Weekend of reckoning awaits at NSW Open


Kade McBride – faces important weekend – file photo Golf NSW

While the title of the Play Today NSW Open is one any golfer would be keen to have on their resumè, this week’s version of the event at Rich River at Moama on the NSW Victorian border carries a lot more significance than just the title alone.

With just two more events (including that of this week’s) before the 2022/2023 PGA Tour of Australasia season winds to a close there are all sorts of season ending milestones yet to be decided, more especially the opportunity for the leading three players not otherwise eligible and who have played a minimum of three events for the season to earn DP World Tour cards for next season.

Other rewards are also on offer but that the halfway stage of proceedings, Victorian, Thomas Power Horan and Gold Coast’s Kade McBride hold a narrow one shot lead over NSW’s Nathan Barbieri.

The NSW Open is not considered amongst the leading three events on the Australasian Tour’s schedule but does, along with the Vic Open, carry sufficient Order of Merit points to make a big difference to the final positions when the tour comes to an end at The National Tournament on the Mornington Peninsula in two week’s time.

While Power-Horan is chasing a win or strong finish this week to elevate him into that important top three, McBride needs a good week just to retain his status on the PGA Tour of Australasia so this weekend’s final 36 holes offers much excitement and hopes for the respective careers of many of those in the field.

Power-Horan has benefited from the on line coaching assistance of two time Australian Masters champion Brad Hughes who is finding success as coach to players at an even higher level in the US and Power Horan has come ahead in leaps and bounds with the assistance of Hughes.

He (Hughes) has been able to not only give me the technical advice but he’s also given me the playing advice about how to play golf under pressure,” said Power Horan

“We haven’t seen each other in person for a few years now but we do online checks and chats every few weeks to stay on top of things.” said Hughes.

“He has really played well the past 12 months because because he knows how to solve any issue. Golf is not about perfection it’s about adjustments and when you know the adjustment needed it becomes easier to play well for extended periods of time.”

McBride has yet to win an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia but did win a 36 hole Golf NSW event in Coffs Harbour last year and did play in China prior to Covid but his most recent form has been a struggle this being just the second weekend he has made in his last eight starts.

He needs to finish the season off strongly if he wants a place to play for the balance of the year.

“A lot of hard work and a bit of perseverance through a few things,” said McBride referring to his battles. “It’s been good. It’s nice to come out and play solid. It’s been pretty stress-free, which is nice.”

Barbieri’s stunning round of 62 included the rare feat of hitting all 18 greens in regulation, and he made nine birdies starting on the back nine, parring his way in after a nice birdie at the sixth hole.

“I did leave a couple out there but I’m not complaining,” said Barbieri, who has a history of going low when his putter is cooperating. “I holed a couple of nice ones through the middle of the round and just finished it off really nicely. I didn’t miss any greens, so I gave myself plenty of chances, so it was just stress-free golf.”

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Order of Merit to March 13th

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Disappointment but still impressive for Lee and Davis at Sawgrass


Min Woo Lee – found his share of trouble on Sunday but still an impressive Players debut – photo Getty Images

Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis might not have had the Sundays they were hoping for at the Players Championship but their seven way share of 6th place in such a strong field and in the case of Lee, in his debut in the event, brought to a close an impressive week for the Australian pair.

Lee began the last round two behind the eventual winner, Scottie Scheffler and after an opening birdie from 6 feet things looked promising for the 24 year old in pursuit of not only this prestigious title but full playing rights on the PGA Tour.

After sharing the lead when he arrive at the 4th tee, Trouble would strike at the par 4 when he found the water with his second and took triple bogey.

While his playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, was edging further ahead of the field, Lee was holding on until a wild drive at the reachable par 5 11th would lead to a double bogey and any hope of applying any pressure to Scheffler was gone and his task was then to finish as best he could.

Another bogey came at the 14th after missing the green left but to his credit and reflecting the constitution he possesses, Lee birdied the 16th and 17th, the latter after a magnificent tee shot to 4 feet at the treacherous par 3.

His tee shot at the last forced him to lay up well short of the green and although he hit a nice pitch to 12 feet, the putt missed for another bogey and this time a very costly one. A par at the last would have given him a two-way tie of 5th but the bogey saw him fall into his seven way tie for 6th.

He, along with Davis will still earn US$736,000, one of Lee’s biggest cheques in the game, but the bogey at the last cost him US$230,000.

“Yeah, it happened really quick,” said Lee referring to a roller coaster day. “It’s one of those things where it’s Sunday and you just make a couple bad decisions and it all kind of falls down. But I hung in there pretty well. I didn’t have it all today.

“It’s funny how yesterday I felt like I had the best swing in the world, and then today I just felt like nothing could go right. So nice finish and I’m pretty proud of the result and I think it will take me a long way. It could have been a lot worse. That’s for sure. It wasn’t easy. That’s part of it.”

Despite the difficulties of Championship Sunday, Lee was delighted with the experience and knows he can build on it.

“It’s awesome,” said Lee. I mean, to be, “I’ve been in final groups quite a lot lately, and to be on the PGA TOUR in one of the biggest PGA TOUR tournaments, it’s awesome. I mean, if I just keep putting myself in those positions, hopefully I can get a Sunday done. But it’s another top-10 finish and I’m really proud. Sundays are just tough.

Davis too, will be ruing a final round 74 especially the double bogey he took at the 17th which, like Lee, cost him a lot of money as at the point he was heading for a possible top 3 finish and as much as US$500,00 more than he eventually earned.

Still, that’s golf and Davis was philosophical about the day and happy with his improvement from recent weeks.

“It was a great week for me,” said the Sydney golfer. “I’ve had a bit of a rough stretch over the last five, six tournaments, so it’s a very welcome change to see some good golf this week.

“I was there a lot better mentally this week, feeling — physically feeling well, and mentally a lot more on top of things. Yeah, for the most part this week stayed that way. Didn’t have my best stuff tee to green for most of the week, but held things together very well by staying patient. And, yeah, it’s a little annoying finishing on 17 like that, but otherwise it was a good grind.”

For Scheffler it was his 6th PGA Tour win since and including his breakthrough in Phoenix 13 months ago. The 26 year old moves back to the number one spot in the world ranking and given the next two events in which he will play, the Match Play and the Masters, he will be the defending champion then his reign at the top looks perhaps secure for some time despite the brilliance of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy.

Jason Day once again performed well when finishing 19th.

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Wade Ormsby wins 4th Asian Tour title


Wade Ormsby – photo Paul Lakatos

South Australian, Wade Ormsby, overcame Chonlatit Chuenboonngam on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the International Series Thailand today after a compelling finish at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin.

Ormsby triumphed after holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th while Chonlatit missed his birdie attempt from eight feet.

The 42 year old Ormsby had trailed Chonlatit, the clubhouse leader on 20 under, by one shot with three to play but made a birdie on 16 and had a chance to win on the last when he splashed out to 12 feet from a greenside bunker but missed his birdie attempt to set up extra time.

The Australian closed with a seven-under-par 65 while little-known Chonlatit, a graduate from the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year and playing the tournament of his life, shot a 64.

It’s the fourth Asian Tour victory of Ormsby’s career and the first since his win in the Hong Kong Open in 2020.

The US$2 million event was worth US$360,000 to Ormsby and after missing the cut  in New Zealand last week he was coming to terms with his turnaround.

“I can’t believe I am here,” said Ormsby. “I had a tough week down in New Zealand last week. I was so annoyed with myself as I knew I was playing well. I worked so hard with my coach Grant Field. I am so stoked.”

After playing LIV Golf for most of 2022, Ormsby lost his place in the line-up for 2023 but is keen to get back and knows wins such as this week’s can assist his cause.

“The Asian Tour and International Series are high up on my priority list, I’d love to get back on LIV, I just have to try and manage it all. I just so happy I have won an International Series event especially here at Black Mountain, I love the place.”

Sydney’s Kevin Yuan was the next best of the Australians when he finished in an impressive tie for 5th and earned US$82,000.

The Asian Tour heads to the subcontinent next for The DGC Open presented by Mastercard. The US$750,000 tournament is being played at Delhi Golf Club from March 16-19.

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Former leading amateur Dobbelaar wins NZPGA Championship


Louis Dobbelaar and his father Vince – photo Golf New Zealand

New Zealand raised now Australian, Louis Dobbelaar, has broken through for his first win in professional golf with three shot victory over local golfer Sung Jin Yeo at the New Zealand PGA Championship at Gulf Harbour north of Auckland.

Dobbelaar, a former Australian and New Zealand Amateur Champion, had previously recorded 3rd place finishes at the Australian and Queensland PGA Championships in early 2022 but it has been lean pickings since and this win will prove crucial in his development as a professional as leading into this week he was a lowly 100th on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit.

The event carried one of the smallest purses on the Australasian Tour schedule but it will advance him to 23rd on the OOM and assures the still only 21 year old of full status for the next season.

Dobbelaar and Yeo were locked in a tight battle throughout the final 36 holes after both shared the lead at the halfway mark, and the duo was again tied in the lead through ten holes today before Yeo dropped three shots in the next two holes.

Dobbelaar bogeyed the 13th but maintained a two shot lead through to the 18th hole where he parred to a bogey by Yeo and one of New Zealand golf’s most significant titles was his by three shots.

The win was made even more special by the presence of his father, a New Zealander residing in Australia, who flew in for the final day to caddy for him.

“Pretty special to have him here,” said Dobbelaar. “He saw me win the NZ Am so it was nice that he could see me do this as well.”

“It’s pretty surreal. I don’t think it will sink in for a little while.

“I’m just happy that Dad could see me win this one.”

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Lee and Davis ready to strike at Players Championship


Min Woo Lee – file photo – Bruce Young

Australians enjoy an impressive record at the Players Championship with five of them winning a total of six championships and two having finished runner-up, and, tomorrow, yet another name just might be added to the list.

The second and third rounds were completed on day three of the event at the TPC Sawgrass today with Min Woo Lee in or near the lead for much of round three after a hole out for eagle at his opening hole.

He was tied for the lead playing the last with the game’s current dominant player, Scottie Scheffler, but after driving it close to the water at the last and then missing the green right he took bogey to the birdie of Scheffler’s and as the event heads into tomorrow’s final day the difference between the pair is two.

Another two shots back is Cameron Davis who birdied his final two holes to move within striking distance.

For Lee, however, who has a start in this prestigious event by being (just) inside the top 50 in the world, the opportunity exists tomorrow to secure his status on the PGA Tour and if he were to win he would jump close to 20th in the ranking and even a strong finish tomorrow might well earn him special temporary membership of the PGA Tour.

Lee was first asked about the great start he had when holing out at the first.

“Piped my driver down there. I had, I think, 112 in, something like that. It might have been less; actually, that might have been in yards. I had a 55, a little bit on the downslope, and my caddie Stew and I were in between hitting a 50 and 55, and, luckily, I thinned a nice 55 in there and one-hopped and back-spun in the hole. So, it wasn’t a perfect shot but it looked good on TV. I saw it just before. I won’t say I thinned it; keep it between us (laughing).”

“It was amazing, amazing day,” added Lee. “Just coming on 17 and 18 and hearing the crowd chant, and that’s all I’m asking for. Yeah, just had a lot of fun today. Did a lot of the right things, and hopefully I can do it again tomorrow.

“Tomorrow could be the biggest day of my life, but I’m going to go out there and have fun again. It’s been the motto for the last three months. Not taking it too seriously. I like to have fun and interact with the fans when I can. Unlike others, you know, they’re very serious. So, yeah, I’m just out here enjoying my time, and like I said, I just crept into this tournament and making the most of it and soaking it all in.”

Davis is close enough tomorrow to make an impact on those ahead.

“It was a good round,” said the Seattle based Sydneysider. “I felt like I got just about everything I could have out of that round. This whole day actually, I played, what, 25 holes or so and I felt like I did a really good job of getting the most out of what I had. So, yeah, awesome to get some momentum, awesome to see my name up toward the top of the leaderboard. Yeah, I’m really looking forward to keep pushing tomorrow and keep doing what I’ve been doing and hopefully some more birdies drop.

“This course can suit anyone or no one. I mean, it’s not overly long, it forces you to take some shorter lines off the tees because you can’t cut a lot of corners and because the pins are cut in the way they are, good shots get rewarded, some almost great shots don’t.

“Sometimes it can be very hard to make pars even though you’re feeling like you’re playing well. Sometimes it feels like the birdies won’t stop coming. So I’m glad I had the latter on the back nine today.

“You just have to get out of your way and play the golf course as it presents itself to you as you go around and try not to force anything to happen, just keep on, yeah, kind of cruising. It feels like I’ve been cruising even though I haven’t been hitting it super great off the tee. I’ve kept myself in it.”

Jason Day might be too far from the lead to figure in the finish as far as far as winning is concerned but the former champion of this event continues to play well and finds himself in a share of 14th place and eight shots from the lead.

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Dobbelaar and Yeo lead NZPGA Championship


Louis Dobbelaar – file photo

With just three more events on the 2022/2023 PGA Tour of Australasia schedule to be completed before the all-important Order of Merit is decided, every dollar or point counts in the race for the significant pathways and exemptions on offer for various milestones.

This week’s New Zealand PGA Championship at Gulf Harbour on the Whangaparoa Peninsula just north of Auckland, might carry one of the smallest purses of the season but it might yet have an influence on just where the careers of several might head at the completion of the season in early April.

At the halfway stage of the 72 hole event, Queensland’s Louis Dobbelaar shares the lead with local golfer, Sun Jin Yeo, the pair three ahead of the field as the weekend looms.

Dobbelaar who last season starred in his rookie season on the PGA Tour of Australasia including a 3rd place finish at the Australian PGA Championship, has struggled this season to the point where he has yet to record a finish inside the top 30, his 30th place finish at last week’s New Zealand Open his best to date.

Dobbelaaar is currently 100th on the Order of Merit and will need a big finish to the season if he is to regain playing privileges for next season.

No-one is more aware of his predicament than Dobbelaar himself.

“When you’re in a bit of a situation, you have more reason to focus,” Dobbelaar said of his position on the leaderboard.

“That definitely engages me a bit more but I’ve been trying to be like that from the start of events lately and been playing a bit more solid.

“Just keep that engagement from the start and hit as many good shots as possible.

“The last few weeks I’ve definitely found a bit of momentum, not so much in my game, more so mindset-wise.

“It’s been an interesting start to my career but I’m just playing the way I’ve always felt I can play.”

Yeo is a former New Zealand Junior Champion who plays at nearby North Shore Golf Club and used his local knowledge of the Robert Trent Jones designed layout which was used for the 1998 World Cup and two previous New Zealand Opens to assist his cause.

There are Order of Merit implications further down the leaderboard with Vic Open winner Michael Hendry (currently 6th on the OOM) in a tie for 14th at five-under and Vic PGA champion Andrew Martin (currently 4th) in a tie for 22nd one stroke further back.

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