ISSUE 248 // JUNE 2026 WWW.INSIDEGOLF.COM.AU AUSTRALIA’S M O S T - R E A D GOLF MAGAZINE NEWS • GEAR • OPINION • TRAVEL • LIFESTYLE • HOLIDAYS • INDUSTRY RESERVED RAI THE PGA CHAMP US OPEN PREVIEW LIV GOLF HERBERT WINS BUT WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? TRAVEL NEW ZEALAND PORTUGAL THAILAND FIJI EQUIPMENT >WE TRIED IT WILSON DYNAPWR MAX+ DRIVER SCOTT’S MAJOR MILESTONE US OPEN TO MARK A 100TH CONSECUTIVE MAJOR 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES >ST LUCIA GOLF LINKS >CITY GOLF CLUB TOOWOOWBA MOORE PARK ARE WE HAPPY WITH 12 HOLES? WINTER FASHION GOLFING GEMS OF THE SUNSHINE COAST Popular destinations book out early so make sure you don’t miss out! p (02) 9555 5311 | e info@thegolftravelagency.com.au www.thegolftravelagency.com.au NOW is the time to start thinking about next summer’s golf trip! Customised golf holidays at market leading prices One point of contact to organise everything Rates equal to or better than if you booked it yourself Specialists in club and social group travel JACK’S POINT BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM FIND OUT MORE
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June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 Moore Park - are we supposed to celebrate 12 holes? NSW Planning Minister Paul Skully delivered a press conference in early May where he was looking for golfers and users of the Moore Park golf course and driving range to celebrate his government’s generous offering. It was announced that Moore Park was to survive on its current site, but as a 12-hole facility. It was hardly a moment, or a decision around which to break out the champagne. Moore Park is a club that has lived in the Centennial Park area of Sydney for 100 years this June, come July there will be a dramatic change to the course as we have known it. Often suggested to be the busiest golfing facility in the state, perhaps in the entire country, Moore Park, the closest course to the Sydney CBD, is busy, very busy and however many holes the course has going forward, it will remain that way. That said, it is hard to be satisfied with an outcome where six holes will disappear. In a recap of how it has come to this, state governments past and present, in partnership with property developers, have turned the nearby inner-city suburbs into a maze of highdensity housing. Sydney City Mayor Clover Moore, Premier Chris Minns and their parliamentary cohorts, in a bid to alleviate a lack of housing in and around the city, continued to approve of more development in the area. Over the years governments have given their approvals without previously offering too much thought to green space or recreation areas. Maybe they thought there was ample already. If so, it seems they have now changed their minds. Fast forward to May this year and following numerous appeals, alternative plans and community consultation, the decision was handed down to take away a portion of the land occupied by Moore Park golf course, specifically six golf holes, from one of very few public access courses in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Moore has remained in the background when it comes to media around the final decision, while Minns and Skully have taken the opportunity to front the cameras and to comment publicly. They believe they are doing golfers a favour by giving the green light to the revamped plan, which involves 12 holes rather than nine which had been originally presented. For those outside of Sydney or who may not be familiar with the city, Moore Park Golf Club resides in the precinct that includes the Sydney Cricket Ground and its training fields across the road, Allianz Stadium, cricket and sporting fields, tennis courts and the ES Marks Athletic Field near the southeastern corner of the golf course. That’s not to mention the massive area of green space on the northern boundary of Sydney Boys High School, located between the major arterial roads of South Dowling Street and Anzac Parade. 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 ACCOUNTS: Sheridan Murphy 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: Adam Scott. Photo President’s Cup. PGA TOUR media Aussie Owned - Aussie Operated A couple of drivers and a wedge to the east are the Centennial Parklands comprising approximately 360 hectares (890 acres), lands encompassing Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park. By anyone’s estimation, that is a lot of green space. The golf course, in the eyes of golfers at least, provided another recreational facility for those in and around the area. James Sutherland recently presented the Golf Australia’s Big Swings strategy (see page 15), proudly talking about the health of the game, its continued growth and the need for more courses, not less. When specifically referring to Moore Park, that should mean more holes, not less. And as for Moore Park, it is just the highest profile course in the fight to at least maintain the status quo. Kogarah Golf Club was another course which boasted a dedicated membership as well as available tee times during any given week for social golfers. In recent times it has been swallowed up for an industrial development adjacent to Sydney Airport and as a compromise, Kogarah members have been ‘relocated’ to Oak Point near Liverpool. By no means a knock on Oak Point, a quality course in Sydney’s west, but it’s hardly an ideal option for Kogarah members to travel across town, some 45 minutes away from where they previously played their golf. Regular social golfers at Kogarah almost certainly aren’t going to consider the drive to Liverpool. They are more likely to look to play somewhere else. Moore Park isn’t that far away. In Melbourne, Cranbourne has recently been through similar. An outstanding course, good enough to host an Australian Amateur Championship in January, is now closed, with members either relocated to Huntingdale or looking for a new golfing home. Demand is outweighing supply, with the need for more courses, certainly in the major cities, however in Sydney at least, it’s hard to remember when or where a new course has been built. Kudos to GolfNSW for the Bingara Gorge venture, but that equates to an update of an existing venue, rather than something new. No doubt GolfNSW, Golf Australia, the other state bodies and whoever else has been involved with negotiations around course closures or mergers, have done their best, but surely, they, and we as golfers, can’t be satisfied. Skully, Minns and Moore would like us to celebrate the fact they are providing 12-holes at Moore Park, along with somewhere to spread my rug and break out the picnic basket. I’m not sure golfers in and around Sydney’s eastern suburbs will be thanking them anytime soon. 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 runningto win a dozen Bridgestone balls. ULTRALITE JMX UltraLite™ BIGGER IS BETTER 2x major winner bryson dechambeau
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au 6 INSIDE NEWS INSIDE NEWS IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY 8 AMATEUR GOLF 16 CLUB NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 30 20 40 PRO NEWS 7 GOLF AUSTRALIA 15 LETTERS 39 BUNKER-TOBUNKER 38 News, views and observations from around the golfing world With Inside Golf Editor Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au WE TRIED IT 49 WINTER FASHION 44 62 54 SUNSHINE COAST FEATURE EVENTS TRAVEL 50 INSTRUCTION 64 DEMO DAYS 65 WHILE relatively unknown outside of his native South Africa, Yurav Premlall winning his first DP World Tour title at the Catalunya Championship in Spain ordinarily wouldn’t have attracted too many headlines. Talented young golfers enjoying success on professional tours around the world happens on a regular basis. On this occasion however Premlall not only won his first DP World Tour title, but he also managed to do it by a remarkable 14 shots. Premlall shot a 28-under par total at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, well clear of runner up Shaun Norris, falling short of only Tiger Woods’ historic 15-shot win at the 2000 US Open, which remains the largest winning margin in major championship history. On top of that, Premlall concluded the tournament with back-to-back course-record rounds, 63 on Saturday, then another 63 on Sunday. Few, even Premlall himself, would have seen this performance coming, with little to no form or momentum in the weeks prior. Premlall missed the cut at the Turkish Airlines Open by nine shots the week before heading to Barcelona and in 29 career DP World Tour starts, the 22-year-old had made just 12 cuts, with zero top 10 finishes and a best result of tied 19th at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2024. This win saw Premlall collect the biggest pay cheque of his young career, €398,000, along with an additional US$50,000 bonus for matching the course record. He also earnt exempt status on the DP World Tour through to the end of the 2028 season. CAPITAL.COM Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of global online trading platform Capital.com, has entered into a multiyear partnership with Golf Australia in becoming Title Partner of the Capital. com Australian Open and the first Naming Rights Partner of the Capital.com GA Handicap. The agreement connects Capital.com to both Australia’s premier golf championship and the registered handicap system that underpins participation across the country. At the press conference to announce the national championships will now be named the 2026 Capital.com Australian Open, Golf Australia also confirmed that back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy will again be the major attraction as a part of his two-year commitment. As well as playing a role in the growth and fan experience at the Australian Open, as Naming Rights Partner of the GA Handicap, Capital.com Australian will also support the evolution of the handicap into a data-led insights platform for golfers, delivering new analysis, content, and engagement tools of golfers registered across Australia. The 2026 Capital.com Australian Open tees off at a Kingston Heath course which will feature a new routing, including a first tee location that has never been used in competition. The same configuration is expected to be used for the 2028 Presidents Cup. Golf Australia has partnered with Capital.com Australia who will support the Australian Open and GA Handicap. GA confirms Rory, and announces new Australian Open naming rights partner Additionally, Furyk has registered 29 career professional victories, including the 2003 US Open, 17 wins on the PGA TOUR and three victories on PGA TOUR Champions. Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard, believed to be among those considered for the 2027 US captaincy, were named as Furyk’s vice captains. Englishman Luke Donald will again be in charge of Team Europe, who hold the Ryder Cup after winning at Bethpage Park in New York in 2025. THE PGA of America recently announced Jim Furyk will be the 2027 US Ryder Cup captain. Furyk, who captained the Americans in a 17.510.5 loss to Europe in 2018, becomes the ninth multiple captain, joining an esteemed list which includes Walter Hagen (6 times), Ben Hogan and Sam Sneed (3 times), while Arnold Palmer, Jack Burke Jr, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Davis Love were at the helm of the US team on two occasions. The 46th Ryder Cup will be held at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland, from September 13–19, 2027, marking the event’s return to Ireland for the first time since 2006. In his second stint as captain, Furyk will be aiming to break the US winless streak on European soil which dates back to 1993. The 55-year-old Furyk played in nine consecutive Ryder Cups between 1997 and 2014, with his nine appearances as a player ranking second all-time in US Ryder Cup team history, while his 34 career matches are tied for third. Furyk also competed in seven consecutive Presidents Cups and captained the US team to a victory in the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club. A second Ryder Cup chance for Captain Furyk NEW GEAR 48 Jim Furyk (left) with Zach Johnson, will captain the US Ryder Cup team for a second time when the biannual matches tee off in Ireland in 2027. 66 19TH HOLE GOLF DIRECTORY 68 Premlall first, daylight second Young South African Yurav Premlall scored a record-breaking win on the DP World Tour. IN the June 2024 edition, Inside Golf’s Peter Owen detailed the struggles of nine-time PGA Tour winner and 2012 Fed Ex Cup champion Brandt Snedeker. A debilitating injury saw Snedeker’s form hit a major slump, the Tennessee-born now 45-year-old going from a world ranking high of No 4, to 789 on the official rankings list. In 2019 he had just one top 10 finish, the following year two, and then none in each of the next two seasons. He’d seemingly lost his game. Next came radical surgery to repair a rib and sternum issue and after a long and painful rehabilitation process, Snedeker used a medical exemption to return to the PGA Tour. Since our editorial of two years ago, his comeback had been without much fanfare and with very limited success, until just last month when seemingly out of nowhere, Snedeker scored his 10th tour victory at the Myrtle Beach Classic. The 2026 American Presidents Cup captain shot a last day 65 for his first PGA Tour title in almost eight years. “I feel amazing,” said Snedeker, whose last win was the Wyndham Championship in 2018. “I feel so lucky to still be out here still doing what I love to do. I’m just so pumped.” Brandt Snedeker returned to the winner’s circle with a victory at the Myrtle Beach Classic. Snedeker back with a bang
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 7 Shinnecock set to present a typically tough US Open challenge THE third major championship on the 2026 calendar, the 126th US Open tees off in upstate New York at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 18. Five Australians were confirmed in the 156-strong field, with a handful of others contesting final qualifying at various venues around the country. An historic venue, one of the five founding clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock Hills last hosted the championship in 2018 and with its notoriously difficult setup, high fescue rough, coupled with the potential of strong winds off Peconic Bay, will present a typical US Open challenge. Shinnecock has hosted the US Open on five previous occasions, the last in 2018, with Brooks Koepka the winner with a score of one-over par. Prior to that Retief Goosen shot four-under par to win in 2004 and Corey Pavin level-par in 1995, which was two strokes clear of runnerup Greg Norman. Raymond Floyd was the champion in 1986 and again Norman had a chance, leading into the final round before a five-over par round of 75 on Sunday saw him finish 12th. And way back in 1896, James Foulis, a Scottish-America, won at just the second-ever staging of the event, after finishing in a tie for third a year earlier in the inaugural US Open. Aussies at the US Open David Graham (1981) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006) are the only two Australian male golfers to win the US Open, while (as of May 18) there were five confirmed starters for the 2026 event. Final qualifying may well deliver more Australians into the US Open field, however they will need to successfully navigate an extremely competitive process. With qualifying open to any professional or amateur whose Handicap Index® does not exceed 0.4, there were 10,201 entrants, one shy of record set in 2025. Local qualifying, played over 18 holes, took place at 108 sites through April and May, with Final qualifying, contested over 36 holes, scheduled at 13 sites from May 18-June 8. Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Lucas Herbert and Adam Scott, in his milestone 100th consecutive major championship appearance, have been confirmed as certain starters following the PGA Championship, which represented the cut-off date for a number of the exemption categories. Of the five, Herbert had a win on the LIV Tour in early May in giving the Victorian a shot of confidence, while Scott played his way into the US Open with an impressive fourth-placing at the recent Cadillac Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s signature events. What the Champion receives In addition to the honour, the glory and the reputational boost that comes from a victory at the US Open, are a number of other bonuses and benefits. The winner is presented the Jack Nicklaus Medal, which he obviously gets to keep, along with custody of the US Open trophy for one year. Interestingly, the trophy doesn’t boast a fancy name, in the style of the PGA’s Wannamaker or Claret Jug presented to the Open Championship winner, just engraving on one side the words ‘United States Golf Association Open Championship’. The champion also receives exemptions into the next 10 US Open Championships, along with exemptions into the next five Masters Tournaments, Open Championships and PGA Championships. As for remuneration, the winner collects the lion’s share of the total prize purse, which in 2025 was US$4.3 million, from the US$21.5 total prizemoney on offer. The USGA doesn’t reveal the total amount of the prize purse until the week of the tournament, however the expectation will be for the amount to trend up, not the other way around. Planning ahead The USGA, custodians and organisers of the US Open, have certainly planned ahead, with venues for future US Open’s already scheduled from the 2027 event at Pebble Beach in California, through to the 2051 championship, with Oakland Hills in Michigan already locked in. Going forward, the US Open will return to this year’s host course Shinnecock Hills in 2036 and to Oakmont Country Club, the scene of JJ Spaun’s win last year, in 2033, then again in 2042 and for a third time in 2048. In addition to the 2027 tournament, Pebble Beach is also on the rotation on three more occasions – in 2032, 2037 and 2044. In all, 11 different courses will host the US Open between now and the 2051 championship at Oakland Hills. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the host venue for the 2026 US Open. Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 champion, one of just two Australians to have won the US Open. 2026 US OPEN SHINNECOCK HILLS – JUNE 18-21
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 8 Great Scott achieves a ‘major’ milestone HE might have the seniors’ tour somewhere in the back of his mind. Yet there is certainly another major championship win in Adam Scott. And it would take a brave punter to suggest it’s a bridge too far. Because Adam Scott loves beating the odds. As he prepares to tee it up for his 100th successive major, few golfers in the world can match his resume. Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au Scott only has one major championship but, let’s face it, he should have at least a couple more – had his putter behaved. His 2013 Masters victory remains one of Australia’s most treasured major wins. And at the age of 45 he has proven me wrong more than 100 times and I now concede another major championship is still within reach for the Queensland star. He’s the same age as another Aussie ace Aaron Baddeley . . . and that has already cost me plenty. When the late, great Australian golf writer Phil Tresidder once hailed Scott as our future superstar, almost 25 years ago, I scoffed. “He won’t match Baddeley,” I said. A bet was struck that whenever they played a major, there would be a lottery ticket riding on the result. I eventually surrendered and here we are 26 years later and Scott continues to haunt me. After the US PGA, the best players in the world head to Shinnecock Hills for the US Open and Scott’s 100th consecutive major appearance in the only events that really matter when golf history is discussed. And Scott does give himself a chance. “I’m feeling good about all those things, it’s all positive stuff,” Scott said when discussing his US Open prospects at the recent Cadillac Championship. “To win a major I’m going to need to put four days together, not just a weekend coming from behind. “And I feel like my game is there. “I’m doing all the things that I think I need to do to be in that kind of condition. “It’s important to keep this confidence going and hopefully have four good days and you just never know.” Scott says a lot has changed in his life over the past 10 years – mostly for the better. “I now have three kids and a lot’s gone on away from the golf course,” he said. “A lot’s gone on at the golf course too. “It’s been a decade of constantly trying to figure out this game. I’m happy to be out here still doing it”. Scott feels he has done part of the job by staying healthy as well as fit and strong and relevant to the modern game. “I think there’s a big difference between being 35 and 45,” he said. “At 35 you are looking at like a Rory McIlroytype age where you’re still really in your prime. “I still feel like I can play at a high level, but I’m looking to lift the ceiling a little bit and get in there and win again. “It is more demanding. “I think in the past 10 years as well the young players, the amount of young players that can compete has increased a lot. “I don’t know what that number is, but I would say more than doubled. “The guys in their 20s are that much better, there are a lot more of ‘em, so it’s definitely getting tougher out here.” Scott is still aiming high at Shinnecock. “I would rather celebrate winning the US Open than just playing in it,” he said. “I feel like that, but, you know, I can give myself a pat on the back for hanging in there and playing all these events. “I think there’s some luck in it, but I think I’ve had generally great advice around me from a physical and training standpoint that’s kept me healthy and pretty much injury-free. “I don’t really have any niggles and things that are concerning. Certainly not to the point of can I play this week or not.
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 9 “I’m still, like my head’s still really in, like I should be able to compete and win these things, so maybe I don’t see it as much of an accomplishment. “But I guess if you ask someone who is at two majors it seems like a long way away. “I’ll give myself a pat on the back, but I would love to still win.” Scott does compare himself to former US Open winner Justin Rose, who went so close to winning the Masters this year before succumbing to McIlroy. “I’m still motivated to continue pushing, and seeing Justin push and get so close is motivation for me as well,” he said. “Our careers have been almost paralleling each other for 25 years, so I don’t know which one of us is going to give up the ghost first. “For the moment we’ll keep pushing.” Scott says he’s not content to concede defeat at any event just yet. “I would hate to finish my career not content,” he says. “I feel like I’ve put in a lot of good stuff, but I feel like there is still something big left in me. “So that is worth pushing for.” And Scott gave his mother some of the credit for his longevity in the game. “I guess my mum [Pam] taught me everything in moderation,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s good for the highestlevel sport, but it is for longevity. Maybe some of that philosophy has kept me going. “I think I’ve been fortunate. I’ve generally had really good people around me, and that and my own intuition for things. “I’ve done nothing too radical; I’ve kind of evolved.” Scott says he explained to his wife Marie that the hard work would have its rewards. “I’m out here working hard. I love it though,” he said. “I love the lifestyle. I love being in the gym. I love being on the golf course. It doesn’t feel like hard work even though I’m putting some hours in.” The amazing part about this is that Scott feels his best game might still be ahead of him. “I know that sounds crazy. But overall, I mean, on a good putting day I think I can -- my golf game tee to green and short game is better than ever,” he said. “A lot lies in the putter, a roll or two here or there, so I’m trying to be patient and wait for those four days to come together.” Lock it in – Scott to play 100th major in a row ANY doubt as to Adam Scott teeing it up in his 100th consecutive major championship was dismissed with his fourth placing in the Cadillac Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s signature events. Scott closed with an 8-under par 64 at Doral on Sunday, a round which pushed him towards the top of the leaderboard and as a result, he made the jump from 54 to 43 on the Official World Golf Rankings list. With the top 60 players on the OWGR as of May 18, the conclusion of the PGA Championship, guaranteed spot in the US Open field, ranked 49, Scott is assured of being at Shinnecock Hills in June in achieving a remarkable career milestone. HAWAII GOLF TOUR 12 NIGHTS | CRUISE, STAY, PLAY! Set sail on a golf adventure like no other — exploring Hawaii’s most breathtaking islands while teeing off on worldclass courses. This 12-night experience blends the beauty of a Hawaiian cruise with the thrill of championship golf, luxury accommodation, and seamless travel from start to finish. Enjoy the best of island life — from lush volcanic landscapes to pristine beaches — all while playing at iconic venues like Royal Hawaiian, Kapalua Plantation, and Poipu Bay. Between rounds, relax on board the Pride of America, where you’ll enjoy gourmet dining, first-class entertainment, and ocean views that redefine “a room with a view.” Tour Highlights • 12 night cruise, stay and play package with 8 rounds of golf • 7 night round trip cruise aboard NCL Pride of America in mid ship Balcony cabin including drinks package, wifi package, $100 per cabin OBC, $50 shore excursion credit, 3 specialty dining meals • 3 nights pre cruise stay at Marriott Ko’Olina including 2 rounds of golf, resort fee, porterage and taxes • 2 nights post cruise at Ritz Carlton Turtle Bay Resort inclusive of resort fee, porterage, taxes and one round of golf • All transfers included between airport, hotel and port for a seamless experience • Competition with great prizes FROM AUD $14,975 PP* ALL INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINT AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANCE WITHOUT NOTICE, DUE TO MATTERS OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL SUCH AS ADVERSE CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS, TAXES AND FUEL SURCHARGES.
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 10 Aaron Rai the mellow major champion IRON covers, gloves on both hands and driving the ball for accuracy rather than distance might become fashionable in the world of golf after the reserved and quietly spoken Aaron Rai emerged victorious at the 2026 PGA Championship. On a challenging Aronimink course Rai kept the ball in play on the last day and made crucial putts when required, with the 31-yearold’s winning score of nine-under par three better than joint runners-up Alex Smalley and Jon Rahm. Rai, who began the week with one PGA Tour victory and three wins on Europe’s DP World Tour on his resume, came out on top after a final round shootout, one which saw 30 players tee off on Sunday within five strokes of the lead. Starting the day two shots behind Smalley and amongst a large group close enough if good enough, Rai went six under over the closing 10 holes, 2026 PGA Championship stats that matter • Europeans have won the first two majors of the year (Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters) for the first time ever in the four-majors era (since 1934). The last year that at least two majors were won by Europeans was 2016: Danny Willet (England, Masters) and Henrik Stenson (Sweden, Open Championship). • Rai, who shot 70-69-67-65, becomes the first champion in PGA Championship history to lower his score in each round. • Each of the last 10 PGA Championships were won by Americans. The last nonAmerican to win was Jason Day in 2015 at Whistling Straits. The last European to win the PGA Championship was Rory McIlroy in 2014 at Valhalla GC. • Padraig Harrington, who was 54 years and 259 days old on the Sunday of the PGA Championship, became the third player age 54 or older to finish among the Top 20 at a PGA Championship. He finished one-under and tied 18th. Sam Snead was in the top 20 on five occasions after turning 54. • Another of the older players in the PGA field, 45-year-old Justin Rose, in finishing 10th with a three-under par total, recorded his 25th top 10 in a major. • There were 22 players within four shots of the lead entering the final round — a new PGA Championship record, eclipsing the mark of 18, set in 1993 at Inverness Club. That championship saw Paul Azinger beat Greg Norman in a playoff. • Seven players shared the first-round lead on three-under par, Min Woo Lee being one of them. It was just the third time in PGA Championship history that seven or more players were tied for the lead at the end of any round. for an impressive 65 in the last round to become the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since 1919. Rai struck the killer blow on the 17th green while clinging to a narrow advantage. Fanning his iron shot an estimated 68 feet to the right of the pin on the par-three, Rai’s putt found the bottom of the cup for a birdie and the Wannamaker Trophy was all-but secured. “Yeah, that putt on 17 was incredible,” Rai expressed to the world media at the post tournament press conference. “I was just trying to focus on speed and get it close. It started to look really good line-wise with probably about 15 feet to go. Slowed up really nicely as well. So, it just kind of conspired all together for that ball to go in the hole. But an incredible putt and a real bonus to see that one go in.” But it wasn’t all about the unlikely birdie in the 71st hole, with Rai finding more fairways and holing more putts that mattered than the chasing pack, one those being Australian Cameron Smith who returned to a semblance of the form which had seen the Queenslander rated amongst golf’s leading players. Moving into contention on the back nine, a series of missed fairways, Smith hitting only four of 14 in the last round, then a bogey on 17 as a result of his only three-putt of the week, stalled his charge. Ironically, the three-putt from Smith came from a spot similar to where Rai would hole his birdie attempt less than 40 minutes later In finishing four-under par and in a tie for seventh, Smith recorded his first top 10 in a major since the 2024 Masters, following six consecutive missed cut in golf’s big four championships. Level with Smith on four-under was Masters champion Rory McIlroy, world number one Scottie Scheffler was two-under and 14th, while of the other Australians, Min Woo Lee, joint leader after round one, finished one-under and tied 18th, Jason Day six-over and 65th, with Elvis Smylie eight-over and tied for 75th. Adam Scott, in his 99th consecutive major championship appearance, missed the 36hole cut. In addition to the perks and exemptions that come with a win in a major championship, Rai collected US$3,690,000. – ROB WILLIS Alex Smalley, the 54-hole leader at the PGA Championship, couldn’t quite finish the job in winding up tied for second. Englishman Aaron Rai, with a superb final round, the winner of the 2026 PGA Championship. Cameron Smith challenged for a time in the final round at Aronimink before finishing seventh, in his best major championship result since the 2024 Masters. 2026 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP ARONIMINK GOLF CLUB, PENNSYLVANIA
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 11 At 52, Stewart Cink has never played better STEWART Cink, the 52-year-old who has become the poster boy for ageing golfers, is convinced he’s a better player now than he was when he broke millions of hearts by taking down Tom Watson in the 2009 Open. Cink was 36 then, and almost everybody was cheering for 59-year-old legend Watson, who had turned back the clock to lead the Open field by a stroke with just a single hole to play. History recalls that Watson bogeyed that final hole and Cink birdied it, setting up a four-hole playoff which the younger man won easily. “It’s hard to compare - but the level of satisfaction and validation feels the same,” Cink said, after winning this year’s Senior PGA Championship on the PGA Tour Champions. “I actually feel like I’m probably more in control now than I was then. I feel like I’m a more complete player now than I was that year.” Little wonder, then, that after only two years on tour, Cink stands undisputed as the best over 50 golfer on the planet – officially rated No 1, the winner of eight tournaments in the past 20 months, and five of the last eight he’s played. And he’s hungry. After winning the Senior PGA Championship, Cink was fourth to Retief Goosen in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic the following week, then scored his second major when he led throughout to win the Regions Tradition a week later. “I could get used to this,” Cink said. “It’s not ever going to get old. Age is an important factor on the PGA Tour Champions and I’m still on the younger side.” Cink won both his majors in sheer style, closing with a nine-under 63 in the Senior PGA Championship, and shooting 18-underpar at the Regions Tradition. The PGA Tour Champions shuffles its champion players with dizzying speed, as you might expect of a tour that welcomes a new cohort of 50-year-olds every season. Five years ago Bernhard Langer ruled the roost, then Kiwi Stephen Alker. Now it’s Cink on the throne, but you get the feeling that he’s going to be harder to dislodge than some of his predecessors. Already he’s the Charles Schwab champion and is leading that order of merit this year by a comfortable margin. As he says, he’s never played better. And, over the past three decades, the man from Huntsville, Alabama, had set a very high benchmark. Cink turned professional in 1995, won the Mexican Open and three other events on what we now know as the Korn Ferry Tour the following year, and joined the PGA Tour in 1997. He won the Greater Hartford Open in his rookie season, won again in 2000, then almost pinched the 2001 US Open, missing the playoff by a single stroke after making a double bogey on the very last hole. Cink enjoyed a highly successful career on the PGA Tour, winning eight times, reaching a career high world ranking of six in 2008, remaining in the world top 10 for more than 40 weeks, and capturing that major title at Turnberry in 2009. He enjoyed a remarkable climax to his PGA career, winning events in 2020 and 2021 and By Peter Owen Hend making the most of Champions Tour opportunities WHILE not an exempt player of the PGA Champions Tour, Australian Scott Hend made the most of his opportunities with two outstanding performances late April and early May. Hend, who plays in Asia, on the European Legends Tour and also on the DP World Tour, has included in his schedule, appearances in two major championships on the US over-50’s circuit, and with good effect. At the Regions Tradition event, played at the Graystone Golf and Country Club in Alabama, Hend closed with a 7-under par 65, and while he couldn’t run down eventual winner Stewart Cink, his tournament total of 15-under par was good enough to see him finish outright second. For his efforts, Hend’s payday was US$228,800. Just two weeks earlier, Hend was again in the thick of the action at another of the Champions Tour majors where he tied for third at the Senior PGA Championship, again behind Cink, in collecting another handy cheque, this time for US$174,000. In just two events, Hend sits ninth on the season-long Charles Schwab points list, and although without a win he won’t be eligible to immediately join the Champions Tour in 2026, however there is every chance he has done enough to qualify to play a full schedule of events in 2027. – ROB WILLIS Aussie Scott Hend is enjoying his time in the senior majors on the PGA Tour Champions. becoming only the second player in the last 50 years (after Kenny Perry) to win twice in the same season after turning 47. As well as his two wins that season, Cink chalked up four other top 20s, including a tied 12th in the US Masters, and joined Bryson DeChambeau as the season’s only multiple winners. You’d never notice it, but Cink says it sometimes becomes difficult for him to focus as he gets older. How does he cope? “I stay hydrated and make sure I get enough sleep,” he says. Cink and his wife Lisa, who still tries to attend every tournament her husband plays, have been married for more than 30 years. They were college sweethearts in Georgia when Lisa announced she was pregnant. They were married in June 1993 after their sophomore year and son Connor was born three months later. Second son Reagan caddied for his father during that successful 2020-21 season. In April 2016 Lisa was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, a condition which has been in remission for years. At the time, though, Cink stepped away from the professional game to take care of her. Lisa underwent nine rounds of chemotherapy which ended after her positive progress and allowed the doctors to move her to the maintenance phase of cancer treatment. She even caddied for Cink during a 2024 PGA Tour event in San Diego. Cink’s faith has always been a central part of his life, influencing his approach to golf and his overall wellbeing. He says his faith in Jesus Christ beings him peace and joy, enabling him to handle the variances of the golf course with a sense of calm and purpose. “I’ve spent a lot of time and money on trying to be solid in my beliefs about what is really happening on the course and where my trust is, where my peace and joy come from,” he says. “If I depended on all these two-footers and three-footers going in to feel good about myself, then I’d be in the wrong business.” “You know, you can’t control the results. You can’t control bounces or the wind or a ball that rolls on the green and rims out of the hole. “If you depend on something you can’t control, you’re just going to end up frustrated, and I don’t want to be frustrated,” he said. Stewart Cink, with the Senior PGA Championship trophy. Stewart Cink, with two recent victories and a top five finish, is a dominant force on PGA Tour Champions.
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 12 NSW Open to return to The Vintage THE NSW Open is heading back to The Vintage Golf Club in November, headlining a packed 2026 men’s professional calendar in the state of New South Wales. Golf NSW has confirmed the schedule, featuring the NSW Open at The Vintage from 12–15 November, six individual $50,000 qualifying events across regional areas from July through October, and the return of the Men’s World Sand Greens Championship to Binalong Golf Club in September. All three events are co-sanctioned with the PGA of Australasia. “This is a calendar we are incredibly proud of,” said Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW. “Headlined by the NSW Open returning to The Vintage, one of the great championship venues in this country, it is a schedule that has something for everyone.” “The qualifying events give players from right across the country a genuine pathway to our biggest event, and the World Sand Greens Championship at Binalong continues to capture the imagination of players and fans alike. We can’t wait to get the season underway,” Fraser added. With a history stretching back to 1931, the NSW Open has an honour roll of past champions that includes World Golf Hall of Fame inductees Kel Nagle, Greg Norman and Peter Thomson, as well as legends Ian Baker-Finch, Jack Newton, Craig Parry and Peter Lonard. The 2024 champion Lucas Herbert held off Cameron Smith in a thrilling finish at Murray Downs to claim the Kel Nagle Cup, with Chris Wood winning in a three-way playoff in 2025 when the event was also staged at The Vintage in the NSW Hunter Valley, a Greg Norman-designed championship layout set among the vineyards of one of Australia’s most celebrated wine regions. The 2026 NSW Open will again carry a prize fund of $800,000, while places in the NSW Open field will be determined in part through the six individual qualifying events held across regional New South Wales between July and October, each carrying a prize fund of $50,000. The top three finishers who are not already exempt at each qualifying event earn direct entry into the NSW Open. Each qualifying event is conducted over 36-holes. Completing the calendar is the Men’s World Sand Greens Championship, returning to Binalong Golf Club in the NSW Southern Tablelands on 25–27 September 2026. First held in 2024, the championship has quickly become one of the most unique and eagerly anticipated events on the Australian And Thurgoona to host the ‘Legends’ THE NSW Senior Open will make its landmark eighth appearance at Thurgoona Golf & Country Club Resort, running from October 30 to November 1, 2026. The $150,000, 54-hole tournament is a cornerstone of the Australian PGA Legends Tour and will once again bring elite senior professional golf to Albury, continuing a partnership between Golf NSW, the Thurgoona Country Club Resort and the PGA Legends Tour that now stretches back eight years. Golf NSW Chief Operating Officer Graeme Phillipson said the event had become one of the most anticipated tournaments on the senior calendar. “The Albury-Wodonga community and the Liverpool Catholic Club have supported this event from day one, and that loyalty means everything to us. Thurgoona has been the home of the NSW Senior Open since the beginning, and with good reason. The players love it, the crowds keep coming back, and the whole region gets behind it.” Mat Goggin, who claimed the 2025 title in impressive fashion, is expected to return to Thurgoona to defend his crown. Other past winners of the event at Thurgoona include David McKenzie (2024), Adam Henwood (2023), Richard Green (2022), Brad Burns (2020), Michael Long (2019) and Grant Kenny (2018). The Thurgoona Golf & Country Club Resort is a Peter Thomson & Mike Wolveridge design, with a par of 72, measuring 6,372 metres. professional calendar. Queensland’s Brett Rankin claimed the inaugural title in a three-way sudden-death playoff to be crowned the first ever Men’s World Sand Greens champion, while Sam Slater closed with a 64 to win the 2025 championship. The Sand Greens Championship will carry a prize fund of $125,000. The NSW Open Championship, Men’s World Sand Greens Championship and the Regional Qualifying Series are supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. Schedule of events 2026 NSW Open — The Vintage Golf Club, Hunter Valley November 12-15, 2026 2026 NSW Open Qualifying Series • Lismore - 27-28 July • Teven – 30-31 July • Coffs Harbour – 3-4 August • South West Rocks – 6-7 August • Catalina – 17-18 September • Queanbeyan – 1-2 October 2026 Men’s World Sand Greens Championship Binalong Golf Club, September 26-27 The NSW Open, won in 2025 by Chris Wood, returns to The Vintage course in the Hunter Valley for the 2026 event. Mat Goggin was the winner of the 2025 NSW Senior Open, played at Thurgoona Golf & Country Club.
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 13 Everything’s an opportunity for a confident Loumanis HAVING achieved more in a few days than he could possibly have dreamed, Sydney amateur Daley Loumanis picked Bali as the spot to relax and consider the next phase of a golf career that has suddenly become very exciting. Loumanis, 22, was still celebrating his seventh place finish in the Australasian PGA Tour’s Final Stage of Q School – a performance which won him a spot on next season’s Aussie tour – when he took time out for his Bali break. He remains an amateur, but by the time you read this story he will almost certainly have notified Australian PGA officials of his intention to play for money rather than for just trophies. And he may even have made his debut as a professional in one of the PGA’s pro-am events, seeking to gain as much experience as he can before the Australasian Tour kicks off again in August. By Peter Owen Loumanis, twice club champion at St Michael’s Golf Club, has enjoyed a solid year since finishing runner-up to Declan O’Donovan in the NSW Amateur Championship at Stonecutters Ridge in early 2025. He was top 10 in the Pacific Harbour Amateur, the NSW Cup and a host of NextGen Amateur tournaments before taking on the professionals at the NSW Open regional qualifying tournament at South West Rocks in August. He surprised even himself by going six-under-par for 36 holes to beat a field that contained seasoned professionals like Cameron John, Louis Dobbelaar, Tim Hart and Lincoln Tighe. That success gave Loumanis the confidence to tackle Q School for the first time in late March. Playing in conditions at Moonah Links which he described as ‘as challenging as you could find,’ he scraped through the First Stage by just two strokes, shooting rounds of 70, 77 and 74 to join 22 other hopefuls in the Final Stage. “I was quite happy with the way I played in that First Stage,” he said. “It was blowing a gale and I had a kind of belief that I’d do okay in the Final Stage – that if I played well I had a pretty good chance.” Nobody, however, could have envisioned that the young amateur would shoot rounds of 67, 70 and 64 to be the 54-hole leader of the most significant tournament he’d ever contested. “My game just got better and better,” he said. “I had this feeling that I was ready for it.” Although he fell away in the final round with a three-over 74, the smile never left Loumanis’ face as he clutched the symbolic placard that was evidence of his place on next season’s professional tour. Of the 29 golfers who earned tour status through Q School, seven were amateurs. Loumanis has been a golfer since he was four, when he joined a ‘pee-wee’ group at Moore Park. He juggled golf with soccer until he was 13, when he committed fully to golf. By 16 he had won his first club championship and, a year later, made the junior state squad. He speaks of his love of the game, of the satisfaction he gets working hard to master its skills, of his willingness to practice every day to reach his potential, of the thrill of competition. Loumanis, who says he thrives on setting himself challenges, completed his final year at Sydney’s University of Technology last year, earning a degree in Business, with a major in marketing and minors in sports management and finance. He says he appreciates having a structure to his life, and enjoyed balancing study with golf. He laughs as he suggests his areas of tertiary study might come in handy for a professional golfer. Loumanis has been coached since he was seven by John Serhan, one of Australia’s leading mentors, and he’ll be relying on his coach’s advice as he plans the first stage of his professional career. “I understand that membership of the Australian Tour is very important,” he said, “but I also know it can be a stepping stone to other opportunities. “I know Travis Smyth – he’s a member at St Michael’s - and I’ve seen what he’s done. I’m aware of the pathways. “But for this year I’ve just got to get a bit more familiar with playing professional golf,” he said. Sydney’s Daley Loumanis is excited about the next phase of his golfing career. Monday 13 July - Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club (The Pines) Tuesday 14 July - Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club (The Palms) Wednesday 15 July - Links Golf & Wellbeing Entry Fee $440 • Age Divisions: 55–59 • 60–64 • 65–69 • 70+ International Entries Welcome • Daily Prizes on Offer • Presentation Lunch on Final Day Entries Close 26 June • Enter via www.gcdga.com.au or secretary@gcdga.com.au 2026 GOLD COAST INTERNATIONAL Senior Amateur Men’s Championship 54 Hole Order of Merit Tournament Scan to see our Stay & Play packages #LetsPlayPortStephens www.pacificdunes.com.au | 02 4916 0500 Huntingdale Place, Medowie Your Port Stephens’ Golf Getaway!
June 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 14 WHATEVER LIV’s fate, Australian golf bosses say there should not be any recrimination against players who defected to the renegade Saudibacked tour. Golf Australia’s James Sutherland and his PGA counterpart Gavin Kirkman are united in their belief that LIV players should be welcomed back into the fold. And they find themselves with an unlikely ally in a man known for changing his mind Herbert a winner at LIV Golf Virginia IN the first LIV event since the announcement the Saudi PIF funding will cease at seasons end, which has led to widespread speculation about the tour’s future, Lucas Herbert cast aside any of that outside noise with an impressive wireto-wire victory at the Maaden LIV Golf Virginia event. Battling the flu early in the week and restricted to just nine holes on the tournament course in the lead up, the 30-year-old Australian turned in a dominant performance for his first LIV Golf individual title. Herbert shot a final-round 3-under 69 to hold off Spaniard Sergio Garcia, winning by four shots at 24-under at the Trump National course in Washington, D.C. “I spent about 60-odd holes with the lead on my own,” Herbert said. “So, it was nice to kind of just get to the finish line and have this one presented to me and achieve a goal that I’ve had for two and a half years now since I joined the league.” Herbert started the round with a threestroke lead over Garcia and extended that to five through the first eight holes. But at the Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au between social media posts, US President, Donald Trump. Trump, too, has called for LIV players to be reintegrated into the PGA Tour as the Saudi-backed league faces collapse following the withdrawal of its main financial backer. The funding crisis has left the futures of top Australian and international LIV golfers uncertain with industry leaders urging a unified approach to keep elite talent competing. LIV is now seeking private investors, while PGA officials consider potential pathways for returning players. There’s still a fair bit to play out but Kirkman and Sutherland are rallying behind LIV’s Australian players Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie. Kirkman is emphatic. Smith is “too young to retire” and plans to meet the Queenslander’s management team. Sutherland has also voiced support, saying the players should be free to compete on any tour, while noting ongoing discussions about LIV’s instability. As for those most affected, the LIV players, they seem to be hanging onto the hope a new white knight investor will come to the rescue of the crumbling breakaway tour. A defiant Cameron Smith has dismissed retirement rumours and stressed that LIV Adelaide will go ahead next year despite Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund removing its funding of the breakaway league at the end of this season. Smith and Bryson DeChambeau defected from the PGA Tour in acrimonious circumstances and may face severe penalties if they try to return. “There were rules, and they were broken,” PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp is on the record as saying. “With rules comes accountability.” Brooks Koepka became the first LIV player to return to the PGA when the five-time major winner jumped ship last December. The 35-year-old American’s return was made possible as the PGA created a Returning Member Program, described as offering “a route back to elite performers who no longer have contractual limitations preventing them from complying with PGA Tour rules and regulations”. It is believed Kopeka’s return came with him paying a hefty fine in the millions of dollars to the PGA Tour. There is a lot of ill-will towards the defectors in the US. Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, renowned golf reporter Brandel Chamblee said: “These players are only coming back when LIV folds at the end of this year, they’ll only be coming back because they have no other choice. “I think the road back will be quite a bit bumpier and more expensive. “They were paid exponential amounts of money to go play for LIV, (now) they’re going to have to pay to come back and play on the PGA tour.” On the Pat McAfee Show, golf journalist Mark Schlabach added: “They tried to reinvent a 200-year-old sport with a cheque book. “The PGA Tour obviously has all the leverage right now. I think there’s still some hard feelings on that side. “I’ve had people in the last 24 hours tell me, ‘Screw those guys, we don’t care who they are.’” par-3 ninth, Herbert’s tee shot sailed long, his first chip shot rolled back toward him, leading to a two-putt double bogey. Meanwhile, Garcia rolled in a long-range birdie putt for a threeshot swing. “I sort of walked off that green, had a bit of a laugh with Pughy [caddie Nick Pugh] and just reminded myself I’m still two in front,” Herbert said. “Despite that car crash of a hole, I’m still two in front.” Garcia would then add another birdie at the par-4 10th, cutting the deficit to one, however two holes later at the par-5 12th, Herbert birdied while Garcia had to settle for par, with the momentum switch allowing the Victorian to then maintain his advantage through the remainder of the round. In the end, this was Herbert’s week, even though it started with an illness and limited practice time, then a rain delay late on the final day which had the potential to upset his concentration and rhythm. “That I can perform pretty damn well when things aren’t perfect. I was pretty sick all week, and I woke up this morning probably feeling worse than I did the last few days. I had Sergio coming at me for 36 holes really hard, and he pushed me the whole way, made me earn that one. “I didn’t doubt myself. I missed a few putts here and there and made it a contest late. But after the rain delay, the way I played those eight shots, I’m so proud of that,” Herbert added. His Ripper GC teammates didn’t fare nearly as well, with Marc Leishman the best in a tie for 14th, 12-under par and 12 behind Herbert, Cam Smith was 7-under and 26th, while Elvis Smylie struggled throughout the week to be 48th on level par. As one of the top three players from the LIV Golf standings not otherwise exempt, Herbert also earns a place in the field for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club from June 18 and his official world golf ranking jumped from 173 to 89 as a result of the win in Virginia. In other highlights coming from the event in Virginia, fuelled by a last day 10-under par 62 from LIV Adelaide champion Anthony Kim– his lowest round relative to par since his return to golf in 2024 – the 4Aces won a playoff against Fireballs GC to take out the team’s title. – ROB WILLIS AND LIV GOLF MEDIA Lucas Herbert captured his first individual LIV Golf title with his victory in Virginia. Aussie golf backing LIV ‘defectors’ Cam Smith has the support of Australian golf were he looking for a path back to the PGA Tour. Brooks Koepka became the first player to return from LIV to the PGA Tour.
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