New Zealander Steve Alker has picked up where he left off in 2021 with a runner-up finish at the opening event of the 2022 PGA Tour Champions, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii

Alker actually tied for the lead through 54 holes before losing a playoff at the 2^nd extra hole to Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Both Alker and Jimenez stormed home in 31 including birdies at the last by both to force a playoff and finish one shot ahead of Vijay Singh and Canadian Stephen Ames.

Alker only joined the PGA Tour Champions in August of 2021 as a Monday qualifier but played his way to full status with a remarkable run of finishes in the latter half of last year, recording a remarkable nine top tens in ten starts, including his win in November and a runner-up finish at the season ending Charles Schwab Cup.

The win gained him access to this season opener, the field restricted to winners on the PGA Tour Champions over the past two years and senior major champions over the past five years.

Alker earns another US$200,000 for the runner-up finish and in just five months since joining the tour for over fifties he has accumulated US$1.35 million in earnings.

 

Anthony Quayle – another win at home – photo PGA of Australia

He might have been born in NSW and raised until the age of 14 in the Northern Territory, but 27-year-old Anthony Quayle is a self-confessed proud Queenslander and today he added further to the pride he has in representing the Sunshine State with his second Queensland State title to go with his 2020 Queensland Open Championship.

Quayle converted a six shot 54-hole lead into a two-shot victory over New South Welshman Daniel Gale at the Queensland PGA Championship, but that very simple summary hardly describes the dramas of a day which ebbed and flowed and at one stage appeared as if Quayle might blow such a significant final round lead.

As he, his fellow Queenslander, Louis Dobbelaar and New South Welshman Justin Warren teed off in the final group of the day, Quayle appeared likely to add this title to the 2020 Queensland Open he won an hour up the road at Club Pelican in Caloundra.

But six shot leads can prove difficult to maintain in a final round as there is the ongoing question whether a player should attack and extend the lead or consolidate that which he had built over the opening three days.

Two of those six shots disappeared at the first when Quayle hit a tree with his tee shot, almost lost his second after perhaps trying to do too much from a an awkward lie, pitched short after a spectator luckily found his ball and then missed a ten-footer for bogey.

Quayle was perhaps lucky to find his ball at the first – photo Bruce Young

Initially it was Dobbelaar who made the first statement when he hit a beautiful approach to the 1^st converted for a birdie and he had nearly halved his own starting deficit of seven.

But four holes later, all six of Quayle’s starting lead had gone and the momentum had swung to 26-year-old Warren whose power had proved a valuable asset over the opening five holes with four consecutive birdies to get to 11 under and at that point he was tied with the apparently faltering Quayle.

Quayle somehow found managed to settle things down with what could be described as the shot of the week when he powered a 5 iron 180 metres through the wind to the 6^th, the magnificent iron settling less than three feet from the hole and when Warren over-shot the green, found the hazard and took bogey, the pressure was released and the margin was three once again.

“I got off to a terrible start and Justin (Warren) was pushing really hard,” said the winner. “He didn’t miss a shot on those first five holes and then the 5 iron from 180 metres to 2 feet settled me down a little bit and I was able to build a little momentum off the back of that.

“From that point on I calmed down a lot and felt like I had more control of my ball and then I hit a really nice shot into the par 3 8^th  and holed a nice putt and I think after that I felt pretty settle for most of the day.

“Louis though made a big charge on the back nine and was looking really solid for a while so overall it was probably a bit more stressful than I thought it would be but it was also a lot of fun.”

“I thought Louis was my biggest danger during the back nine but I did notice that when I got to the 17^th green that Galey (Daniel Gale) was 10 under and although I knew I had a two shot lead playing the last, that tee shot is pretty daunting with the water carry and even if you hit the green there it is not all over.

“I was pleased to feel that come off the club well, hit a good shot and two putt.”

Quayle, who has played most of his golf on the Japan Golf since turning professional, has yet to win in that country but he played well at last week’s Australian PGA Championship after taking a lengthy break from golf, in fact he had not touched a club since late November before the start of last week’s event at nearby Royal Queensland.

“I was just relaxing and just trying to clear my mind after a busy year in Japan and take care of a few things. Then I got Covid two weeks ago and was locked up for a week and so the last two weeks have definitely exceeded my expectations.”

His coach Ken Bernd from the Hills International Academy in Jimboomba was not on the golf course today but perhaps reflecting just what that coach player relationship means to Quayle is that ten years after leaving Hills, Quayle still works with Bernd.

“Last year was a difficult year for me on and off the golf course personally so to start the year like this and get a win is a little bit of validation that I can still compete, play well and do some pretty cool stuff.”

The recently announced strategic alliance between the PGA Tour of Australasia and the DP World Tour provides opportunities for players performing well in Australia to gain pathways to other tours and Quayle is aware and excited by the prospect that further good performances at home might offer an opportunity to play in the US in 2023.

“I hear there are exemptions at the end of the year based on where we finish on the money list here so I will try and push very hard for that before I go to Japan and then try and keep my status in Japan early so I can have status there and push for a card in the US.”

Daniel Gale – strong closing nine earns runner-up finish – photo Bruce Young

Runner-up, Gale, has become a consistent performer on the Australasian Tour since winning an event in Papua New Guinea in 2018.

He powered home with a round of 66 to keep the winner honest until the last hole but he fell two short. It was, though, the second time he has finished runner-up in an Australasian Tour event in addition to his win in PNG.

It was also yet another good week for recently turned professional Louis Dobbelaar who after winning two significant amateur events in the US last year, turned to the paid ranks in November and finished 3^rd at last week’s Australian PGA Championship and 3^rd again this week. His earnings in those two weeks are over $80,000 so his career is under way with a bang.

The youngest player ever (15) to win the New Zealand Amateur Championship and with a very classy amateur career behind him, Dobbelaar looks well on his way to success in the paid ranks.

The tournament was played over the recently opened layout at the Nudgee Golf Club on the Gateway Motorway near Brisbane. The course will benefit from maturity in the years ahead but there is little doubting the location assisted in attracting a large crowd to the final day of the $200,000 event and a successful start to staging the Queensland PGA Championship.

Louis Dobbelaar – a fine start to his professional career – photo Bruce Young

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The current Australian and Queensland PGA Champions, Jed Morgan and Michael Sim at Nudgee today – photo PGA 

The PGA Tour of Australasia moves just a few kilometres north for this week’s Queensland PGA Championship, the event following on from the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship held at nearby Royal Queensland last week.

The event has been switched from a very successful period at the City Golf Club in Toowoomba where it moved in 2009 but the decision to move to the Nudgee Golf Club located adjacent to the Gateway Motorway was prompted, amongst other considerations, by the rejuvenation of that course into a 36 hole facility.

Jim Wilcher, formerly with Graham Marsh Golf Design then Greg Norman Golf Design before branching out on his own, was commissioned to undertake the very important role of the redevelopment of such a strategically placed and historic golfing facility and this week the new layout gets its first chance to showcase itself to a wider audience.

The field is essentially the same which lined up last week at Royal Queensland, the notable excpetion being Min Woo Lee, but the new Australian PGA Champion Jed Morgan starts the hot favourite to continue the remarkable form he displayed when winning one of Australian golf’s most iconic titles by a massive eleven shots just a few days ago.

Many of the same players involved at the business end of the event last Sunday will again be considered favourites to perform well including not only Morgan but the likes of last week’s 3rd placed, Louis Dobbelaar, Brad Kennedy, Blake Windred and Jake McLeod will have their admirers and others will also come into consideration.

Essentially the defending champion, Michael Sim started and finished last week’s event well but it was not so good in the middle but he is a class player at best and the former PGA Tour player might improve further.

Sim won this event at the City Golf Club two years ago and with the 2021 staging cancelled he arrives at the Nudgee Golf Club as the current holder of the title.

Anthony Quayle is a former Queensland Open Champion, now plying his trade in Japan and last week he recovered from a slow start to finish 6^th at Royal Queensland and should be considered as a chance.

Elvis Smylie was brought undone by a second round of 73 last week but finished the event strongly and now fit and healthy after struggles during his rookie season in Europe last year he will be one to watch.

Adelaide youngster Jack Thompson has already won an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia and did well enough last week for him to be considered a chance of extending his already impressive record in professional golf.

It might not carry the same hype or rewards as offered by last week’s Australian PGA Championship but, for many of those in the field, this week a victory will play a key role in the development or extension of their career.

There is interest therefore in that aspect but also interest in just how Brisbane’s newest golfing facility holds up so soon after its opening.

There will also be interest to see just how Jed Morgan backs up his domination of last week’s field but golf works in funny ways and the expected does not always turn out that way.

 

 

 

Su Oh and Jed Morgan hold their respective trophies – photo PGA of Australia.

22 year old Jed Morgan not only created history with his winning margin of eleven at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship today, he became the youngest player to win the title since the event turned to a stroke-play event in 1964 and, more importantly, created a career for himself.

The win over his home course layout at Royal Queensland all but guarantees the Queenslander full status on the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) in 2023, earns him starts in three DP World Tour events in 2022 and earns him a cheque for A$180,000 which I imagine at this stage of his career will be a welcome boost.

The leading three players at the end of the 2022 PGA Tour of Australasia will automatically earn cards for the European Tour and so just two months after turning to the paid ranks, Morgan has all but secured that very important asset for a rookie, namely a significant tour on which to play for several years.

Morgan becomes the immediate beneficiary of an initiative announced between the PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this week and the DP World Tour to provide greater pathways for emerging players and Morgan’s win today certainly does that!

Jed Morgan today – photo Bruce Young

Morgan took a nine shot 54 hole lead into today’s final round and from his opening birdie from ten feet or so at the first, the probable became inevitable as he birdied the 3rd and although he would later produce as many bogeys (3) today than he had in all 54 previous holes, he had done enough work over the opening three days to allow for the occasional mistake.

So how was he feeling as he headed out on a perhaps more important than normal Sunday round of golf at his local club?

“No, I’m pretty sure before a normal Sunday game at Royal Queensland I don’t want to vomit,” he said referring to the nerves he was feeling .

“So, it’s been difficult. The last two days, I’m glad it’s over, whether I won  or lost, I’m just glad it’s over because I’ve never had that type of emotion. I’ve felt pressure for sure, I’m sure like Su’s felt it more than I have, she’s played in major championships and obviously has cemented her spot on the LPGA Tour, but I’ve never felt pressure like the way I felt it this week.

“It was something I want to do it again. Obviously, there’s a couple of things I’d do a bit different, just try not to feel that way, but you can’t help most of it.”

If Morgan was feeling the nerves he certainly did not show it but a birdie at the first certainly helped settle things down.

“It was massive. I said I wanted to get 25-under at the start of the day just to keep pushing myself towards something, but yeah, that was big. I think it was a bigger even birdie the third.

“That kind of cemented a lot of it. Yeah, there were a couple of stages throughout the day I got a bit panicky I guess, made a couple of bogeys in the par 3s, but yeah, that was a nice way to start, especially to that pin.”

Morgan paid credit to his playing partner Oh, the pair familiar with each other through their joint involvement with Golf Australia and having shared accommodation in the US in 2021.

“We almost lived together I guess for a month or two. There’s a special bond I think between Australian golfers that only gets stronger as you go overseas. It’s funny, like the Golf Australia House is obviously provided by the funding that they give to both amateurs and professionals. I’ve been lucky enough to obviously be with that program for five years now.

“I’m forever indebted and grateful for everything and as I said, I think it’s a special bond between Australian golfers and just Australian people in general. We’re huge fans to be Australian and yeah, it’s just awesome. It was awesome to see her win as well.”

So Oh hits her tee shot at the 11th today – photo Bruce Young

The Fortinet WPGA Championship contested by 24 women was won by Su Oh who was the leading ranked player in the field following the withdrawal through Covid associated issues of Hannah Green, Stephanie Kyriacou and Sarah Kemp.

Oh won by four after a final round of 68 saw her extend her two shot 54 hole lead to four.

Recently turned professional, Grace Kim, the current Australian Amateur Champion, finished alone in second place, two ahead of Sarah Jane Smith.

Oh also earns $180,000 and secures her first win since the Australian Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines  in 2015 which came in just her second event as a professional.

“When I won at RACV Royal Pines, I didn’t really go into the week trying to win, I just played,” said Oh referring to her win so early at Royal Pines. “It was like my first pro event and I ended up winning. So, it was kind of like, oh, okay.

“This week, when I decided to play, I really wanted to come and win and hopefully put my name on the Karrie Webb Cup. So I think it made me be a bit more, you know, a bit of confidence in myself that I could get it done and it was a small field, but we had good players and it really came down to the last six, seven holes I think. So, it’s nice to get it done.

“I definitely played well. I made quite a lot of mistakes as well though, around the greens. I just don’t think I quite got used to the grain and how it really sits. But I played better than I thought I would, to be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to be ready so early in the year, but I just said, I’d been playing well at the end of the year, so
hopefully that feeling’s still with me.

“It’s always different when you’re under the pump. Sunday feels so different to Thursday, but my swing felt better as the days went on. I actually hit it very good Thursday, Friday, but played much better on the weekend. I didn’t putt as well today, but still holed all the crucial putts that I had to hole.”

Oh heads back to the USLPGA Tour with the confidence of a win under her belt and it may just be that the young lady who has perhaps not yet lived up to her potential in the US might just make the leap forward in 2022 that many have been waiting for.

The inaugural combined staging of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championships at Royal Queensland worked well and large crowds were present to see one of their own take the men’s title and perhaps stamp himself as a star of the future, if not the now.

SCORES FOR BOTH EVENTS

Grace Kim in action today – photo PGA of Australia

Sydney’s Grace Kim leads the Fortinet Australian Women’s PGA Championship through 36 holes at the Royal Queensland Golf Club, the recently turned professional adding a round of 68 to her opening 69 to lead by one over the pre-tournament favourite, Su Oh, with another of those favoured to do well this week, Sarah Jane Smith, just one further back.

21 year old Kim, the current Australian Women’s Amateur Champion but now a professional, hails from the Avondale Golf Club on Sydney’s North Shore and turned professional in September.

Unable to secure LPGA Tour status via the recent qualifying process, she did secure conditional status on the secondary and feeder Symetra Tour and is destined to work her way to the big time via that process.

“I’ve got the majority of the Aussie schedule/tournaments coming up, play all the players series and then hopefully I’ll be able to head back to the US around mid-April or May and start my Symetra schedule over there.

“I’ve just currently got a conditional status, so I’m going to try my best to play as many as I can.”

Back to her impressive round of 68 this morning and Kim highlighted the need for strategy around the Royal Queensland layout.

“Yes, you’ve got to be strategic around this golf course and I feel like I forced a couple of shots yesterday, just because of the wind, hence I missed a couple of fairways or missed a couple of greens here and there, but yes, like you said, you’ve got to be placing yourself well on the golf course and missing it on the right side.”

When asked what she is learning in the early stages of her professional career Kim responded;

“I think the biggest lesson – well, I’m still learning – is just to be calm and collected on the golf course.  I’ve seen Geoff, Geoff didn’t do too well today and he might not be that happy with himself, but I thought he did really good to be able to just keep it in the game and obviously not get too emotional.

“I think towards the end of my amateur career I definitely was a bit too emotional with my shots and yeah, it was so nice to be able to see from, even with his career, he’s still able to just stay in the present, you know, one shot at a time and his short game – wow – I wish I had a short game.”

Oh, a former Australian Ladies Masters Champion, plays the LPGA Tour but has yet to win there. Today she was unable to repeat her fast start of yesterday when opening with a round of 66 despite a fast start to her second round when recording birdies at her 2^nd and 4^th holes.

She would drop three shots in six holes in the middle of her round but got things back on track with a birdie at the 12^th and eventually finished with 72.

“Yesterday was a lot easier I think,” said Oh.  “I wasn’t really that far off today, just you don’t really have to be far off here to miss the green or miss or tee.  Just a couple of yards short here and there, probably missed two short putts, which didn’t help.  Yeah, just very grainy on the greens, really couldn’t get much going today, but finished par/par, so happy days.

Smith too made a fast start but like Oh she struggled through the middle of her round before steadying the ship with a birdie at the 16^th and although she missed a very makeable chance at the last she is nicely poised as the event heads into the weekend.

Su Oh today – photo Bruce Young

Smith has just regained her playing status for the LPGA tour which she lost late in 2021. She managed to regain her card at the recent Q School and will head back to play the LPGA tour again on Tuesday.

She would say after her round today that the exhausting and nerve-racking process of the Tour School may well have helped her career.

“I mean, I think having Q-School last year and last year as in like four weeks ago, I think that’s going to be the best thing for me for the rest of my career, I think, because there’s nothing ever going to feel like that.  That was the most pressure I think I’ve ever felt.

“It’s for my career really, because I don’t know what I would have done had I actually missed that.  That was I think the most pressure I’ll ever feel, I think to have the opportunity to win something as opposed to lose something, it’s just a totally different pressure.  So I hope that if that was to come, then I would do a lot better.”

Smith has seldom won in her now lengthy career but she is a player good enough to contend for this title over the weekend.

Importantly, the winner of the women’s event secures a cheque for A$180,000, the same winning cheque as the men so there is a lot at stake for the winner of this inaugural WPGA Championship.

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