Hart charges into contention at GC Celebrity Pro-Am

Tim Hart has continued his strong Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series form at the GC Celebrity Pro-Am, firing 5-under in the morning field of round two to sit equal in second place on 6-under the card.

Starting his round from the first tee, an eagle on the 2nd hole set Hart up for a strong morning while a further six birdies saw him climb to sit two shots behind overnight leader Deyen Lawson.

“I played well and just took advantage of the par-5s,” said the big-hitting Hart.

“I still made a few mistakes here and there but it was good to make some birdies and play well.

“I had an eagle on the 2^nd; I hit a good shot in there with a 4-iron pretty close and tapped that one in so it was a good start.”

Conditions improved overnight to dry out the Lakelands Golf Club course while players were greeted with clearing clouds and sunny skies.

“It was pretty easy this morning and there wasn’t much of a breeze,” Hart continued.

“I probably ended up hitting four or five holes into the breeze so I think I took advantage but we’ll see how the afternoon field goes.”

With the afternoon field still to play a good result at the GC Celebrity Pro-Am would be significant for the Queenslander.

“It would be really good,” said Hart.

“I’ve been playing well for the last few weeks so it’s good to continue that.”

“It’s just good to get an early start and take advantage of the conditions so we’ll see how it ends up.”

Rick Kulacz also made the most of good conditions on the Gold Coast, recording a score of 4-under in round two to sit tied alongside a logjam of players in fourth place.

The afternoon field is now underway at Lakelands Golf Course to determine the winner of the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series’ GC Celebrity Pro-Am.

Gold Coast resident Deyen Lawson has claimed a dominant win at the GC Celebrity Pro-Am, storming home to finish four shots clear of the field.

Taking a two shot lead into today’s final round, Lawson consolidated his lead early in the afternoon to finish with rounds of 64 and 66 for a tournament total of 14-under 130.

A birdie on his opening hole followed by an eagle on the 5^th increased the momentum for the European Tour player.

“That sort of got me going,” said Lawson of the eagle. “I was very happy to get that one and take the lead by a little.”

“I started pretty solid. It was actually a little windy early but I played quite solid for the first five or six holes.

“On the 12^th hole I lost a ball and then made a really good birdie with the second ball which kept the momentum going. I shot par on last few but it was a pretty strong finish playing through 17, 18 and 1.

“I was happy with the solid pars coming in and a birdie at the par-5 16^th. I hit one to about 10-feet and had a good run at eagle so I was very happy with the finish.”

A win at the richest pro-am on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series is exciting for Lawson who was pleased with the victory especially when going up against some of Australia’s best.

“Winning at any level helps and to win the richest pro-am in Australia is massive,” added Lawson.

“The field was really good. You see the names out there with European Tour and major winners in the field so to finish on top is massive for the confidence.”

With a few weeks remaining before he returns to the European Tour, the hard work is not over yet with Lawson’s long-term coach, PGA Professional Darrell Brown joining him on the course before practice begins on Saturday.

“Browny came up last night,” Lawson continued. “It was planned a little while ago because I’m going over to Europe for quite a while so I’m going to practice all day tomorrow believe it or not.”

“It’s good to have my coach here. He’s put in a lot of time and the team I have with Ali (his partner) and Browny and a few others, it’s been a great help.

“He’s been my coach since I was 17 so it’s been 11 years now. He’s put up with me that long which is impressive itself.”

Dry but windy conditions greeted players in the afternoon field at Lakelands Golf Club with a dryer course bettering the playing conditions.

“The course is playing really well and I just played pretty steady,” he said. “It was predicted to rain during the tournament but there wasn’t any thankfully.”

“It was a little bit blowy so it was tough to judge the wind in spots but the tough holes I played to the middle of the greens and was a bit more conservative with the wind gusting a little bit.”

Queensland school teacher Michael Wright also held his overnight position, finishing in a tie for second place alongside Jake Higginbottom with a final score of 10-under 134.

Higginbottom and Lawson’s scores of 6-under were the best of the day, with Matthew Millar joining them late in the final round to move up the field.

Lakeland Golf Club’s own Michael Sim claimed fourth place at 9-under 135 while Millar rounded out the top-5 on 8-under 136.

Lawson thanked host and PGA Life Member Wayne Grady on behalf of the field for two fantastic days of golf in support of Ashton’s Place.

“Wayne and his team run a very good event and obviously the charity, Ashton’s Place, what they do is really fantastic,” said Lawson.

The Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series next heads to China for the 2019 Hainan Island Pro-Am from 7-9 April, 2019.

A superstar field has assembled for the GC Celebrity Pro-Am with some of the country’s best to tee it up alongside well known Australian celebrities at Lakelands Golf Club from 4-5 April.

In support of Ashton’s Place, more than 50 PGA Professionals will join celebrities on the course to play for ultimate bragging rights in the 36-hole pro-am format hosted by PGA Life Member Wayne Grady.

The GC Celebrity Pro-Am stands as the largest event on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series where professionals will compete for a prize purse of $150,000.

With many players returning from overseas to grace the Lakelands Golf Club fairways, competition is set to be tight on the Gold Coast. Here are five players we think you should be watching when the event tees off on Thursday.

Deyen Lawson

Following a pleasing start to Lawson’s maiden season on the European Tour, the Victorian who calls the Gold Coast home, returns to Australia with high hopes of a strong performance on home soil. Showing good form early in 2019 with a second place finish at the Coca-Cola QLD PGA Championship in February, the sunshine state may favour Lawson who is known for his composure and skill on-course.

Daniel Nisbet

A Queensland local and fresh off his Coca-Cola QLD PGA Championship win, when Nisbet gets firing he is one player that can be very hard to catch. Also returning from a stint overseas on the Asian Tour, having most recently played at the Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club, Nisbet’s recent form on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia should be noted. With three wins to his name in just over 12 months, Nisbet is likely to be a stand-out on course and is a player GC locals should not miss.

Daniel Gale

At 22-years-old Daniel Gale is one of the younger players in the field but packs a punch on the golf course. A proven winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, don’t let Gale’s age deceive you. This New South Welshman knows how to play.

Brett Rankin

The reigning GC Pro-Am Champion, Brett Rankin is back for more in 2019. Rankin has maintained some good form over the past 12 months, topped by a strong performance at the recent SEC NZ PGA Championship in trying conditions. The Queenslander is always a crowd favourite and with another win in his sights he will undoubtedly put on a show at Lakelands Golf Club.

Marcus Fraser

Without the pressure of playing full-time golf in 2019, Olympian Marcus Fraser is out to simply enjoy himself on tour and so far it has shown. With some of his best golf on display on the European Tour over the past few months, Fraser has what it takes to tackle the challenging Jack Nicklaus designed course and with strategic golf coming into play, the Victorian is the man for the job.

While these five players may enter the GC Celebrity Pro-Am as favourites, there are many more players to keep an eye on in this highly talented field including European Tour winner Jason Norris, former PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year and Challenge Tour winner Dimi Papadatos, and winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Matthew Millar.

Former PGA TOUR player Michael Sim, Australian golfing legend Peter Senior, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia winner Simon Hawkes and golf commentator and former player Ewan Porter will take to the course alongside favourites Andrew Dodt and Matthew Griffin.

Back to playing some of his best golf Jack Wilson will also tee it up in the pro-am, while second and third placed players on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series Order of Merit Tim Hart and Ryan Lynch will also be out to play.

Australia’s up and coming talent will also be on display with Blake Proverbs, Ben Eccles and Jake Higginbottom playing with celebrities such as Hockeyroo Nikki Hudson, Rugby Union legend John Brass and Tour de France winner Robbie McEwen.

To view the full GC Celebrity Pro-Am field please click here.

About Ashton’s Place
Ashton’s Place is a Gold Coast based foundation which provides funds and support to local families to allow them to access the best resources and early intervention services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Deyen Lawson leads the GC Celebrity Pro-Am at Lakelands Golf Club after firing 8-under 64 in the morning field.

The European Tour player who calls the Gold Coast home, recorded eight birdies and an eagle on 16 to take the clubhouse lead in mixed conditions.

“I played steady for the first 11 holes and then I had 7-under on the last seven holes which turned it around a bit,” said Lawson.

“I hit 3-wood from about 230 feet to about three feet and then birdied my last hole as well so I was pretty happy with the finish.”

With heavy rain falling in Queensland over the past week, a clear day was welcome at Lakelands with increasing winds helping to dry out the course.

“The weather held out this morning which was good and dried out the course so it’s playing really good. The greens are rolling well and it’s a nice course,” added Lawson.

Back in Australia between events overseas, Lawson is taking advantage of time at home to recuperate before returning to the European Tour for the Trophee Hassan II tournament in Morocco, but has high hopes of adding a Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series victory to his resume.

“I had a week off not long ago so I’ve just gotten back into practice now over the last week,” Lawson continued.

“There’s still three or so more weeks before I head away to Morocco so it’s just good to be home, really. I haven’t spent much time at home recently so it’s nice and relaxing.

“Any event you can play at home and win is always good. It would be very nice before I head away again.”

Playing in support of Ashton’s Place would put even more meaning behind a victory for Lawson, who praised host and PGA Life Member Wayne Grady for the putting the tournament together.

“Obviously all of the things Wayne Grady and his team do to support charities like Ashton’s Place is amazing,” said Lawson.

“For us golf pros we’re just going out and doing what we love so to even be a part of it and help out here and there is fantastic. It’s a great cause and it’s great to see all of the pros and amateurs supporting it.”

After spending time away from the sport in recent weeks due to work commitments, Michael Wright was pleased with his 6-under 66 score in round one to see him sit second on the leaderboard.

“I haven’t played much golf for the last three weeks,” said Wright.

“I’m a school teacher so I’ve been teaching every day. Maybe it’s a good thing for me, practice and no playing, so I was happy for a part-time golfer to come up with 6-under today.”

“Early on the wind was a little bit lower which helped me get a few birdies under my belt. I started off really good then I had a really ordinary patch through the middle when I missed a few greens but I kept the momentum going and finished off with a couple of birdies at the end. All in all it was a good day.”

Just weeks out from his Japan Tour season start, Matthew Griffin has displayed solid form recording a score of 5-under the card to sit in third place.

A total of eight players sit in fourth including Peter Senior, Daniel Nisbet, Jake Higginbottom, Jason Norris and Lakelands Golf Club course record-holder Michael Sim.

Round two of the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series’ GC Celebrity Pro-Am begins at 7:00am on Friday morning.

Australia’s golfing elite are gearing up to land on the Gold Coast from 4-5 April for the GC Celebrity Pro-Am at Lakelands Golf Club.

Hosted by PGA Life Member Wayne Grady, the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series event has attracted some of Australia’s best with newly crowned 100^th New Zealand Open Champion Zach Murray to headline alongside names such as Peter Senior, Marcus Fraser, Daniel Nisbet and some the county’s high-profile celebrities.

At just 22 years of age Murray is among the youngest in the field, but with two ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia victories on his resume and a full card on the Asian Tour for 2019, the Victorian is undoubtedly one to watch.

In Australia for a stint following a big start to the year which included teeing it up at the World Golf Championship – Mexico Championship, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year Matthew Millar is regarded as one of the most consistent players in the field.

Known for his ability to finish among the front-runners no matter the conditions, the GC Celebrity Pro-Am will likely be no different for Millar who will line up against well-known names in Dimi Papadatos, Matthew Griffin and Andrew Dodt before they head overseas to launch their international seasons.

“I am really looking forward to teeing it up in the GC Celebrity Pro-Am and supporting Wayne Grady in raising funds for a very worthy charity,” said Millar.

With Papadatos adding, “The GC Celebrity Pro-Am will be a great way for me to gauge where my game is at before I head over to Europe for the Challenge Tour season but the events put on by Wayne Grady are always fun so I am looking forward to a good few days.”

Professionals will compete for a prize fund of AU$150,000 over 36 holes of stroke play, the largest sum on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series, while playing alongside celebrity names such as Casey Stoner, Ian Healy, Allan Border and Leila McKinnon.

But at the heart of the GC Celebrity Classic is Ashton’s Place with the event raising money for the charity which supports local families through providing much-needed funds for early intervention services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

“A special thanks must go to our sporting and media stars who have volunteered their time to make the GC Celebrity Pro-Am a success and help raise funds for Ashton’s Place,” said Australian golfing legend Wayne Grady.

“We are excited to be hosting the GC Celebrity Pro-Am boasting a field of more than 50 of Australia’s leading professionals at the very challenging Jack Nicklaus designed Lakelands Golf Club.”

The second event of its type following the Australia Celebrity Pro-Am in 2018, this year’s tournament is set to light up the Gold Coast with two days of unmissable action.

The Golf Coast Celebrity Pro-Am will be played from 4-5 April at Lakelands Golf Club. Entry to the tournament is free to the public.

About Ashton’s Place

Ashton’s Place is a Gold Coast based foundation which provides funds and support to local families to allow them to access the best resources and early intervention services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Brett Rankin has won two pro-ams from two attempts on the Gold Coast after taking out the Austbrokers Canberra Australian Carers Celebrity Labrokes Pro-Am.

Queenslander Rankin fired rounds of 69 and 67 for a tournament total of 8-under par. The 31-year-old who turned Professional in 2011 had a bogey free round on his way to 5-under par 67 around the RACV Royal Pines Resort layout. His round included five birdies coming at the 8^th, 9^th, 15^th, 16^th and 18^th holes.

“This week has been a fantastic week for me, I had to pinch myself after the round,” said Rankin.

“I spent time with Ian Healy and Jeff Thomson, two of Australia’s sporting greats, which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do without Wayne Grady and his team.

“The last four days on the Gold Coast shows exactly where our sport is at. The scores have been extremely low and the fields have been full of quality players and hopefully the amateurs have had some experiences they will remember for quite some time.”

A group of five players including David Bransdon, Deyen Lawson, Dimitrios Papadatos, Damien Jordan and Ewan Porter were a further three shots back from Rankin at 5-under par.

In its inaugural year, the Austbrokers Canberra Australian Carers Celebrity Ladbrokes Pro-Am has been an overwhelming success with a vision to raise more than $50,000 for the worthy charity. The likes of Greg Ritchie, Wally Lewis, Ian Healy, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Jack Newton, Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico, Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin and Todd Woodbridge were just a few of the names to support this great initiative, the brainchild of PGA Life Member Wayne Grady.

“The tournament could not have gone better,” said Grady.

“All of the things we could control went extremely well and we are extremely grateful for the support of everyone who has made it possible.”

The Ladbrokes PGA Pro-Am Series now moves to NSW for the B&C Plumbing Charity Ladbrokes Pro-Am at Griffith Golf Club.

The Austbrokers Canberra Australian Carers Celebrity Ladbrokes Pro-Am teed off on Wednesday at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast.

The pro-am field includes a mix of professionals, amateurs and celebrities including Wally Lewis, Ian Healy, Kerri- Anne Kennerley, Jack Newton, Paul Vautin and Todd Woodbridge just to name a few.

Queenslander Tim Hart and Victorian David Bransdon hold the lead after opening rounds of 4-under par 68.

The highlight of Hart’s round was an eagle on the 426 metre par-4, 18th hole where he holed a sand iron. That eagle was accompanied by birdies on the 9th, 10th and 12th holes with just the one blemish on the scorecard, a bogey, coming at his fourth hole.

“I became a member of RACV Royal Pines Resort at the end of last year so I know it better than most and although the course was playing tough today, I am somewhat used to playing off the back tees here,” said Hart.

”I plan to enter a couple of international Tour Q-Schools later in the year so hopefully I can grab the biggest share of the $50,000 in prize money.”

David Bransdon continued his good form in 2018, his round consisting of five birdies and one bogey.

“I love coming up to the Gold Coast, I have a lot of good memories here and hopefully I can keep what has been a really good year going both here and overseas,” said Bransdon.

“We are all here to play well this week and hopefully we can raise a lot of money for the Carers Foundation.”

Killara Golf Club Professional Greg Hohnen recorded a hole-in-one on the 169 metre par-3 5th hole hitting a 6-iron of which was his 14th in his career.

Although it wasn’t on the 14th hole which would have won him $100,000, players will have another opportunity at the cashprize in round two.

The final round of the Austbrokers Canberra Australian Carers Foundation Celebrity Ladbrokes Pro-Am is now underway.

Headlines at a glance