NEWS • GEAR • OPINION • TRAVEL • LIFESTYLE • HOLIDAYS • INDUSTRY AUSTRALIA’S M O S T - R E A D GOLF MAGAZINE SOCIAL GOLF GUIDE WHERE TO PLAY EQUIPMENT WE TRIED IT > MGI E-BOOST > WILSON INFINITE WEDGES > ODYSSEY S2S TRI-HOT PUTTERS CELEBRITY SWINGER RICKY PONTING THE SEVEN MILE DREAM BECOMES A REALITY HARRY TAKIS SO CLOSE YET SO FAR RESORT OF THE MONTH KING ISLAND LODGE WWW.INSIDEGOLF.COM.AU ISSUE 242 // DECEMBER 2025 WHAT’S NEXT FOR TOMMY IN 2026? TRAVEL NORTH QUEENSLAND THAILAND INDIA XMAS GIFT IDEAS FLEETWOOD FINDS A WAY STOP DREAMING & START PLANNING! BOOK YOUR 2026 SOUTH AFRICA GOLF, WINE & SAFARI TOUR EXPERIENCE AMAZING GOLF, THE “BIG 5” IN A PRIVATE GAME RESERVE & SO MUCH MORE ITINERARY SUMMARY: › 6 rounds of unbelievable golf › 5-star twin share accommodation › Breakfast each day › 4 Game Drives at Gondwana Game Reserve › 2 theme dinners › A Table Mountain & Cape of Good Hope Day tour › All transfers › Escorted by the CGE team COURSES ON OUR TOUR: › Steenberg Golf Club › Pearl Valley Golf Estate › De Zalze Golf Club › Montagu, Outeniqua & The Links, Fancourt CONTACT US: 0413 736 245 www.cgegolf.com.au play@cgegolf.com.au THIS BUCKET LIST EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA IS NOT TO BE MISSED 24TH OCTOBER TO 5TH NOVEMBER 2026
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December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 after Karrie Webb who has seven, Peter Thomson five and Jan Stephenson three, to win a third major title. Our old boys did us proud on the PGA TOUR Champions. Steve Allen won three times, Cam Percy was close almost every week and had an outstanding year finishing 10th on the Charles Schwab points list, while Richard Green got a win. Six Australians qualified for the 36-man Charles Schwab Tour championship. Sure, there were some negatives during the year too. Why are they closing down courses when golf has never been more popular? Let’s hope sense prevails and we start building more courses, more driving ranges, more indoor facilities to meet the demand, rather than shutting them down. A little disappointing were the results of the Aussie men who struggled on the world stage, with Adam Scott, close to being considered an elder statesmen of Australian professional golf, the only one to seriously challenge for a major title at the 2025 US Open. Min Woo Lee did manage a win in an up and down year for him in the US, as did rookie Karl Vilips. Marc Leishman claimed an individual title on LIV. The question now is how we transition more of our good kids into world class professionals. The Ryder Cup, as great as the golf was, and I think most Australian’s celebrated the European victory, the crowd behaviour was disgraceful. The Bethpage Black course was also underwhelming. Without knee high rough it was a pussycat rather than a tiger, easily tamed by the world’s best players. There’s probably more we didn’t like, but let’s not dwell on the negatives and look forward to what lies ahead. Late last month, then during the first week of December outstanding fields were set to contest the Australian PGA then the Open, back at Royal Melbourne for the first time since 1991. I was in the field that year, didn’t manage to make the cut and still have nightmares about putting on those greens. With Rory and a strong supporting cast, the 2025 Australian Open could be one to remember. While some courses are sadly closing, we have Seven Mile Beach in Hobart about to welcome golfers to what appears to be an outstanding layout, built on a spectacular piece of land. With Seven Mile already drawing comparisons to the two courses on King Island, as well as Barnbougle and Lost Farm in the north of the state, and as former tour player and current course architect Mike Clayton has said, who would have thought Tasmania could one day be home to five of Australia’s best 10 golf courses. In my 60s now, they say my best golf is behind me, but I found something with my swing just the other day, a little trick with the putting stroke and I’m looking forward to my next round. The year 2025 was fun, bring on 2026. 2025 – The golfing year that was INSIDE GOLF turned 20 in 2025, a year in which we put out our first top 100 course list, albeit focusing on public facilities, Rory McIlroy won the US Masters for what was the fourth leg of his personal Grand Slam, and Australian women, led by Grace Kim and Minjee Lee had their moments on top of the golfing world. When it comes to participation, golf continues to boom, with public courses chock-a-block and many private clubs having membership waiting lists. Away from green grass courses and clubs, business is also strong at driving ranges and indoor facilities. It seems everybody is playing golf in some way, shape or form. For 20 years, Inside Golf has attempted to inform and entertain, offering a mixture of content covering off on the elite professional and amateur scene, news about clubs, club golfers, social golfers and courses around the country and we attempt to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest equipment, the best places to take that golfing vacation, along with pretty much covering any topic we believe to be relevant to our readers. We also occasionally have an opinion. Sometimes you agree, other times maybe not. That’s OK. Our Top 100 Public Golf Experiences list was opinion. Yours and ours. It was a big job, but we hope we were close to getting it right. This year Rory graced the Inside Golf cover, and rightly so in becoming just the sixth man to win golf’s Grand Slam. His Masters victory was a memorable one, as he is prone to do Rory kept it interesting right until he got the better of close mate Justin Rose in a playoff. Rory can be a polarising figure and for varying reasons many don’t love him, however whatever you think of him, he’s great for the game and can certainly play. Rory’s nearly there now, but when he’s done, he’ll be rated alongside the all-time greats. By the time you’ve picked up this December issue of Inside Golf, Rory may have already teed off at Royal Melbourne at the Australian Open. Here’s hoping he brings his ‘A’ game and puts on a show. Other highlights for me included the win by Tommy Fleetwood in the Fed Ex Cup. Unlike Rory, everybody seems to like Tommy and his victory in the US was long overdue and well earned. Scottie Scheffler also continues to amaze with his dominance of the PGA TOUR. If you didn’t stay up and watch until the end of Grace’s playoff victory at the Evian Championship you missed perhaps the most exciting win of 2025, while Minjee captured the Women’s PGA Championship, becoming just the fourth Australian, 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 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 Cover photo: Tommy Fleetwood, Courtesy the USGA 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 dozen Bridgestone balls. BIGGER IS BETTER PRO-PREFERRED RUBBER SURFACE ULTRALITE CONSTRUCTION TWIST-RESISTANT STABILITYCORE™ ZEN LITE JMX Zen Lite®
AHEAD of the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, for what was to be his last tournament appearance in 2025, Rory McIlroy collected a seventh Race to Dubai title as the winner of the European Order of Merit. McIlroy finished second at the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Championship, going down to Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick at the first hole of a suddendeath playoff. It was McIlroy’s fourth successive Harry Vardon Trophy and seventh overall, moving him ahead of Seve Ballesteros who had six wins and to within one of Colin Montgomerie’s eight. “It seems within touching distance now. I was the first European to win the Grand Slam and I’d love to be the most successful European in terms of winning Order of Merits and season-long races,” McIlroy said. “I’ve hopefully got a few more good years left in me, and hopefully I can catch (Montgomerie) and surpass him.” Rory tunes up for Royal with a seventh Race to Dubai title would eventually finish in a tie for sixth, just three shots shy of the playoff. Harry Takis, one of O’Donovan’s teammates representing Australia in the recent AsiaPacific championship, won’t be joining him as a professional just yet and will continue in the amateur ranks. Takis, who made the 36hole cut in shooting 10-under to place 30th at the recent Singapore Open on the Asian Tour, returns to the San Diego State University to complete his Sophomore (second) season with the Aztecs. December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au 6 INSIDE NEWS Australia ‘crowned’ International teams event winners for 2025 THE Australian team comprising Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Stephanie Kyriacou and Grace Kim have taken out the 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown teams event played in South Korea. After finishing runner-up to Thailand the last time the tournament was contested back in 2023, the Australian foursome beat the United States at New Korea Country Club on the final day, clinching the title after Lee and Green won their singles matches, against Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh, respectively. The foursomes match with Kyriacou partnering Kim, against Americans Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin, became inconsequential when Green secured victory on the 17th hole in the second singles match. The Kyriacou-Kim combination was however instrumental in helping Team Australia qualify for the final, Kim making a critical birdie putt on the last hole to tie things up to keep the match alive, before the Aussie pair beat out their World Team rivals in 20 holes to advance to the championship match. Earlier Charley Hull representing the World Team, had beaten Green 2 and 1, while Lee edged out Brooke Henderson, 1 up. Lee was recognised as the MVP of the 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown after going 4-0-1 over the course of the week in Korea. “I’m really excited that we were able to win all together,” Lee said. “I think it’s even sweeter because I could do it with all of these girls. Obviously, we all played with a lot of grit and a lot of perseverance and resilience this week just to get into the final match. I think we all did really well.” The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown involved eight teams, Australia, the US, China, Thailand, Sweden, Japan, South Korea and a World Team. The winning team collected US$600,000. INSIDE NEWS IN THIS ISSUE AMATEUR GOLF 18 INDUSTRY NEWS 22 BUNKER-TOBUNKER CLUB NEWS NEW GEAR - WE TRIED IT 44 30 55 PRO NEWS 7 CELEBRITY SWINGER 20 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 48 LETTERS 45 News, views and observations from around the golfing world With Inside Golf Editor Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au FAR NORTH QLD FEATURE 64 TRAVEL 60 88 87 INSTRUCTION EVENTS SOCIAL GOLF FEATURE 70 DEMO DAYS 89 19TH HOLE 90 Team Australia, winners of the International Crown team’s event. (L-R) Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou, Grace Kim. Young guns enter the pro ranks SUNDAY at the Ford NSW Open might have been a day to forget, however in his pro debut Declan O’Donovan showed enough to indicate a big future lies ahead, as it does for fellow Sydneysider Adam Coull who was also impressive in his first outing as a professional. The pair were partnered, alongside Ben Henkel, in the final group at The Vintage in the NSW Open and while it was the experienced Chris Wood who came out on top in a three-way playoff, at least for the first three days O’Donovan carried into the event the form which saw him win back-to-back NSW Amateur titles in being rated one of Australia’s most exciting prospects. Perhaps less is known of Coull, a former club champion at The Lakes in Sydney who attended Midland College in Texas then the University of Memphis. Still in contention deep into the last day at The Vintage, Coull GOLF DIRECTORY 92 Next up for Rory McIlroy was the Australian Open, after the Irishman won a seventh European Order of Merit title. The winner of the 2025 US Masters in completing a career Grand Slam, McIlroy was set to be the star attraction at Royal Melbourne for the Crown Australian Open which tees off on December 4. Adam Coull was impressive in finishing sixth at the NSW Open in his first tournament as a professional. INSIDE GOLF’S Andrew Crockett loves his golf, chatting with celebrities and promoting all things to do with charitable causes and the many ways golf assists in raising awareness and much needed funds. That being the case, this month he was in his element when grasping the chance to interview former Australian cricket captain and avid golfer Ricky Pointing. Andrew covered Ponting’s introduction to the game, his time as a travelling cricketer and the golfing opportunities that provided, where ‘Punter’ has played since, while also touching on a couple of important topics, including the major renovations taking place at The Country Club in Launceston and Ricky’s work with the charitable foundation which carries his name. As reported on in a previous edition of Inside Golf, The Country Club Launceston has some significant plans around upgrading not only the course but the entire facility, while The Ponting Foundation raises money for children and families battling childhood cancer. “Golf’s been a huge part of my life, from those early days at Mowbray to playing courses around the world,” Ponting told Andrew. “I still can’t get enough of it and play every chance I get. It’s also been a great way to connect with people, whether through cricket tours or charity events. Ricky Ponting, a cricketing legend and avid golfer. Talking golf with ‘Punter’ I’m excited about what’s happening with the Country Club in Launceston and can’t wait to see it become a top destination.” Read more from Ponting on pages 20-21 of this edition of Inside Golf.
December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 7 Finally! Fleetwood is a winner in the US HE’D agree, it was a long time coming. The resume read seven DP victories (he scored an eighth recently) four Ryder Cup appearances, three times on the winning European team while individually boasting an impressive 70 per cent win rate. He is currently fourth and has also been a constant in the top 10 over the past three-four years on the Official World Golf Rankings. However, for all his international successes and the trophies collected around the world, a victory on the PGA TOUR in the US would frustratingly elude Tommy Fleetwood. Joining the PGA TOUR on a full-time basis in 2018, Fleetwood had been six times a runner up, on six occasions he would finish third, with 31 top fives and 45 top 10’s to his credit. He had been ever so close in some of the biggest events, a last day 63 at Shinnecock Hills almost stealing the US Open from Brooks Koepka when second in 2018, after being in the mix in placing fourth, again behind Koepka, the year prior. Then after a couple more near-misses, it finally happened, the 34-year-old from Southport in the UK, now a resident in Dubai, scoring a first victory on US soil. And he did it in an event offering a US$10million first prize, against a field of the 30 leading players in the US in 2025 at the FedEx Cup Tour Championship. Fleetwood started Sunday’s final round at Eastlake with a three-shot lead, he was still three ahead when he made the turn, but that advantage was just a single stroke after a hooked tee shot on the 10th hole led to a bogey, while his closest pursuer in Patrick Cantlay was making birdie. The proverbial squirrels were likely having a field day inside his head and under his Nike cap, but Fleetwood was able to give himself some breathing room once again with birdies on 12 and 13 in regaining his threeshot buffer. While not quite stress free, from there the popular Englishman was able to push the doubts aside and find his way to the clubhouse, and to the trophy presentation, three strokes clear of the chasing pack. Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au • Locks your grip • Stabilises hands • Squares your clubface Flat Pistol Round Small Medium Large Resilience and persistence led to Tommy Fleetwood’s first win on American soil. Can he add to his first PGA TOUR title in 2026? “You have to deal with those little demons that are in the back of your mind, and doubt creeps in,” Fleetwood said. “You remember what you got wrong, don’t want to get it wrong again, and you have to force yourself to think of the positives.” Surely it was a first win that was coming. Fleetwood looked likely to break his duck at the Travellers Championship in June, until Keegan Bradley wrested the title away by making a 6-foot birdie putt on 18, before Fleetwood missed a slightly longer par attempt to tie. Two weeks before his breakthrough win in Atlanta, he led by two strokes with three holes remaining in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, however after failing to birdie the par-five 16th or make a two-metre par putt on the 17th, Fleetwood found himself a stroke out of the playoff won by Justin Rose. “Like any normal person, I get disappointed, I get sad, I get angry,” he said early in the week of the Tour Championship. “But at the same time, … I think I have a good awareness that there’s no point making things a negative experience. You just have to learn from everything and try to do the best you can. “I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there, getting myself back in that position, no matter how many times it doesn’t go my way, no matter how many doubts might creep in,” Fleetwood said. European Ryder Cup counterparts Rose and Shane Lowry were waiting for Fleetwood behind the 18th green at Eastlake, as was his stepson Oscar Craig, who cried on the shoulder of the first time PGA Tour winner as they embraced on the green. “He keeps getting knocked down and keeps getting back up and coming back stronger,” said Lowry. “I’ve been a PGA TOUR winner for a long time,” Fleetwood said after the FedEx Cup success. “It’s just always been in my mind.” Now it’s also due to his name being engraved on a very significant trophy, won in a place he had previously found hard to crack. What’s next now for Fleetwood in 2026 and beyond, for a man who finally found the finishing line on the PGA TOUR with his nose in front.
December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 8 Retirement plans on hold as Wood claims NSW Open CONTEMPLATING retirement and work in the mines at the end of 2025, Queenslander Chris Wood was reconsidering his future after claiming his second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory with a playoff win at the 2025 Ford NSW Open. After finishing the regulation 72 holes tied with James Marchesani and Will Florimo on six-under par, a birdie at the fourth extra hole saw Wood add the NSW Open title to his win at the Victorian PGA in 2021. “It feels great. Never really thought I’d never win again,” Wood said, while holding the Kel Nagle Cup “The guys out here are so good. You have to play really good golf to win. I had lost a few (playoffs) beforehand … and I didn’t want to lose this one, so I fought hard.” With The Vintage golf course providing a stern test, the challengers came and went on the last day, with Florimo the first to post what appeared to be a winning score of sixunder after his bogey-free 68, the lefthander completing his round some two-hours ahead the final group. Victorian Marchesani would draw level at six-under when he holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th green, his fourth birdie in five holes, then not long after, playing in the second to last group Wood made it a threeway tie with a three of his own on the 18th hole. 198-228 Hollywood Dr, Lansvale NSW 2166 (02) 9728 7777 | E: Membership@opgc.au www.opgc.au Welcome to Oak Point Golf Club Transitioning to become one of the best golfing experiences in Western Sydney Mid Week Memberships (Open) Golf for kids • Womens’ Golf • Tuition Corporate Events MAGENTA SHORES on the NSW Central Coast and the Oatlands and Strathfield Golf Clubs in Sydney have been confirmed as host venues for significant events in 2026. The 2026 Australian Women’s Classic, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and WPGA Tour of Australasia, with a prize purse of €350,000 (approx. $600,000) will be played at Magenta Shores from March 5-8 following the Ford NSW Women’s Open, a tournament scheduled to take place at the Wollongong Golf Club. Belgian golfer Manon De Roey won the 2025 Australian Women’s Classic at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club on the NSW North Coast. Also teeing off in the New Year will be the 2026 NSW Amateur Championship, from January 27–31, with two premier Sydney clubs in Oatlands and Strathfield to host one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments, an event with a history dating back to 1898. Avondale Golf Club’s Declan O’Donovan, the first back-to-back winner of the NSW Men’s Amateur in almost 50 years, has recently turned professional and won’t defend his title, while Royal Queensland’s Grace Rho claimed the biggest win of her career in winning the 2025 NSW Women’s amateur championship. Past NSW Amateur champions include Peter O’Malley, Jim Ferrier, Brett Ogle, Jack Newton, Karrie Webb and Grace Kim. Overnight leader Ben Henkel, who had appeared to be the likely winner during most of Sundays round, missed the playoff by one stroke when his birdie try from over the back of the 18th green slid past the hole. The trio all parred the first extra hole, before Florimo dropped out of contention when missing the green left the second time down the 18th. Marchesani and Wood each made pars at the third playoff hole, before Wood hit an approach shot from 97 metres inside 10 feet, then holed the putt for victory. “The wind was so gusty, I just had to trust the number and I hit it long a couple of times, but happy to hit that one close on the last,” Wood said. While worth nearly $140,000, perhaps more importantly the win meant plans for Wood’s long- and Chris Wood, a playoff winner at the 2025 Ford NSW Open. Magenta Shores will host the 2026 Australian Women’s Classic. short-term playing future were likely to be reassessed. “I didn’t have starts for the (Australian) PGA and Open. Now I do. So that obviously changes the next couple of weeks.” As for hanging up the clubs, at least from the point of view of playing a full-time tournament schedule. “I might sort of reassess things, but at the moment I’m just going to enjoy this. Enjoy the next couple of weeks.” Tournament drawcard Lucas Herbert, in defence of the title won at Murray Downs in 2024, began the last day one-under for the tournament, however a closing five-over par 76 saw him finish tied for 44th. – ADDITIONAL REPORTING - GOLF AUSTRALIA/PGA AUSTRALIA/ GOLF NSW Venues confirmed for 2026 NSW Golf events
December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 9 A 13th time for 13th Beach THE 2026 Vic Open will celebrate a quirky milestone when hosted for the 13th time at the 13th Beach Golf Links in January next year. Golf Australia announced that it is partnering again with the Victorian Government and the City of Greater Geelong to stage the tournament on the Bellarine Peninsula, one of the regions that helps to make Victoria a world-class golf destination. The 2026 tournament will be played from January 15-18 and will be part of both the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia. As it has done since 2012, the Vic Open will feature separate tournaments for both women and men who will take on 13th Beach’s renowned Beach and Creek courses, competing for equal shares of a total $400,000 in prizemoney across both fields. Its dual gender format, the first of its kind, has won plaudits worldwide with the format now being replicated throughout the global golf industry. Among the Vic Open’s list of impressive recent winners features a trio of major champions in Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Jiyai Shin, along with Min Woo Lee. Melbourne’s Su Oh and New Zealand’s Josh Geary claimed victory in the Vic Open in 2025. Japan’s Asaji a playoff winner, Yuan sixth at the Moutai Singapore Open The 2026 event will be supported through Visit Victoria and the Regional Event Fund, with Golf a major driver of the state’s tourism sector, contributing about $900 million annually to the local economy while supporting nearly 7000 jobs. CEO of Golf Australia James Sutherland said: “The Bellarine is one of Australia’s premier golfing regions and we’re delighted the Vic Open will be staged at 13th Beach Golf Links for the 13th consecutive year. “We know it’s one of our players’ favourite weeks of the year. A week of summer golf on the Bellarine, whether it’s as a professional or an amateur, is an unforgettable experience.” – EDITORIAL PROVIDED BY GOLF AUSTRALIA Josh Geary and Sue Oh were Vic Open champions in 2025. Who wins the 13th staging of the event at 13th Beach in 2026? The 13th Beach Golf Links will host the Vic Open for a 13th time in January 2026. Young Queensland amateur Harry Takis continued to display his obvious potential with a 72-hole total of 10-under par to finish in a group tied 30th, while Marcus Fraser (4-under) and Travis Smyth (3-under) were the only other Australians, from the 15 who teed it up on Thursday, to play on the weekend. South Australian Wade Ormsby, who entered the week with ambitions of improving his position on the International Series points race, missed the 36-hole cut by one stroke, while Asaji moved to second behind Scott Vincent. The leading two players on the International Series list earn LIV Golf Leagues contracts for 2026. Ormsby was sixth with one event remaining. The victory for Asaji continued what has been a standout season, the 32-year-old Japanese professional also claiming The Crowns tournament in his homeland earlier this year while finishing runner-up at the International Series Philippines two weeks ago. “I am so, so happy,” Asaji said. “This win means so much to me. It is my first win overseas – something I have always dreamed of.” Australian Kevin Yuan, tied for sixth at the Moutai Singapore Open. Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, the winner of the 2025 Moutai Singapore Open. JAPAN’S Yosuke Asaji captured the Moutai Singapore Open title in dramatic fashion, defeating Korea’s Jeunghun Wang in a sudden-death playoff, while Kevin Yuan led the Australian contingent at the event played at the New Course at The Singapore Island Country Club. Asaji became the first Japanese winner of the tournament in 49 years after rolling in a six-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole in the Asian Tour-International Series event. Yuan, a 28-year-old from Sydney, was in a group of players tied for sixth on 15-under for the tournament. After beginning his final round slowly, Yuan regrouped with three back nine bridies for a closing 70. The tie for sixth was worth US$57,500 for Yuan, who moved to 15th on the Asian Tour Order or Merit and to 21st on the International Series Points List. Of the other Australians, veteran Scott Hend was next best, rounds on 67-68 on Saturday and Sunday seeing him finish in a tie for 11th.
December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 10 Goggin’s Seven Mile dream is now a reality FORMER playing peers of Matthew Goggin during his days as a talented golf professional say he was a lovely bloke off the course but extremely hard on himself on it. “To be honest, he was hard work out on the golf course the way he beat himself up when he made a mistake,” one said. “But he always fought back doggedly.” (It’s appropriate to mention, too, that Goggin could play. In the 2009 Open at Royal Turnberry, he was paired with Tom Watson in the final round and looked the winner with five holes to play before three bogeys in a row.) By Peter Owen Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au Driver off the deck? I’ll give that a try, says Smylie HE MIGHT be the reigning Australian PGA champion, one of the most exciting players in world golf, but until Nick O’Hern showed him how, Elvis Smylie had never hit a driver from a fairway. The two professionals, close friends since O’Hern began offering advice to the 23-yearold Gold Coaster a year ago, were playing together in a sponsors’ group at Sanctuary Cove in October as part of this year’s BMW Golf Cup National Final. Beginning the tough Pines course from the 10th hole, Smylie was already five under par when he placed his drive 240m from the green on the 472m par five third hole. Smylie told O’Hern: “I’m not sure I can get there with a three-wood into this wind.” “Hit your driver off the deck!” O’Hern advised. “I’ve never done that,” Smylie replied. “Players on the DP World Tour never hit driver off the deck. They hit three-wood and are prepared to just leave it short.” Smylie, who hits the ball with a rare purity, then took his three-wood and played a “I reckon that doggedness learnt on tour is part of the reason he has been successful in getting Seven Mile Beach over the line when many others would have given up. His determination served him well in spite of the hurdles put in front of him along the way.” Some 15 years ago, Goggin first shared his dream with late Tasmanian golfing great Peter Toogood and Peter’s son Anthony, current course Superintendent at Seven Mile Beach, with the build only getting the final go ahead three and a half years ago. So, after overcoming setbacks and appeals, the 18 holes at Seven Mile Beach were to open the same day Rory McIlroy teed up in the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne – an event Goggin lost in a play-off to South African Tim Clark at Royal Sydney in 2008. The new layout has been open since May for 11-hole preview rounds but as of the first week of December woud be fully operational. Goggin and the Toogood’s, his long-time playing mates from Royal Hobart (Goggin beat Peter in the Tasmanian Amateur final in 1995) and many who have helped him along the way, have been waiting a long time to present the finished product. Goggin is a man not given to hyperbole but is elated about the course being officially open for play. “We’re very excited to welcome people to play the full 18,” he says. “We’ve had a really positive response to preview play, and the holes still unseen are among the most visually spectacular on the course. “I think a lot of first-timers will be surprised by the scale and beauty of the property. You only truly get a sense of its size when you’re here in person.” Goggin praises architects Mike Clayton and Mike DeVries for doing an “amazing job.” “The routing is brilliant. For such a largescale site, every tee-to-green connection feels seamless. The natural features are highlighted beautifully, with shots framed by the mountain, the beach and the dunes. “It has all the feeling of a remote golf destination, yet it’s only seven minutes from a major airport and 20 minutes from a capital city. “That gives everyone the freedom to curate their own trip — whether that’s taking advantage of Hobart’s award-winning hotels and restaurants, or enjoying a low-key stay at a local Airbnb. The Hobart experience, coupled with the Seven Mile Beach experience, will make for one of the best golf trips in Australia,” Goggin spruiks proudly. The project’s official opening has been eagerly anticipated. Seven Mile Beach will complement a suite of superb courses in the region including Barnbougle and Lost Farm and King Island’s spectacular duo Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes. And there is due to be a sister course open for play in 2028 – Five Mile Beach – which will turn the complex into a genuine world class golf destination. magnificent shot to the centre of the green, before stroking a comfortable two putts for his sixth birdie of the morning. But O’Hern didn’t give up. He told Smylie hitting the driver from the fairway was a skill he should develop – one that might one day win him a tournament. And when they reached the 311m par four sixth hole – their 15th - O’Hern tossed his ball onto the turf, took his driver and, without the benefit of a tee, launched a perfectly shaped drive that landed 20m short of the green. Smylie answered the challenge, dropped his own ball onto the tee and set up with his driver. Heeding O’Hern’s advice to focus on the transition of his backswing to a forward motion, Smylie struck the ball perfectly and watched as it soared past O’Hern’s Titleist No 3 and came to rest on the fringe of the green. He played his driver off the deck again on the 526m par five ninth, his final hole of the day – another majestic blow that travelled nearly 280m and instantly made him a convert. O’Hern told him: “It’s a great weapon to have in your artillery. It’s a shot that you’ll need one day and now you know you’ve got it.” Elvis Smiley experiences the exhilaration of smoking a ball with his driver off the fairway at the BMW Golf Cup National Final. The spectacular Seven Mile Beach promises to be a world class golfing destination. - Photo ‘William Watt, Contours Agency’ With the official opening of the completed 18-hole course at Seven Mile Beach, Matt Goggin’s dream has become a reality. - Photo: ‘William Watt, Contours Agency’
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December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 12 Goggin a winner at NSW Senior Open AFTER a frenetic finish to the final round Tasmanian Matt Goggin scored his first win as a senior golfer with a one-shot victory at the NSW Senior Open. Goggin birdied the 18th hole at Thurgoona Country Club Resort to post a 13-under par total, then watched on as the challengers faltered in the run home. Peter Lonard and Leon Trenerry, a former Sunshine Tour player in his native South Africa, now a Legends Tour rookie who works at Brisbane’s Oxley Golf Club, finished tied for second. David McKenzie in defence of the title he won 12 months prior, was a shot further back in fourth. Mark Boulton, another in a position to claim victory late in proceedings after making five birdies in 12 holes mid-round, was joint leader standing on the final tee, however a blocked drive, then a pulled approach left of the green, led to a gut-wrenching triple-bogey. Long regarded as an elite ball striker and one of Australia’s most complete players, with a resumé that includes seven career victories on the Korn Ferry Tour in the US, the 51-yearold Goggin, hasn’t tasted tournament success since 2015. “I still feel like if I play well, I should win tournaments, but it hasn’t happened for a long time,” Goggin said. “I haven’t played well in tournaments I’ve got into in America, so it has been frustrating. “Physically, my game’s good enough to play anywhere; it’s just doing it. There’s a big difference between being able to do it and actually doing it.” The win was redemption of sorts for Goggin, who watched close friend McKenzie triumph Norris claims a second PGA Seniors title JASON Norris emerged victorious at Richmond Golf Club to claim the Sharp EIT Solutions Australian PGA Seniors Championship for a second time. Norris, with his girlfriend Kate on the bag in playing the role of caddie, returned a last day 67 for a 10-under total and one shot win over Brendan Jones and Peter Lonard. “She’s awesome. Her first time carrying the bag, so she did really well in the heat yesterday. Yeah, was really good,” Norris said of Kate’s help over the three-days of the event. While Jones, Lonard and David McKenzie were all in contention in the run home, it was Norris, the 2023 champion who held his nerve to win a second PGA Senior title. “Definitely the last three (holes) … I was really nervous,” Norris admitted. last year when he took bogeys on 16 and 17 as his mate sailed past. “You don’t really think of that at the time, but I guess it’s nice to put it right a little bit,” said Goggin, whose plays a limited tournament schedule these days while being at the forefront of the new Seven Mile Beach golf course in his home town of Hobart. “But yeah, last year I had to sit and watch Dave celebrate because we were staying together at his house, so this year he can maybe buy me a wine,” Goggin joked. – ADDITIONAL REPORTING GOLF NSW “I think everyone is at that time, no matter how much you’ve done it or how good you are, you still get nervous and it’s just obviously the feeling you have. It’s really hard.” Norris started the last round tied for the lead with playing partners Jones and McKenzie, then looked the man to beat for most of the day, pulling two shots clear with a birdie on the 10th. A double-bogey on the par four 13th stalled Norris’s charge, however he was able to regroup, the Gold Coast based 53-year-old managing to hold off the chasing pack. With an eye on the leaderboard and a par at the 18th, the trophy was his once again. “I’ve always been a leaderboard follower. I love the pressure as much as it’s hard sometimes you gas it and you have double on the last, but that’s what we play for, the thrill of being in there and it’s really good,” Norris said. Jason Norris became a two-time winner of the Australian PGA Senior Championship with a one-shot victory at Richmond. Matt Goggin, the winner of the 2025 NSW Senior Open. GET FIT. GET OPTIMIZED. ping@americangolf.com.au OUR BEST BRINGS OUT YOURS.
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December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 14 Leishman and son team up at the Vic PGA GOLF fans still looking for more live action after the Australian Open will have the Victorian PGA at Moonah Links right on their doorstep the week after Royal Melbourne. And while Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and others will be calling it quits after RM, Australian international Marc Leishman, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, will play at Moonah. Moonah’s assistant general manager, Bronwyn Robbins, is delighted Leishman has accepted an invitation to play. “Marc is a world class player and will certainly be a big drawcard,” she said. Leishman’s 13-year-old son, Harvey, will be playing alongside his dad in the pro-am section of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event. Leishman, who was a winner on the LIV Golf Tour this year and equal third in the Nexus Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au With a fantastic finish South African enjoys WA Open success SOUTH African Oliver Bekker made an outrageous par save at the 72nd hole to win the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open played at Mount Lawley Golf Club. Bekker clinched a one-stroke victory over Victorian Cameron John but he almost threw the tournament away on the par-five 18th after coming up just short of the green with his approach. The 40-year-old’s decision to putt rather than chip almost backfired spectacularly, as his effort broke savagely left and ended up on the lip of the deep, left-hand bunker. With no stance, Bekker was forced to putt lefthanded with the back of his flatstick, racing the birdie attempt 10 feet past the hole. Under immense pressure, Bekker’s breaking par saver found the middle of the cup in preserving his narrow advantage to claim the prestigious title and a two-year exemption on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. After struggling with his game leading into the event, Bekker said the victory was as unexpected as it was welcome. “This come so far out of left field,” he said. “I’ve missed the last six or seven cuts in a row, but I said to my wife, I feel like [my game’s] close and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m playing well one week. This was the week, apparently. “This golf course is so unforgiving. You’ve got to play such conservative golf, even with wedges in hand from the middle of the fairway. It was a grind and I’m glad I could stick it out.” Bekker joined legendary countryman Gary Player as a WA Open champion at Mount Lawley, the nine-time Major winner having lifted the trophy way back in 1956. Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open in October, said the chance to play close to home and share the week with his eldest son made it an easy decision to return to the Vic PGA. “It will be a special week at Moonah Links. As a Victorian professional, it’s great to be in my home state and playing in the Vic PGA for the first time in many years, but I also have the chance to do it with Harvey alongside as my pro-am partner,” Leishman said. “It’s going to be a first for us and we’re both really looking forward to getting out there. Harvey loves the game and I’m sure he will want us to do well. But the main thing will be enjoying the experience of being out on a couple of our best courses and being part of a Tour event. “I have fond memories of winning the 2008 Vic PGA and I’ll be trying to win the 2025 edition.” The Vic PGA will again be played in the pro-am format across both the Legends and Open courses at Moonah Links, giving fans a rare opportunity to see some of the country’s leading professionals, rising local talents and a range of celebrity golfers up close. Marc Leishman will partner son Harvey in the pro-am section of the Vic PGA. Headline act Marc Leishman put in a spirited showing in his first WA appearance for 20 years, with the Victorian making an early charge on the final day to take a share of the lead heading into the back nine. However, some uncharacteristic errors, including a double bogey on the 11th, killed Leishman’s momentum, who would ultimately finish in a share of third alongside Lachlan Barker and Nathan Barbieri, two shots behind the winner. Seven amateurs made the cut, with Victoria’s Hamish Farquharson landing the Terry Gale Trophy. Farquharson shot three consecutive 72’s, before closing with a 71 on Sunday to finish in 11th place – three strokes clear of WA state captain Connor Fewkes. In the concurrent WA Open All Abilities Championship for golfers with physical, mental or sensory impairments, George Vassiliadis reigned supreme, the South Australian winning by eight strokes from Mount Lawley’s Mark Mosbach. – ADDITIONAL REPORTING GOLF WA South African Oliver Bekker, the 2025 WA Open champion.
December 2025 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 15 Queensland’s top club pro crosses the border THE 2025 Queensland Club Professional of the Year award has, quite literally, gone south. Jamie Corkill, head professional at Yamba Golf and Country Club in northern New South Wales, made the trip across the border last month to collect the prestigious accolade at the Queensland Golf Industry Awards at The Star – Gold Coast. “I’ve been in the industry half my life, and to receive this award is amazing,” said the 40-year-old Corkill. “A lot of hard work has gone into achieving this. It’s been 20 years of foundation work to get to where I am now. “As a Queenslander born and raised on the Gold Coast, it was nice to bring the award to Yamba, which is about as far south as the Queensland industry awards reach.” It’s not the first time Corkill has been recognised at this level. Before his current post, he spent three years as head professional at Mowbray Golf Club in Launceston, Tasmania – where he claimed the 2019-20 Tasmanian Club Professional of the Year award. Since joining Yamba GCC four years ago, Corkill has revitalised the club’s golfing operations, particularly since taking on the director of golf role 12 months ago. David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au for us to grow, we need to be out there developing programs, managing operations and planning ahead. The proof is in the pudding – the course is in phenomenal shape, the members are happy and we’re thriving.” Corkill’s own golf game still holds up, though he jokes that it’s not quite what it used to be. “I can still hit it a long way – it’s just harder to get it in the hole these days,” he laughed. His career began on the Gold Coast under the mentorship of Sean and Mark Bath at Gold Coast Country Club and Palm Meadows. “I worked for them for a decade, and they had a huge influence on my career,” Corkill said. “They knew how to make a business out of golf and executed it brilliantly. I’ve taken a lot of my professional philosophy from them.” Away from the course, Corkill enjoys family life with wife Madeleine and their two children – and indulges a lifelong passion for classic cars. “I’ve got an old ’59 Chevy pick-up and a Series 3 Land Rover,” he said. “They take up most of my spare time outside of golf. I tinker when I can, but when work gets busy, it’s easier to pay someone to do it. “I’m a bit of a handyman – a jack of all trades.” For Corkill, the Queensland Club Professional of the Year award is not just recognition of his own efforts but a testament to the progress and spirit of Yamba Golf and Country Club. “It’s been a journey, but we’re heading in the right direction,” he said proudly. Queensland Club Professional of the Year Jamie Corkill celebrates his award with wife Madeleine. He’s expanded development programs, lifted junior participation, and welcomed more than 20 new female members. The club now runs three MyGolf clinics, advanced junior pathways, multiple weekly women’s clinics and strategic school partnerships. A new Trackman simulator, along with a steady schedule of pro-ams and regional tournaments, has further elevated the club’s professional offering. “I’m very busy and wear every hat in the business,” Corkill said. “As head professional I oversee the staff in the shop – teaching pro Mackenzie Wright and associates Reilley Wunderlich and Zane Lowe – while also handling lessons and club-fitting. “At other times I could be in a match or greens meeting or working with sponsors. There are a lot of moving parts, but it’s rewarding when it all comes together.” Despite the long hours, Corkill says the job remains deeply satisfying. “I love working with the staff and members,” he said. “You can set the tone for your day – the communication, the banter, the energy. It’s just a fun place to be … and the days go very fast.” If there’s one frustration, he admits, it’s the common misconception about what a club professional actually does. “Some members think you’re not working if they don’t see you behind the counter,” he said with a grin. “But
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