MICHAEL HARWOOD

The lanky Victorian took the title, his second Australian PGA Legends Tour win in the past fortnight, after the final round at the Kingston Beach Golf Club was washed out by heavy rain.

Harwood shot a blemish free six under 65 in the first round and that was more than enough to claim the title when the second round was abandoned after six holes.

He had started the final round two ahead of fellow Victorian David Good who finished outright second after his 4-under 67.

South Australian Garry Merrick (69) and Mike Zilko (NSW) (70) were the only other players to break par in what were tough conditions in the opening round with 30 plus degree temperatures and a stiffening sea breeze.

The win means Harwood is the only player to ever win the Tasmanian Senior Open three times and comes on top of his win at the NSW Legends Championship at the Oatlands Golf Club early last week.

“It is a great honour to win the event for a third time,” Harwood said after accepting the title. “The course was presented beautifully and whilst it is disappointing to not be able to finish the round today, I am more than happy to take the win,”

“I will be heading to the European Seniors Tour again this year and it gives me great confidence to have now had a couple of wins before the season starts in Europe.”

Other notables in the field were Rodger Davis who finished in a five way tie for fifth on even par while 1990 US PGA Champion Wayne Grady was a further three shots back in a tie for 14th.

Graham Roberts from Royal Hobart Golf Club won the best gross score for the amateurs with Queenslander Eric Oxenford taking out the best nett score.

THE

In blustery conditions Victorian Kym Olsen was the standout with three consecutive sub-par rounds of 71 for a 3-under par total to finish fourteen shots clear of the field.

The others to gain cards were Queensland’s Gary Schofield (227) and John Kirchner (228), and New Zealand’s Davitt Lavery (231).

Lavery had to survive a sudden death play-off against Victoria’s Mick Asami for his place on the tour.

The newcomers are already making their mark on the tour with the three Australians competing in the just completed NSW Legends Championship at the Oatlands Golf Club.

Schofield finished in 13th spot while Olsen was T27 and Kirchner T48.

VICTORIAN

Harwood followed up his first round 3-under 67 with a final round 66 to show a clean pair of heals to second placegetter Gary Merrick.

Heading into the final round Harwood trailed the former Oatlands Head Professional Mike Zilko by one stroke but sealed his second win of the year with a birdie on the 17th hole to move to 7-under.

Merrick was alone in second on 5-under with David Hill third on 4-under, David Saunders fourth on 3-under and defending champion David Merriman sharing fifth on 2-under with Zilko, Peter Fowler, Brett Johnson and Allan Cooper.

The PGA Legends Tour now moves to Tasmania for the 2012 Tasmanian Senior Open Golf Championship to be held at the Kingston Beach Golf Club on January 29 and 30. Peter Fowler is the defending champion.

The Oatlands Golf Club meanwhile will now host the 2012 Bing Lee/Samsung NSW Women’s Open with leading female golfers from Australia and abroad teeing it up in the ALPG Tour sanctioned event.

The Women’s Open is on from January 27 – 29 and will include the likes of Laura Davies, Melissa Reid, teenage golfing sensation Lydia Ko, two time champion Sarah Oh, Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright, Sarah Kemp, Joanne Mills and Kristie Smith.

Baker-Finch led wire to wire at the rain affected 54-hole event coming home six strokes ahead of his nearest rival.

The Australian golfer’s last professional win was at the 1993 Australian PGA championship at Concord in Sydney.

Now mostly a television golf commentator, Baker-Finch reached his golfing pinnacle when he won the 1991 British Open but then famously retired after an extended form slump.

It was an emotional win at the season ending PGA Legends Tour event at the Byron Bay Golf Club and one that has given him more confidence to compete again on the world stage.

Baker-Finch finished the tournament at 7-under, with Queensland’s Allan Cooper in second on 1-under and American Mark Sherman alone in third spot on even.

“When the presentation was taking place and I looked up and saw all those people – many of them familiar faces, friends I’d played with for 30 years – I was very emotional,” Baker-Finch said after his win.

He vowed not only to return to defend his title next year but will also play more US Champions Tour events in 2012 when his schedule with the CBS network allows.

“I don’t want to compete just to make up the numbers,” he said. “When I go out to play, I want to feel that I have a chance of winning. I played in one tournament (the Toshiba Classic) on the US Champions Tour early this season and played poorly. ‘

“I think my level of apprehension didn’t allow me to compete. Then I played in a big four-ball event (the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in April). My partner, Joe Ozaki, and I finished tied third – just one stroke from the winners.

“My apprehension level was a bit lower for that event and I played well. I enjoyed the competition and felt I could still compete.”

Baker-Finch is in Melbourne this week commentating on the 2011 JBWere Australian Masters and then will spend the rest of the year at his Mooloolaba home on the Queensland Sunshine Coast with his family before returning to the US.

“Next year I’ll commentate for CBS, play a few Champions Tour tournaments, then come back to commentate on the big Australian tournaments at the end of the year, play a few events and enjoy some rest on the Sunshine Coast,” he said. “It’s a great life. I’m living the dream.”

Baker-Finch headed for Byron Bay

BRITISH Open winner Ian Baker-Finch will join the line-up at the 2011 Australian Legends Tour Championship which gets underway at Byron Bay Golf Club from December 11 to 13.

The championship is the final event on the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Order of Merit for 2011.

Baker-Finch, the 1991 British Open champion, has been getting back into tournament golf in recent times after a long layoff and the establishment of a very successful career as a golf commentator.

He will be joined in Byron Bay by a class field that includes American Mark Sherman, a big clutch of Aussies headed by Rodger Davis, Ossie Moore and Michael Ferguson and New Zealand contenders Ken Tarling and Jim Lapsley.

Further adding to the event, the Hole in One 5th hole will offer the professionals the opportunity to win a Subaru while a total prize purse of $50,000 will also be on offer.

Last year’s PGA Legends Tour Championship was won by Michael Harwood with local Mark Wilson placed second.

Wilson, the Byron Bay Club Captain, is also responsible for an ongoing program of golf course re-design that has been a big positive for the north coast NSW club.

During 2011 a lake has been added to the right side of the first hole and, with additional fairway mounding, the visual from the tee has changed dramatically.

The Annual PGA Legends Award Dinner will also be held at Byron Bay Golf Club following the completion of the final round.

Legends Tour Chairman Kyle Francis will host the evening with ten awards including the highlight, the 2011 Player of the Year.

The 2011 Player of the Year will join past winners John Clifford (2008) Garry Merrick (2009) and Rodger Davis (2010) and take home an E-Z-GO motorised golf cart.

ENGLISHMAN

Wolstenholme, who started the day two shots behind the first and second round leader Rodger Davis, had an impressive final day shooting a 3- under par 69 to beat Price by one shot and Davis by two.

A large gallery watched as Price holed a 20 foot putt for birdie on the last forcing Wolstenholme to hole a 4 foot downhill putt for par for victory.

Wolstenholme, who turned professional at age 48 after a highly success amateur career, said he was thrilled to have claimed a National Open Title at a world class venue. This is Wolstenholme’s second major title since commencing his career as a senior tour professional in 2010.

“I’m really glad I was able to squeeze this tournament into my schedule because Perth is a fantastic city. The golf course here is as good as anywhere in the world because of the test that it presents but also the condition of the course and it is just a great place to play golf and I’m glad that I came,” he said.

Price, who played only two events on the European Senior Tour this year, was pleased with how he performed coming down the stretch. Considering the amount of competitive golf he has played recently, his final 9 holes where he shot 3-under par reinforce the quality player he is.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my week here in Perth. It was pleasing to make birdie on the last and although I fell one shot short, Gary played great golf and deserved the victory.”

Peter Fowler had the round of the day shooting 4-under 68 which puts him in good stead preparing for the US Champions Tour Qualifying School which he will play in 2 weeks time.

Fowler finished fourth on 2-over while Ian Baker-Finch and Graham Banister shared fifth on 2-over. Michael Harwood, David Merriman and Wayne Smith were equal 7th on 3-over.

Lyndsay Stephen, Randall Vines and Michael Clayton were 10th on 4-over.

Rodger Davis

Davis had a solid back nine turning at 1-under par before consecutive birdies at the par four 6th and par five 7th.

With only two bogies on the card, Davis said his ball striking was great throughout the day missing only one green in regulation but he struggled with the greens.

“I struggled a bit more on the greens which were pretty grainy – not something I was expecting and that made chipping pretty difficult,” he said. “The greens weren’t too quick because you can struggle on this course if they do get too quick with the wind and the slope of the greens.”

Davis holds a one stroke advantage over West Australian Lyndsay Stephen and Texan Scott Puzey. Stephen got off to a shaky start with a bogey on 10 but recovered beautifully with birdies on 12, 14 and 15. Even par on the back nine saw him finish 2-under par for the day.

Puzey, who only turned professional in 2011 after a successful business career, finished his round strongly to also shoot 2 under par.

On even par are rookie senior Terry Price and USA based Australian Graham Bannister.

Some of the tournament fancies found the going tough with last week’s Fiducian Australian Senior PGA Champion Peter Fowler signing for a 2 over par 74.

One shot better than Fowler were former British Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch and former ISPS Handa Australian Senior Open Champion Michael Harwood as well as West Australian Wayne Smith and course architect Michael Clayton.

Saturday’s  second round gets underway from 10.30am. Entry for spectators is a gold coin donation going to the ISPS Handa Japan Relief Fund.

PETER FOWLER well and truly brought his European form to Sydney with a resounding nine stroke victory at the 2011 Fiducian Legends PGA Senior Championship at the Killara Golf Club.

Fowler went into the final round on Saturday with a five shot lead and quickly made his intentions known by birdying the first two holes.

“I was wrapped with that. I played really solid today,” the current leader of the European Senior Tour Order of Merit said of his round later.

“I got off to a great start birdying the first two holes with a chip and a putt on the first par five and a good fifteen footer for a birdie on the second,” Fowler said.

“So that got me settled and then I parred all the way around to the 13th and ripped a drive and made a long putt (12 metres) for an eagle there and then birdied the next.”

That birdie probably typified a week in which Fowler displayed all the things you are supposed to do on a golf course to keep on winning. Not just hitting great shots but remaining patient, calm and collected when you don’t.

Fowler followed up his eagle with perhaps his worst drive of the week, a wayward shot that ended up wedged against the retaining wall in front of the 15th tee.

It could have been ugly with his first two attempted free drops rolling down the hill into bad lies in woodchip.

He then got to place the ball and from a still uncomfortable position not only made the green with his pitch, but put it close enough to roll in a birdie putt.

“I got a drop from that and rolled that putt in so that was great,” Fowler said.  “I am really happy with the way I am going. I only had four bogies for the week so I played really consistently.”

Fowler on his way to his only bogey of the final round

His only bogie of the day came on the par three 17th after his tee shot came up just short and plugged in the side of a greenside bunker.

Fowler finished with rounds of 70, 69 and 68 (Par 72)to be nine under for the tournament.

Tied for second on even were Victorians Michael Clayton (71) and and first round leader David Hill (72).

In fourth was John Clifford (73) on 2-over, with Ken Tarling (72) fifth on 3-over.

Rodger Davis kept in touch with the leaders over the three days but finished with a 76 to be tied for 9th on 6-over.

Second place-getter Hill is in his rookie year on the senior circuits but has started with a bang.

He began his senior career in the New Zealand series earlier in the year, winning the final event. So that’s a first and second in his last two outings.

Hill was originally from Victoria but now lives and works out of Tennessee where he is a sports agent looking after a number of PGA Tour players. His current stable includes the likes of Andre Stolz and Cameron Percy.

He hadn’t played pro golf for 10 years before turning 50 this year and deciding to give the senior circuits a try.

The round one leader, he was delighted to be mixing it with some of the leading Australian players.

David Hill sank some excellent pressure birdie putts

Hill played in the final group with a rampant Fowler and could have made it a closer contest but for his second round 4-over 76.

“I knew it was going to be hard to catch ‘Chookie.’ I mean hell, he’s number one on the European Senior Tour so it’s not like I was beaten by a chump,” Hill said.

“I was a little flat with three or four holes to go and then I saw I had a chance to be outright second if I birdied the last and I kind of dialled it up a notch and got the ball to the hole so that was good.”

Legends Tour moves to Perth

Hill was hopping on a plane to Perth and hoping to qualify to play in the 2011 ISPS Handa Australian Senior Open, which starts on Friday at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club.

If he does get one of the four qualifying spots, he will come up against some familiar opposition – Peter Fowler.

“I think I will go pretty well [in Perth],” an ominous sounding Fowler said. “I like the golf course and I will go over there and do my homework. I’m looking forward to that one as well.”

Killara a happy home

The PGA Senior Championship has found a very comfortable and successful home at Killara and although not yet confirmed it is hoped it will be held there for some years to come.

It has attracted a very enthusiastic major sponsor in Indy Singh, Managing Director of Fiducian Financial Services, and this year offered $110,000 in prize money.

The Tournament was praised by sponsors, organisers and guests and provided spectators the unique opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the legends of Australian Golf.

Tournament Director Rod Read explained: “Senior professional golf is coming of age very quickly, the standard of play combined with the unique Pro-Am format make this event such a unique player and spectator experience”.

Fowler followed his eagle on the 13th with a wayward drive that saw his ball lodged a against a retaining wall on the 15th tee. The results: another birdie.

Fowler attempts to fathom the slick Killara greens

On a course only two other competitors were able to better on the day, Fowler shot a 3-under par 69 to be 5-under after two rounds.

The next best is round one leader David Hall who is on even. Hall struggled to recapture his first round form (68) and only managed a four over par round of 76.

Striking the ball crisply and scrambling for up and downs when needed, Fowler had a number of opportunities early but really hit his straps with three straight birdies on 9, 10 and 11. Another followed on the 14th.

His only blemish was a bogey on his last hole when a slightly offline drive restricted his approach to the green and he failed to sink his up and down putt. Others found bogeys and worse easy to come by on the tight Killara layout with slick greens and heavy fairway conditions making things difficult.

“I played okay today. I was pretty steady so I’m happy,” Fowler said after signing a card that contained one of only three sub-par rounds acheived on the day.

“I’ve played two solid rounds, nothing spectacular but it was pretty good. I’m just trying to be consistent and if the putts drop…great.”

John Clifford (73-72) and Michael Clayton (75-70) are in third position at one over par and still within striking distance. Other players of note include Rodger Davis (+4), Lyndsay Stephen (+5) and Wayne Smith (+6).

The final round of the 2011 Fiducian Legends PGA Senior Championship concludes on Saturday with the last group of Fowler, Hill and Clifford teeing off at 11am. Play will commence at 9am. Admission to the course is free.

Fowler is eyeing the US Champions Tour

Fowler continued the great form that has seen him leading the European Senior Tour money list while Legends Tour rookie Price showed he was more than up to the challenge as well.

The pair fired 2-under rounds of 70 to be two strokes clear of Rodger Davis, who was sitting alone in third place on even.

Ninety PGA professionals are contesting the national championship at the picturesque Killara course on Sydney’s north shore with players from Australia, USA, New Zealand and Fiji.

After his stellar year in Europe, Fowler is eyeing a spot on the lucrative US Champions Tour.

He is using this week in Sydney and next week at the ISPS Handa Australian Senior Open in Perth to help fine tune his game for his American assault.

“I’m staying with my [golfing] mentor Ian Alexander who just lives at the bottom of the course, I haven’t seen him for about 5 months, so it is a good chance to work on my game and see if I can sharpen it up a bit.” Fowler said after his round today.

After Perth it will be off to the Champions Tour Qualifying School, a path trod so successfully by Peter Senior a couple of years back.

“I’ll have to take my A game that week,” Fowler said. “This week and next week is all about getting my game in shape and then take it over there and see if I can do alright.”

“It would be a great opportunity if I could but it is not going to be easy. You have just got to have your good week at the right time because there is only five spots and a few hundred people that want it.”

Fowler would be delighted to join Senior and have two Australians regularly on the tour.

“That would be nice yeah,” he said.

Fowler said while he will unfortunately miss the Australian Open, he will be returning for the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum, which is “a favourite event.”

Others taking part in the championship this week include Wayne Grady, Ossie Moore, Michael Clayton, Terry Gale, Noel Ratcliffe and defending champion Lyndsay Stephen.

The event is over 54 holes with the final round on Saturday. Spectators are welcome with entry to the course free.

Update: First Round Final Standings

Victorian David Hill holds the overnight lead after the completion of the first round of the Fiducian PGA Legends Championship at Killara Golf Club.

Hill started the tournament teeing off the back nine and quickly found himself at the top of the leader board rolling off four straight birdies on a stretch from 14 through 17. Through twelve holes Hill reached six-under par before dropping shots at holes five, seven and eight to close with a round of 68 (-4).

In outright second position is New Zealander Peter Hayes at three under par while Terry Price, Peter Fowler and Krishna Singh are all well in contention opening with a two under par round of 70.

Reigning Champion Lyndsay Stephen started his defence with a round of three-over par 75 which leaves him tied 21st and seven shots behind Hill. Other notable scores include Greg Hohnen (75), Wayne Smith (73), Noel Ratcliffe (73) and Wayne Grady (78).