More encouragement for top Australian male “Super Senior” Golfers (65+) and the introduction of a National Order of Merit for Australia’s senior women amateur golfers are among recently announced changes to the sport.

The men’s Order of Merit competition has been expanded to include a full set of medals for the 65 and over players and medals will now be awarded to the top three golfers in this age group.

In addition, a Super Senior Matchplay Championship for the over 65 group will be played at the same time as the Australian Senior Matchplay Championship. A field of 8 players will contest the event in 2009 which will be played at Barwon Heads Golf Club.
Among other changes Golf Australia announced for new Australian Amateur Ranking Systems was the introduction of a National Order of Merit for Australia’s senior women amateur golfers.
The system used for this competition will be the same as that for senior men, with every event played used in calculating an average points score. The minimum divisor for senior women in this introductory year is 4 events.
The first event recorded was the 2008 ACT Senior Women’s Championship and the current leader in the Women’s Order of Merit is Liz Smyth from the Royal Canberra Golf Club. She leads from Nicky Moon from Federal Golf Club and Chris Taylor also from Royal Canberra.

Golf Australia says new Amateur Ranking Systems now underway will provide players, as well as the industry, a great opportunity to monitor the movements in the standings across all age groups at the peak of men’s and women’s amateur golf.

For 2009, Australian Amateur Ranking Systems will be conducted in six categories – open men and women, boys’ and girls’ and senior men and senior women (55+).

The player with the highest points average at 31 October 2009 will be recognised as the winner of their respective Ranking System.

The Australian Amateur Ranking Systems are provided as a service to Australian golf as well as to achieve the following objectives:

• To replace the use of handicaps as the primary entry standard for national amateur championships. This will provide a fairer and better outcome for players, and Golf Australia encourages all other domestic operators of elite amateur events to consider adopting the same improved procedure.

• To be used as a supporting tool for team selection.

• To increase participation in the events which count towards a player’s Ranking Average.

Each System will be points-based, and will operate over a 12-month rolling period. All National Championships and each State’s Amateur Championships in the respective Systems will count towards a player’s average, in addition to various other major events nominated by the States, including those which have been National Ranking Events in the past.

Players’ points are determined by their finishing positions in each event and the events themselves will be weighted with the events traditionally attracting the strongest fields being awarded the most points.

Golf Australia says the Systems are sure to be highly competitive and will provide vast interest for amateur golfers of all ages and genders, in particular Girls’ and Senior Women where previously there has been no similar ranking system operating.

The Karrie Webb Series will continue to operate in conjunction with the Women’s Open Ranking System.

Full details.

Peter Senior will make golfing history when he fronts up for his 30th Australian Masters event this week but the 49 year old has lost none of his passion for the game.

Senior is a two time winner of the Masters and will line up as the only player to have played in all thirty Australian Masters tournaments since the first event was played at Huntingdale in 1979.

“It has been a long trip and I have enjoyed every one of them,” Senior, who won the title in 1991 and 1995, said this week. “Thirty years sounds like a long time but I’ve still got a few left in me.”

Senior feels he has been playing well lately with good finishes in the Western Australian PGA and a second at the NSW PGA.

He was feeling confident when talking to media about the upcoming big three Aussie tournaments, including the Open, the PGA and the Masters, and even suggesting that “if I can putt a little better than I have been” anything could happen.

“Or you could do a Robert Allenby and win all three of them,” he said.

The putting would have to be going exceptionally well for that to come to pass but it is a measure of the competitive spirit Senior has displayed in 30 years travelling the globe.

Whatever has been happening for him overseas, Senior is a household name in Australian golf because he has returned home every summer to play in front of home crowds. The fact hasn’t been lost on his legions of fans, making him a crowd favourite and the name ‘Senior’ synonymous with the Australasian Tour.

“One thing I always said was that I would come back to support the Australian Tour, no matter where I was or what I was doing. I have foregone some really good tournaments to come back and play our events, but I wanted to do that.”

Senior said that whilst his thirty years sounded a lot, he has lost none of the desire that has brought him so much success and popularity in the game since he first turned professional in 1978. Whilst he plays less tournament golf these days, he intends to continue with his career on the senior’s circuit when he turns 50 next July.

“I love the game. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, corporate days, pro-ams, I still enjoy being on the course. The main reason I stopped tournament golf was to spend time with my kids in their school years.

“I figured that when I turned 50 I would still have the opportunity to play. Sitting at home and doing nothing for the first couple of years was really hard, but deep down the desire is still there.”

Senior is keen to try his luck on the Seniors tour in the US next year but knows it will be tough with “about 500 guys” competing for the eight available spots.

If anyone can do it, Peter can.

The First Round of the 2008 Sportsbet Australian Masters starts on Thursday with the first groups teeing off at 7am.

The morning groups include Craig Parry, John Daly and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen teeing off the tenth tee at 7:10am – now that will be a sight to behold.

There will be free to air television coverage on all four days of the tournament on the Seven Network, check your local guides.

THE Australian PGA Seniors Tour has been renamed the PGA Legends Tour.

PGA Australia says the new name was approved at a recent board meeting and the move will also see the tour introduce a new logo.

The PGA Legends Tour, for PGA Members over the age of 50, has approximately 30 events per year.

The biggest event on the tour, which features the likes of golfers Wayne Grady, Rodger Davis and David Merriman, is the Polygiene Australian PGA Seniors Championship which will take place from December 11-14 in Byron Bay.

The Byron Bay event will have a total prize pool this year of $80,000, reflecting the increasing interest and popularity of senior golf.

The 2009 PGA Seniors Qualifying School will be played from  January 11 - 14 January at Camden Lakeside Country Club in New South Wales.

The Australian team has recorded a resounding victory at the 2008 Asia-Pacific Senior Golf Championship played in Sabah, Malaysia.

Current Australian Senior Amateur Champion Stefan Albinski compounded the win, taking out the individual championship.

The six man Australian team of Rick Oliver (captain), Denis Dale, Ross Percy, Brian Sams, Nigel Goodall and Albinksi finished 23 strokes ahead of the New Zealand team, with The Philippines third.
With the best four rounds counting each day, the Australian team finished on 23 over par - averaging better than 74 for each scoring round on the tricky par 72 Nexus Golf Resort course at Karambunai.
In the individual championship, Stefan Albinksi (73-75-73) and Brian Sams (74-76-71) featured in a play off for the title.

Albinksi was the winner with a birdie on the second sudden death play off hole.

Australia was the dominant team at the event this year with all six Australian team players finishing in the top 20 positions with four players finishing in the top ten.

12/11/08, Round 2: Aussies strengthen lead

Australia has taken a commanding lead after round two of the 2008 Asia-Pacific Senior Championship in Sabah, Malaysia.

Quality rounds of 74 from Nigel Goodall and Brian Sams set the pace with Stefan Albinski (75) and Denis Dale (76) making up the four scores that counted in the teams event.

Rick Oliver (80) could not repeat his opening two under par 70. Ross Percy (80) struggled with his game today but looks forward to the final round on Thursday.
Australia now leads New Zealand by 17 shots and The Philippines by 19 and are hoping for another good day of consistent scores on the final day to take home the team trophy.

Australia’s consistency sees five of their players in the top ten individual scores with Stefan Albinksi the best in second place.

11/11/08, 1st Round: Rick Oliver helps Aussie team take lead

A two under par 70 by Rick Oliver has helped Australia to the lead after round one of the 2008 Asia-Pacific Senior Championship at the Karambunai Golf Resort in Sabah, Malaysia.

He shares the individual lead while Australia leads New Zealand by 5 shots in the team competition.

Sydney’s Stefan Albinksi was the next best Australian with a very tidy 73 followed by Brian Sams who worked hard for his four over par 76.

Denis Dale and Nigel Goodall both reported a struggle on the greens when they finished with 77’s. Ross Percy was not at his usual consistent best with 82. The best four scores count each day.

The Australian team includes Rick Oliver (NSW), Denis Dale (NSW), Ross Percy (VIC), Brian Sams (NSW), Nigel Goodall (WA) and Stefan Albinski (NSW).

(Original Reports Courtesy of Denis Dale and AUSOOM)

2008 Asia Pacific Seniors – Live Scoring

Queensland golfer Mike Ferguson has won the inaugural Greater Building Society Australian Masters Invitational at the Emerald Lakes Golf Club on the Gold Coast.

Hs final round 71 left him two shots clear of in form New Zealander Stuart Reese and tournament drawcard Ian Baker-Finch.
Ferguson earned $30,000 for his victory in the seniors event (50 plus) in addition to a brand new Yamaha golf cart valued at $10,000.

Ferguson has been a senior golfer for seven years but this is his first victory since the 2006 NZ Senior PGA Championship. In earlier years he won two Australian Senior Open Championships.

“This is totally unexpected,” he said after the win. “I picked up a new Nickent driver this week and it has been working great.” Ferguson made a fast start to the final round with four birdies in his first six holes and was matching strides with Reese who had made a similar start.

Reese, a former New Zealand PGA Champion, had previously given tournament golf away for 16 years after losing confidence in his swing. He was staging a big comeback and led the tournament after the first round with a stunning six under 66.

However, on the final day Ferguson drew clear over the closing stages as Reese dropped several shots in the middle of his back nine.  
Former British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch was delighted with his round and with the thrill of being in the hunt again. He came from a long way back with his final round of 68 and was one of only two players to break 70 in the increasingly difficult conditions.
“I felt like I was a player again,” said Baker-Finch. “The juices were flowing and while I know there are many could haves and should haves I truly felt the round could have been even better.”
New Zealander Craig Owen finished in a share of 4th with New South Welshman John Clifford.
In Thursday night’s Daikin Night Golf Shootout local golfer Brian Jones defeated one of his old sparring partners from his Japan Golf Tour days, Graham Marsh, and collected the first prize of $6,000. Ian Baker Finch dropped out at the 8th hole of the 9 hole contest when a chip off was required to determine the two players who would advance to the final hole.

Former US PGA champion Wayne Grady has fired a final round 68 to win the Australian Senior Open at Sydney’s Concord Golf Club for the second year running.

Grady took home the $54,000 Handa Open winner’s cheque in the prestigious $300,000 event after a strong challenge from last year’s runner-up David Merriman.

Grady and Merriman started the day level pegging after the first two rounds and as expected it was a closely fought battle.

They were bracketed with New South Welshman George Serhan and all got off to positive starts for the final round.

Playing in the penultimate group was another tournament favourite and serious contender Stewart Ginn who was paired with first round leader New Zealander Stuart Reese and 1995 Australian Senior Open Champion Noel Ratcliffe.

Grady set the early pace with a birdie on the par three fourth hole and followed it up with birdies on the fifth and eighth to turn three under par for the day. Merriman and Ginn stayed close on Grady’s tail and provided a lot of heat on the back nine. As Grady parred the tenth and eleventh, Ginn picked up two birdies and closed the gap to 2 strokes on the reigning champion.

But it was Merriman who provided some fireworks after being one over through 8 holes. In a short burst of brilliant golf he quickly applied the pressure with three consecutive birdies on the 9th, 10th and 11th and a further birdie on the 13th proving the 2007 runner up was not quite ready to hand over the title to Grady once again.

They exchanged blows until the last hole where Grady held a 2 shot lead over Merriman and with all 3 contenders parring the last, the Handa Open trophy and Australian Senior Open title was once again presented to Wayne Grady.

Merriman joked that whoever was in charge of tournament invites should really ensure that Grady is not invited back in 2009 and Grady commended Merriman once again for his brilliant attitude and pressure he applied throughout the tournament.

It was a typically jovial occasion that exemplifies the Senior golfers’ attitudes and assures more corporate and public support in this sector of professional golf.

Full Results.

Sydney golfer Stefan Albinski has started the senior amateur golf season with a bang with a magnificent come from behind win in the 2008 Victorian Senior Amateur Championship.

Albinski, the current Australian Senior Amateur Champion, fired a final round 67 to make up for a wayward start of a nine over 80.

He improved every day with a 73, 72 and then the final 67 for a one stroke victory over defending champion and fellow New South Welshman Brian Sams.

Albinski was in sizzling form in the final round and with two holes to play was six under par. As fellow competitor Denis Dale says on the AUSOOM website, Albinski “showed he was human’” with a bogey, bogey finish.

Sams recorded a par, birdie finish to narrow the gap to just one stroke.

Albinski won the Australian Senior Amateur Championship at his first attempt at the title in Perth earlier this year and swept all before him during his initial forays on the over 55 Australian senior amateur circuit in the 2007-2008 season just past.

Taking the Victorian Senior Amateur at the Rosebud Golf Course means he has won at his last four starts in Order of Merit events.

Sams put in an admirable performance to fall just short of his goal of making it three Victorian Senior Championships in a row.

Dale says these two are clearly the current standout players in Australian senior amateur golf.
Third place in the tournament went to Victorian Chris Tatt who also broke par in the final round with a one under 70. Fourth place was shared by Victorians Phil Wood and Greg Welsh with ACT golfer Tony Gover and NSW player Denis Dale in a tie for sixth.

The Victorian Senior Amateur Championship is the only Australian 72-hole Championship for amateur golfers aged 55 and over.

It continues to go from strength to strength with a near capacity field of 154 players competing in this year’s event from 91 clubs, including 32 Interstate clubs. The Championship will head to the Wimmera in 2009 when the event will be hosted by the Nhill and Horsham Golf Clubs from Monday October 26th to Thursday October 29th , 2009.

Peter Senior has wound back the clock to win the Handa Australia Cup in Perth, Mathew Goggin has fired a seven-under par 63 to finish in third place at the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, Gavin Coles fired a three-under par 68 to finish in a tie for third place at the Miccosukee Championships in Miami, Florida and David Gleeson clinched a three shot victory at the Macau Open to break his six year drought. See the full Aussies in Action world roundup.

Peter Senior winds back the clock in Perth

Peter Senior has wound back the clock to claim the $20,000 winner’s cheque in the Handa Australia Cup at Nedlands Golf Club.
Senior held a three shot overnight lead after a 7 under par 65 and was never threatened during the final round posting a 4 under 68 to claim the title by 4 shots over Victorian junior Nathan Holman. The third player in the final group Jan Stephenson finished a further 2 shots back in third, but claimed the $10,000 winners cheque for senior ladies. With a large crowd following the final group Senior showed that he can still compete at the highest level. Senior now heads to The Cut Golf Club to compete in the Von Nida Tour’s Oceanique WA PGA Championship and will start as one of the favourites.
Stewart Ginn claimed fourth spot on 3 under par. Handa Australia Cup host and tournament organiser Wayne Smith received a late call up when Garry Merrick withdrew due to injury and made the most of his chance finishing in a tie for fifth on one under par 143.
Tournament drawcard Ian Baker-Finch fired a respectable second round 70 to finish in a tie for seventh alongside Rodger Davis and Michael Harwood on even par.
The Handa Australia Cup is a unique event in that it brings together some of the games past champions (both male and female) and provides the opportunity for a select group of juniors the experience of a lifetime.
The senior men now head to Concord Golf Club to compete in the $300,000 Handa Open.

Mathew Goggin fires a 63 to finish third in Arizona

Fourth Round of the Frys.com Open, Arizona
-18: Cameron Beckman 69 66 64 63 (won playoff), Kevin Sutherland 67 66 63 66
-17: Matthew Goggin (Australia) 69 63 68 63
-14: J.J Henry 65 69 68 64, Arron Oberholser 65 64 71 66, Mike Weir 66 68 69 63
-13: Steve Allan (Australia) 67 63 68 69, Paul Goydos 70 62 66 69, Pat Perez 71 66 67 63, Michael Sim (Australia) 72 63 68 64
-12: Woody Austin 69 65 65 69, Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 67 70 66 65, Davis Love III 69 67 67 65, George McNeill 68 63 66 71, Brenden Pappas 69 69 64 66, Bob Tway 69 67 64 68
-11: Steve Elkington (Australia) 66 67 68 68, Billy Mayfair 69 64 68 68, Sean O’Hair 68 65 69 67
Also:
-10: Peter Lonard (Australia) 69 70 64 67, Rod Pampling (Australia) 70 68 65 67
-3: Mark Hensby (Australia) 69 66 70 72
-2: Nick Flanagan (Australia) 71 67 69 71

Coles third on Nationwide

Gavin Coles fired a three-under par 68 to finish in a tie for third place at the Miccosukee Championships in Miami, Florida.
Coles finished at 10-under alongside Bryce Molder and Josh Broadway, two shots behind D.A. Points and Matt Bettencourt who need a playoff to decide the winner.
Points birdied the first sudden death playoff hole to win the Nationwide Tour event at the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club.
It was a strong performance by the Aussie contingent with Scott Gardiner finishing at eight-under in a tie for sixth place and Marc Leishman a further two strokes back in a tie for 11th.
Andrew Bonhomme also put in a good showing to finish at four-under in a tie for 20th, while Steven Dartnall was another shot back in a tie for 30th.
Aron Price and Won Joon Lee were not at their best, finishing the tournament at even-par in 45th place, and current No.2 on the money list Jarrod Lyle will be disappointed with his four days after he finished in a tie for 52nd.

Gleeson breaks drought

Australia’s David Gleeson has fired a final round of 69 to clinch a three-shot victory at the Macau Open.
Gleeson started the final day with a two-stroke advantage, but bogeyed the first hole to drop back into a tie for the lead with Kao Bo-song.
But from that point on the veteran carded five birdies and two bogeys to finish the 72 holes at 18-under-par and clinch his first title in over six years.
“I told my caddie (Sanker Ganesan) at the start of the tournament that I wanted to win this week by as many shots as possible. I also told myself that if I don’t go for it, I won’t have a chance so I’m happy that I went for it this week,” Gleeson said.
“I reached the little goals that I had set all day which proved to be the key. On the 18th hole, I just had to avoid the water and I knew I had it once the ball landed on the green.”
“I remember the time with my coach (Ken Berndt) who asked me how I am going to react after finishing a hole well. I replied that I wasn’t sure. I was more worried about what my friends would do to me in celebration and that’s exactly what happened today.”
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang produced a 66 to claim second place at 15-under, while Kao finished in outright third a further shot back.
Adam Blyth was the next best placed of the Australians in a tie for sixth at 12-under, while compatriots Unho Park and Tony Carolan finished equal 13th at nine-under.
Final results from Macau Open: (par 71)
-18: David Gleeson (Australia) 64 64 69 69
-15: Lin Wen tang 65 68 70 66
-14: Kao Bo song 66 68 65 71
-13: Mars Pucay 67 70 69 65, Yasin Ali 69 64 70 68
-12 Lu Wei chih 68 70 69 65, Somkiat Srisanga 69 68 69 66, Adam Blyth (Australia) 68 65 71 68
-11: Wisut Artjanawat 65 69 68 71, Steven Tiley 70 67 65 71
-10: Wu Ashun 70 68 69 67, Chan Yih shin 69 67 67 71
-9: Danny Chia 67 68 72 68, Chris Rodgers 72 65 70 68, Unho Park (Australia) 67 72 68 68, Tony Carolan (Australia) 67 69 67 72
-8: Zhang Lian wei 72 67 68 69, Wang Ter chang 66 69 69 72
-7: Udorn Duangdecha 65 72 73 67, Neven Basic (Australia) 70 67 70 70, Lin Wen hong 65 69 72 71

No luck for Parry in Japan

Azuma Yano fired a closing 67 to claim the Bridgestone Open by four shots on Sunday.
Yano carded six birdies against a solitary bogey to clinch the title on 21 under par ahead of Takao Nogami.
Nogami tried to make a fight of it, sinking five birdies and an eagle in his second consecutive six-under 66 but his 17-under score ultimately fell well short.
Shigeki Maruyama finished third on 15 under following a four-under-par round of 68.
Craig Parry and Scott Laycock were the best of the Aussies in a tie for 32nd place at five-under par.

(Source material courtesy of PGA of Australia)

Victorian golfer Ross Percy has recorded the lowest ever score in an Australian Senior Order of Merit round to win the 2008 South Australian Seniors Championship.

Percy’s final round four under par 64 secured his first ever Order of Merit victory.

It was a very popular win for the much travelled Victorian. Percy had an undistinguished start to the 54 hole tournament at the Murray Bridge Golf Course and was five over par after the first five holes

However, he consolidated and reversed the trend on the final day with a start of 3-3-3-3 to be two under par.

Percy finished with 74-66-64 for a total of 204 and even with the card.

Percy will now play in the Victorian Seniors before heading to Malaysia as part of an Australian Seniors team competing in the 2008 Asia Pacific Senior Championship.

Fellow Victorian Pat Giles finished second seven shots behind Percy in his best performance in an Order of Merit event. Giles held the 36 hole lead with opening rounds of 72 and 66 and gave Percy a good battle. Queenslander Peter Terrace compiled three consistent rounds of 70-71-71 for third place.

NSW player Brian Baker won the 54 hole nett event. Baker plays off a handicap of 8 and is a regular competitor in senior events across Australia. His gross scores of 74-74 and a fantastic closing 70 gave him a well deserved victory and the handicap trophy.

Leading Scores:
204   Ross Percy 74-66-64
211   Pat Giles 72-66-73
212   Peter Terrace 70-71-71
215   Peter Bywaters 68-71-76 Bill Wellington 72-70-73
216   Brian Sams 70-70-76, Graham Bowen 72-69-75
217 Alan Evans 68-73-76
218 Brian Baker 74-74-70, Tony Hyde 74-73-71, Alexander Small 77-71-70

(Source report courtesy of AUSOOM. Full details here)

Legendary Australian golfer Rodger Davis is looking for a caddie for the 2008 NSW Open in November.

Davis is leaving his caddie at home and auctioning this fantastic opportunity to “walk inside the ropes”  to the highest bidder, all to benefit the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

The winning bidder will caddie for Davis, 1989 NSW Open Champion and PGA Seniors Tour Order of Merit leader, from 13 to16 November for all four rounds of the NSW Open.

The tournament is being held at the Greg Norman designed Vintage course in the Hunter Valley.

The chance to caddie for a champion such as Davis can only be found by bidding on-line at www.nswopen.com. Bidding closes on 7 November at 5:00pm.