Australian Senior Golfer

Masters winner Bubba Watson at the 2011 Australian Open .... probably not a sight we will see this year

THE 2012 schedule for Australia’s three big golf tournaments was announced today with the Australian Masters again segregated from the other events.

The Australian Masters will return to the Kingston Heath Golf Club from November 15 to 18 with a two week break before the Australian Open in Sydney from December 6 to 9 and the Australian PGA Championship the week after.

Last year the Presidents Cup was sandwiched between the Open and the PGA Championship in November giving them a massive advantage in attracting international and Australian talent while the Masters eventually found a spot the week before Christmas.

The Masters in 2011 still managed to attract Luke Donald, eventual winner Ian Poulter and some other notables but it remains to be seen how the new scheduling will affect that aspect for the Aussie events, particularly looking at what other international events are likely to be in competition.

The Masters returns to the scene of Tiger Woods 2009 victory and will have a prize pool of AUD$1 million.

From the Melbourne sand belt the PGA Tour of Australasia will head across the Tasman for the 2012 BMW New Zealand Open from November 22 to 25. The Kiwi Open will be played at the Clearwater Resort in Christchurch for a prize pool of AUD$400,000.

There will then be a week’s break (with possibly a NSW state event thrown in) before the 2012 Emirates Australian Open, again at The Lakes Golf Club, with AUD$1.5 million on offer.

The Australian PGA Championship will return to Coolum the following week (December 13 to 16) with another prize pool of AUD$1.5 million up for grabs.

The PGA will be the final event of the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit season and both it and the Open will again be co-sanctioned by OneAsia for the fourth consecutive year.

Today’s confirmed dates complement the previously announced Perth International, co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the first time since 2009, which will be contested at Lake Karrinyup Country Club from October 18 to 21. The Perth International will have a USD$2 million prize pool.

“Last year’s PGA Tour of Australasia season set a new benchmark for tournament golf in Australia and we are working towards again delivering a sensational season for golf fans all across the country,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia.

“It is expected that the full 2012 PGA Tour of Australasia schedule will comprise of 14 events in total, with an increase in prizemoney of over 35% compared to 2011.”

With the major tournaments now confirmed, focus will move to finalising the scheduling of the state based championships, which are garnering increased importance.

“For the first time in 2012 all PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments including our state based championships are carrying Official World Golf Ranking points which is great news for our Tournament Professionals,” Thorburn said.

“Already this year we have seen a number of players ascend up the World Golf Rankings due to successful performances at the recent Victorian and Queensland Championships as I’m sure we will again throughout the remainder of the season.”

Thorburn said the PGA plans to release the full schedule including the remaining state championship dates in the coming weeks.

Clarke headed for warmer climes

2011 British Open Champion Darren Clarke has committed to play the Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt Regency Coolum this November.

The Northern Irishman will probably have finished his celebrations by then and will be lining up with the already announced talent including Greg Norman, Jason Day and Bubba Watson.

Reports are that Clarke will receive an appearance fee of around $250,000 in the $1.5 million event that offers a first prize of $270,000.

But the thought of the cold beer and warm climate was also obviously a lure for a player who secured his Major victory in atrocious conditions in England.

“I have heard great things about Queensland and the course at Coolum so I am looking forward to playing golf in more warm conditions than I am used to and also testing my game on a different style course to that of a links. My family also can’t wait to get to the Sunshine Coast,” Clarke said this week.

Irish golfers are on a roll at the moment but compatriots Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell definitely won’t be added to the Coolum mix.  They’ll be teaming up as a united Ireland team (Northern Ireland and the Republic) at the $6.8 million World Cup in Shanghai in the same week as the PGA.
“Irish golfers are enjoying lots of success of late and hopefully I can continue this trend, my game is in great shape and I look forward to capping off a great year in Australia,” Clarke said.

“Knowing that I could be the first Irishman to win the Australian PGA will be in the back of my mind when I come to play and I hope that I have plenty of fellow Irishman there to cheer me on.”

The 2011 Australian PGA Championship will be played from

November 24-27.

Tickets for the event will be on sale shortly and travel packages are available by contacting the PGA of Australia’s Official Travel Partner, Flight Centre on 1300 778 433.

GEOFF OGILVY will be aiming to make it two in a row when the 2010  Australian PGA Championship tees off on Thursday.

The 33-year-old won his first Australian Open on Sunday by four shots from Alistair Presnell and Matt Jones.

Ogilvy looked at ease over the four days of the tournament at The Lakes in Sydney and will be brim full of confidence facing a hot field full of international talent and previous winners at Coolum.

His major rivals include four-time winner and defending champion Robert Allenby and a rejuvenated Adam Scott who is striking the ball wonderfully but just needs to get his putter on song.

Three-time winner Peter Lonard is also back on home soil from the US this week and will be aiming to finish his year on a high after lots of downtime with health issues.

American John Daly will also be looking for a better result after failing to make the cut in Sydney.

Television coverage

The PGA Championship will be telecast on ONE HD from noon to 5pm Thursday to Sunday and also on TEN Saturday and Sunday.

2010 Australian PGA Championship Leaderboard

QUEENSLANDER Adam Scott will be heading home in December with the 2010 Australian PGA Championship firmly in his sights.

Having claimed the Stonehaven Cup in an emotional victory at the Australian Open last year, Scott will play the PGA Championship at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from December 9-12 with nothing to prove to his home state fans.

At 29, Scott had that long awaited maiden Australian tour victory firmly under his belt, but to back it up in 2010 with a win in his home state would be all the sweeter.

“I grew up on the Sunshine Coast and played my junior golf there so to come back and win an Australian title in my own backyard would be a great achievement,” Scott said this week.

“Winning the Australian Open last year was very special and it obviously put an end to people asking when I would win at home.

“But I don’t intend to stop at one win, my form has been good and I’m looking forward to coming home to Queensland.”

Now 30, Scott has already won 8 US PGA Tour events and outside of Australia a further 8 international titles in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and has been a member of 4 President Cup Teams – 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

So far this year Scott has one title to his name, the Valero Texas Open which he won in May.

His best result since has been a T5 finish in the Deutsche Bank Championship only two weeks ago.

Among those hoping to rain on Scott’s parade in Queensland will be

defending champion Robert Allenby, 2008 Champion Geoff Ogilvy and the always watchable John Daly.

The Australian PGA Championship will be the final tournament on both the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia Order of Merit, with players competing for a total prize pool of AUD$1,500,000.

2010 Australian PGA Championship television coverage

The tournament will be showcased on OneAsia’s television platform with live coverage for four hours a day across all four tournament days, and broadcast to over 260 million homes in more than 40 countries.

Full coverage of the event will be available domestically on Network Ten, as well as internationally on ESPN Star Sports, Jupiter Golf Network, SBS Golf Channel, Fox International, Sky Sports NZ, ESPN3 & America One in the USA, ViaSat & Bloomberg Television among others in Europe.

Tickets for the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola are now on sale and can be purchased online by clciking here or via the PGA Hotline- 1800 009 499.

POPULAR Australian golfer Rod Pampling was one of those giving the thumbs up to the announcement today that the Australian PGA Championship will be staying at its Coolum home for the foreseeable future.

Pampling was on the grounds of Brisbane’s Parliament House as a player representative to hear that an agreement including the PGA of Australia, the Queensland Government, the Hyatt Regency Coolum and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council would ensure the event remains at its well loved home for a minimum of three years.

Pampling was glowing in his praise of the Australian PGA Championship, Australia’s oldest professional golf tournament.

“As an Australian and a proud Queenslander I can say on behalf of the players that the Australian PGA Championship is our favourite event,” Pampling said.

“Coolum has such a great family atmosphere and that’s why we keep coming back. To see it continue to grow and succeed is fantastic and we hope to be playing up here for many years to come.”

PGA of Australia Chief Executive Officer Max Garske said: “A significant part of the success of the Championship was the fact that we had a tri-partied sponsorship with Queensland Events Corp, the Hyatt Regency Coolum through their owners Lend Lease and with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and we are delighted to expand and continue this relationship for the next three years.”

“Our relationship with the Queensland Government dates back to 2000 and with their support the tournament has grown, attracting quality fields and record crowds and with Coke coming on board in 2009  as a long term presenting sponsor the tournament is in a very secure position moving forward. The strategy for this tournament has always been to engage with the Asia Pacific region. With the formation of the OneAsia Tour in 2009 this event is perfectly placed to realise that major objective.”

Queensland Minister for Sport Phil Reeves said that the Government was thrilled to continue its investment in the award winning event.

“The Queensland Government, through Queensland Events and the PGA of Australia have worked together to renew this fine partnership, and we’re thrilled to keep this great event in Queensland,” Mr Reeves said.

“2010 marks a decade of support for the Championship and in that time the event has celebrated its centenary in 2005; increased its profile as part of the OneAsia Tour; and attracted international broadcast coverage which promotes Queensland around the globe.”

The Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola is again the final event on the Australasian and OneAsia Tours in 2010 and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from December 9-12.

ROBERT ALLENBY has cruised to a four shot win at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum with a second straight five under par 66 to finish at 14 under.

Wearing what this year has become a final round tradition for him – a pink shirt in honour of his departed mother Sylvia – Allenby never really gave the field of Australian golf stars snapping at his heals a look in.

Allenby now joins an elite group of Australian goflers with with four or more PGA Championships, including the likes of Kel Nagle, Norman Von Nida and Bill Dunk.

He had already claimed the Kirkwood Cup in 2000, 2001 and 2005, the last time when he bagged the triple crown of Australian golf with wins also in the Australian Open and Masters.

A week after ending a four-year title drought by defeating Henrik Stenson in a play off at the lucrative Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, Allenby’s late decision to add the PGA Championship to his schedule paid handsome dividends as he grabbed five birdies and never surrendered the lead on the final day.

“I did what I had to do, from the first hole to the last hole,” an elated Allenby said.

“I knew I had some very, very tough competitors behind me and I had a lot of respect for them.”

“So I tried to just pace myself, I tried to hit as many fairways as I could, I tried to hit as many greens as I could.”

“And that’s what I did all day, I just felt totally in control on every shot.”

“It’s a nice feeling to win in that fashion … and the birdie at 15 was nice and then obviously the birdie at 17, it’s always nice to come down the last with a four-shot lead.”

“I was pretty consistent but to do it under the gun in the final round, that’s pretty special.”

2006 Australian Open champion John Senden and 2009 Volvo China Open Champion Scott Strange – who finished third last year – had to settle for a share of second at minus-10, Senden closing with a 67 while Strange shot 69 and Victorian Marc Leishman closed with a 68 for outright fourth at nine-under.

One shot further back were 2006 PGA winner Nick O’Hern (67) and rising star Michael Sim (70) in equal fifth, with Rod Pampling (65), defending champion Geoff Ogilvy (71), Stuart Appleby (68) and New Zealander Josh Geary (68) rounding out the top 10 on minus-seven.

Topping off massive year where he claimed three Nationwide Tour victories to earn an immediate promotion to the US Tour, Sim’s result earned him the 2009 Norman Von Nida Order of Merit Medal for topping the money list, which also brought him entry into the 2009 Open Championship.

 ”Obviously this Order of Merit title gets me into the World Golf Championships events in the (United) States and I think my world ranking’s going to get below 50 which is going to get me into the (US) Masters next year,” Sim said.

“It’s been a big season, I’ve had three wins on the Nationwide Tour and I’m really looking forward to an exciting season next year.”

FRESH from his South African victory, three time champion Robert Allenby leads the Australian PGA Championship by a stroke from fellow Aussies Greg Chalmers and Scott Strange after 54 holes.

The final round on Sunday is shaping as a beauty with an ominously looming Geoff Ogilvy, Australian Open winner Adam Scott and young gun Michael Sim just two shots further back.

Still feeling the pinch from his long flight back from winning the Nedbank Challenge, Allenby cashed in on ideal conditions with little wind and overnight rain that softened the greens by signing for a five-under 66 that leaves him on minus nine overall.

With the possibility of thunderstorms on Saturday night, Allenby is unlikely to have it all his own way on the final day with Chalmers (67) and Strange (68) breathing down his neck and Ogilvy (70), Scott (68) and Sim (65) also within striking distance.

Victorian Marc Leishman (66) and 2006 Australian Open champion John Senden (67) also threaten just three shots adrift on six under and Victorians Cameron Percy (67) and Matt Griffin (73) round out the top 10 on minus five.

Having only made the decision to contest the event two weeks ago, Allenby’s choice is close to paying huge dividends after he assumed top spot on the leaderboard. But the 38-year-old also later lamented some missed opportunities. 

“I think every day could have been better, even today,” Allenby said.

“Today was a good day and a good result at the end of today, making a couple of birdies on the last couple of holes was nice.”

 ”I played solid all day … (but) the greens were a bit sticky today, bit grainy, it was probably all of the rain that we had early this morning and definitely slowed up the greens.”

 The $AUD1.5 million  Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola is the final event on the 2009 Australasian and OneAsia Tours and will determine the Norman Von Nida Order of Merit Media winner and the inaugural OneAsia Order of Merit Champion.

Our (Saturday Evening) Tip: Geoff Ogilvy to storm home.

THE Australian PGA Championship is underway at the Hyatt Regency Coolum with Korean golfer Min-Kyu Han taking an early lead with a course record nine under par 62.

Han shot an incredible 11 birdies on the newly designed layout and is four strokes ahead of Queensland’s Ryan Haller who fired a five under 66 to be in outright second place with five Australians including Stuart Appleby, Scott Strange, Matthew Griffin, Andrew Dodt and Henry Epstein all a further shot back and tied for third place.

All eyes were on 26 year old Han, who is making just his second trip to Australia and his first to play professionally.

Han needed just 21 putts to complete his round, with only back-to-back bogeys at the 18th and then 1st preventing him going even lower. 

“I feel like almost in Heaven,” Han said after his round.

“Its not easy out there.  It’s a very good course.

“Maybe I’m like Tiger Woods today”, he said tongue in cheek. “I don’t know, maybe my body has Tiger Woods brain in there!”

Australian Open champion Adam Scott threatened to shoot a low score, particularly when he collected four birdies to the turn but a mixed run home left him alongside fellow Aussies Greg Chalmers, Stephen Dartnall and Bronson La’Cassie, Kiwi Tim Wilkinson and Shih-ching Chan of Chinese Taipei with 68.

Australian PGA Championship Leaderboard

AUSTRALIAN Robert Allenby has finished in a tie for second as world number one Tiger Woods took his record seventh World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational title.

Thanks to a new putting grip, Allenby is a new and confident man on the greens and that helped him to a final round four under 66 in Akron, Ohio.

Woods claimed the USD$8.5 million event by four shots from Allenby and overnight leader and playing partner Padraig Harrington, who imploded with a disastrous triple bogey eight on the 16th.

It was Woods’ 70th career PGA victory and at the age of 33, seven months and 10 days he is now third on the all time list behind Sam Snead (82) and Jack Nicklaus (73), who were both into their forties when they achieved those milestones.

For Allenby, It emerged at the tournament last week that he had softened his stance on threats never to play another Australian event, with the confirmation he would be joining Woods contesting the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath in his home-town of Melbourne in November.

He also didn’t rule out playing at the Australian PGA Championship or even the Australian Open, where comments at the “party hole” started all the “I’ll never play in Australia again” stories.

Following Allenby for his entire final round at the Open at Royal Sydney last year two things were very apparent.

Firstly that whatever he was saying later, he did get heaps of spectator support and before it became controversial later, we noted all the “C’mon Robert” calls from the crowd. (Admittedly, with the din of the party hole we couldn’t hear any of the alleged comments relating to his mother’s cancer that upset the apple cart.)

Secondly, as everyone (and the statistics) were always saying, he was a great ball striker let down miserably by his putting.

Anyone, we thought, would feel shitty missing that many birdie putts.

Now, the 38 year old Australian seems to have found a new lease on life, after following advice from Vijay Singh last month to try the so called claw putting grip.

An all smiling Allenby said his Bridgestone performance this week was his best since winning the triple-crown in Australia in 2005.

“I putted well all four rounds of the British Open and so I thought let’s see what happens this week,” he said after recording his best result this year. “It’s definitely rejuvenated my game that’s for sure.”

 “It’s funny, when you feel good with the putter the rest of your game starts clicking. The putter feels fantastic. I’ve got a lot of confidence with it and now I’m just excited to get out there and play next week.”

When asked about his prospect for a win soon, Allenby replied, “I think there’s no if’s in it, it’s just when, you know it feels good, feels great!”

 As for the rest of the Australians in the field, Mat Goggin, competing in the event for the first time, continued with the form that saw him finish the best of the Australians at the British Open at Turnberry two weeks ago. 

After working with coach Dale Lynch on making adjustments to his swing Goggin’s score improved each day this week. He admitted the swing change took some getting used to but that he was pleased with the way he was hitting off the tee and with his form heading into the USPGA Championship next week. 

 “I drove the ball quite well, I was really pleased,” said Goggin, who finished T22 after a final round two under 68.

“It took me a day or two to get a feel for it (the swing change) and once I got the playing feel it felt comfortable. I feel like I hit the ball as well as I’ve hit it all year, on the weekend, so that’s encouraging.”

Geoff Ogilvy bogeyed six holes in his final round to finish on three over for the day. His up and down round of 73 also included four birdies but he never seemed to find his rhythm. It was a disappointing day for the world number eight as he fell from a tie for fifteenth overnight to finish alongside Goggin in a tie for 22nd. 

Adam Scott was another whose form improved as the tournament went on. A disastrous first round 78 had him on the back foot from day one but the 28 year old Queenslander was happy with his driving which had him ranked fourth for the tournament after recording following rounds of 67, 71 and 70.

“I got off to a bad start on Thursday so I’ve been playing against myself ever since,” said Scott who most recently finished fourth at the Scottish Open.  “I did play well the last three days so I feel my game is in good shape.”

“It’s nice to be finally striking the ball the way I remember I can because I struggled so much with my ball striking this year.”

For other Australasians in the field, Nick O’Hern had a disappointing final round 75 to finish five over for the tournament followed by Scott, New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Stuart Appleby who finished a further shot back and T51st. Nathan Green closed with an even par 70 to finish at nine over par. 

AUSTRALASIAN RESULTS:

T2 RobertAllenby 68, 69, 69, 66 – 272 (-8)

T22 Mat Goggin 73, 71, 68, 68 – 206 (E)

T22 Geoff Ogilvy 69, 71, 67, 73 – 280 (E)

T45 Nick O’Hern 72, 67, 71, 75 – 285 (+5)

T51 Danny Lee NZL 68, 73, 75, 70 – 285 (+6)

T51 Adam Scott 78, 67, 71, 70 – 286 (+6)

T51 Stuart Appleby 74, 68, 69, 75 – 286 (+6)

T64 Nathan Green 74, 71, 74, 70 – 289 (+9)