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)