NEWS • OPINION • HOLIDAYS • LIFESTYLE • GEAR • TRAVEL • INDUSTRY ISSUE 220 // FEBRUARY 2024 WWW.INSIDEGOLF.COM.AU AUSTRALIA’S M O S T - R E A D GOLF MAGAZINE HOVLAND EYEING OFF A HUGE 2024 WITH AN AUSSIE BY HIS SIDE 100TH ANNIVERSARY GAILES GOLF CLUB WIN – A HAWAIIAN TRIP OF A LIFETIME WE TRIED IT ZOOM RANGEFINDERS AUSTRALIANS DOMINATE MAJOR US Q-SCHOOLS GOLF IN SOUTHEAST ASIA OPINION THE GOLF BALL ROLLBACK – WHAT DO WE THINK? SOUTHERN CHARM THE NSW SOUTH COAST LIFESTYLE LIVING GOLF COURSE LIVING
www.drummondgolf.com.au TRICKS BAG OF NEW FREE fitting with Golf’s Most Advanced Experience Shop now in-store or at drummondgolf.com.au 2024 New Releases
©2024 Acushnet Company LONGER DISTANCE TEE-TO-GREEN LOWER LONG GAME SPIN MORE PIERCING FLIGHT SOFTER FEEL MORE GREENSIDE SPIN & CONTROL
www.princess.com *Fares are per person, in AUD, in complete twin accommodation based on the lead category for each stateroom type at time of publication, inclusive of all discounts, taxes, fees and port expenses (which are subject to change). Campaign commences 15 December 2023 and ends on 14 March 2024. Campaign offers are not available on World Cruise and Round Australia itineraries. Valid for new bookings and not combinable with any other offer. #Savings are based on launch fares released for each itinerary between December 2022 and November 2023. Savings vary by stateroom category, fare type and itinerary. Supplements apply for other stateroom categories. Fares based on specific departure dates only. Savings are based on 14 night New Zealand voyage departing 18 January 2025 in a twin balcony stateroom. 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. Some staterooms have obstructed views. Princess Standard fare is the cruise fare only without any inclusions. ~Princess Plus fare is valid for the first two guests in the stateroom. Princess Plus fare includes the cruise fare packaged with the Plus Beverage Package, 1 device Wi-Fi, twice-daily premium dessert credits, two-fitness class credits, unlimited juice bar, two-Casual Dining credits, OceanNow® delivery and Room Service delivery. ^^Princess Premier fare is valid for the first two guests in the stateroom. Princess Premier fare includes the cruise fare packaged with the Premier Beverage Package, 4 device Wi-Fi, two-specialty dining credits, photo package, unlimited premium dessert credits, unlimited fitness class credits, unlimited juice bar, reserved theatre seating (production shows only), unlimited Casual Dining credits, OceanNow® delivery and Room Service delivery and more. ^Onboard spending money is per stateroom and is applied to the first 2 passengers in a stateroom. Amount varies by voyage length as specified up to $200 per stateroom when booking a balcony, mini-suite or suite fare. Currency varies by ship and itinerary, refer to princess.com for details. Onboard spending money expires at the conclusion of your cruise, is not transferable, non-refundable, not redeemable for cash and cannot be used at the medical centre or casino. †3rd & 4th guest fares available on select voyages when travelling in the same stateroom as the 1st and 2nd guests. 3rd and 4th guest from $699 per person based on 14 night New Zealand voyage departing 18 January 2025 in a balcony stateroom and above. 3rd & 4th guests will be booked on Princess Standard fare; guests may choose to upgrade the 3rd and 4th fares to Princess Plus for an additional fee. Princess Standard fare is the cruise fare only without any inclusions. Charges apply for shore excursions and specialty dining. To be read in conjunction with the Passage Contract found 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. Cruise itineraries and onboard offerings are not guaranteed. Charges apply to some activities, venues and menu items. Carnival plc trading as Princess Cruises ABN 23 107 998 443. BIG BALCONY bonanza! BOOK NOW | Contact your travel agent | 1300 551 654 | princess.com You’ll love cruising New Zealand 14 nights in a Balcony Stateroom from $2,499 per person twin share* Book a BALCONY to receive: Savings of up to $1,400 per stateroom# Up to $200 onboard spending money per stateroom^ 3rd & 4th guests from $699PP†
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 Golfers unite, and keep fighting the fight – ‘Leave our courses alone’ I LET it be for one edition of Inside Golf but can’t help to jump back on the same topic as we join the golf industry and golfers everywhere, in continuing to get behind and support courses facing extinction, the redevelopment of their land, or those being forced into less-than-ideal relocations. It was interesting and I’m sure somewhat strategic, to see James Sutherland, CEO of Golf Australia, choose and bring attention to Moore Park in Sydney to sprout the current health of the sport around the world, more specifically in this country, at a venue which in the near future could potentially lose half of its holes. Our colleague Michael Court on page 20 of this issue, reports impressive participation numbers in all forms of the game, across all genders, demographics and age groups. As the headline screams - Golf is ‘Big and getting bigger’ - with the report indicating a fourth successvie year for participation increases and an amazing 17 per cent of all Australians utilsing a golfing faciltiy of some sort. Now being best described as ‘senior’ these days, I see men and women of my vintage, and older, playing in private clubs, social clubs, early in the morning and late in the afternoon, out and about in big numbers, enjoying the social and health benefits golf offers, while also keeping those competitive juices flowing. The 20’s somethings my sons and daughter knock around with have also embraced the game, many for the first time, and they can’t get enough of it. I’ve had friends and golfing partners talk about their teenage kids discovering the game, with golf a ‘cool’ sport as of right now for the younger generation. Many club memberships across Sydney (and likely around the country) are full and now have wait lists in place, and during the summer months my club pro mates speak of their social golf booking sheets being full until 3-4pm in the afternoon – almost every day. More golfers mean more clubs, balls, bags, shoes and whatever else being sold, with retail outlets thriving and many manufacturers and product distributors struggling to keep pace with the demand. How it is then, that we have councils, government departments, developers, and self interest groups, 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 photo: Victor Hovland at the recent Sentry tournament in Hawaii. Photo courtesy PGA TOUR 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. trying to take courses away when so many are looking to play? We all get the argument our big cities are running out of greenspace, however, why take away facilities that are being maintained, the majority not at the expense of taxpayers but by those who utilise them and frequented in numbers perhaps never seen before. And don’t even start me with the argument made by those who obviously don’t play, that golf is only for the elite. Check out the facts and figures in our page 20 story, or maybe just take a peek at a local course when next driving by. Golf is, now and has always been, a game for all ages and genders, and yes, there are many private courses with expensive joining and membership fees, but there are also 100’s of affordable golfing options available and accessible. Further to the above, in an effort to bring readers a balance of content, Inside Golf has recently ventured into Southeast Asia and has been in touch with industry types who boast of new courses being built in incredible numbers in places such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, as well as in other countries not traditionally known as golfing hotspots. See page 46 for a report on a new Sir Nick Faldo designed course in Cambodia, an exclusive offering at Sentosa in Singapore, or on the pages that follow, golf holiday opportunities in China, Thailand and in other parts of Asia. Golf is booming across the globe. Since our previous The First Tee page 5 editorial, Moore Park has received great backing from golfers everywhere. We could have filled multiple letter pages (this month on page 68) with messages of support, not just for the busy Sydney public course but also for Oakleigh in Melbourne, Forster on the NSW mid-north coast and others facing similar situations, all expressing their dismay at the proposals being discussed or decisions being made to take away thriving courses. I’ll let you continue to fight the fight and express your opinions, encourage you to support the courses under threat around the country in whatever way possible, however the best way to keep the wolves at bay is by continuing to play, to enjoy and patronise a golf course near you. Especially in the big cities with land at a premium, we’re not saying build more courses, but leave what we have alone. Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.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 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
IN THIS ISSUE PRO NEWS 7 64 67 19TH HOLE DEMO DAYS GOLF DIRECTORY 92 BUNKER-TOBUNKER 28 100TH ANNIVERSARY 38 TRAVEL – SE ASIA LIFESTYLE EVENTS 46 42 63 INDUSTRY NEWS 20 CLUB NEWS 30 NEW PRODUCTS 60 CLUB NEWS NSW SOUTH COAST 54 WIN FOUR rounds of golf at world-class Hawaiian golf courses, accommodation at an iconic five-star resort, competing in an event featuring great prizes, a gala presentation event, nightly functions, daily transfers, with a player gift pack included, a package valued at $6,990, and it could be yours by entering this exciting Inside Golf competition. One lucky reader will get the chance to experience this unique golfing event, conducted by Pacific Golf Management, where your every golfing need is taken care of and catered for. The winner receives entry into the Hawai‘i International Golf Week, which tees on from August 18-24, 2024 and includes six nights accommodation at the Westin Hapuna Beach Hotel in an ocean view room with daily full buffet breakfasts. Four tournament rounds of golf including cart at Hapuna Beach, Mauna Lani North and South courses, with range balls to help warm you up before play each day. A welcome function at Westin Hapuna Beach Hotel, nightly free ‘happy hour’ drinks during the tournament and a final night gala prize presentation dinner with great prizes. A player gift pack featuring a tournament polo and cap, transport to and from the golf courses plus return airport transfers, hotel resort fees and taxes on accommodation, golf, meals and drinks are also included in the prize package. Pacific Golf Management have long been overseeing and managing these golfing experiences of a lifetime, where every aspect is looked after. Inside Golf’s biggest and perhaps most exciting prize every offered. Enter now and win a golfing experience you’ll never forget. Go to www.insidegolf.com.au/competitions. Entries close March 31, 2024. 6 February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au The golfing experience of a lifetime, at the Hawai‘i International Week of Golf, valued at $6,900 LETTERS 68 The Tournament - Hawai‘i International Golf Week THE 10th annual Hawai‘i International Golf Week is a men’s and women’s competition, played on the spectacular Hapuna Beach, Mauna Lani South and Mauna Lani North courses. All participants have an official golf handicap but don’t have to be a great player to join in the fun, with everyone having the opportunity to win a prize in the stableford competition, with scratch prizes also included. The Hawai‘i International Golf Week is a great golfing experience, with lots of fun and a few cocktails at one of the best locations in the world, on the Island of Hawai‘i, just a 30-minute flight from Honolulu, staying at the magnificent Westin Hapuna Beach Hotel at Mauna Kea Resort, just a short drive up the Kohala Coast from Kona Airport. Event packages Include twin share accommodation, along with all the extras as detailed in the competition prize above, with everything looked after, both on and off the course. Pacific Golf Management also conducts the Hawai‘i Pro Teams Invitational, a tournament everyone can enjoy regardless of their handicap, with each team comprising one PGA professional and three amateurs. Excellent amateur prizes are on offer for teams and individuals, along with a professional purse of $55,000. The event is limited to the first 25 Teams registered. If you don’t have a team, enter individually, and Pacific Golf can organise one for you. The inaugural Hawai‘i Pro Teams Invitational ProAm in 2023 was a resounding success, with the 2024 event promising more of the same. For more details and packages costs for either the Pro Teams Invitational, or the Hawai‘i International Golf Week, go to the Pacific Golf website at www.pacificgolf.co.nz, or email richard@ pacificgolf.co.nz. Non-player prices also available for those sharing with participating golfers. Non players can also access all social functions and event dinners. TO REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE SEASON PASS, SCAN HERE. TICKET VALID FOR ALL THREE DAYS OF THE TOURNAMENT. March 29th – 31st, 2024 MAGENTA SHORES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB For more information, visit womensnswopen.com.au WALK THE FAIRWAYS WITH SOME OF THE BEST PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 7 Aloha! And bring on 2024 for Hovland and his Aussie sidekick VICTOR Hovland embraced the local Hawaiian culture in his first event of the new PGA TOUR schedule at The Sentry at Kapalua, in kick starting a year in which the young gun will have his sights firmly set on major championship success. There or there abouts for most of the week at The Sentry, Hovland couldn’t quite reel in eventual winner Chris Kirk, however there was enough to like about his initial outing to have his supporters believing he can build on his exceptional 2023 season. The winner of the Tour Championship in August, the PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup finale, Hovland emerged as the next big thing with his victory in Atlanta, backing it up with a stirring performance at the Ryder Cup soon after - and he did it with an Australian by his side and carrying his PING golf bag. Shay Knight, from Sydney’s north shore and a former member at Cammeray and The Australian Golf clubs, and a quality player in his own right, has been caddy and confidant almost from the time Hovland left the Oklahoma State University to turn pro, the pair officially teaming up at the 2019 Travelers Championship. “It’s really exciting for me. I’m as excited now as when I first came out on Tour to be able to watch a kid grow out here” Knight told Golf Monthly in an interview in mid-2023. And grow Hovland certainly has, with 10 professional victories at just 26 years of age and in only his fourth year as a professional, six of those on the PGA TOUR, along with two top-10 finishes in the majors in 2023, and the sky is the limit. Endycott returning to the PGA TOUR after Q School dominance HARRISON Endycott, from the Avondale club in Sydney’s north, has secured full playing rights on the PGA TOUR for 2024 by winning the Q-School in Florida. The 27-year-old will now head into a second season on the PGA TOUR after his closing 67, for a 15-under par total, saw him finish on top by four shots at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville. The leading five finishers and ties graduated with PGA TOUR cards. Endycott had finished 129th on the 2023 FedEx Cup points list, before returning to Q-school to improve on his conditional playing rights. Now as a result of his performance in Florida, Endycott will now have the opportunity to play a full schedule in 2024. “It’s great to go do the job over four days,” Endycott said. “It’s funny, when you have a bit of a tough year, and you have conditional status, you kind of look at it a little bit like a disappointing year. But now with a win, what do I look at? Is it a good year or a tough year? There’s lots of positives. I’m looking forward to a fresh start to the season on tour again.” Harrison Endycott now has full playing rights for the 2024 PGA TOUR season. After playing at Kapalua, Hovland skipped the Sony Open at Waialae however no doubt he will reappear somewhere on the American west coast during the early part of the season, before setting himself for major success, beginning at The Masters in April. In contention for most of the week at Augusta in 2023, a 74 on Sunday when paired with Brooks Koepka in the final group may have cruelled his chances, however there is no doubt he’ll be back for more in golf’s biggest tournaments in 2024. And Hovland will be doing his thing with an Aussie by his side. “He has the ability to take one side of the golf course out of play, which is huge,” Knight continued. “He drives it very straight. I’m also impressed with his mental approach. He’s a very calm guy. He can get angry, but lets it go quickly.” After opening with an 8-under par 65 at The Sentry, Hovland kept pace with a 67 in round two. Things were travelling smoothly in round three until a bogey on 13, then a triple bogey 7 on 14 stalled his progress. And with the scores as low as they were throughout the week, unfortunately there was no coming back, with Hovland finishing in a tie for 22nd, eight shots behind the winner. Victor Hovland and his caddy, Australian Shay Knight, have struck up a successful partnership. DistributeD by golf imports | 03 5277 3977
https://au.dunlopsports.com/cleveland-golf
https://au.dunlopsports.com/cleveland-golf
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 10 What was it like playing with Tiger Woods over the years, and specifically in the Sunday final group during your best chance to win the Masters in 2007? Playing with those sorts of guys, it’s definitely an experience to play at that kind of level. At the 2007 Masters, I was playing really, really well the week before in Houston and I had a lot of good mojo going. I played really well on Saturday, made a mistake on 17 and gave up a shot, and had a one-shot lead going into Sunday. Playing with Tiger it’s a different feeling, a different mood, a different crowd energy. I was pretty nervous on the first tee. I pushed my drive right and made an opening double. It was the coldest week we’d ever had. Down at Amen Corner the later part of the day it was so cold, feel it in your fingers cold. I had never been to a Masters that had been considered cold and that was certainly a challenge. I couldn’t get my round going the direction that I needed. I kept telling myself to ‘hang in there.’ I had played practice rounds with Tiger at Augusta and they are just crazy. Most of the patrons want to go see him, it’s so busy with all of the cameras going off. After my Sunday round with him in 2007 I went back and looked at what I would have had to shoot to beat him and the winner Zach Johnson. It would have to have been one hell of a round. In the end, when we’re all dead in a pine-box, people aren’t going to remember regular people like us. But Tiger Woods, he’s going to live in people’s mind forever. IN the second installment of an extensive interview with Inside Golf’s US correspondent Garrett Johnston, Stuart Appleby talks about some his most memorable golfing moments, from winning on the PGA Tour, to his near miss in the British Open, and playing alongside Tiger Woods at Augusta. Now competing on the PGA TOUR Champions, Appleby is one of Australia’s most respected golfing exports. Your first PGA Tour win was the 1997 Honda Classic, how do you reflect back on that now? It was a completion of a lot of things for me. I played quite a few holes on Sunday. I got a bit fortunate because I holed out an eagle, out of the rough with a lob wedge. I remember I played against Payne Sewart. He was the nicest guy to me. His wife Tracy is Australian who lived next door for the next 20 years after his death. We had an Australian connection and he definitely took me under his wing. He would have been an unbelievable mentor and a great guy to bounce ideas off and someone to really listen to. He was in the sweet spot of his life and it makes it even more tragic that he wasn’t here from then on. I had a Tour card, and I was playing consistently on the Tour, but you don’t know how you’re going to go when you’re young. So that was a huge event to win. After you win you do your media conference and you’re the last one to leave the locker room. I remember it being dark and I looked around the property and said to myself “holy shit, I did it”. You were THE guy that week. Driving back to Orlando that night just felt surreal. In Miami the week before I wasn’t hitting it great and I was putting really well, but not making anything. I felt Stuart Appleby – Part 2 – Life after 50 like I lipped out 36 times and missed the cut. I remember standing on the range, standing a little taller and a little closer to the ball. And I remember hitting one 7-iron on the range and thinking ‘wow, that felt good.’ Then I hit another good one. I was off and running and I had momentum. It was just pretty cool to validate the whole energy that it takes to come to America and play the Nike Tour (Korn Ferry) then to come out to the regular Tour, then lose your card, then come back to the Tour. That win in 1997 really got me going from a confidence and winning perspective. You’ve often said how much you loved watching The Open Championship as a teen, what do you recall from those years? I was about 15/16 when I really started following it closely. I felt the same when I watched Augusta. I remember I would turn up to school late sometimes because I was watching the Masters. Those were pretty cool memories watching those major tournaments growing up. Watching The Open Championship coverage, it was nowhere near as advanced as it is now with the graphics. Sometimes they would show you the seagulls walking around for one or two minutes. Peter Aliss, what a legend, he would make the seagull walking around worthwhile to us viewers at home. As an Australian, the Open Championship had always been a love affair for us with a lot of success and strong performances over the years. It was the dream major for a lot of us. The Masters was the one that we hadn’t won until Adam Scott, but the British was a big one for sure. You almost won the Open Championship in 2002, what do you recall? It was a weird week. What I do remember was getting out early and shooting 71 or something on Saturday, in pretty tough conditions. But what happened that afternoon was really diabolical, hell on earth was unleashed with the weather. I was having lunch in the clubhouse, and I was going to smash balls later that afternoon, not a care in the world. Then I remember checking the weather and seeing a number of big tents on property shaking and thinking ‘oh, boy, this doesn’t look good.’ I remember Tiger shooting 80 and Shigeki Maruyama hiding behind a sponsor billboard on a tee box just bundling up like he was looking for his mommy. I think Ernie shot maybe 1-over that afternoon which was just phenomenal. I had moved up the leaderboard by doing nothing. My coach said that maybe Sunday you’ll make your fair share of putts, and you never know. I think I was playing with (Padraig) Harrington in that final round and I just played really well. I remember sitting in the locker room, a smelly,100-year-old locker room and I packed my bag up. Then someone came over to me and said, “I don’t know why you’re packing up, you could be in a playoff.” I said, ‘really, what do you mean?’ They said Ernie could make a bogey coming in and that could mean a big playoff. Mentally I had wrapped myself up, I was done with the tournament. Obviously, it panned out into a fourman playoff and a bizarre format with split twosomes, which I think was really a dumb decision. It wouldn’t have made me any more likely to win that major. I think the right guy (Ernie Els) won that championship, considering what he went through. That’s such a strange scenario. Are you hard on yourself now when you relive it? I was nervous in that playoff, but I was also telling myself that I had already had a great week. I was surprised that someone like (Steve) Elkington or Ernie didn’t say that we should have all gone together as a foursome. The Open’s answer was that they played twosomes on the weekend, and they were just following suit. I don’t think they’d ever do that again. That would have been life-changing and certainly a goal of mine to fulfill with a British Open win. I look back at the British Open close call and I’m proud. Appleby, a winner of the 2010 Australian Masters. Stuart Appleby, now competing on the PGA Tour Champions. A friend, mentor and neighbour, Appleby paid tribute to the late Payne Stewart.
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 12 The Sandbelt Invitational TOURNAMENT founder Geoff Ogilvy hopes a new event in Melbourne may one day fill the void left on the Melbourne golf calendar by the Australian Masters. For years golf galleries flocked to the Masters at Huntingdale in summer and along with the Vic Open, the two tournaments gave the city a golf vibe similar to what horse racing still offers Melbourne in November, with Ogilvy delighted with the third staging of the Sandbelt Invitational. “We are getting there with the tournament,” said Ogilvy, who started the event through his Foundation in a bid to create opportunities for emerging professional and amateur golfers across the country. Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au The stars come out for the Portsea Celebrity Pro-am THE $40,000 Peninsula Sotheby’s Portsea Celebrity event has kicked off the 2024 adidas PGA pro-am series in fine style with professional Darcy Boyd prevailing in an exciting finish. Despite the overcast day and predicted storms, a big crowd of holiday makers turned out to watch sports stars, celebrities and professionals compete over the outstanding Portsea layout on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula. The event was being played for just the second time after a 10-year hiatus but is now back with the form slump remarkable given how well Gale had played in the opening three rounds. “But from there he birdied the 15th, not out of the ordinary on the short par 4 - but then holed his tee shot on the famous par three 16th,” Clayton said. “Two more pars - including a nervy six footer down the hill on the last - and he was home by one over Matt Griffin. “The other highlight was the play of Jazy Roberts, a 19-year-old from Bendigo who shot seven under to win the women’s amateur section. “Fourteenth in the Australian Open the week before, shows her talent and what the Sandbelt Invitational tournament is really about,” Clayton said. “The pros play plenty of golf all year but for the kids it’s an opportunity to play a tournament where they get free yardage books, Titleist balls on the range, free food, no entry fee and play probably the four best courses they play all year “And they get to play and learn from some of the best players in the country.”Clayton praised Robyn Choi, who won the six-round LPGA Tour school the week before the Sandbelt Invitational then flew in, arriving on Sunday, before winning the Women’s pro event. “With a perfect excuse to call and say she was too tired to play she instead came and played well,” Clayton said. PGA Champion, Phoenix Campbell, was fifth overall and the leading men’s amateur – the highlight of his tourrnament a record 63 at Yarra Yarra “It’s always humorous to pros to hear ’the course is too easy’ criticism when someone shoots a low score. Of course, they forget Geoff Parslow and Tony Jacklin shot 63s almost 50 years ago when the equipment was harder to use - and they don’t understand you can’t shoot low scores on bad greens,” Clayton added. Daniel Gale, winner of the 2023 Sandbelt Invitational. Winners are grinners: (from left) Sandbelt Invitational champion Daniel Gale, the leading women’s player Robyn Choi, tournament host Geoff Ogilvy, with leading amateurs Jazy Roberts and Phoenix Campbell. “The young kids love it. The attention to detail is beyond any other tournament in the country and we hope to see it not only survive, but also grow into something bigger. In time, it may even replace the Australian Masters. “As it is, it’s the only annual tournament on the Melbourne sandbelt which already makes it significant.” The 72-hole event is played on four different sandbelt courses with Royal Melbourne this year hosting an exciting final day. Tournament director, Mike Clayton, said the finish to the event “was miraculous”, and was blown away by the standard of play over the four days. Sydney’s Daniel Gale began the final round four shots ahead but by the time he got to the 15th tee, he was two behind and playing what Clayton described as “a stinker of a round”, Creating opportunities for emerging pros and elite amateurs Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au thanks to a membership driven resurgence at the club. Last year the event was awarded the best regional pro-am in Victoria at the state’s glittering industry awards at Huntingdale Golf Club. Tournament winner Boyd had not played since rolling his ankle in the WA Open last October and only decided to enter at the last minute. He carded a superb seven-under 64 to edge out Lucas Higgins and Tom Power-Horan by a shot. Aiden Didone, Cameron John, Michael Wright and Matt Jager shared the third line after shooting 66. Such was Boyd’s limited preparation – which included marrying long-time partner Danni Vasquez on December 9 – he didn’t consider that good play in the club comps back home warranted entry into the Portsea event. But despite Tour winners such as PowerHoran, Matthew Griffin, Austin Bautista and Zach Murray teeing it up alongside AFL stars Christian Petracca, Jack Silvagni and Angus Brayshaw, the NRL’s Ryan Papenhuyzen and TV and radio personality Andy Lee, it was Boyd who stole the show with a clutch par putt on the final hole for a 7-under 64. “I was umming and aahing whether to come down because it was my first event and I hadn’t really played any competitive golf for three months,” Boyd said. “I’d been playing all right at home, but I wasn’t sure whether I should come back and compete against such a solid field. But it has paid dividends.” A brilliant approach to eight feet to set up birdie at the par-four 17th would prove crucial, Boyd rolling in the four-footer for par on 18 to send his wife and caddie into raptures. “Actually, I had pretty good speed control today and I was conscious of the fact that it might get away from me after the hole,” Boyd said of his winning putt. “I was on a bit of a roll this year. Got my Tour card and life was going well. Made the cut at the WA Open and was going well in the fourth round and then rolled my ankle on the left side and didn’t play for three months. “That was pretty heartbreaking considering I committed fully to golf this year. I gave up my job and we’ve been travelling and trying to play as much as we could. I felt like I was starting to kick some goals. “It’s not an over-use injury, it’s not something that you really see coming, it was just a bit unlucky. “This one is pretty special to get it done, first one back out of the blocks. “(New wife and caddie) Danni’s a superstar. She was so good today. She was so positive. It’s pretty easy to put things in perspective when you’ve had some bad luck over the last 18 months.” Darcy Boyd (left) the winner of the Portsea Pro-am. The stars came out to play at Portsea. From left, Carlton’s Jack Silvagni, TV and radio personality Andy Lee and Melbourne Storm star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen.
NIKE AIR ZOOM VICTORY TOUR 3 TUNED FOR PRECISION. MEN’S GOLF SHOES (WIDE) Designed for the all-day grinders and dawn-patrollers, destined for the feet of the dedicated that just moseyed back to the driving range after 18. They give you robust comfort and unreal energy return, whether you’re swinging through or playing through, while all-new spikes offer exceptional traction from tee to green. Plus, the old-school look will earn a knowing head nod from your peers after picking your putt out of the cup. LEARN MORE AT GOLFWORKS.COM.AU BOA All-Round Response Old-School Look Locked-In Feel The Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 Boa offers robust comfort, unreal energy return, an intuitive, microadjustable Boa Fit System and brand-new spikes whether you’re swinging through or playing through en route to 36. We stitched a Zoom Air unit directly to the upper instead of being set into foam, so it responds to every step. A full-length plate beneath the Air unit helps increase energy return. Cushiony foam under the heel delivers an extremely smooth ride. Full-grain leather has a supple feel and sophisticated look, nodding to golf shoes from past generations. An internal strap stretches over then secures your foot, contouring to its shape.
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 14 Late blooming Percy to chase success on PGA Tour Champions CAMERON Percy, who was once putting so poorly he played an entire tournament without looking at the hole, has earned himself a spot on one of the world’s highest profile golf tours. Percy, who did not play golf until he picked up a set of his grandmother’s old clubs at the age of 15, is one of four Australians who won places on the PGA Tour Champions following a gruelling series of qualifying tournaments late last year. When he turns 50 in early May, he’ll be lining up against some of the best over 50 golfers on the planet – potentially giving himself the opportunity to earn a lucrative income in the twilight years of his golfing career. Inevitably, comparisons will be drawn between Percy and New Zealander Steve Alker, a fellow journeyman who rocketed from comparative obscurity on the Korn Ferry Tour to become the best player on the Tour Champions circuit, winning millions of dollars in prizemoney in the process. Percy’s career, in many respects, duplicates Alker’s. Both golfers tasted early success in their homelands, sought fame and fortune on the US PGA Tour, persevered in the face of consistently disappointing results and then, when virtually written off as failures, suddenly produced their best in their later years. Though his returns have been modest, Percy is a veteran of 220 starts on the PGA Tour, his best finish being a playoff loss to Jonathan Bird at the By Peter Owen 2010 Shriners Children’s Open. He’s had 12 top-10 finishes, including three in the 2021-22 season. The best of his four top-25 finishes in 2023 was a tied 12th at the Honda Classic, but he’d resigned himself to going back to Q School to try to retain his playing privileges before changing his mind and winning medallist honours at the Final Stage of PGA Tour Champions qualifying. Before that he’d been playing perhaps the best golf of his career. He had shot 10-under-par 62 to be the first round leader of the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship on Mexico in November, before firing a sevenunder 64 in the second round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship a week later. Born in Chelsea, on Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, Percy played every other sport as a kid – Aussie rules, cricket, tennis, soccer and basketball – but once he’d borrowed his grandmother’s clubs and first played the game as a 15-year-old, he was hooked on golf. He turned professional in 1998, qualified for the 2003 British Open with his wife Katie on the bag, and joined the second tier Nationwide Tour (subsequently the Web.com Tour and now the Korn Ferry Tour) in the US, where he had little success. Back in Australia, he won twice on the Von Nida Tour in 2006 – the Queensland Masters and the Queensland PGA. That led him to return to the US where he rejoined the Nationwide Tour. Eight top-10 finishes in 2009 saw him promoted to the PGA Tour for the first time, but he struggled to hold his spot. He finished 168th on the FedEx Cup points list in 2010, 161st in 2011 and 158th in 2013. In 2014, he won the Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Web. com Tour and finished 15th on the Web.com Tour money list to secure his PGA card for the following season. Over the next six seasons he finished outside the Top 125 on the FedEx Cup list ever year, forfeiting his PGA Tour playing privileges. However he was placed inside the top 150 most of those years, maintaining conditional status on tour. It was towards the end of 2018 when Percy, sitting 44th on Web.com Tour standings and needing a strong finish in the season-ending Web.com Tour Championship to regain his PGA Tour card, resorted to putting blind during the tournament. Frustrated by missing short putts, he stopped looking at the hole as he putted, with immediate success in a pre-tournament practice round. “It’s really hard to trust yourself on the golf course to not even look at the hole but I was feeling so bad that I did it and had nine birdies and shot 64 and putted beautifully,” he said. When it counted, however, it didn’t work. Percy shot rounds of 71 and 67 to miss the cut – consigning himself to another season on the secondary tour where he continued his struggle to make enough money to sustain his golfing dreams. Like Steve Alker, it may be that those goals were not meant to be reached until Percy found his way onto the US seniors tour. Percy won the Final Stage of PGA Tour Champion Q School by five strokes, leading a group of four Australians onto the tour for the first time. The others to go through were: MICHAEL WRIGHT, a Queenslander who earned his card by miraculously holing out for a birdie from 110m on the final hole of the final round. Wright, who turns 50 on February 21, was born in Gympie and has been a journeyman on the Australasian Tour, his best result being fifth in the 2013 Australian Open. He has contested just two PGA Tour events, missing the cut both times. He’s never played a PGA Tour Champions event. STEVE ALLAN, whose best performance as a professional was to win the 2002 Australian Open. The Victorian has been a regular on the PGA Tour, notching nine top-10 finishes, including two second places, from his 214 starts. The best of his 164 Korn Ferry Tour appearances was tied 2nd in Colombia in 2015. The 50-year-old has never played a PGA Tour Champions event. DAVID BRANSDON, who shot a final round 67 to grab fifth and final spot. The Melbourne pro has just one top-25 showing from his nine Korn Ferry Tour appearances. A regular on the Japan Golf Tour over the years, he won twice on the Legends Tour last year – at Killara in November and at Beerwah in December. He contested Brooks Koepka’s 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, missing the cut. Cameron Percy, the medalist at the recent Q School is ready to make his presence felt on the PGA Tour Champions in 2024. www.oncoursegolf.com.au AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST PRO SHOP NETWORK scan the code or visit oncoursegolf.com.au Find local lessons and the latest gear. Over 70 Pro Shops in one online space. Cameron Percy.
REAR GOLF BAG CARRIER $349 CARRY YOUR GOLF BAG WITH EASE UNIVERSAL ‘SLIP-ON’ FIT $149 FITS PRECEDENT MODELS ORGANISE YOUR GAME CLUB CAR BLACK METAL TIDY BASKET $149 FITS RXV MODELS EZGO BLACK METAL TIDY BASKET STOP MISPLACING YOUR BELONGINGS $449 SET FOR 2 SEATS LUXURY PADDED SEAT COVERS (STYLES AVAILABLE FOR EZGO, CLUB CAR & ECAR) DRIVE IN COMFORT & STYLE $50 OFF RRP! SAVE $12,990 inc. GST • 2x sand bottles & small esky • Club/ball washer • Rear golf bag canopy • Lockable gloveboxes • 10” inch mag wheels & 205/65-10 tyres • Lithium Golf 67Ah AMPLUS© Series Battery with fast charger on-board • LED lithium speedometer & voltage meter LITHIUM MAGNUM 2S PACKAGE OUR MOST COMFORTABLE ECAR YET $10,990 inc. GST • 2x sand bottles • 6 can esky • Club/ball washer • Rear golf bag canopy LITHIUM A2 GOLFERS PACKAGE ENTRY LEVEL GOLF CART ADD RAIN CURTAINS $499 • Standard washable seat covers • Lithium Golf 67Ah AMPLUS© Series Battery with fast charger on-board • LED lithium speedometer & voltage meter ALL NEW GOLF CARTS COME WITH A LITHIUM BATTERY SAVE OVER $3,199 RRP ADD RAIN CURTAINS $499 *Free delivery eligibility criteria applies. Outside speci ed ‘free’ zones will incur a xed price delivery charge. Please see website for shipping T&C’s. FREE DELIVERY* AUSTRALIA-WIDE ON ALL NEW GOLF CARTS 1300 93 88 11 cartsnparts.com.au ECAR GOLF CARTS ARE PROUDLY BUILT IN AUSTRALIA, AND HAVE BEEN FOR OVER 18 YEARS! $50 OFF RRP! SAVE $50 OFF RRP! SAVE $50 OFF RRP! SAVE 3D MESH SEAT COVERS $89 CUSTOMISE YOUR RIDE SET FOR 2 SEATS $69 FITS MOST GOLF CARTS ENJOY COLD DRINKS ALL DAY LARGE 6 CAN ESKY COOLER $69 FITS CLUB CAR PRECEDENT SMALL 6 CAN ESKY COOLER KEEP YOUR DRINKS COOL ON THE COURSE $89 SET FOR 2 SEATS PREMIUM SMALL MESH SEAT COVERS REMOVABLE & WASHABLE $10 OFF RRP! SAVE $10 OFF RRP! SAVE ECAR GOLFER’S CLIP STEERING WHEEL $49 STEER INTO SUCCESS FITS ALL ECAR MODELS $39 UNIVERSAL FIT EASILY MOUNTS TO YOUR FRONT DASH DUAL FRONT CUP HOLDER $29 FOR ACID BATTERIES SPRING NOZZLE BATTERY WATER FILL BOTTLE FILL YOUR BATTERIES WITHOUT SPILLAGE $59 UNIVERSAL FIT LARGE 6 CAN ESKY COOLER BRACKET SECURE YOUR COOLER TO YOUR CART $10 OFF RRP! SAVE $20 OFF RRP! SAVE $10 OFF RRP! SAVE $50 OFF RRP! SAVE
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 16 Stolz, who ended up taking Player of the Year honours from Brad Burns and Chris Taylor, later joked that he would be happy to see Pampling return to Texas given his recent form. “We played together at Robina Woods when we were trainees – I might have been a year ahead of him – so I’ve known him for a long time,” said Stolz. “It’s great to see him having a great career and winning again on the Champions Tour this year and great to have him back here playing.” In the remaining event at hinterland Beerwah, Victorian David Bransdon shrugged off jetlag and tapped into the form that earned him a PGA Tour Champions card to shoot 66 and win by two strokes from Scott Laycock. Pampling, Stolz and Norris the big winners on the Sunshine Coast WITH a win at Noosa and a tie for first at Twin Waters, Rod Pampling reminded Australian fans of his enormous talent when the Caboolture veteran made a rare appearance on the PGA Legends Tour on the Sunshine Coast before Christmas. But by the finish of the year-ending Sunshine Coast swing – one of the most popular weeks on tour for the over 50’s, many of whom treat it as a pre-Christmas holiday romp with their mates - it was South Australian Jason Norris who had claimed most of the attention. Norris, in only his second year on the Legends Tour, won the last two events – the Queensland Senior PGA Championship at Maroochy River and the Australian Legends Tour Championship at Headland – to ensure he would be the player to watch when the 2024 season kicks off in February. “It was a great thrill to go up there and win two in a row,” Norris said after his Headland triumph, when he followed a first round 68 with a dazzling 64 to tie with evergreen Terry Price. He then won on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Price, however, was responsible for the best round of the tournament – a By Peter Owen spectacular closing 61, which gave the 62-year-old the rare honour of beating his age. The win allowed Norris to share Sunshine Coast series honours with Andre Stolz, whose consistent play ensured he won his third straight season-long tour Order of Merit. Norris, 51, who was defending the title he won at Headland last year as a rookie, recorded his sixth Legends Tour win of the year and became the first man to have his name engraved on the Glenn Joyner Memorial Mug. Joyner was a Headland member and helped organise the 2022 event before he sadly lost his battle with cancer in mid-2023. His wife Carolyn Campbell presented Norris with his trophy. While he vowed to return to defend his title at Headland for a third year straight year, Norris said he would also campaign on the European Legends Tour this year, and try to Monday qualify for some PGA Tour Champions events in the US. The week of Legends’ golf on the Sunshine Coast began at Noosa, where Pampling produced a fourunder-par 66 to win over globetrotting Victorian David McKenzie and consistent Queenslander Richard Backwell. A winner on this year’s PGA Tour Champions in the US, Pampling had been mixing golf with relaxing at home with family and friends in the lead-up to Christmas. It was the 54-year-old’s first appearance in a Legends Tour event. “It’s fun to be out here with a lot of familiar faces,” he said. “I’ve played events at Noosa for a long time but it’s been five years since I’ve been back. Covid shut me down for three years and then I had a sore knee in 2022, but it’s been good to be back.” Pampling was back in action two days later, sharing a victory with old mate Stolz in the Sunshine Coast Masters at Twin Waters, after shooting a sparkling seven-under 65 on the second day. Jason Norris, has quickly established himself as a major player on the PGA Legends Tour. Rod Pampling (left) and Andre Stolz after they shared a win at Twin Waters.
February 2024 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 17 Magnificent Magenta to host Women’s NSW Open THE magnificent Magenta Shores Golf Course on the NSW Central Coast will host the $500,000 Women’s NSW Open for the first time in 2024. A championship which tees off on March 29, the event is set to attract over 120 elite female golfers from across Australia and around the world, with the co-sanctioned Women’s NSW Open featuring around 90 international players from the Ladies European Tour (LET), 30 WPGA competitors, plus a contingent of Australia’s elite female amateurs. Golf NSW CEO Stuart Fraser, said the organisation looked forward to the Central Coast showcasing some of the brightest talent in women’s professional golf. “Golf NSW, with the support of the NSW Government, is thrilled to be able to bring the Women’s NSW Open to a fabulous venue like Magenta Shores,” Fraser said. “It will be exciting to watch some of the sport’s best female athletes from around the globe competing in regional NSW for one of Australia’s most prestigious state Open championships.” Golf NSW, with the assistance of the NSW Government, secured the event through the Department of Regional NSW and tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, as part of a three-year agreement to ensure tournaments of this stature remain in regional NSW until at least 2026. The NSW Government also supports the NSW Open Regional Open Qualifying Series through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and the Department of Regional NSW. The Venue Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club is a Ross Watsondesigned 18-hole links golf course offering an idyllic seaside location. Magenta places a premium on position as much as length off the tee and will be a worthy challenge for the competitors vying for the Jan Stephenson Trophy. History First held in 2006, the tournament has been the catalyst for some of the brightest stars in the game to begin their careers, while for others, victory in the Women’s NSW Open helped underline their legacy to the sport. Dame Laura Davies, widely acknowledged as one of Women’s golf’s greatest-ever players, lifted the trophy in 2008. Kiwi Lydia Ko, a former women’s world number one, claimed her first professional title in winning the NSW Open at age 14 in 2012. While two players have successfully defended their women’s NSW Open crown, Sarah Oh in 2009/2010 and England’s Meghan MacLaren who defended the 2018 title which she won at Coffs Harbour, with a hard-fought victory at the Queanbeyan course in 2019. Tournament Facts NSW Women’s Open March 29-31, 2024 Magenta Shores Golf Course 1 Magenta Dr, Magenta NSW 2261 www.womensnswopen.com.au https://magentagolf.com.au/ 2023 NSW Women’s Open winner, Momoka Kobori. The magnificent Magenta Shores course, host venue for the 2024 NSW Women’s Open. Choi returning to the LPGA Tour Australian professional Robyn Choi to return to the LPGA Tour in 2024. IN completing the Australian domination of Tour qualifying schools late in 2023, Sydney golfer Robyn Choi secured medalist honours at the final of the LPGA Q-Series. Played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama, Choi was one of 50 players to claim an LPGA Tour card with her last day 68, her sixth round in a row in the 60’s, seeing the 25-year-old finish 29-under par and three shots clear of Japanese professional Mao Saigo and Korean So Mi Lee. A full schedule in the US may keep Choi away from the domestic events, including the NSW Women’s Open, as she returns to the LPGA Tour for the first time since 2019. Born in Sydney to Korean parents, Choi grew up on the Gold Coast, won the Queensland Amateur in 2015 and 2016, while reaching the semi-finals of the 2015 Australian Women’s Amateur. After graduating from Benowa State High School, Choi played college golf at the University of Colorado Boulder for two and a half years before qualifying for the 2019 LPGA Tour. Choi completed an impressive treble for Australian professionals at major qualifying tournaments, with Harrison Endycott the medalist at the PGA TOUR Q-School and Cameron Percy finishing first at the PGA TOUR Champions event. https://www.parmaker.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc1MjU0