Adam Bland turns back the clock in Adelaide


Adam Bland – with his Players Series SA trophyCongratulations to 44-year-old South Australian Adam Bland for his two-shot victory over Queensland’s, Louis Dobbelaar, in the PGA Tour of Australia’s Players Series South Australia event at the Willunga Golf Club south of Adelaide.

One of four leaders heading to today’s final round. Bland made an almost perfect start with three birdies in his first six holes and by the turn he held the advantage by two. As any potential challenger fell away over the closing nine holes, Bland stood firm with a final round of 67 to win and take what must have been an emotional victory, given his lack of success in Australia and that this win was in his home state.

Bland has won on the Canadian and Japan Tours, but that second win in Australia has proven elusive and that it has come at the age of 44 years of age, tells the story of a career resurrected.

Victorian amateur Jazy Roberts led the females in the mixed-gender event when she finished in a share of 11th.

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Daniel Gale takes halfway lead in South Australia


Daniel Gale in action this week – image courtesy of PGA of Australia

NSW golfer Daniel Gale has the halfway lead at the Players Series South Australia event at the Willunga Golf Course south of Adelaide, the 30-year-old following up some recent good form, when runner-up in Kalgoorlie and 8th at Secret Harbour in the WA Open, with rounds of 64 and 65 on the low-scoring layout to be two ahead of Victorian Kyle Michel.

Michel’s second-round 63 is the best of the week so far, and the former good amateur, who has struggled at the professional level for much of his career, appears to have found some form after a horror year in 2025, when he missed twelve of fourteen cuts.

Gale, who has won three events on the PGA Tour of Australasia, found himself on the DP World Tour for a couple of seasons courtesy of his form in Australia. Still, he struggled there, but he has now recorded two runner-up finishes at home in 2026 and appears close to the sort of form which saw such a promising future three years ago.

“The ultimate goal is, I think, for anyone to win the order of merit,” said Gale. “To do that, you’ve got to play well in pretty much all of these and play well in the big ones when it counts because a lot of points are up for grabs there. So I feel like I’ve been off to a good start so far and just try to keep the same things rolling. I definitely want to get back out in Europe.

“I love my time over there and the golf over there. I reckon probably throughout the years, American golf I thought was obviously PGA Tour, everyone strives for that. But I mean if I could play Europe for the rest of my life, it’d be amazing. Just the countries over there and the culture, it’s so nice. Yeah, nice.”

“I want to say the form coming into this week, it’s been pretty steady and pretty solid. And to have obviously, the good results the last couple of weeks, anytime you have good results, it sparks the confidence. So feel like everything’s sort of close to clicking. I’ve had just rounds where it’s like three out of four things are clicking, but yeah, it feels like piecing the puzzle together nicely.”

South Australian veteran Adam Bland is alone in third place and three shots from the lead while a large group at 7 under and tie for 4th includes the leading female in this mixed gender event, Rachel Lee.

The cut fell at 2 under, with 53 players making it to the weekend.

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Daniel Hillier all but secures PGA Tour card


Daniel Hillier – file image courtesy of PGA of AmericaNew Zealander Daniel Hillier’s runner-up finish in this week’s DP World India Championship will all but ensure the 28-year-old Wellingtonian the right to play the PGA Tour in 2027.

Hillier’s second place behind Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, will see him move up six places to 8th in the Race to Dubai rankings and likely as high as 5th from 10th in the race for one of the ten players to earn a PGA Tour card for 2027.

The leading ten players in the Race to Dubai rankings and not otherwise exempt on the PGA Tour gain access to the potential riches of US and Hillier looks well and truly on his way.

Hillier’s final round of 67 came on top of consecutive rounds of 64 on Friday and Saturday, and considering where he stood after his opening round of 74 on Thursday, his last 54 holes will play a big part in his future.

“Pretty tiring week,” said Hillier. “Obviously, few delays out there. Pretty hot, which I’m not usually a fan of.”I think I was like 4-over through 14 holes in the first round or something, and I don’t know what happened, what clicked. Yeah, I just started finding the clubface and holing a few putts. The rest is history.

“I think after that start I just kind of started free wheeling it a little bit. Maybe a little bit tense, trying to get a little bit too much coming back from a pretty good week last year at the same joint.

“Yeah, obviously wanted to do well again. Yeah, I think once I got off to that start it kind of freed me up a little bit. I mean, just keep going after that first 8-under. To do it back to back and follow it up with a pretty good one at the end is pretty cool.

“I don’t know if that will solidify it (PGA Tour card) or not, but trying to play my best golf, and, yeah, if I can solidify the card it would be amazing. Yeah, great to focus on getting to America next year.”

With just the Genesis Championship in Korea, followed by the Abu Dhabi and DP World Championships to finish the season, Hillier looks to be well on his way to the PGA Tour, following his near miss on one of the cards nearly twelve months ago.

Hillier, who earlier this year won his own national open in Queenstown, has had yet another impressive season with now three runner-up finishes in big events on the DP World Tour in 2026, including the British Masters, the Dubai Invitational and, now, this event.

Chacarra’s win, his third of the season, sweeps him to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings ahead of Patrick Reed.

 

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James Marchesani earns first Australasian Tour title in WA


James Marchesani watches his lengthy putt at the last to set up his one shot win – image Australian Golf Media 

36-year-old Victorian James Marchesani won his first PGA Tour of Australasia title today, nine years after turning professional, with a one-shot win at the WA Open at Secret Harbour Golf Links south of Perth.

After sharing the 54-hole lead with defending champion and South African, Oliver Bekker, and Jasper Stubbs, Marchesani produced a final nine of 31 to edge one clear of Stubbs and two over Bekker and win the $36,000 first prize.

Bekker led by one at the turn over Stubbs with another shot back to Marchesani, but a stunning back nine which included five birdies saw Marchesani take a one-shot lead to the last, which he safely negotiated for his breakthrough win in Australia.

Marchesani, who played much of his amateur career at college in Oklahoma in the US, actually finished first in the Webex Series Victoria in 2023, but as it was a mixed gender event, the title went to the overall winner, Min A Yoon, but this victory now gives him his first official PGA Tour of Australasia title and seocnd place on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

Marchesani was delighted to have finally broken through after numerous podium finishes over the last few years and despite missing the cut in his last two events at St Andrews and Kalgoorlie, he impressed with the quality of his play over the Graha Marsh-designed layout.

“I think it was a matter of how long can you sort of wait and when is it going to happen?,” said Marchesani when asked about winning for the first time in Australia. “When is it going to happen? I’m playing good, but it’s not quite happening. So yeah, I think it does, but I’ve always believed I’ve been good enough to… It’s probably come a little later than what I though out here.

“But yeah, everyone’s so talented now, so you got to work harder and harder and harder. And as I get a little bit older, it is a little bit harder, but I still love it. So yeah, just a really rewarding week.

Stubbs had missed five of his previous seven cuts before an encouraging 3rd place in Kalgoorlie last week and was another looking for his first win, but he is a player good enough to have won the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and to have finished 3rd at the 2024 Australian Open, and many are predicting a bright future for the 24-year-old.

His runner-up finish is his best on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

South African but now Australian resident Bekker was attempting to win this event for the second year in succession, and when he took an early lead on day four, he appeared on track to do just that. He still led by two with five holes to play. Bogeys at the 14th and 15th, however, were his downfall.

The PGA Tour of Australasia now heads to South Australia for this coming week’s mixed-gender Webex Series South Australia event.

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Bekker and Sinnott lead WA Open


Victorian Todd Sinnott leads with Oliver Bekker – image PGA of Australia

South African but now West Australian resident Oliver Bekker, and Victorian Todd Sinnott share the halfway lead at the West Australian Open at the Graham Marsh-designed Secret Harbour Golf Links south of Perth, the pair tied at 10 under par and one ahead of NSW’s golfer Lachlan Chamberlain.

41-year-old Bekker, a former DP World Tour and LIV Golf golfer, is the defending champion, having won at the Mt Lawley Golf Club last year, but he has struggled much of 2026 and has missed the cut in his last six world ranking events.

“I’m very happy,” said Bekker. “Like I said yesterday, my golf’s not really been trending in this direction, so anything under par every day, I’ll be pretty stoked.”

“I mean, last year I came in with no expectations. I wasn’t playing great. To be fair, this year is kind of similar vibe. So I don’t really take being a defending champion too seriously. Every event, you got to go out there and play your best and see what happens. Different venue, everything’s different about this week anyway. So I came down a couple of times during the winter break and played at Secrets.”

Sinnott, too, has had his battles for 2026, playing much of his events on the Asian Development Tour, but he is a previous winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tours and before turning professional was one of Australia’s leading amateurs. He followed up his opening round of 66 with a second round of 68 to share the lead late in the day after playing in the afternoon field on day two.

Sinnott was hoping to get into the field for the Macau Open on the Asian Tour this week, but his limited status on that tour counted against him. It might yet be a blessing in disguise.

“I thought I would get in Macau this week, but I didn’t,” said the 34-year-old. “I lost my full playing rights last year, so I’ve got category 70 to 110 or something, which historically gets a fair few events. But this year, just with the limited schedule, everyone’s playing everything. So yeah, last year my category would’ve got in by 25 spots, and this year it missed by 20.

“So I had planned on going to Macau. I thought I was going to Macau, but yeah, I didn’t get in. And that’s pretty much, there’s one more event in Manila, which I won’t get into. So yeah, no, I’m just concentrating on here and trying to play as good as I can.”

The cut fell at even par with 58 golfers making it to the weekend.

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Indian Golf Championship attracts three 2026 major winners


Rory McIlroy during practice this week – image DP World Tour / Getty Images 

Indian golf has likely never seen anything like it. This week’s US$4 million DP World India Championship contains three of this year’s four major championship winners, 13 major winners overall, and the leading seven players in the Race to Dubai rankings, making it the strongest field ever seen in the country.

The Delhi Golf Club in the country’s capital, New Delhi, is 96 years old and has played host to countless Indian golf events over a long period. Redesigned by three-time Indian Open winner, Peter Thomson in 1967, the layout is protected by significant tea tree growth and is considered a very much a placement golf course.

Rory McIlroy, Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai are the three 2026 major winners in the field but the current leader on the race to Dubai Order of Merit, Patrick Reed will be doing his best to hold off McIlroy over the next few weeks as the 2026 season comes to an end in Dubai in mid-November.

McIlroy played her last year and finished back in 26th place but arrived in Delhi full of confidence for what lies ahead.

“It’s looking good. Just as tight as I remember from last year,” said the Northern Irishman. “It’s definitely a different golf course than what we’re used to playing. It doesn’t offer you a lot of room off the tee. A lot of irons and strategic play with your tee shots.

“It’s great to be back. I had a wonderful experience here last year, and I come here now as a DP World ambassador. Deepened my relationship, obviously, with the company that puts on this event which is also the umbrella sponsor of the DP World Tour.

“Obviously very happy to be back and representing them. Looking forward to a great week.”

Fox, who is playing the event for the first occasion, feels it will require very different strategies this week to do well.

“It’s been great,” said the Open Champion. “We’ve been looked at fantastically well so far, and been enjoying the food, enjoying the golf course. It’s something I feel a bit different. I don’t have a driver in the bag this week, like a fair chunk of guys don’t.

“It’s a placement, control-your-ball-style golf course. Yeah, it’s been fun the last couple days and obviously looking forward to the week.”

Fox is currently in 6th place in the Race to Dubai rankings but has not given up hope of winning the title in Dubai in three week’s time. He is entered for the events in Korea, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Other Australians and New Zealanders in the field are Min Woo Lee, Daniel Hillier, Jason Scrivener, Elvis Smylie, Anthony Quayle and Ryan Peake,

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John Lyras leads in Kalgoorlie


The Graham Marsh designed Kalgoorlie Golf Club in Western Australia – image PGA of Australia

The second event of the 2026/2027 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule, the WAPGA Championship, has reached the halfway stage at the Kalgoorlie Golf Club in Western Australia, one of 18 tournaments on this year’s schedule.

The opening event of the new season was played in Port Moresby in August when Josh Armstrong won over Lachlan Aylen and Louis Dobbelaar, but this event kicks off a prolonged series of events over the next five months culminating in a three-event swing in New Zealand through February and the National Tournament on the Mornington Peninsula in late March.

The three standout events in terms of prestige and prize money will be the Australian and New Zealand Opens and the Australian PGA Championship, with most of the other events carrying prize money of around A$250,000, the exception being the NSW Open, which plays for around A$800,000.

This week’s event in Kalgoorlie is played at the publicly owned, Graham Marsh-designed Kalgoorlie Golf Club, set amid the red dirt of the gold-mining area east of Perth, about 600 kilometres east of the city.

Through 36 holes, the leader is NSW golfer John Lyras, who has returned to tournament golf after a wrist injury has curtailed much of 2026, and although without a victory on the Australasian Tour, he has produced one or two runner-up finishes, including when second behind Brendan Jones at the 2023 NZ Open.

“I feel like I’m getting to a point where I’m starting to understand my game a bit better,” said Lyras. “And playing these first two rounds, that was really evident out there for me, even just analysing my own game out there. And I’m really pleased with the progress that I’ve got going at the moment.

“And truthfully, I love the direction I’m heading, but ultimately it’s just trying to alleviate some stresses on the body and my swing. And at the same time, it’s translating into better shots and the scoring still, you probably don’t score as well as you’d like to every round of golf – I think every golfer can say that – but I think just in terms of the way the ball feels off the club and through the turf, it’s been very different, and it’s been nice to feel a little bit less stress through the hands and the arms during a round of golf.”

Lyras leads by one over Queensland’s Dylan Gardner and American Tyler McCumber, whose father, Mark, was a ten-time winner on the PGA Tour, including wins at the Players Championship and the Tour Championship.

28-year-old Gardner is another yet to win on the PGA Tour of Australasia, but he did finish runner-up at the Gippsland Super 6 in 2024.

The cut fell at 2 over, eight shots from the lead, with 51 players making it to the weekend.

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Grace Kim finishes 7th in Hawaii


Grace Kim – file imageSydney’s Grace Kim has recorded her equal best result of the 2026 LPGA Tour when she finished in a share of 7th place at the Lotte Championship on Oahu in Hawaii.

Kim finished 7th earlier in the season at the Meijer Classic, but although she has made 13 of 17 cuts, there have been few finishes in contention.

Kim, who won her first major title in 2025 and has now just two top-ten finishes this season, has improved to 62nd in the Race to the Globe rankings compared to her 31st place at the completion of last season.

Queensland’s Cassie Porter also had a solid week, finishing 18th after an equal best round of 67 on Sunday.

Porter is in 46th place in the Race to the Globe rankings.

Robyn Choi and Gabi Ruffels were the only other Australians to make the weekend but finished well back.

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Steve Alker makes it four wins for PGA Tour Champions season


Alker with yet another trophy – image Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s Steve Alker has held off a strong final-day challenge from Tag Ridings to win his 4th PGA Tour Champions title of the season, his 5th win of 2026, and his 14th PGA Tour Champions title in five years.

Alker began the final round of the Jeffeson Lehigh Classic in Allentown, Pennsylvania, one shot behind Michael Block but moved one ahead of Block and Tidings by the turn and then held on to win by one over Tidings, with Block taking bogey at the last to finish 3rd, two behind Alker.

Alker earns US$345,000 for his win and takes his season’s earnings to US$2.3 million.

Alker’s win was all the more meritorious after back issues early in the week and after his regular caddie fell ill during Friday’s opening round, and a local 19-year-old caddie replaced him.

After one win early in the season, Alker has been on a roll, winning three of his last four and adding a European Senior Tour win, for four wins and a runner-up finish in his last five starts.

“Yeah, it’s pretty special, I haven’t done it since ’22,” said the 55-year-old, referring to the four victories. “Kind of a little bit surprised. I just crushed it the last six weeks; the scoring got better, my putting got better, driving it better, doing everything better. So I didn’t have my A-game today; we didn’t have our A-game in the last group, but just good to get it done. Made some big putts there at the end. Just so happy with No. 4.”

“Whyatt, (replacement caddie), he’s a local guy here; he’s only 19. He’s done a great job, helped me on some putts here and there I just wasn’t sure of because I hadn’t seen the golf course, hadn’t had enough time on it. So it all worked out.”

Alker will move past US$2 million for the season (US$2.3 million) but remains in 3rd position on the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab standings behind Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson.

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Adrian Meronk wins first event in nearly four years


Adrian Meronk – first win since the 2022 Australian Open Germany-born but Polish citizen Adrian Meronk, has today won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, his first win since his 2022 Australian Open victory and his first DP World Tour success since the 2022 Irish Open.

Meronk, who has played the LIV Golf League in recent times, began the final round two behind the leader, Casey Jarvis of South Africa, but his equal best 3rd round of the week, a 63, had given him the momentum heading into the final day over the Old Course at St Andrews and by the turn he had drawn level.

He would finish the stronger and eventually won by two over Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard and Jarvis.

“It’s unreal,” said emotional Meronk. “As I told you before, I never usually cry but this one feels really special. I’m sorry, I’m just lost for words. To win here after ten years, after turning pro, it’s a dream come true, and it’s unusual. I’m sorry, I’m at a loss for words, but I’m extremely happy and relieved.

“The goal for the rest of the season was to try to get my status for next year, and that helps me a lot. I’m super happy that I actually got that goal, but I will have to re-evaluate my goals for the rest of the season and see what happens. I’ll do that tomorrow and then see what happens. I’m super happy and super grateful to be in that position.

Scotland’s Michael Stewart and England’s Tommy Fleetwood tied for 4th.

In what was an overall disappointing week for the large contingent of Australians and New Zealanders, Daniel Hillier did best when he tied for 30th.

Nick Voke was 51st, Declan O’Donovan 55th and Cameron John 61st.

The DP World Tour now heads to Madrid for the Spanish Open.

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