Dodt in action this week – photo courtesy of Asian Tour

Australia’s Andrew Dodt is on target to continue the outstanding run of Queensland based professionals when he takes to the Kota Permai layout in Kuala Lumpur in round three of the Bandar Malaysia Open.

Although 77 players are yet to complete round two, Dodt was able to build on his opening round of 63 by adding a 68 on Friday to move one ahead of China’s Lu Yanwei through 36 holes. His lead appears safe irrespective of how the remainder of the field finish off their second rounds.

A month ago, Gold Coast based, Michael Sim, won the Queensland PGA Championship, followed a week later by the maiden win of another Gold Coast based golfer, Anthony Quayle, at the Queensland Open and just last week yet another Gold Coaster, Brad Kennedy, outlasted Lucas Herbert to win the New Zealand Open.

Dodt, who hails from Gatton west of Brisbane, missed the cut in New Zealand last week but bounced back immediately with his brilliant opening round on Thursday as he chases his 4^th Asian Tour title, two of those events jointly sanctioned with the European Tour.

“It’s hard to back up a 63 but I did with a 68 today, pretty solid,” said Dodt. “I hit a lot of greens but didn’t hole as many putts as I did yesterday. But all in all, it’s a solid day’s work.

“I didn’t think I played cautious today. I just didn’t hit it as close. I didn’t have as many chances as I did yesterday. The pin positions were pretty difficult.

“I’m just playing a little bit technical with my swing. I thought about it a lot on the plane coming here. I haven’t been playing well before this week so I just wanted to throw it up a bit and just play the game.

“I’ve done that so far and happy to be in a good position with two more days to go. I’m just going to have fun, keep things simple and stay relaxed which is what I have done.”

South Australian, Wade Ormsby, who currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2019 courtesy of his win at the Hong Kong Open in January, is also well place in a share of 6^th place currently after a second round of 65.

 

 

Anthony Quayle – photo Golf Australia

It might be well short of his biggest previous cheque in professional golf, but Queensland based Anthony Quayle’s playoff victory at the Queensland Open at Pelican Waters on the Sunshine Coast today provides perhaps more than money can buy, namely a victory in a professional event.

Quayle, who has plied his trade with commercial success in Japan for the past two years, had yet to taste success in the paid ranks until today but by holding off a spirited and impressive challenge from South Australian amateur Jack Thompson he has broken through for what is likely to be the first of many wins.

Quayle has been rewarded for a very consistent few months where he has finished inside the top twenty in his last seven starts in both Japan and Australasia, one of those when finishing 3^rd at the Casio World Open late in the 2019 Japan Tour season.

The cheque for the finish at the Casio was the equivalent of $A190,000 and while the monetary rewards today paled in comparison (A$20,600) the value of the breakthrough victory alone is hard to put a figure on.

Quayle had his nose in front for much of the final round in a battle with West Australian Kim Felton and Thompson but it was Thompson who refused to go away. Quayle blundered early in his back nine and actually lost the lead to Thompson at one stage but he recovered to force the playoff.

Quayle won by saving par at the first extra hole.

The winner, Quayle, and runner-up, Jack Thompson, (left) – Golf Australia

“It feels incredible,” said Quayle. “I’ve given myself a few chances recently and haven’t been able to pull it off and the feeling of frustration or regret walking off the 18^th green is definitely not present at the moment,” Quayle said.

“I felt for a while that my first win would be a pretty difficult one to get done and maybe it was difficult because I thought it into reality.

“I showed myself today what it takes to win and it doesn’t have to go perfect. You can make quite a few mistakes and still have a chance to win. I think it’s a pretty good lesson for me today.”

“KB (Ken Berndt) my coach helped me out a lot,” Quayle said while also thanking his parents and wife Sofia for their support.

“We got to a few ahead and then went bogey, double and Jack went par, birdie and all of a sudden he was one ahead and was playing really nicely.

“To catch him I was going to have to play really good golf. KB had a chat to me; got me to compose myself and I barely missed a shot coming in the last five holes.

“He was saying to me as we went to the first playoff hole I didn’t sign up for this extra work, but I wouldn’t be here without him. He’s coached me since I was 14, constantly helping, incredibly selfless, just always there to help you out.”

Brad Kennedy tied for 3^rd with New South Wales’ Jake Higginbottom.

The PGA Tour of Australasia now heads to Queenstown in New Zealand’s South Island for the 101^st New Zealand Open at the host course Millbrook Resort.

Zach Murray – photo Asian Tour

Ryan Fox and Zach Murray, who finished one and two on the 2019 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, and earned starts at the WGC Championship Mexico as a result, have made solid starts to the event at the Club De Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City.

Both players lead the Australasian contingent and are tie for 19^th at 2 under and although nine shots from the tournament leader, Bryson De Chambeau, they currently have many of the game’s leading players trailing in their wake.

Both players have shown improvement in recent starts, Murray having struggled since his win at the New Zealand Open last year before good tournaments in Abu Dhabi and at the Vic Open. Given his still relative lack of experience at this level it is an impressive start for the 22-year-old Victorian.

Fox was runner-up in his last start at the Vic Open and today put together seven birdies in round two before a bogey at the last. He had also dropped three shots in two holes late in his front nine.

Fox and Murray will rush back to Queenstown in New Zealand at the completion of the event to play next week’s New Zealand Open.

Adam Scott recovered from his slow start to the event on Thursday with a second round 68 today to be at even par and tied for 28^th while Marc Leishman is the next best in 42^nd place.

There is no cut in the event so Lucas Herbert, Cameron Smith and Scott Hend will also get their chance to improve their standing from further back in the field over the final 36 holes.

Scores

 

 

 

Lauren Stephenson – photo and article Ladies European Tour

American, Lauren Stephenson, ended with an eagle three on the last hole for an eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic Bonville on Friday.

Stephenson finished just ahead of 19-year-old Ayean Cho. The 2019 KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year set the clubhouse lead with her own blistering 64 to go to 13-under after 36 holes, but it wasn’t enough to keep Stephenson from leading for a second successive day.

“I haven’t looked at any leader boards or anything. I’m just figuring out my game,” said 22-year-old Stephenson, from South Carolina.

She posted five birdies on the front nine, but her charge stalled with a double bogey on the 13^th hole. However, she bounced back with birdies on 14, 15 and 17, followed by a brilliant eagle on the 477-yard par-5 18^th.

“I hit a brilliant drive down the middle of the fairway on 18 and then I had 210 yards in, which is the perfect number for my 5-wood. I hit a really good 5-wood and that is my favourite hybrid or wood, because it goes dead straight. I had 15 feet for eagle and I’ve been making those all day, so I kept the same rhythm.

“The birdie on the 17^th was important and the par putt on 16. The 16^th  is honestly a really tough hole, because even though it’s short, the green is really tricky. Where that pin was today was tough and I’m sure there were plenty of three-putts there today. I made a really nice putt for par, which was huge.”

Cho, the world number 35 and Stephenson, the world number 179, will go head to head over the weekend and Stephenson said that she had watched the teenage phenom feature in the television coverage over the last two weeks’ LPGA events in Australia, the ISPS Handa Vic Open and the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, where she tied for 16^th and sixth respectively.

“I have never played with her before but I know she’s played really well the last two weeks and I know she’s really young. I watched her a little bit on TV the last two weeks. I think it’s about having fun this weekend and getting confidence here.

I’ve made a lot of swing changes at the end of last season and I finally feel like those are paying off and I’m feeling more comfortable with it. That’s been my goal for this week, so it’s really nice to get my confidence boosted.

“I’ll just take it one shot at a time and focus on what I’m doing. At the end of the day, you can’t control what anyone else does and whoever’s meant to win, will win. It’s just sticking with my game plan and hitting the shots I need to hit and try to make as many birdies as I can.”

New South Wales amateur Stephanie Kyriacou also eagled the last for a nine-under-par 63 late in the day to finish on 12-under-par and alone in third position. Her card included five birdies and two eagles, at the seventh and 18^th holes.

Stephanie Kyriacou – LET

Kyriacou’s round was the best of the day and leaves her just two from the lead.

Ladies European Tour rookie member Charlotte Thomas, Linnea Strom and Noora Tamminen are tied for fourth on seven-under, while Gemma Dryburgh, Anne Van Dam, Meghan MacLaren, Lina Boqvist, Peiying Tsai and Hye Ji Lee share seventh on six-under-par.

SCORES