone one better is fantastic golf,” said Jordan.

“The putter has been really hot. So it was good to make the most of hitting good shots.”

Placed in a tie for third on 6-under the card are Brett Rankin, defending champion Stephen Leaney and Ben Ferguson who made his professional debut today.

Conditions were much tougher for the afternoon field with the winds synonymous with Western Australia making scoring difficult.

Another Victorian amateur, David Micheluzzi, fared the best recording 4-under 68, highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 18^th. The 22-year-old chipped in after almost driving the green.

Also shooting 4-under 68 this afternoon was New Zealander Kieran Muir who celebrated his 31st birthday today.

The other highlight of the day belonged to New South Welshman Andrew Campbell who recorded a hole-in-one on the 146m par-3 6^th hole using his 9iron.

The second round of the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open tees off at 6.50am with Zach Murray on course at Mount Lawley Golf Club at 12pm.

West Australian Ben Ferguson is making his professional debut this week at the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open while also launching his own fashion label.

The 20-year-old, who first teed it up in the WA Open when he was 13, has made the transition to the pro ranks ahead of the Australian summer of golf.

It’s a decision he made after a solid amateur career that saw him represent Western Australia in the men’s team from 2014 to 2017 as well as captain the boy’s team in 2016.

“I am very excited and I am happy that it is going to be on home soil,” said Ferguson.

“The WA Open was the first professional event I played. It was at Royal Perth but the pre-qualifying was here at Mount Lawley. My second WA Open was also here at Mount Lawley.

“I was 14 in 2012 when I played here. I have some good memories, it was my first cut ever made in the WA Open as well.

“I remember that Jarryd Felton and I were the two amateurs to make the cut and he got the low amateur.”

Having received an invite into the field this week, Ferguson will look to pre-qualify for the remainder of the summer.

“I just felt like this is the right time for me to turn Pro. I have played quite a lot of overseas amateur tournaments and professional events in my amateur career.

“I felt like there are some big events coming up on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia so it made sense to turn pro.

“This is my first start, then I am going to try and pre-qualify for the Queensland Open next week, then the NSW Open and Australian Open. Qualifying School is in December at Wembley for the first stage.”

A win at the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open could open up a lot of opportunities for the rookie who has his sights set on an overseas tour.

“This is a big event, winning here would take a whole lot of stress off the rest of the year and moving forward,” added Ferguson.

“Hopefully I will get onto one of the major tours; the European Tour or PGA TOUR so this is all a learning experience building up to then.”

Asides from golf, Ferguson’s other passion lies in fashion and he will also debut his own casual golf line this week; Fergz.

“I am also debuting Fergz clothing, so it will be good to get that out,” added Ferguson.

“It’s just a bit of a hobby on the side of golf. Fashion is something that I am slowly getting more and more interested in.”

The Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open Championship tees off on Thursday 25 October with the winner decided on Sunday 28 October.

In addition to the winner’s share of the $100,000 prize purse, the champion will receive Official World Golf Ranking Points and be fully exempt onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2019 season.

Congratulations to Aaron Pike on winning the Vic PGA and earning his first victory on Tour. Although TI did not pick Pikey, I am pleased for the big fella who has battled injury and really worked hard to get into the winner’s circle. Although TI did not participate in the celebrations I am of the opinion they were quite large.

TI has mixed emotions arriving at Mt Lawley this week as last year I tipped Stephen Leaney from left field to win the event but didn’t invest in any of the 40/1 odds that were on offer. As is the case with the bookies they are clued in now and Mr Leaney is 15/1 and for the record, TI believes he is a great chance to go back-to-back.

This week I am going to look at a mainly WA flavour through my tips.

Jarryd Felton – we all know he is one of TI’s favourites so no surprise he gets the top pick this week. However, regular readers would know that TI rarely picks a favourite for the top pick so I must really fancy the little fella this week. He has won a couple of times on Tour already and will be high on the leaderboard at the end of this week.

Rick Kulacz – another of WA’s finest. The mad Hawks supporter would love nothing more than to drive away with the trophy in his lime green Falcon with the Hawthorn Football Club number plate on Sunday night. TI knows Rick is a very talented player and after a few years of grinding away without much success, TI believes Rick is close to getting back to his best. His best is clearly good enough to win this event as he competed with success on the European Tour not too long ago.

Max McCardle – not from WA but a very experienced player. It would be a little cheeky to call him a veteran (TI has noticed some grey’s sneaking through) but among the field this week he is certainly one of the older players. Max has been playing quite well in the last few years and really only needs to take the final step and record a win. TI will not be surprised to see Max at the top of the leaderboard this week.

James Nitties – TI sees his link to WA as the great performance in the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth early this year. I don’t believe James has been back to WA since and no doubt he enjoyed hopping off the plane earlier this week and I’m sure the good vibes returned. The proud Dallas Cowboy fan celebrated a birthday this week and he may just go one better in the west this week.

Zach Murray – TI fully expects a few of the talented amateurs in the field to perform very well this week but thinks that Zach may just be the best of them come Sunday night. He performed well at The US Amateur this year and I’m sure he gained a lot of confidence from that performance. TI is aware he has dad Craig on the bag and this can only be a positive influence throughout the week.

TI would be doing readers a disservice if I didn’t mention Matt Millar, Daniel Nisbet, Cameron John and Damien Jordan as legitimate chances this week given their form this year. I also think young Blake Proverbs from Queensland may be a good value bet and Kieran Pratt and Matt Jager are better players than what has been posted by some betting agencies.

The fight for the amateur trophy could come down to some of WA’s 18 and under brigade Hopewell, McKinney, Greer, Brady, Geddes, Fewkes and De Sousa are all quality players and well worth watching for the local fans. However, the older and more established amateurs Micheluzzi, Windred, Dann and Armstrong will be keen to teach these young guns a thing or two.

Mt Lawley is in great condition with the greens quite firm and it shapes up to be a great event.

Stephen Leaney has returned to defend his West Australian Open title in what could be his swan song at the tournament.

Leaney, aged 49, has his eyes set on the lucrative Champions Tour in the US, but first, he is eager to defend the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open at Mount Lawley Golf Club this week.

“In all reality, this is probably going to be my last WA Open. I turn 50 in March next year so I’ll be on the ‘fat belly’ old boys tour. Hopefully, I can go out on a nice note this year,” said Leaney, who won his third WA Open title at Mount Lawley GC in 1997.

“The last time I won here (Mt Lawley) was in ‘97 so it has probably changed a bit since then. But I’ve got history here, it suits my game because it’s tight almost like Royal Perth.

“It’s really just a second shot golf course; it’s not about how far you hit it. Hopefully, the breeze gets up and it will be good iron play.

“It plays to my strengths, so as long as I keep my game in order I would expect to have a chance on Sunday.” 

Coming to Perth fresh from finishing fourth at the Victorian PGA Championship in his last start on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, Leaney clearly still has what it takes to tee it up with the young players.

A case in point, the youngest player in the field this week, Jordan Jung, was born in 2002, the year that Leaney won his fourth WA Open title.   

“I turned pro in ‘92 so there are not a lot of guys playing this week who were born then,” said Leaney.

“Age is just a number my game is still good enough to compete. I played well in the Vic PGA a couple of weeks ago against the young kids so it’s just nice to come back home and nice to come to a course I’ve won at before.” 

The WA Open is an event close to Leaney’s heart, his state Open, he made his pro debut here in 1992 and has his name recorded on the Roy Paxton Bowl six times.

If he successfully defends his title this week Leaney would eclipse Terry Gale as the most prolific champion of the tournament.  

“It has been an event that is always close to my heart. It was the first pro event that I played at Lake Karrinyup,” added Leaney.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing this tournament; to have a chance to win seven would be nice.

“But I am not quite sure how I feel about that, there was a couple that I won that were joined with the Nedlands Masters. But my name is on the trophy six times so it’s great.”

The Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open Championship tees off on Thursday 25 October with the winner decided on Sunday 28 October.

In addition to the winner’s share of the $100,000 prize purse, the champion will receive Official World Golf Ranking Points and be fully exempt onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2019 season.