Royal Freemantle gets second half of Australasian Tour underway


Can the leading Order of Merit player in the field, Jack Buchanan, add a second title in WA this season?

The PGA Tour of Australasia begins the second half of its 2024/2025 season when the Webex Player Series Perth hosted by Min Woo Lee gets underway at the Royal Freemantle Golf Club on Thursday.

The event is being played for the first occasion but forms part of a series of events which have played a key role in the development of so many young Australians since Covid, many of those players without a substantial tour on which to play prior to the introduction of the Webex Series.

The $250,000 event has failed to attract the leader of the current Order of Merit, Elvis Smylie, but with the well performed Jack Buchanan, Curtis Luck, Anthony Quayle and Phoenix Campbell in the field then there is sure to be a lot of interest in the result especially given the benefits of Order of Merit positions at the end of the season.

Nine more events remain on this season’s schedule, the standout being the NZ$2 million New Zealand Open in late February, now the second richest event on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Like other Webex Series events, the tournament will also boast a field of women golfers who will play against the men.

Tee Times 

Order of Merit 

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American Gilligan and Korea’s Yang Master of Amateurs champions

 

Ian Gilligan in action in a PGA Tour event in 2024

Foreigners have prevailed at the Master of the Amateurs events at the Southern Golf Club in Melbourne, American Ian Gilligan taking the men’s title by a narrow one shot and South Korean Hyojin Yang winning the women’s title by two.

Gilligan who attends the University of Florida in the US where he is a standout and the winner of the Western Amateur in 2024, held on to finish one ahead of Queensland’s Kai Komulainen who is also now based in the US at the University of Tennessee.

Gilligan led by two into today’s final round and was three ahead of Komulainen heading into the back nine but was forced to withstand a final nine push by Komulainen to take the title.

Brisbane’s Harry Takis who is also now at college in the US finished 3rd, one shot behind Komulainen and two from the winner.

The women’s event went to Hyojin Yang who recently finished 3rd behind Jiyai Shin at the Women’s Australian Open as an amateur, the Korean coming from behind heading into round four to defeat NSW’s Ella Scaysbrook by two.

Defending champion Rianne Maxili of the Philippines finished 3rd.

 

Gilligan and Yang pose with their trophies – image Australian Master of the Amateurs – Anthony Powter

 

 

 

Leaderboards 

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Wrong ball incident proves costly for Cam Davis

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Hideki Matsuyama wins his 11th PGA Tour title and sets all time scoring record 

Hideki Matsuyama wins 11th PGA Tour title and sets new all-time scoring record

Australia’s Cam Davis was moving into contention for a possible finish inside the top during the final round of the Sentry Tournament at Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui when he and Will Zalatoris were involved in a costly incident for both.

Both players hit their second shots just short of the green at the par 5 15th hole but after playing their third shots it was discovered that both had hit each other’s ball and, instead of recording a birdie, both were required to play their 5th shots from what would have been their thirds.

The mistake cost both players two shots and instead of a potential finish inside the top 5 where he was at the time of the incident, Davis finished tied for 13th the difference in prizemoney potentially as much as US$340,000.

For Davis, who had been making an impressive move up the leaderboard prior to the incident with five birdies in his first 14 holes, the incident unsettled him and he bogeyed the 17th before hitting a fine second to the last to record one final birdie in his round of 69 and a share of 13th.

Adam Scott finished one shot behind Davis after his final round of 70 while Jason Day was the only other Australasian in the field and finished 40th.

The winner and the man to set a new course and PGA Tour record was Hideki Matsuyama whose final round of 65 saw him finish at 35 under par on the low scoring par 73 layout.

Matsuyama bettered the previous record of Cam Smith’s set in 2022 and won his 11th PGA Tour title and earned US$3.6 million with his three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa.

Leaderboard

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Adam Scott and Cam Davis improve standing at Kapalua

 

Cam Davis in action during round three – image Getty Images 

Cam Davis and Adam Scott have recorded impressive 18-under-par totals for the opening 54 holes of The Sentry at the Plantation Course in Hawaii. Their respective rounds of 64 over the par 73 layout improved them from 20th through 36 holes to a share of 9th as the opening event of the season heads into tomorrow’s final round.

That’s the good news, but the bad news is that they are a massive nine shots from the lead of Hideki Matsuyama, whose third round of 11 under par 62 on the par 73 layout leaves him one ahead of Collin Morikawa, who matched Matsuyama’s third-round score.

Matsuyama, whose rounds of 65, 65, and 62 over the opening three days have set the lowest 54-hole total in the event, is now just a round of 65 away from breaking the tournament record at the Plantation Course, set by Cam Smith in 2022.

Matsuyama recorded three top 4 finishes in this event earlier in his career but in recent years he has not been quite as good although he has been in great form this week.

Davis has recovered from a slow opening round of even par 73 with consecutive rounds of 64 to be in line for a significant cheque to start his season, even 10th place will earn US$550,000.

Davis recorded two eagles in his round including one at the par 4 14th where he pitched in from just off the green at the driveable hole.

Just really good, solid golf,” said Davis after his round. “Pretty much the same as yesterday. I feel like when the wind’s down like this you kind of need to play pretty attacking golf and get a good round going.

“Especially with the way I started the tournament, I had a really rough first round, so I pretty much have been able to free-wheel it a little bit, and it’s really nice to put back-to-back good rounds up on the board.”

Scott recorded an opening nine of 29 today before a bogey at the 10th slowed the momentum but he added three more birdies to finish with 64 to be tied with Davis.

Jason Day is the only other Australian in the restricted field event and is in 33rd place at 11 under par and seven behind his fellow countrymen.

Leaderboard

 

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Sentry gets 2025 PGA Tour season off to fast start

The Plantation Course finishing hole – image Gettys

The PGA Tour’s 2025 season begins on Thursday (Friday morning Australian time) when the field of 60 of the PGA Tour’s achievers in 2024 take to the fairways of The Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui in Hawaii.

Previously known as the Tournament of Champions, because it brought together the winners of events on the previous year’s schedule, the event now includes not only the winners but those golfers finishing inside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Now one of eight Signature events on the 2025 PGA Tour schedule the event carries a purse of US$20 million with the winner to pocket US$3.6 million to get his season off to the best possible start.

As has often been the case with this event or its equivalent one or two of the game’s leading players are missing from the field, some preferring to start their season a little later despite the attraction of the significant purse although this year the absence of world number one Scottie Scheffler is due to a hand injury which is expected to be healed within a month.

World number three Rory McIlroy is another to not play the event, his decision by choice rather than an enforced injury or such.

Xander Schauffele will therefore start to event as the highest ranked player in the field and with a win and a runner-up finish over the Plantation Course in his seven starts there he deserves favouritism.

Australia will have three players in the field although interestingly only Cam Davis has won in 2004, his victory coming in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Adam Scott, Jason Day and Davis will tee it up with Scott playing for the 9th occasion.

Scott plays the event for the 9th occasion, his best coming in 2007 when finishing runner-up.

Day has had four top tens in his previous 6 starts in the event with a best of 3rd in his stellar year of 2015.

Davis gets to play his third Sentry Tournament his best coming on debut when 10th in 2022.

Tee Times 

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Master of the Amateurs gets 2025 underway


Last year’s women’s champion and world number three amateur Rianne Malixi – will attempt a title defence

The Australasian golfing year begins this week in Melbourne where the Australian Master of the Amateurs takes place at the Southern Golf Club on Melbourne’s sandbelt.

The event has become one of Australian and indeed world golf’s most significant amateur events, boasting an impressive line-up of former champions since first played in Queensland in 1997, but more importantly since its switch to Melbourne in 2002.

Previous winners in the men’s event include the likes of Jason Day, Brendan Jones, Nathan Holman, Zach Murray, David Micheluzzi, Sahith Theegala and the defending champion Phoenix Campbell.

Players to compete in the men’s event have included Rickie Fowler, Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau and Ryan Fox.

A women’s version of the event was introduced in 2018 with players such as outstanding now Japanese LPGA Tour player , Yuka Yasuda and New South Wales’ Stephanie Kyriacou prevalent on the honours board.

The defending champion this year is Rianne Maxili of the Philippines currently ranked number three in women’s amateur golf

The events are played over 72 holes with a cut through 54 holes

In recognition of the strength of the 2025 Men’s field and the shared passion to create pathways for Men in Golf, Gavin Kirkman, CEO, PGA of Australia, has afforded the 2025 Men’s Australian Master of the Amateurs Champion a position into the Heritage Classic which is on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

NSW Golf has afforded the 2025 Men’s Australian Master of the Amateurs Champion a position into the 2025 NSW Open.

The winner of the Women’s event will be included in the field for the 2025 Australian Women’s PGA Championship in March.

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Five Australasians earn Asian Tour playing rights

Jack Thompson – returns to the Asian Tour – image Asian Tour 

Four Australians and one New Zealander will bolster the ranks of Australasian campaigners on the Asian Tour in 2025 when the Q School for the 2025 season was completed in Hua Hi, Thailand, this weekend.

206 players began the 90-hole marathon earlier in the week but only 35 would secure one of the highly sought-after cards

South Australian Jack Thompson finished in a share of 5th place and reagined his rights, former Asian Tour event winner, Todd Sinnott from Victoria, regained his rights when sharing 10th place, Queenslander Lawry Flynn will play the Asian Tour for the first time after finishing 14th, while New Zealand’s Denzel Ieremia and Queenslander Brett Rankin in 15th and 19th position are also secure.

Darcy Brereton and Will Florimo missed a card by just one shot in what was a tense final round.

Leaderboard (top 35) gain entry

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Garvey and Bennett earn full Ladies European Tour status


Amelia Garvey – successful change of direction for the New Zealander  

New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey is one of two Australasians to gain full status cards for the 2025 Ladies European Tour following her outstanding finish to the final stage of Q School today.

English-born but raised in Canterbury, New Zealand’s South Island, Garvey produced a final 36 holes of 67 and 65 to finish 4th in Marrakesh, Morocco. After unsuccessful years playing on the secondary Epson Tour in the USA, the former University of Southern California golfer has reset her career.

“I’m feeling good, it was a pretty stress-free round for me today. I just wanted to put a low number and actually try and chase the lead down,” said Garvey, who had her cousin Jamie Tipper on the bag.

“I really love this course, and it suits my game, so I’m really proud of the way I finished the five days out here.

“Jamie [her caddie] is the reason why I’m here. I’ve struggled on Epson the last few years to get my LPGA card, and I just wanted to change it up a little bit.

“He’s been out here this year, and he said, I really think that you’ll like it out here. It was really nice to have him on the bag this week and just have a comfortable, familiar face. He’s done a really good job.”

Joining Garvey amongst the Australasians as a full status card earner this week is New South Wales golfer, Kelsey Bennett, who birdied three of her last five holes to secure her card on the number.

Perth’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard made a fast start to her final round with three early birdies but was unable to find the one extra she needed to secure a full status card and finished on shot shy but will earn secondary status as will New Zealand’s Wenyung Keh who finished two shots from of the required mark.

Queensland’s Justice Bosio, who played so well at the recent Women’s Australian Open finished in 57th place and missed out on a card but may get the occasional start as is the case with Australian Belinda Ji.

Results

 

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Asian Tour access up for grabs in Thailand


Zach Murray chasing a return to the sort of form which saw him win the 2019 New Zealand Open 

The Asian Tour’s final stage of qualifying for season 2025 is underway in Hua Hin in Thailand where twenty Australians and four New Zealanders will chase one of 35 cards available in Asia.

The event will be played over 90 holes at the Lake View Resort and Golf Club’s two layouts with a cut made after rounds two and four.

Amongst the large Australian contingent are two former New Zealand Open Champions, Zach Murray and Jordan Zunic, and the winner of this same Q School two years ago, Jack Thompson, who has struggled to produce the sort of form he promised earlier in his career.

Also in the field is 46 year old veteran Marcus Fraser a former winner of multiple Asian and European Tour events, no doubt keen to keep his game competitive as the access to golf on over 50’s tours looms.

Leaderboard 

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Australasians chase Ladies European Tour cards

Recently turned professional Justice Bosio – seen here at the recent Australian Open – image AGM

Four Australasians tackle the Ladies European Tour’s Final Stage of Qualifying in Marrakesh, Morocco where 154 players will compete over 90 holes for the right to play the Ladies European Tour in 2025.

The leading 20 players will earn Category 12 status, the next 30 Category 16 status and the balance of those making the cut after 72 holes, securing the very limited Category 19 status.

Perth’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Queensland’s Justice Bosio, Sydney amateur Belinda Ji and New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey will tee it up over the Royal Golf Marrakech and Al Golf Maaden Marrakech layouts over the first 72 holes, the top 65 making it through to the final round at Al Golf Maaden for the final round.

Tee Times 

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