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.”
