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August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 Scheffler – I say brilliant LET me explain. Our coverline supporting the celebratory photo of Scottie Scheffler, moments after winning the Open Championship, then the headline to go with the tournament wrap, were in no way meant to demean his achievements or his exceptional golf. Scheffler was all class in the way he navigated his way around Royal Portrush for four days, where he seized the lead on Friday afternoon and never really looked like giving it up. I’m all in on Scottie, I love seeing the way he goes about it, however it took a little convincing for the boss, that being our publisher Sam, to agree to putting him on the cover. “Great player, but is he a little bit boring,” was Sam’s question, and it’s a view shared by many of my friends and golfing colleagues. Is he a ‘needle mover’ at least outside of golf, in the way Tiger and Greg Norman, Jack, Arnold and some of the other great champions of the past transcended the game of golf and became sporting icons? Probably not, at least not yet. And I get it. Rarely does Scottie display emotion on the course, and while the manner of his victories, where his control of his ball and of his game in general is often better than the rest, no doubt he would be classed as methodical, rather than swashbuckling. Bryson, Rory, Rahm, they go after it in a different way. McIlroy’s win at the Masters was incredible theatre, Scottie’s victories at the PGA, where he won by six, and now at the Open, somewhat more ho-hum. There is seemingly an inevitability about the way he grinds his opponents into the ground and confirms his victories. Don’t let him get into the lead, because there is a big chance you won’t be able to run him down. Before the tournament, I’m sure he put most of the media pack to sleep with his press conference, explaining that he celebrates wins for two minutes, then tries to decide what he wants for dinner. He does express his love for the game and for competing at the highest level, however he is quick to point out he is about more than just golf and the scores he posts. Wherever he goes, they say he is understated for a man who sits on top of the golfing world, is accumulating millions of dollars and likely needs a bigger house to fit all the trophies he has won of late. Rumour has it he didn’t even upgrade the pick-up truck - Ute to us - he drove in college until well into his professional career. He could have bought a whole dealership, let alone a new car. However, while we weren’t sure any existed, we did manage to find a photo to post on the cover where Scottie showed 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 CONTRIBUTORS: Larry Canning, Tony Webeck, Michael Cooney, Andrew Crockett www.insidegolf.com.au Inside Golf publishes opinion from a wide range of perspectives in the hope of promoting constructive debate about consequential questions. 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/SA 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 ACCOUNTS: Sheridan Murphy M: 1300 465 300 | E: accounts@insidegolf.com.au Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au Distributed to over 450 golf clubs, social golf clubs, driving ranges and retailers Australia wide every month. Combined print and online national monthly readership over 210,000. AUSTRALIA’S MOST-READ GOLF MAGAZINE Lead Photo - Scottie Scheffler, supplied by R&A Media via Getty Images. Grace Kim and Minjee Lee LPGA/Evian/Philippe Millereau KMSP. some excitement, but you had to be quick, the pose and display of emotion only lasted seconds. But all that said, I’m firmly in the camp of ‘brilliant’. His performances and results certainly can’t be questioned. He now has four major titles to his credit, has closed the deal 10 times in a row when taking a 54-hole lead into the final round and has 17 PGA TOUR victories on his resume, to go along with an Olympic gold medal. The way Scheffler dismantled the field at Portrush, keeping them at bay over the last two days, was beyond impressive. On the last five-six holes, when the pressure was at its greatest, he hit the ball in the fairway, onto the green, with no fuss and no stress. One suspects such was the quality of his shot making, if he needed two-three more birdies to win, he likely would have made them. I was never good enough to experience it, but they say major championship golf is hard. Scottie doesn’t make it look that way. The Open Championship was his fourth major, he now has three of the ‘big four’ and the way he is trending who is betting against him to complete the slam at the US Open next year? But, the sceptics will say, we’ve read this book before. A golfer bursts onto the scene, wins a bunch, has the world wondering when it is going to stop, and it does, rather quickly. Go back a little to Jordan Speith, he won 11 times in his first four years as a pro, three majors, looked like he was the one to sit alongside Jack and Tiger. But it didn’t happen and it’s not looking likely anytime soon. Justin Thomas has won 16 tournaments in total, two majors, and while he hasn’t quite fallen as far off the perch as Speith, he is well behind the pace these days at golf’s biggest events. And I’ll go back for those of my vintage or maybe older, to a time when David Duval challenged Tiger, won 13 times in just five years, and in a manner not dissimilar to Scheffler, with a his swing that was hardly text book and he rarely got too excited as he was taking down his opponents. Shane Lowry contends that if Scottie swung the club like our Scotty, as in Adam, the predictions for greater and continued success and the widespread adulation would be different. Maybe so, but does his unorthodox swing alone give us all hope? I’m not sure I’ve totally turned Sam around, but he loved the cover. Stacey our designer did a great job pulling it together. I say brilliant. What about you? 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. 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“Kooyonga will provide the perfect stage to showcase the incredible talent set to feature in the field, including our top players who compete overseas on the game’s biggest stage, the rising local talent from the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the international contingent from the Ladies European Tour,” Sutherland said. The news follows the announcement that Rory McIlroy will headline the men’s Australian Open in December, with both tournaments set to prosper as standalone fixtures on the Australian sporting calendar. August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au 6 Allan a two-time Champions Tour winner in 2025 WHILE his win was somewhat overshadowed due to the victory recorded by Grace Kim on the same weekend, no less significant was the performance of Steve Allan in claiming his second PGA TOUR Champions title for 2025. Allan became the first wire-to-wire winner in the history of the Dick’s Open, closing with a six-under par 66 for a 54-hole total of 18-under at En-Joie Golf Course, four shots clear of American Jason Caron. The 51-year-old Victorian had opened Friday with a 63, backing up his fast start with a 69 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round. “It was tough. Even yesterday, hanging in there, and today early on it was a bit rough with the driver,” Allan said. “In the rough a lot and just managed to hang in there. Then on the back nine, made a few putts.” Allan won The Galleri Classic in late March at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California, a victory which snapped a winless streak of 22 years, four months and six days, dating back to his triumph at the 2002 Australian Open. Another Australian in Michael Wright finished tied for fourth in the Dick’s Open. Allan has leaned on his family for his two wins this season, with son Joey acting as his caddy at the Dick’s, after notching his Galleri Classic victory with son Liam on the bag. With the win Allan moved to eighth on the Charles Schwab Champions Tour points list with earnings in excess of US$1million so far in 2025. INSIDE NEWS Hensby challenges, Harrington wins AUSTRALIAN Mark Hensby took a share of the lead into the final round, only to slip back into a tie for fourth, with Padraig Harrington emerging victorious at the US Senior Open. Playing alongside Harrington and American Stewart Cink in the final group on Sunday on his 54th birthday, Hensby made two bogies in his opening five holes to lose touch with the leaders, with his last day 73 at the Broadmoor course in Colorado Springs seeing him finish six shots behind the winner. For Harrington, his 72-hole total of 11-under par was one shot clear of Cink, with Miguel Angel Jiminez one stroke further back in third place. It was Harrington’s 10th win on the PGA Tour Champions and second US Senior Open title, adding to a trophy cabinet that also includes a Claret Jug from winning the Open Championship (2007 and ‘08) and the Wannamaker Trophy as the 2008 PGA champion. Of the other Australians at the US Senior Open, Cameron Percy tied for ninth, Scott Hend was 16th, with Greg Chalmers 18th. For more on the over-50’s and the US Champions Tour, see our page 16 feature on Angel Cabrera and his startling return to competitive golf which comes after serving almost five years in jail in Brazil and in his homeland of Argentina. Steve Allan is now a two-time winner in 2025 on the PGA TOUR Champions. WPGA Championship and Festival of Golf returns to the Gold Coast FOLLOWING the release of the dates for the Women’s Australian Open comes another positive announcement for female professional golf with the Australian WPGA Championship and Festival of Golf to return to the Gold Coast in 2026. To be played at The Palms course at the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, the event will tee off from March 19-22, the week immediately after the Open in Adelaide. Like the Australian Open, the WPGA Championship will be co-sanctioned between the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the Ladies European Tour (LET), the winner to be awarded the Karrie Webb Cup, named after the seven-time major winner. The WPGA Championship will form a central part of the Festival of Golf, a joint initiative by the PGA of Australia, Mulpha Australia, Tourism & Events Queensland and Experience Gold Coast, to be hosted in Sanctuary Cove’s Marine Village precinct. The Festival of Golf will bring together golf, food, fashion, fun, and community spirit, offering a chance to eat, drink, watch, play, learn, and shop WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said she is looking forward to the return of the event especially after this year’s cancellation due to Cyclone Alfred. “While we were disappointed to cancel this year’s event due to Cyclone Alfred, we’re looking forward to a refreshed WPGA Championship and Festival of Golf in 2026 and to welcoming back locals and fans to Sanctuary Cove.” General Admission to the 2026 Australian WPGA Championship and Festival of Golf will be free. INSIDE NEWS IN THIS ISSUE AMATEUR GOLF 18 BUSINESS OF THE MONTH 28 CLUB OF THE MONTH CLUB NEWS TRAVEL 44 30 48 PRO NEWS 7 INDUSTRY NEWS 22 BUNKER-TOBUNKER 47 LETTERS 46 63 News, views and observations from around the golfing world With Inside Golf Editor Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au 62 NEW GEAR INSTRUCTION FATHER’S DAY FEATURE 60 HUNTER VALLEY FEATURE 54 EVENTS 64 AFTER being linked to and played alongside the men’s Australian Open since 2021, the Australian Women’s Open returns to Adelaide, with the women’s national championship to feature on both the WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour (LET) schedules as a standalone event in early 2026. The 2026 event will be the first staging of at least three years of the tournament to be played in the South Australian capital with the women’s open teeing off at the Kooyonga Golf Club from March 12-15. Won by major champions Jiyai Shin, Ash Buhai, Inbee Park, Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko in recent years, with Karrie Webb the last local winner back in 2014. “The current number of Aussie players teeing it up, and contending, on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour each week continues to show that we punch above our weight on the international stage and that women’s golf has arguably never been stronger in Australia,” Karen Lunn, CEO of the WPGA of Australia said. “I am certain our players will be determined to break the Aussie drought in 2026 and lift the Patricia Bridges Bowl.” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland was pleased the South Australian Government had agreed to host the Women’s Open for the next three years and to welcoming both local and international stars to the Kooyonga course next March. Jiyah Shin, the winner of the 2024 Australian Women’s Open. DEMO DAYS 65 Padraig Harrington won a second US Senior Open title. 19TH HOLE 66 GOLF DIRECTORY 68 Standalone Women’s Australian Open confirmed for Adelaide from 2026
August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 7 Brilliant or boring? Scheffler’s win at Portrush draws comparisons to the game’s greats SOME say brilliant, and rightly so, with Scottie Scheffler’s performances over the past two to three years drawing comparisons to the greats of the game. Others contend his style can be described as boring, with Scheffler’s conservative game plan, where he avoids costly errors, finds fairways and hits a high percentage of greens, while doing so with a stoic, unflappable demeanor. Despite what they say about him or however he is characterised, Scheffler keeps on delivering and is now a four-time major champion after his commanding victory in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Taking a lead into the final round Scheffler closed with a three-under par 68, his 17-under par total four clear of fellow American Harris English, with Chris Gotterup, winner of the Scottish Open the week prior, a further shot behind in outright third. Following the win the numbers certainly supported the argument that if his trajectory continues, Scheffler will soon be compared with the very best the game has seen. At age 29, he became just the eighth player to have three legs of the Grand Slam on his resume before his 30th birthday, in the last 100 years he is just the third player, alongside Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, to win four or more major titles by three shots or more, Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au THE 153rd OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP The #1 hybrid grip with a larger lower hand. SOFT RUBBER COMPOUND LARGER LOWER HAND > AVAILABLE IN 14 COLOURS IT was a disappointing week for the ninestrong Australian contingent at Royal Portrush, with Marc Leishman the only one amongst them to make the 36-hole cut. Leishman rebounded from a two-over par 73 in the opening round by posting consecutive 68’s on days two and three, a score which left him inside the top 20 but 10 shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler. Unfortunately for Leishman he failed to find his best in Sunday’s final round, closing with a 75 to eventually finish level par for the tournament and in a tie for 52nd. The other eight Australians competing at the Open Championship had the weekend off, with Jason Day at two-over just one shot shy when the cut fell at 143. Elvis Smylie totaled three-over, Lucas Herbert was four-over, Min Woo Lee plus5, while the struggles continued in the 2025 majors for Cameron Smith, the Queenslander finishing eight-over par. He missed all four cuts in the major championships this year. Ryan Peake, playing alongside fellow lefthander Phil Mickelson, finished on the same score as Smith and Curtis Luck at eight-over, while Adam Scott in his 97th consecutive major championship appearance, returned a 36-hole score of nine-over par. Marc Leishman, the only Australian to make the 36-hole cut at Royal Portrush. while he is now only the second world number one to win the Open Championship since the rankings began in 1986. Scheffler has also proven himself to be an almost flawless front runner, having now converted an outright 54-hole lead into a win on 10 consecutive occasions. “He’s doing some Tiger-like stuff,” Xander Schauffele said. “If Scottie’s feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott’s, we’d be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods,” added Shane Lowry. “I just think because it doesn’t look so perfect, we don’t talk about him like that.” “In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run, the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months,” said Rory McIlroy. “Incredibly impressive.” And from Tommy Fleetwood: “If he keeps going the way he is, we’re all going to look back and talk about him in the same breath as some of the all-time greats, and he’s played in our generation.” However, in typical Scheffler fashion, he was quick to shut down any comparisons. “I still think they’re a bit silly,” Scheffler reasoned. “Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf.” Scottie Scheffler was a four-shot winner of the Open Championship played at Royal Portrush. Leishman flies the flag
August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 8 Minjee joins a select group of Australian champions MINJEE Lee became just the fourth Australian to win three or more major championships with a dominant victory in the Women’s PGA Championship. Lee joined the select group by winning her third major trophy, a four-under par total around the demanding Fields Ranch course in Texas good enough for the Western Australian to finish three shots clear of Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen and American Auston Kim. The hard-fought victory in windy conditions saw Lee join Karrie Webb (7), Peter Thomson (5) and Jan Stephenson (3) as the only Aussies to win three or more major titles. Lee led by four strokes heading into the final round, her advantage extended to five shots early in the round, but in the brutally tough conditions following four bogeys in the opening 10 holes and her lead had been reduced to just two. Remaining calm under pressure, Lee birdied 14 and 15 in restoring her four-shot advantage, before going on to claim victory, adding the PGA trophy to her previous major triumphs at the 2021 Evian Championship and 2022 US Open. “I saw every single leaderboard and knew exactly where I was all of today,” Lee said of her final round. “I’d check the scores and come back to each shot and execute as best I could. I just really played within myself today. “I just said, stick to my gameplan, it’s a battle against myself. Especially with how tough the conditions were, not just today, but all week. “It was amplified today because it’s a major Sunday. Just be patient and take it as it comes.” Lee was joined on the 18th green for an emotional celebration by the Australian contingent, before singling out her family for the support she receives. “My parents have sacrificed so much for me to be in this position,” she said. “Wherever Min Woo is he’s supporting. He’s a social media nut, so he’s on top of that. “My dad’s back in Aus, I don’t know what time it is, but they’ve all got my back. It’s unconditional.” Legendary Australian Karrie Webb was an interested spectator during the last day of the tournament, calling in to the broadcasters in praise of the eventual winner. “She’s hanging tough, she’s got such a great mentality for major championships,” Webb said of Lee. “She’s not showing any negative body language to her playing partners, which is probably making them feel like she’s in control, even though she’s probably very nervous.” While in the moments after confirming the win, Lee’s younger brother Min Woo, after finishing his fourth round at the Travellers Championship in Connecticut, was another to congratulate his sister. “I’m so proud of you,” Min Woo said in a video message. “The last couple of years have been tough, and I’m so glad to see you back in the winner’s circle. Gabriela Ruffels and Grace Kim were next best of the Australians, the pair finishing in a share of 36th. STOP PRESS: Minjee Lee went within a shot of joining the playoff at the Evian Championship, won by fellow Aussie Grace Kim. Lee made an eagle at the par five 18th in finishing 13-under par, one shot shy of Kim and Thai professional Jeeno Thitikul. SEVEN-TIME major winner Karrie Webb will make her US Senior Women’s Open debut at the San Diego Country Club from August 21-24. Webb, who turned 50 last December, is a LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member, is fully exempt into the championship. The Queenslander is the only player in LPGA history to win five different majors – the du Maurier Classic (1999), Kraft Nabisco Championship (2000-2006), McDonald’s LPGA Championship (2001) and the Women’s British Open (2002) in addition to her US Women’s Open titles in 2000 and 2001. A 41-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Webb said she was excited to be playing in her first senior major. Karrie Webb will contest the US Senior Women’s Open during August. Carry on Karrie Minjee Lee joined a selected group of Australian golfers with a third major championship victory. www.bonvillegolf.com.au BOOK ONLINE Experience the Beauty
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August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 10 Fantastic finish propels Grace to a major victory YOUNG Sydneysider Grace Kim didn’t feel 100 per cent as she teed off in the final round of the Evian Masters in France last month. “I actually kept apologising for my continual coughing as I had that tickle in my throat,” said Kim after one of the most sensational finishes in major championship history to win the event in a sudden-death playoff with her good friend Jeeno Thitikul. Kim fired rounds of 65-68-7067 and won at the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to take home the $US1.2m first place prizemoney. Kim said she felt ‘about 80 per cent right’ as she headed into that final round. “But I was prepared to give 100 per cent of that 80 per cent,” she said. Kim made two eagles in that final round, then chipped in for a birdie after finding the water on the first extra hole, capping a remarkable victory by making another eagle at the second hole of sudden death to secure her win. “I have to admit I have won more events in my mind than I have in real life,” grinned Kim as she celebrated becoming just the fifth Australian woman to win a major championship, joining Jan Stephenson, Karrie Webb, Hannah Green and Minjee Lee as major champions. And it’s probably fair to say that Kim never really looked the winner Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au until her incredible eagle at the 18th in regulation play after her playing partner Thitikul laid up on the parfive, thinking a par would be enough to secure her the title. She was wrong: Thitikul narrowly missed an eight-foot birdie try at the 72nd hole while Kim had a virtual tap-in for eagle to take the event into extra holes. Playing behind her in the final group, recent major champion Minjee Lee also eagled the final hole to miss the playoff by just one shot. Kim and Thitikul made small talk throughout their final round . . . at one stage they were even discussing their drink bottles, but the conversation died when both women suddenly realised they might be going to extra holes. At one stage during the round, the ever-smiling Thitikul told Kim: “smile, you just made a par”. There’s never been a lack of confidence with Kim, who won her first start on the LPGA Tour in 2024 but has narrowly missed a few times since. “I wasn’t that nervous in the playoff. It was similar to when I won in Hawaii,” she said. “I do trust my caddy a lot. Just to have a caddy you can trust; that really settled my mind. “He knew my game and that makes such a difference.” Kim became good friends with the legend Karrie Webb after being one of Webb’s scholarship winners before she turned pro. “Karrie took me on a trip by myself and I was fortunate enough to play Pine Valley and at the time I didn’t quite know what a big deal it was,” she said. “We also played Winged Foot and it was a whole week with her and that was just incredible. We even shared a hotel room. It was an experience that money can’t buy.” Kim said she felt bad that she kept coughing – and the tickle in her throat was a nuisance. “I just had to push through the pain.” That was quickly forgotten when fellow Aussies Lee, Green and Steph Kyriacou were there to shower her in champagne after she secured the title. “I’ve usually been the one doing the spraying so it was nice to be on the other end of it for a change,” she laughed. Grace Kim is a major champion after claiming the Evian Masters title in spectacular fashion.
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August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 12 Argentine champ makes the most of his second chance WHEN Angel Cabrera claimed the first two major championships on this year’s US PGA Tour Champions he was responsible for a golfing comeback that most people – himself included – had thought utterly impossible. Less than two years ago Cabrera, the stocky Argentinian that Australians best remember as the man Adam Scott beat to win the 2013 US Masters, was languishing in a South American jail, convicted of multiple counts of domestic violence. As he served his time in Argentina’s notorious Carcel de Bouwer, nicknamed ‘the prison from hell’, Cabrera was thinking more about getting out of the place, rather than ever again playing top-level golf. Indeed, many observers are still scratching their heads over the speed of Cabrera’s return to professional golf, and the welcome he was so generously afforded by the game’s top administrators. For Cabrera’s crimes – chiefly violence and intimidation directed at the women in his life – were inexcusable. In seeking an explanation for his repeated assaults of women closest to him, it might be useful to explore his early life, growing up in modest circumstances in Cordoba, a city of 1.6 million people in central Argentina, about 700km northwest of Buenos Aires. Cabrera’s parents separated when he was four and he was brought up by his grandmother. When he was 16 he left home, moving in with a 28-year-old woman, Silva Rivadero, who lived further down the street, and was already the mother of four children. Cabrera had two sons with her – Federico and Angel, both who later became professional golfers – but they, too, eventually split up. His troubles with the law began in 2016 when Rivadero alleged he had physically assaulted her and made verbal threats. Two former girlfriends made similar claims and in 2020 Cabrera was ordered to appear before a court on allegations of assault, theft and intimidation. Instead, without informing local authorities, he flew to Akron, Ohio, to play in a PGA Tour Champions event, Cabrera having reached the requisite age of 50. On his return to South America he was arrested by Brazilian police and spent nearly five months in jail before being extradited to Argentina to stand trial. He was convicted for assaulting and threatening a former partner and sentenced to two years in prison. Later that year he was convicted again on similar By Peter Owen charges involving another former partner, and received an additional 28-month sentence. While he was in prison his latest partner, Yamila Alvarez, gave birth to their son Felipe. Cabrera would spend 30 months in jail before being released on parole in August 2023. He married Yamila two months later. “I made serious mistakes,” Cabrera said at the time. “I refused to listen to anyone, and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. That was wrong. I wasn’t the devil, but I did bad things. “I am deeply embarrassed because I disappointed the people closest to me and everyone who loves me through golf. Golf gave me everything, and I know I will never be able to repay the debt I owe this sport.” Certainly, officials of the US PGA felt Cabrera had paid that debt. Within weeks he was cleared to play in US PGA-sanctioned events, and last April, against all odds, he returned to the winner’s list, claiming the Tour Champions’ Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational at Boca Raton, Florida. His private life aside, Cabrera’s career is the stuff of which Hollywood movies are made. When he was 10 he became a caddy at the Cordoba Country Club, and learned the game playing against other caddies for money. With his stocky figure and habit of smoking continuously, the big-hitting Cabrera cut a distinctive figure on Argentine golf courses, where he was affectionately known as ‘El Pato’ – Spanish for ‘duck’ – for his waddling gait. Argentine Angel Cabrera has won two major titles on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025, in making a stunning return to professional golf. Cabrera turned professional at 20 and sought membership of the European Tour. His first three visits to Q School were unsuccessful, but on his fourth attempt he gained his card. He joined the tour in 1996 and was often in contention, finishing in the top 15 on the Order of Merit seven times. He broke through for his first win in 2001 – ironically the Argentine Open, which that year was sanctioned by the European Tour on a one-time basis. In 2005 he won the BMW Championship, one of the tour’s biggest events, and reached No 9 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Cabrera earned enough money on the PGA Tour in 2006, playing as a non-member, to earn a tour card for 2007, the year he won the US Open at Oakmont, edging out Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a stroke. He became the first Argentine golfer to win the US Open and the second (after Roberto De Vicenzo’s 1967 British Open victory) to win a major. It earned him the honour of being Argentina’s sportsman of the year. Two years later Cabrera, then ranked 69th in the world, became the first golfer from Argentina to win the US Masters, and in 2011 he shared the lead at Amen Corner before falling away to finish seventh behind South African Charl Schwartzel. In the 2013 Masters he was again in the final pairing, led by two strokes with nine holes to play, and birdied the last hole to tie with Adam Scott. To the delight of millions of Australians, Scott birdied the second playoff hole for an historic playoff win. Cabrera has the amazing knack of playing his best on the toughest courses. He won only three US PGA Tour events, and two of them were majors. It’s been the same on the Tour Champions. His three victories so far have included two majors – the Regions Tradition tournament in Alabama in May, and the Senior PGA Championship in Maryland later that same month. This season alone he’s won more than US$1.5 million, and he’s already fashioned a career that would place him within Hall of Fame status, were it not for his criminal convictions. “I regret everything that I have done wrongly in my past,” he repeated to reporters. “I am also frustrated that I dumped very, very important years of my life. “It is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being, not being able to have freedom. But on the other hand, you know, I can tell you that the most important thing I feel right now is the second chance, the opportunity to get back on the right track.” Angel Cabrera, beaten by Adam Scott in a playoff at Augusta in 2013, was the 2009 Masters champion.
August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 13 A Tiger inspired Queensland teenager becomes a pro golfer WHEN Tiger Woods returned from a careerthreatening back injury to win the 2019 Masters at Augusta his extraordinary performance inspired a whole generation of golfers, but particularly one 15-yearold living on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast who’d lost his way. Josh Holbrook had started playing golf at 10, influenced to some extent by his dad Jamie who, as a junior, had played regularly with Adam Scott, even once beating the 2013 US Masters winner to become the junior champion at Twin Waters, where they both played as teenagers. Within two years, young Josh was playing off a handicap of 14, had become a key member of the junior pennant squad at Headland Golf Club, and was named zone junior pennant player of the year. Suddenly he lost interest, took up surfing and skating at first, then became hooked on video games, regularly sitting in front of a screen for up to three hours a day. But when his dad persuaded him to watch Wood’s’ Masters triumph with him on television six years ago Josh Holbrook’s life changed in an instant. “As I watched the Masters, and particularly the way Tiger played, I realised how much I had missed playing golf. I also thought about how much better I would have been had I spent those three hours a day practising.” Those days are long behind Holbrook, who has since devoted his life to golf. Within a year of returning to the game his handicap had dropped to seven, he’d become junior champion at Headland and a member of the club’s A grade pennant team. And, during the Covid years, he enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime – playing a round of golf at Caloundra with Cameron Smith, Ian Baker-Finch and his dad, Jamie. By Peter Owen Holbrook chose to become an associate professional, firstly with Adan Norlander at Headland, and later with Tom Arnott at Caloundra Golf Club. Last year Holbrook graduated, and in March received Full Vocational Membership of the PGA of Australia. Even better, he was one of the top five graduates, which provides him with playing status on next season’s Australasian Tour. That suits the 21-year-old perfectly because playing golf professionally is all he wants to do. Earlier this year he campaigned on the Western Australian swing of the PGA Pro-Am series, then flew to California to try to qualify for the Canadian Tour through the PGA Tour America’s Q School at Soboba Springs. Four rounds in the mid-70s were not enough to win him a card, so he returned home to play the pro-am circuit in north and central Queensland. Then he will get ready for this year’s Australasian Tour which begins with the PNG Open in mid-August. “I’m hopeful of getting into 12 or 13 events and I’m confident of doing well enough to set me up for the next few years,” he said. He says it’s his passion to become a touring professional, and already he’s feeling more confident teeing it up against professional golfers on a regular basis. “I’m living the dream,” he said. STOP PRESS: There was some hot scoring at the Biloela Pro am during July, an event played at a course located in the Valentine Plains in the north Queensland outback in ‘banana coutry’. Nathan Page and James Conran sizzled around the par 72 course, the pair returning 11-under par scores of 61, while also in the money as he embarks on the Australian PGA winter pro-am schedule through Queensland and northern NSW was Josh Holbrook, with his 66 seeing him finish in the money in a tie for fourth. Josh Holbrook has a passion for the game of golf and aims to make a mark in the professional ranks. OWN A PIECE OF TORQUAY’S COASTAL LUXURY Investment Meets Lifestyle Discover a rare opportunity to invest in one of Victoria’s most iconic coastal destinations. Nestled between Whites Beach and a championship golf course, The Sands Torquay blends laid-back beach living with luxury resort facilities —just 1 hour from Melbourne and 20 minutes from Geelong. What’s on Offer: Strata-titled ownership of 1 of 100 resort rooms Guaranteed 5% annual return 30 days personal use per year Prices from $240,000 to $750,000 Owner Benefits: 20% off food & drinks during your stay Access to pool, gym, tennis courts, café, bar & golf course Low ownership outgoings and flexible use (stay, gift, or sell) Championship Golf, Beachfront Bliss Play on a stunning 18-hole course designed by Stuart Appleby or unwind just steps from the sand dunes of Whites Beach. Enjoy fully appointed rooms—many with balconies, dog-friendly options, and sweeping urban or golf course views. Prime Location | Premium Living | Smart Investment This is more than a holiday spot—it’s a coastal lifestyle with returns. Contact Oslo Property or Links Property to learn more or book a private tour. Simon Bogdanov 0422 561 570 Lynne Hayden 0415 966 471 www.thesandstorquay.com
August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 14 Bound for Europe, Quayle catches up with an old mentor WHEN he was just eight, Anthony Quayle’s parents bundled him into the family car, drove for 12 hours over dusty dirt roads across the very top of Australia, and introduced him to a man who was about to change his life. Quayle, who grew up in tiny Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory, had been playing golf since his mum and dad gave him a set of Looney Tunes kids’ clubs for his seventh birthday, and was showing so much promise he’d been invited to a week-long golf clinic at Palmerston, near Darwin. “You were supposed to be 10, but Palmerston head pro Tony Albon, who organised the clinic, was impressed by my enthusiasm, at least, and broke the rules for me,” Quayle recalls. Attending the event – which comprised a three-day clinic followed by two days of competitive golf – was legendary golf coach Charlie Earp, the man who shaped the career of Greg Norman, and Quayle was spellbound. “I listened to every word he said,” Quayle remembers. “He was the man who inspired me to take up golf seriously, and I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him.” The two men – one an icon of Australian golf; the other on the verge of taking his game to Europe – were reunited last month when they were invited to a function at Nudgee Golf Club, where the PGA Tour of Australasia announced its tournament schedule for 2025-26. One of the first tournaments on the circuit will be the Northern Territory PGA Championship, which will be played at the end of August at that same Palmerston course, and the significance was not lost on Earp and Quayle. By Peter Owen Record prize purse for WA Open THE 101st WA Open Golf Championship, to be played at Mount Lawley Golf Club from October 16-19, is set to offer a record prize purse. The Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open will see professionals compete for the $36,000 first place cheque, coming from the total prizemoney of $200,000 – representing an increase of $25,000 on the 2024 championship, Back on the hosting roster after completing major renovations, Mount Lawley will stage the WA Open for the 11th time. Gary Thomas, Chief Executive of GolfWA, believes all the elements are in place for a superb week of high-calibre golf. “We’re delighted to be heading back to Mount Lawley in October,” Thomas said. “It’s always a superb test of golf and we’re excited to see how the nation’s best players tackle the revamped layout, which is truly spectacular. “The increase in prizemoney is an important step towards supporting the aspirations of our tour professionals, and we’re very grateful to our co-naming right partners, Nexus Advisernet and Bowra & O’Dea, for their on-going support of the championship.” New South Welshman Ossie Pickworth won the first WA Open played at Mount Lawley in 1948, with other notable champions from events contested at the course including Gary Player (1956), Terry Gale (1982) and Stephen Leaney (1997). Mount Lawley last staged the event in 2018, won by Victorian amateur Zach Murray, with Elvis Smylie successful in winning the 2024 WA Open at the Mandurah Country Club. The WA Open is preceded by the WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie (October 9-12), while Webex Players Series Perth will return to Royal Fremantle in January, 2026. “You’ve grown some since those days,” said the diminutive Earp as he looked up at the 193cm Quayle, 30, who finished third in last year’s Order of Merit, earning him playing rights on next season’s DP World Tour. “I went up to Palmerston for about five years in a row to help Tony Albon with those clinics,” Earp, 87, said. “Some people asked me why I bothered, but they don’t get much assistance in those remote areas and I thought I might be able to help.” Quayle knows how much Earp’s input meant to those budding young NT players. “That first clinic was one of the best things I ever did,” he said. “I remember Charlie doing a chipping clinic – it can be difficult to chip on that carpet grass in the NT. “One of the kids had brought along a chipping club – like a putter but with a bit of loft. Charlie took one look at it and said, ‘what the bloody hell is that? You’ve got to learn to chip properly, son.’ “I was sure glad it wasn’t me with the chipper,” Quayle said, “and I’ve never used one since.” Quayle, who represented the NT at junior national level, moved to Brisbane when he was 14 to attend Hills International College at Jimboomba. He enjoyed a stellar amateur career, winning the Tasmanian Open in 2015 and the Pacific Northwest Amateur in the US. He was runnerup in the Queensland Amateur Championship at the age of 19, and was beaten in a playoff in the 2016 Papua New Guinea Open. He turned professional in January 2017, and the following year joined the Japan Tour, where he campaigned consistently for five years without winning. Perhaps his best effort was losing the 2022 Mizuno Open in a playoff to Scott Vincent, a performance which earned him a start in Cameron Smith’s Open Championship at St Andrews, where he finished an excellent 15th. Quayle has won twice on the Australian tour – the 2020 Queensland Open at Pelican Waters, and the 2022 Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee. In December he was responsible for an astonishing performance in the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links. In the first round, he’d been mistakenly told that preferred lies were in place on every hole when, in fact, it was only for the third hole. Quayle was penalised seven shots – one for every time he lifted and cleaned his ball on the other holes – and his first round 66 became a one-over-par 73. Despite that blow, he went on to finish third in the tournament, and continue a sustained run of consistent form that saw him finish third in the season-long standings and win a priceless card on next season’s DP World Tour. The tour’s first event will be the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland, and Quayle is already counting down the days. “It’s very exciting,” he said. “Every professional golfer wants to test his game against the very best players, and I’ll be doing that every week. “It’s thrilling and intimidating at the same time,” he said. Charlie Earp (left) checks the putting style of Anthony Quayle at Queensland’s Nudgee Golf Club. Anthony Quayle earned a card on the DP World Tour for 2026 courtesy of a third place finish on the 2024-2025 Australasian Tour Order of Merit. Rich rewards on Aussie tour AUSTRALIA’S best golfers, along with superstar Rory McIlroy, will play for about $7million in total prizemoney in the first half of the PGA Australasian Tour’s 2025-2026 season, which kicks off with the Papua New Guinea Open in mid-August. McIlroy will contest the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne from December 4 to 7, an event which this year offers prizemoney of at least $2 million. A week earlier, an elite field will contest the $2.5 million Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland – the richest of the 10 Australasian Tour events played before Christmas. The schedule was announced at a function at Nudgee Golf Club, which will host the Queensland PGA Championship from November 20 to 23. Anthony Quayle, a former Queensland PGA champion, and third in last year’s Australian PGA, said it would be a thrill to compete against some of the world’s best players in our big events – particularly in front of family and friends. Several of Australia’s best international players are certain to again compete at home this season, and the Australian PGA will announce those details in the coming weeks. The post-Christmas schedule of events will also be announced soon, and will include another four Webex tournaments, in which men and women compete on the same course for the same title. The tour will continue until March, with the most successful golfers again earning exemptions and opportunities to compete internationally. This is the schedule of tournaments for the rest of 2025: August 14-17: PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club, $225,000 August 28-31: NT PGA Championship at Palmerston Golf Course, $200,000 September 27-28: World Sand Greens Championship at Binalong Community Club $140,000 (non-OOM) October 9-12: WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie Golf Course, $250,000 October 16-19: WA Open at Mt Lawley Golf Club, $200,000 October 23-26: Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett at Willunga Golf Course, $200,000 November 13-16: NSW Open at The Vintage Golf Club, $800,000 min November 20-23: Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club, $250,000 November 27-30: Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club, $2,500,000 December 4-7: Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, $2,000,000 min December 11-14: Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links Resort, $250,000 Queenslander Elvis Smylie, the current Australasian Tour Order of Merit champion, was confirmed as a starter in the 2025 Australian PGA Championship.
August 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 15 Royal Pines teaching academy takes on a new look BEGINNING July 1, one of RACV Royal Pines’ iconic institutions, Mark Gibson’s Exceptional Golf teaching facility has a new look and name and will now be known as ‘Ali Orchard Golf Performance’. The current contract teaching professional at Royal Pines, Ali Orchard took over the lease of the facility from Gibson who having identified her as the perfect replacement, is taking the opportunity to wind back his role after 19 years as leaseholder of the outstanding teaching facilities. “I’m excited by the changeover, because, having the future of this teaching centre secure and in very capable hands makes me very happy,” said Gibson. Gibson began his tenure as leaseholder in March 2006, having worked as a contract teacher there in the 1990’s, taking over the lease from Morgan Stanley Bank, the then owners after the original developer Matsushita. “It would have been eight years ago that I started thinking about a possible succession plan but struggled to identify anyone who ticked all the boxes I felt necessary,” Gibson began. “Four years ago, Ali started here with me and because I had coached her a little through her PGAIGI (PGA Institute) days we had an understanding and familiarity even back then. I knew her Dad Paul (head professional at Surfers Paradise) because he was in my junior program while at Coolangatta Tweed and so there was an awareness of her background. “I had a drawn up a character reference list as to who I thought would be right in this role, namely smart, organised, amiable, comfortable with people, a good coach and bright in business and, frankly, she ticked all the boxes. By BruceYoung “So about 18 months ago I started to steer the conversation that way and indicated to Ali what I had been thinking and she was very positive so we began working towards this end at that time,” Gibson added. Not that Gibson will be lost to RACV Royal Pines and its members as he intends to stay on and continue to coach, although without the responsibility of the day to day management of the facility and those contracted to provide coaching services there. “With Ali taking over, it will be seamless for the members and the resort guests generally and essentially be business as usual.” Orchard previously spilt her coaching duties time at both Surfers Paradise Golf Club and RACV Royal Pines until a few years ago, but now focuses her full attention on coaching at RACV Royal Pines. Orchard brings considerable credentials to the role. Gibson saw the potential in Ali with her strong coaching profile, her client database and her ability to build and grow relationships. For 67-year-old it is the end of an era to some extent, but Orchard still sees Gibson staying on in a coaching capacity as a great opportunity to continue to bounce ideas off him and for him to remain as a mentor for her in both business and life. “I am excited about the transition and what it will look like for the coaching team, our current and new students and the community’.” Ali said. The coaching team of Orchard, Gibson, Nancy Harvey and Colin Edwards will remain the same and the focus on juniors will also continue with Gibson’s securing of the golf teaching arrangement with The Southport School. Orchard’s mixed schools’ program is proving a huge success, transiting players from beginner to competitive level, with two levels of separate classes running. Several very good players have emerged under the guidance of Orchard and fellow RACV coach Nancy Harvey, including Billy Dowling, one of the most exciting Australian golfing prospects, and Jordan O’Brien, a popular staff member at RACV Royal Pines and an extremely talented golfer under the care of Orchard for the past four years. Gibson has had a lot of success with his students also over such a long period and his tenure as the Chairman of the Australian PGA for a six year term while managing the driving range was another feather in the cap of a long and successful career in the game, one that is not over yet given his desire to continue his coaching role. Australian LPGA star Jordan O’Brien has been under the guidance of Ali Orchard for the past four years. Ali Orchard (right) has taken the reins of the teaching facility at Royal Pines, however Mark Gibson will continue in a coaching role.
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