NEWS • OPINION • HOLIDAYS • LIFESTYLE • GEAR • TRAVEL • INDUSTRY WIN – HOSPITALITY TICKETS TO OUR BIGGEST TWO TOURNAMENTS ISSUE 217 // NOVEMBER 2023 WWW.INSIDEGOLF.COM.AU AUSTRALIA’S M O S T - R E A D GOLF MAGAZINE CLUB OF THE MONTH PEREGIAN SPRINGS GOLF CLUB CELEBRITY SWINGER THE ‘SKUD’ MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS THE FIGHT TO SAVE OAKLEIGH GOLF COURSE HAVE GREENS COMMITTEES OUTLIVED THEIR USEFULNESS? TRAVEL ADVENTURES THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD, BELLARINE & SURF COAST THE OTHER ‘CAM’CAM DAVIS WITH A POINT TO PROVE AND THE GAME TO DO IT CHALLENGER PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA LOCKED IN: SCOTT, SMITH, MIN WOO AND HERBERT NOW SELLING ECHUCA MOAMA An exciting new residential development in the heart of Rich River Golf Club: • Located at Twenty Four Lane, Moama, NSW • Limited golf frontage blocks remaining • Blocks starting from $270,000 • Town services including Natural Gas • Enjoy lifestyle benefits of Rich River Golf Club facilities • On-site Golf, Lawn Bowls, Croquet and Tennis GET IN TOUCH Stephen Morgan 0419 388 802 stephen.morgan@raywhite.com Ray White Echuca MORE INFO
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www.princess.com You’ll love this cruise! Contact your travel agent | 1300 551 646 | princess.com * Fares as per person, in AUD, in complete twin accommodation based on the lead interior stateroom category at time of publication (1 November 2023), inclusive of all discounts, taxes, fees and port expenses (which are subject to change). Supplements apply for other stateroom categories. Lead fare of $1,499 per person twin share interior is based on a Princess Standard fare, 13-night New Zealand, departing Sydney on 18/3/24. Higher fares may apply to other departure dates. Princess Cruises has set aside a reasonable number of staterooms which are available at these fares. Once these staterooms are sold, fares may vary. Valid for new bookings and not combinable with any other offer. All offers are subject to availability. Princess Standard fare is the cruise fare only without any inclusions. To be read in conjunction with the Passage Contract available at princess.com/legal/passage_contract which passengers will be bound by. A credit card surcharge of 1.1% for Visa and Mastercard and 2.75% for AMEX, and a 1.0% surcharge for PayPal will apply to direct bookings made through our website or call centre. No surcharges apply to debit cards. Travel agents may charge additional fees – check with your travel agent. Vaccination requirements apply. Government guidelines may result in a requirement to quarantine during or after your cruise and may restrict your ability to participate in shore tours or disembark the ship at ports we visit during your cruise. See our Health Protocols (available at: (https://www.princess. com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/au-cruises/) for more information. Guidelines are subject to change without notice and as such, our actual cruise offerings may vary from the descriptions provided and images displayed. Cruise itineraries and onboard offerings are not guaranteed. Carnival plc trading as Princess Cruises ABN 23 107 998 443. Cruise 13 nights in New Zealand from $1,499 per person twin share*
November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 We farewell a legend, but I’m pleased to be back IN this my first edition as Editor of Inside Golf Magazine, please allow this indulgence as I take the chance to introduce myself and offer something of snapshot of my golfing journey, one which began as a 12-year-old who was gifted a half set of clubs by an uncle. A few years on and it was a membership at the New Brighton (now Brighton Lakes) course in Sydney’s south west, before a handful of noteworthy accomplishments in the game threw up the opportunity to combine golf and education in the US college system. Initially at the Modesto Junior College, then the University Of Nevada Reno, I was able to play against high quality opposition, while learning how to write and report on golf at the same time. Returning home from the American adventure, Golf Australia Magazine was looking for a young, enthusiastic and golf aware contributor. Fitting the job description, I went on to become magazine editor after lessons learnt from the likes of Jim Webster and the late Tom Ramsey, two prominent golf writers of the day. However then with a couple of significant amateur trophies on the mantle, a career in professional golf came knocking, where over a 12-year period, riding the ups and downs, I added to my life experiences by travelling around Australia and touring Asia, with the odd middle eastern and European excursion thrown in. It was a lot of fun while it lasted. When the putter had gone cold and more significantly lacking the desire to continue spending countless hours, days and months away from a growing family, work in another sporting field would then occupy the majority of my time. Now some 22-years later, the journey hasn’t quite come full circle, but maybe something close to it. After years of outstanding service to golf, golf media and the industry in general, Inside Golf Editor David Newbery will move onto greener pastures. To more golf, to more travel and to more family time. He leaves a legacy that will be difficult to emulate, but more importantly a magazine of the highest quality and systems in place that hopefully makes the transition seamless. And don’t just take my word for it when it comes to his immense contribution, with David’s dedication to not only this publication but to the game in general to be recognised and honoured at the Queensland Golf Awards, with any accolade he is set to receive certainly well deserved. David will still be around, continue to produce golfing yarns to keep readers entertained and informed, but he has PUBLISHER: Sam Arthur | sam@insidegolf.com.au Outdoor Sports Publishing Pty Ltd ACN 113 836 301 ABN 30 043 104 919 PO BOX 437, Miami, QLD 4220 EDITORIAL: Editor: Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au Editor at Large: David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au NSW/ACT Journalist: Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au VIC/TAS Journalist: Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au QLD Journalist: Peter Owen peter.owen@outlook.com.au Design & Layout: Stacey Broomhead, Rob Kirk CONTRIBUTORS: Larry Canning, David Newbery,Tony Webeck, John Riley, Karen Lunn, Michael Cooney, Andrew Crockett Distributed to over 400 golf clubs, social golf clubs, driving ranges and retailers Australia wide every month It’s official: 37,775 Inside Golf Magazines distributed each month for the period: April 2023 to September 2023 AUSTRALIA’S MOST-READ GOLF MAGAZINE www.insidegolf.com.au Cover photos: Cameron Davis, Adam Scott Get in touch If you have an opinion on this or any other topic in the magazine, send your letter to the editor to rob@insidegolf.com.au and you’ll be in the running to win a gripping prize. Inside Golf publishes opinion from a wide range of perspectives in the hope of promoting constructive debate about consequential questions. graciously passed the baton, and while somewhat overawed at the enormity of the shoes that need to be filled, I’m ready to give it a shot. Inside Golf has an outstanding collection of writers, a group with decades of experience, countless contacts in the industry and the ability to fill the pages of Inside Golf with engaging content. In that respect, nothing will change. Going forward I’ll have opinions, the ball goes too far (not necessarily for me but you know what I mean), the US PGA Tour needed a shake-up but I’m not sure about the way LIV has done it, and what is it with councils wanting to shut down golf courses for more ‘green space’ to walk your dog? I’ve got a dog, there’s plenty of places to walk him. On some of these I might elaborate further down the track, on others I’m also keen to hear from you, so please send through your thoughts, either for publication on our letters page, or for my eyes only and when I have the time and opportunity, I will be happy to respond. I was in the room when Sam pitched the idea or producing a new golf magazine, “it will be free to the readers,” he said. “You must be crazy we all replied.” But here we are, 18-plus years and 217 editions later and Inside Golf is still going strong. Farewell for now to David, thanks again for your dedication to the cause – and don’t go too far away - the new boy won’t be frightened to lean on you for advice. In the end run it’s about promoting the game, keeping you informed, up to date and entertained and at Inside Golf we’ll be doing our best to keep all that coming. Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au Rob Willis is a former Editor of Golf Australia Magazine, the 1988 NSW Amateur Champion, Runner Up in the 1990 Australia Amateur, 1991 Fiji Open champion, the winner of the Asian Tour’s Dubai Creek Open and placed third behind Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jiminez at the 1996 Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour. For more than 20-years he has been the Media Manager for the Cronulla Sharks NRL club, while for much of that time has also provided features and opinion pieces as a freelance contributor to Inside Golf. The father of three, husband to Marg for 32 years, lifetime resident of the Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s south and currently a member of the Cronulla Golf Club. www.linkshopeisland.com.au SALES: National Sales: Sam Arthur P: 1300 4653 00 M: 0410 575 303 | E: sam@insidegolf.com.au Northen NSW/QLD/NT Sales: David Ross M: 0439 612 458 | E: david.ross@insidegolf.com.au NSW/ACT Corp Sales: David Andrews M: 0404 871 479 | E: david.andrews@insidegolf.com.au Sydney/NSW Sales: Michael Hamilton M: 0423 455 572 | E: michael.hamilton@insidegolf.com.au NSW Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley Sales: Wendy Wilkinson M: 0414 905 232 | E: wendy@insidegolf.com.au VIC/TAS Sales: Marc Wilson M: 0419 107 143 | E: marc@insidegolf.com.au WA Sales: Gary Powell M: 0439 350 363 | E: gary@insidegolf.com.au SA Sales: Brett Crosby M: 0403 323 198 | E: brett@insidegolf.com.au ACCOUNTS: Sheridan Murphy M: 1300 465 300 | E: accounts@insidegolf.com.au
Queenslander Rod Pampling, a winner for a second time on the US Champions Tour. IN THIS ISSUE PRO NEWS 7 GOLF DIRECTORY 68 65 67 19TH HOLE DEMO DAYS BUNKER-TOBUNKER 33 CELEBRITY SWINGER 40 NEW PRODUCTS CLUB NEWS EVENTS 52 42 64 INDUSTRY NEWS 24 LETTERS 34 GREAT OCEAN ROAD, BELLARINE, SURF COAST 58 CLUB NEWS TRAVEL 56 WIN CAN you see yourself here?? Watching Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee, taking on Australia’s exciting crop of young guns and emerging stars, from the best seats in the house, at the two biggest golfing events of the Australian golfing summer. At the Fortinet PGA Championship at Royal Queensland it’s all about having a good time and watching Australians best men’s players tee it up, then following the festivities of Brisbane and the infamous ‘party hole’, the action will be at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open the following week, where Men, Women and All Abilities head to Syndey for the first time to compete in a game changing event, where it’s all about inclusivity and seeing the best Aussie’s play in the one tournament. And you could be taking in all the action in comfort and luxury, with Inside Golf giving readers the chance to win two hospitality tickets to the Aus PGA Championship, with two more on offer at the Australian Open. On Thursday November 23, for round one of the PGA Championship, you could be enjoying the world class golf on display, and the first-class hospitality to match, from the Champions Deck at Royal Queensland. Then at the Australian Open, you can be front and centre the during the opening round on Thursday, November 30. Eat, drink, take in the hospitality and comfort of the Champions Club and experience the excitement and atmosphere as a collection of Australia’s best men and women professionals, along with leading amateurs and the next crop of upcoming stars, do battle for the two national golfing crowns. However, you need to be in it, to win it! To enter, visit www.insidegolf.com.au/competitions Competition closes November 20. Culinary delights on offer in the Champions Club THE Australian Open will have a splash of celebrity off the course as well as on it this year as golf tragic and celebrity chef Michael Weldon prepares to feed the galleries and corporate guests at The Australian and Lakes Golf Clubs this year. Weldon, of MasterChef and Farm to Fork fame, plays off a handicap of 10 at Kingston Heath on the iconic Melbourne Sandbelt, however whatever ability he has around the greens pales in comparison to his skill in the kitchen. Weldon will be at the Open where he will design and develop a specially designed menu to be featured in the Stonehaven, Bridges, and Champions suites during the course of the tournament. Enter the Inside Golf competition to win for the opportunity to sample some of what Weldon will be serving up in the Champions Club. PRO NEWS 6 November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au Hospitality Tickets to Australia’s two major golfing events ADAM Scott, with a US Masters title and six Challenger Australasian Tour victories included in his 28 worldwide wins and a member of an elite group of golfers who have Australian Open and Australian PGA titles on their resume, has confirmed his return for the upcoming Australian summer of golf. The 43-year-old Scott, currently ranked 41 on the Official World Golf Rankings and still a competitive force on the PGA Tour, will compete in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane, then the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Sydney, in further bolstering the depth of talent in the two major local tournaments. Scott joins fellow Australians Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Davis and Lucas Herbert who are also locked in for the two events, while the likes of Minjee Lee and Hannah Green are amongst those to headline the Australian Women’s Open, scheduled to run in conjunction with the men’s Open. Runner up to Poland’s Arian Meronk in 2022, Scott returns home with a burning desire to claim a second victory to go with his Australian Open win back in 2009. “There are probably less Australian Opens for me to play in going forward, where I’m competing seriously, so I want to make the most of every one that I play in, and the PGA as well for that matter,” Scott said. “My game is generally in a good spot, I’ll be coming home with confidence, and I’d like to win both these events to be honest. I was close last year at the Aussie Open so I’ve got a bit of unfinished business and winning the PGA at RQ (Royal Queensland), where I’ve been a member since I was 11, would be sweet as well.” Scott’s first appearance of the summer will be at Royal Queensland in Brisbane from November 23-26 when he will look to add to the PGA titles he won at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast in 2013 and 2019. He will then try to win his national open for the second time when The Australian Golf Club and The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney host the Australian Open from November 30-December 3. Scott claimed the 2009 Open by five shots at NSW Golf Club, while his Open record also includes runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2015. He was also beaten in a playoff in the 2014 PGA. PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said: “Adam always comes to our Australian events with his mind on one thing – winning. I know he will be determined to challenge for both titles and get his hands on the Kirkwood Cup or Stonehaven Cup once again.” As well as being highlight tournaments on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the two Aussie majors will be co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour and form part of the start to the 2023/24 Race to Dubai schedule. Scott locked in for the PGA and Open Pampling a champ on US Senior Tour Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au QUEENSLANDER Rod Pampling has won a second US Champions Tour title with a victory at the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina. After weather intervened earlier in the tournament Pampling was forced to play 33-holes on the final day, his 15-under total in the 54-hole event resulting in a two-shot victory over Kiwi Steven Alker. “We’ve been working hard. We got rid of our bad stuff about a month and a half ago. Today, or this week, was just great ball striking, putting as well, everything was nice. It’s a good feeling to win again,” Pampling said. The victory was worth US$315,000 to the 54-year-old Pampling and saw him move to 17th on the Charles Schwab standings. Adam Scott will join a stellar cast of Australia’s leading professionals at the two major tournaments this summer.
November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 7 Cam coming home with a point to prove THE face is familiar . . . it’s the golf game that a lot of his mates might not recognise. And Cameron Davis can’t wait to show it off to his legion of Australian fans when he arrives ‘home’ next month. The pride of Roseville [and more recently Monash Country Club] is coming home to tackle our major events, the Australian PGA and Australian Open Championships. And he’s bringing a weapon to his golf arsenal that he admits many of his old friends at Roseville might not be familiar with. “Yes, the guys from Roseville in Sydney would have watched me growing up and hitting it out of the trees,” grinned Davis. “To see me keeping it on the fairways and making my golf a lot more stress-free might give them some satisfaction. But it is a lot more satisfying for myself. “Those who know me and the way I used to play would have been happy to not be sitting on the edge of their seats – as they normally would have been.” Davis was speaking to Inside Golf exclusively following his final round at the FedEx St Jude Championship, the first of the FedEx Cup playoff events. A par at the 72nd hole assured him a start in next year’s eight Signature events. Davis flushed his drive down the right side of the 18th fairway, played a crisp iron from 170 yards to 12 feet and two-putted for a par Equipped with a world ranking inside the top 50, Cameron Davis is bringing his considerable golf game home for the summer. In an exclusive interview, Inside Golf’s MICHAEL COURT spoke to Davis about his humble beginnings at the Roseville course in Sydney and his desire to claim another major Australian title. which saw him head to Chicago the following week to compete at Olympia Fields. That par also helped him set his schedule for 2024. “It was a big few weeks leading up to that moment,” said Davis. “Getting into the top 50 (in the world) meant a lot to me for the security and bonuses in terms of tournaments you get to play in; it was huge,” he said. “We were proud because we had worked really hard and it was great to see something working for us.” Davis now lives in Seattle but loves coming home to Australia to play – and visit his family in Sydney’s north. “I will do whatever I can to get back and play the big Aussie events,” he said. “I try to alternate between Christmas and New Year between Seattle and Australia each year. “I’ve spent a lot of time at [Australian Open venues] The Australian and The Lakes, so both those courses I got to know really well. “Now I’m looking forward to some good Aussie golf again.” Former pro Andrew Tschudin has caddied for Davis since Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in 2017 and has marvelled at Davis’ innate creativity, which stems from those afternoons as a kid in his backyard, creating shots on the fly. “I think he carries himself like he fits in a bit more,” said Tschudin of Davis’ evolution as a Tour pro. “When he first started, he was a bit shy; you’re just getting used to the ropes, seeing all these guys that he probably grew up watching. “Now I think he’s quite comfortable out here, he’s comfortable playing with anyone, and I think that just evolves with a lot of people.” WINNER: Cameron Davis will be heading Down Under next month to play – and visit family in Sydney. DistributeD by golf imports | 03 5277 3977
www.pga.org.au Your experts in golf Elevate your game with the experts in golf. Scan the QR code to find your local PGA Professional or visit pga.org.au PGA Professional: Michael Long, Wembley Golf Club
November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 9 HE’S long been regarded among the best – and certainly one of the most under-rated golfers this country has produced. Now ACT-based golfer Brendan Jones is closing in on the senior circuit as he nears his 50th birthday. And after almost 25 years playing professional golf and touring the world, Jones is as keen as he’s ever been to play – and win again. Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au A former Australian Amateur champion, Jones intends playing more golf in Asia and is keen to pick and choose what events suit him the best. A winner an incredible 15 times on the lucrative Japanese Tour, Jones hadn’t won since 2019 before claiming a surprise win in the New Zealand Open earlier this year, scoring a three-shot victory over Ben Campbell, John Lyras, Korean Jaewoong Eom and Japanese professional Tomoyo Ikemura at Millbrook on the South Island. my game will come around a bit too,” he said. “The Asian Tour has always been a great opportunity in my opinion, and now with the alignment with LIV, it has a lot more to offer.” Jones said if he were 20 years younger, the travel side of professional golf would appeal much more to him. “But knocking on the door of 50, it is a little more difficult than it used to be,” he said. “I have still enjoyed it; it has added a little bit of a spark to my career. “I know I’m nearer the end than the start of my career. But to have the opportunity to play these bigger events in England, Scotland and Asia, has given me a bit of excitement after 20-plus years on the Japan Golf Tour. “Now I hope the golf turns around for me and I can get excited about the golf on the course again.” The event was co-sanctioned by the Australasian Tour and Jones admitted the win came “out of the blue”. “I took some time off during the COVID-19 pandemic and I sat around for about two years,” he said. “After that I found it very hard to pick it [my golf game] back up. “The way I used to play and the way I have been showing I could play were two different things. “And at the start of the year I came in fresh and surprised myself. “I finished fifth in Sydney and had a tie for eighth the week after my New Zealand Open win. “I felt like my game had turned around. “But I just haven’t had the consistency I always had.” Jones explained that he now intended to play a lot more golf on the Asian Tour. “It is on a great trajectory and the International Series events have been fantastic,” he said. “I have loved the ones I’ve played in and being in the category (tournament winner), I look forward to playing them, going forward.” Jones said that as he approached 50 he wanted to pick and choose more and was hoping that in 2024 he would be able to do that. “I’m looking forward to playing places I haven’t been and hopefully Brendan Jones with the NZ Open trophy. Jones back on track https://www.parmaker.com
November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 10 The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia - ‘The Chase is On’ AUSTRALIAN financial investment firm Challenger was revealed as the naming partner of the PGA Tour of Australasia at a media conference held at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney, where an exciting summer tournament schedule was announced. The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is set to feature a schedule of 18 events for the 2023/2024 season, and as the new promotional campaign proclaims, ‘The Chase is On’ for a talented group of players looking to improve their position in the professional game, highlighted by the race to be at the top of the Order of Merit and to take advantage of the global rewards that come with it. The total Australasian Tour schedule offers more than $9 million in prizemoney and includes two new events – the Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett, and the Heritage Classic at The Heritage Golf and Country Club in Melbourne in January. While the schedule announcement was highlighted by the signing of Challenger, it also detailed a player pathway that is now in place, one which can catapult Australasian golfers onto the international stage. Also announced was a broadcast contract that will see every tournament on the Summer of Golf Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia live on Fox Sports, on Foxtel and Kayo, with Nine and Nine Now also simulcasting the Fortinet Australian PGA and ISPS HANDA Australian Open, while the country’s biggest names also confirmed their participation in the two major tournaments. Minjee to join Min Woo at 2023 Australian Open WHILE Min Woo Lee confirmed his participation in the two major Australian men’s events some time ago, big sister Minjee Lee has joined the party, or at least committed to be a part of the women’s field at The Lakes and The Australian Golf Clubs later this month, in making for a family affair. The winner of nine USLPGA titles and currently ranked seventh in the world, Minjee Lee will be joined at the tournament by another Australian major championship winner and the 22nd ranked female golfer in Hannah Green, with the pair to headline the field at the upcoming Australian Women’s Open. The pair are Australia’s two most recent major championship winners, Lee having won the 2022 US Women’s Open to go with her victory at the 2021 Evian Championship, while Green burst to prominence with her triumph at the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship. Both will be chasing their maiden Australian Open titles, while also looking to become the first Australian winner of the national crown and the Patricia Bridges Bowl since Karrie Webb back in 2014, with Lee hoping to continue a recent run of good form. Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au “Our Tour is all about ‘the chase’, which is why our new campaign resonates so strongly for me,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said. “Our players are chasing titles and prizemoney, exemptions into future events on our Tour and eventually for the opportunity to ply their trade across the globe against the world’s best. There is just so much on the line. “It’s going to be a Summer of Golf to remember.” The Summer of Golf will visit five states as well as New Zealand, adding to the already completed tournaments in WA, Papua New Guinea and the Northern Territory. Eight Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events will be played in the lead-up to the end of the year, including the two Aussie majors, then at the start of 2024, there will be another eight events as the chase for the Order of Merit reaches its conclusion, highlighted by the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports. And joining the PGA over the next three years for what shapes as an exciting the journey for both parties, is Challenger, a company “Challenger’s partnership is the impetus for that to change and as a sport to grow older with, there is no better. My teenage son and his friends are all golf obsessed, which speaks very well to the future of golf in Australia and provides me a golf partner whenever I have time to play.” At the time of Inside Golf going to print, four events have been run and won on the 2023-2024 schedule, with Ben Eccles the most recent winner, the Victorian streeting the field to win the WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie. Other winners so far this season have included Lachlan Barker (PNG Open), Daniel Gale (NT PGA) and Simon Hawkes (WA Open). with two complementary businesses – Funds Management and Life – as they endeavour to help customers build wealth in their working lives and then provide security to spend their savings in retirement. The Challenger ‘Life’ business is the leading retirement income brand in Australia, last year paying customers around $6 billion, with their offering helping to protect retirees from the risk of outliving their savings. In relation to Challenger Funds Management, as the largest active fund manager in Australia they provide clients with a wide range of highly regarded investment products. Challenger CEO Nick Hamilton was present at the launch of the summer schedule, joining PGA Australia and Golf Australia in announcing the exciting new partnership. “Challenger is delighted to partner with PGA of Australia, WPGA and Golf Australia,” Hamilton said. “With over nine million passionate golf fans in Australia, and a sport of choice for over 45s, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to showcase our brand and retirement credentials as we focus on taking a broader stance in retirement. “The partnership also aligns with Challenger’s commitment to supporting Australia’s communities, investing at the grassroots to ensure that talented players can thrive at the highest level.” “Like many Australians, I have played golf on and off since childhood,” Hamilton continued. “After many years living overseas, having a very active family and a busy career, time has conspired against me playing golf as regularly as I would have liked. and Jan Stephenson as an Australian winner,” said Lee, the winner of a ninth LPGA title during September at the Kroger Queen City Championship. “Playing in front of a home crowd is always exciting, as is the chance to once again play a national Open alongside my brother.” “I’m very excited to be teeing it up in the Australian Open again this year after experiencing the new format in 2022 and being in contention to win the Patricia Bridges Bowl,” Green added. “As an Australian player, the Australian Open is a tournament I have always had right at the top of my list to hopefully one day win.” Green finished third in the Women’s Open last year in Melbourne, with Lee fifth. The Women’s Australian Open, which is played alongside the men’s championship and features men and women competing on the same course at the same time, tees off on December 30. – ROB WILLIS AUSTRALIAN Min Woo Lee sounded a warning shot ahead of a trip home to compete at the Fortinet Australian PGA and ISPS HANDA Australian Open with a record-breaking win at the Asian Tour’s $US1 million SJM Macao Open. The 25-year-old Lee smashed the 20-under par tournament record set in 2015 by fellow Aussie Scott Hend, with his 30-under total two shots clear of Thailand’s Poom Saksansin. Two strokes in front heading into the final round, Lee carded an 8-under par 63 on Sunday to complete a wire-to-wire win for his third professional victory and his first since the 2021 Scottish Open. Lee is committed to the two major Challenger Australasian Tour events, firstly at the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland, they at the Australian Open where he will walk the same fairways as his sister Minjee, with the women playing the same course as the men at the Australian Open in Sydney. While ‘little brother’ wins in Macau Minjee Lee with the 2022 US Open trophy. Min Wool Lee, the Macau Open champion, returns for the Australian Summer of Golf. “The Australian Open is a tournament that I would love to win and add my name alongside players like Karrie, Jane Crafter,
November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 12 FOR a man who was so sick last year that doctors feared he might not live, Steve Stricker’s recovery, you might say, has been quite impressive. After helping the Americans recover from the thumping they received in the Ryder Cup – Stricker was a vicecaptain of the USA team – the veteran American is about to complete one of the most remarkable seasons ever recorded on the PGA Tour Champions. By the beginning of October, 56-year-old Stricker had won six events from 15 starts this year and smashed the PGA Tour Champions single-season earnings record, taking home just on $4 million. That was $2 million more than the next man on the list, the legendary Bernhard Langer, and way more than some of the best over 50’s golfers on the planet. With the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, to be played in Phoenix, Arizona, from December 9 to 12, offering a prize pool of $3 million, who knows what Stricker’s earnings will be by year’s end? Stricker’s always been an exceptional golfer, recognised as one of the world’s best putters and insanely accurate By Peter Owen from anywhere within 100m of the hole. But he’s reached a new level of consistency this year and developed an aura of almost invincibility. So dominant has he been this year that golf commentators, reviewing PGA Tour Champions leaderboards during breaks in coverage of regular PGA Tour events, invariably report that Stricker is again at the top of the list and wryly comment: “So, what else is new?” This remarkable run of form comes not long after Stricker was hospitalised with a mysterious illness that kept him away from golf for six months, and had doctors fearing for his life. It began late in 2021with a cough and sore throat, followed by a negative Covid test. Then it got really bad. “I had the sweats and all of a sudden, my temperature was 103,” Stricker said. “My throat started to close up, my lips got puffy, my glands got puffy, my tongue got puffy. It was like an allergic reaction. “So, I went into the hospital and they kept me there. My liver numbers started getting worse. My white blood cell count was jacked up really high. I was fighting something, but they couldn’t find out what it was. My liver was going downhill. I got jaundice. I was yellow and peeing out Pepsicoloured pee.” What made it worse was that Stricker’s older brother Scott had died in 2014 at age 51 after battling Crohn’s disease and undergoing a liver transplant. Stricker feared he might have something similar. Three months later Stricker was still unable to eat solid foods and was on a “no activity” order from doctors. He lost 15kg in weight and joked that he looked like an 85-year-old man with skin hanging off his arms and chest. In the end he made a stunning recovery, returning to competition in late April, 2022, and remarkably claiming his fourth senior major, the Regions Tradition, in mid-May. Neither Stricker nor his doctors know what caused his illness, though Stricker believes the stress of captaining the US Ryder Cup team to a 19-9 win at Whistling Straits in late 2020 may have played a role. “It’s a letdown, right, after that happens,” he said. “And then your immune system is probably down. It probably played a role in it somehow.” Stricker’s wife Nicki was by his side during his illness – and remained there, as his caddie, when he returned to the golf course. The mother of his children Bobbi and Izzi, and a former collegiate player herself, Nicki comes from a golfing family. Her father, Dennis Tiziana, a former PGA Tour player and coach of the Wisconsin men’s and women’s golf team, is Stricker’s long-time swing coach. Her brother Mario was a PGA Tour player and her grandfather a golf professional for 40 years. The Stricker kids are pretty good, too. Bobbi has played on the Epson Tour and Izzi is a scratch golfer. Incredibly, Stricker had not finished worse than eighth in any PGA Tour Champions event this year until the Constellation Furyk & Friends event in early October where he was tied 15th, and three of his six wins have been senior majors. Earlier in the year, he passed Tiger Woods for the most consecutive rounds under par. Stricker, who earned All-American honours playing for the University of Illinois in 1988 and 1989, won 12 times on the PGA Tour – including three successive John Deere Classics between 2009 and 2011 – and reached an Official World Golf Ranking of No 2. He played in three Ryder Cups, a winner in 2008 and loser in 2010 and 2012. His Ryder Cup record is three wins, seven losses and one half. From death’s door to top of the heap - Stricker’s amazing comeback www.richardmercergolf.com South Africa Golfing Adventure sales@travelrite.com.au • www.travelrite.com.au 1800 630 343 South Africa’s phenomenal golf is reason enough to visit. When you add a safari and visits to Sun City, Cape Town, Hermanus and the Garden Route, the experience proves to be amazing. You will enjoy nine world-class rounds of golf including Fancourt Links #2, Leopard Creek #5 and Arabella #8. 11 to 27 November 2024 Led by PGA Professional Robert Stock
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November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 14 Rising Aussie star now calling America home PERTH native Karl Vilips has done well for himself in the game. Gowing up near The Cut Golf Course south of Perth, Vilips collected golf balls at age six, sparking his golf interest and providing the means for his pathway into playing the game. Vilips moved to the US permanently at age 11 and is currently a senior at Stanford University. The 2018 Youth Olympics gold medallist played in his first US Open in June, his final US Amateur in August, and is now set to play in his final Asia-Pacific Amateur late this year. For just over two years Vilips has been coached by Jason Day’s former mentor Colin Swatton who also caddied for him in the US Open at LA County Club. We sat down recently to speak to one of Australian golf’s rising stars. You played in your first US Open in June, what was that experience like even if it was a missed cut? I learned just being in that environment the whole week what it took to be at that level and how the big stars prep and what they do on the range versus out on the course. I think it just showed me where I’m at, where I think I’m at and where I need to be. That was the big takeaway and just communicating with my coach Col Swatton who coached Jason Day for all those years. It was helpful seeing how he goes about his process during the practice rounds and taking notes throughout the championship as well. It’s way beyond what I would expect of myself. My expectations grew a little bit as far as preparation and planning out a strategy for a course. It was just a humbling experience to miss the cut. Garrett Johnston Twitter: @JohnstonGarrett really the first foundation to the career I had. Then from there my dad and I just went out and practiced pretty much every day and I fell in love with it and he loved being there for me and teaching and coaching me while I was a junior. Eventually that brought me to the US on a scholarship to an academy when I was 11 and I basically went through that whole process at boarding school and academies all the way through graduation … and now I’m at Stanford. So, when I look at where I started and how I had to get into the game and look to where I am now, I think it’s pretty cool. When you were in Perth growing up you would find golf balls as a kid on your dad’s course The Cut, right? Yeah, it was at The Cut Golf Course. Tough course, on the ocean, windy, prime losing golf ball conditions. Just walk a couple holes and find 100 a night probably. This was kind of disgusting, but I would go into the garbage cans on the course and I would find the sleeves and the boxes that new balls came with and I would bring those boxes home if they were clean enough. And I would have so many of that ball collected that I would fill dozens of boxes with that type of ball. That’s basically how I managed my collecting. Over two or three years I probably collected 7000-8000 balls. My whole room was full of boxes, and I would sit there and clean them and organise them all and I just loved it. In the end, that ended up paying for everything. The balls I exchanged got me everything I needed for about three years. I was pretty close with the coach, the professional at my local club when I was between five and seven. He helped me trade in my golf balls for things I needed for my game. I never had any of the snazzy things, like the decked out set of clubs when I was six. It was just pretty standard and whatever I could find I would use. I didn’t start getting serious until I was nine or 10. But you went to the US Kids World Championship in the US at age six with a mixed set of clubs? I think I had like seven or eight clubs. I had split irons. You know like a 9/8 and a 7/6 (laughs). I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But you beat over 1000 kids that first year to finish seventh, then won it the next year and two years later at age nine. What did that feel like to play so well in those events? Winning those was awesome. Whenever I go back to Pinehurst for the North and South Amateur, even now, I just reminisce and realise I stayed in that main hotel there when I was six years old, and it’s still there. I went to this local golf shop in Pinehurst called Roberts Golf every year since I was six. And we have pictures on the wall with the staff since 2008. It’s just great because every year I would come back there and win. I would go in the shop and take a picture of the trophy. It’s just cool to have people like that in a community like Pinehurst where you’ve won and you can come back and see everyone. Hopefully I’ll be back there next year for the US Open. Your dad Paul has been there every step of the way. He really had a lot of vision for you, didn’t he? Yeah, for sure. Starting a YouTube channel was huge. It was able to help fund a lot of my trips to the States, to be able to even play in the Junior Worlds and the US Kids. He still making posts now about my career. It’s fun to go and see some of the swings I made when I was six. I’m just really grateful that he was able to film everything from when I was growing up because I’m able to look back on those memories and just see how my game developed and see how my swing developed. How often do you get back home to Australia? I probably get back once a year, either for a tournament or other things. My dad comes over here a lot, so it makes it less of a need to go over there. I am going to get back there for Asia-Pacific at Royal Melbourne. How much are you looking forward to playing Royal Melbourne in your last Asia-Pacific Amateur? It’s going to be pretty special. I played there a little bit over the years. We had a Junior Presidents Cup there a few years ago and it’s an awesome place. It’s as pure as it looks and what people say about it. I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited to be back on home turf and trying to win a title there and get into the Masters. Every opportunity is a special one to be able to play in. I felt like I was really close last year in Thailand, and I think getting to play this event at Royal Melbourne, a course I’ve played a bunch before, should be an advantage for me. My best round there is four-under on the East course. What’s your favorite course in Australia? Metropolitan … I just love it. It’s such a fun golf course. The Melbourne sandbelt is amazing and special. Every course is unique, even if some Karl Vilips is making every post a winner in the US. – Photo: Kathryn Riley, USGA. feel the same, they are very different in their own way. They’re all very challenging, but for some reason Metropolitan really fits my eye. I have a lot of good memories on that course. And the west course at Royal Melbourne is pretty amazing to play. What did you enjoy about playing your last US Amateur in August (finished 33rd) in Colorado? It was fun to play matchplay again. I had some really good experiences this summer at the North and South (second place) and I hadn’t really had a great history at it. I feel like I’m starting to get better and obviously you got to get there, but I was pumped to go back and play some matchplaystyle golf and to play someone oneon-one. The US Amateur at Cherry Hills, wow, that was a good golf course for it. What was it like playing in two Junior Presidents Cups? Having Trevor Immelman there (in 2019) was awesome and I also had Stuart Appleby there one year. Just having them there was fun to hear their stories and then being on a team with a bunch of my friends from Australia that I knew from junior golf was really cool. Plus playing against some of the guys I got to know through AJGA in the US was pretty sweet. When was the first time you could consistently carry the ball 300 yards? I think I was about 14. The big bench mark for me was being able to hit it 280 yards in the air. I remember because I was practicing in Hilton Head at Sea Pines and I was able to carry the range one day and from there it never stopped. For the next three months I was gaining almost five yards a week. Then I had to start dialing it back to hit it straighter. When was your first hole-in-one? And how many have you had? It was in the Junior Worlds. It was on a par-3 course and I think I just jumped into my dad’s arms and then we took a picture. I just remember hitting a six-iron and it was slightly thin. I’ve had most of mine with a six-iron. Not sure why, but it’s crazy. I have eight aces now. Karl Vilips swings into action at the US Open. I didn’t feel like I played that good, and didn’t feel like I played that bad. It was just a pretty easy couple rounds of two- and three-over. But it was an awesome experience and I learned a lot about my game that week. Were there any stars at the US Open who you’d never seen in person before that you got to meet? I think I’d seen a lot of them in the past, but seeing them on the range and being next to Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy was really cool. The whole gallery was just focused on one person and you’re right next to them. So, the first day I was out there I was pretty nervous, but hitting next to those guys was pretty cool and just seeing how they go about things with their Trackman. It was just really cool seeing those top guys. How were your US Open practice rounds? It was really fun on Tuesday because it was me and a few of my Stanford teammates. It was like any other competitive round at Stanford because we just put two teams together and had a little best-ball fun and we got to soak it all in. We were at the US Open and you’ve got all the grandstands and everything. It’s just a surreal feeling. You go from walking down hole number nine at Stanford with your teammates in a qualifier to doing the same thing at the US Open and it’s for real. That whole experience with my teammates was awesome. What’s it like having Colin Swatton as a coach and mentor? I would definitely say the Col is my biggest inspiration as far as understanding what it’s like on tour and how I’m going to get there. He’s very blunt with me on everything. Ever since I’ve been working with him, I’m working a lot harder than I did before, I understand the game a lot better and he’s just been great to talk to about golf and what it takes to get to the next level. He’s been a big help in my crew and I hope to continue working with him because my swing has gotten a lot better and as has my understanding of the game. I would say that he’s the person at the moment that I’m speaking to most about getting to the next level. You have quite a story of grit getting into golf, how would you describe it? Even now I can forget some of the intricate things that got me to where I am. Definitely collecting the golf balls as a kid at a local course in the evening. After I collected 7000 golf balls, I was able to buy my first set of US Kids golf clubs and a glove. Using that to basically pay for all the essentials I need for practice was
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November 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 17 Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au PRIZEMONEY is on the rise and two of the country New South Wales best golf courses have also put their hands up to host some of the best women golfers in the world. And top of their ‘wish’ list will be North Coast professional Sarah Kemp, who has been having her best year yet on the US LPGA Tour. On the rare occasions she is ‘home’ Kemp lives at Forster on the Mid North Coast of the state. And that means Magenta Shores on the Central Coast and Bonville, just south of Coffs Harbour, will be right on her doorstep if she makes it home to compete. Not that Kemp would need to qualify, thanks to her outstanding overseas record. Yet there will be a string of young amateurs as well as some Aussie pros desperate to hone their games on these testing layouts by taking part in new series of six regional qualifying events for women, beginning at Mollymook next month. But first there will be qualifying events at Mollymook, Wagga, Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo and Narrabri. And the ‘carrot’ for those who play well in the qualifying events will be the chance to compete in the Women’s NSW Open at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club from March 29-31, 2024 as well as the Australian Women’s Classic at Bonville on the Coffs Coast from April 5-7. These back-to-back tournaments will see a sizeable jump in prizemoney, with the purses for each now set at $500,000. The two championships – already key events on the Women’s Australian PGA Tour Schedule (WPGA Tour) will also return to the Ladies European Tour (LET) calendar in 2024. The excitement will build as the six 36-hole Regional Open Qualifying Tournaments will each carry a purse of $50,000. They will form part of the 2023-2024 schedule prior to the back-to-back major Aussie events from late March. CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, Karen Lunn, expressed her delight at what lies ahead for the best women golfers in this country. “The WPGA is thrilled to partner with Golf NSW to deliver world-class golf this summer,” said Lunn. “To compete for more than $1 million on some great courses in regional NSW is a first for our organisation and a fantastic opportunity to showcase our game’s best players and women’s sports in general.” State Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said the NSW Government was pleased to be supporting these major women’s sporting events which would increase tourism in several regions. “These tournaments will feature some of Australia’s top female golfers and also showcase some of the nation’s best golf courses, putting these areas on the ‘must visit’ list for golfers who attend the tournaments and the fans who follow them,” said Graham. “Sport brings communities together, and having some of the nation’s leading female golfers play at courses across regional NSW will bring social and economic benefit to these areas.” It has also been confirmed that the Australian Women’s Classic and the Women’s NSW Open would be broadcast through Foxtel and Kayo via SEN, with the final rounds of all Regional Qualifying Series events to be live-streamed on the SEN network and Golf NSW social and digital channels. The Qualifying Series schedule is: Mollymook Golf Club (Hilltop Course): November 18-20, 2023. Wagga Wagga Country Club: November 22-24, 2023. Duntryleague Golf Club: March 3-5, 2024. Bathurst Golf Club: March 6-8, 2024. Dubbo Golf Club: March 10-12, 2024. Stars align for top women’s events Bonville Golf Resort will host the Australian Women’s Classic. MAJOR ATTRACTION: Local hero Sarah Kemp is bound to make her presence felt in the NSW events. – Photo WPGA. www.gamegolf.com SMART GOLFERS SCORE LOWER. A Completely New Performance Dashboard Designed Specifically For Your Game | GameGolf.com The New
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