Victorian Phoenix Campbell has created history, becoming the first amateur to win the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane.
From the Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne, Campbell began the final round eight strokes from the lead, playing his way into contention with a closing round of 5-under 67.
Playing in the fifth-last group of the day at Nudgee’s Kurrai Course, Campbell holed a three-footer from the back of the 18th green to post 9-under in the clubhouse.
As overnight leader Andrew Kelly faded from view over the back nine in Brisbane, a pack of potential champions jostled for top spot on the leaderboard.
Queenslander Lawry Flynn went out in 5-under 31 to enter the frame, Coffs Harbour product Jack Pountney (72) led by one stroke with four holes to play, rookie Harrison Crowe (66) matched the day’s best score to post 8-under in the clubhouse and reigning Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi (73) gave himself a 10-foot putt for birdie on the final hole to match Campbell’s 9-under total.
Micheluzzi’s putt took a piece of the left side of the hole as it slipped by, leaving Campbell to create history as the first amateur winner of the Queensland PGA Championship.
Jason Day’s runner-up finish in 2005 is the closest an amateur has come to winning the Queensland PGA since its inception in 1926, Campbell’s name to now sit alongside major champions such as David Graham, Ian Baker-Finch and Greg Norman.
A member of the Golf Australia High Performance Squad the past two years, Campbell will now sit down and decide whether to turn professional and make immediate use of the PGA Tour of Australasia winner’s category now at his disposal.
“I’m definitely leaning towards turning pro,” said Campbell, who won the Riversdale Cup earlier this year.
“With winner’s category, now it’s definitely heading that way.
“I’ll talk to my team, see what they say, what they recommend and we’ll take it from there.”
With Campbell ineligible for the winner’s prize money, the seven players who finished second each earned $18,085.71 while Kiwi Kazuma Kobori banked $6,070.83 for his tie for ninth in his first start as a professional.
STORY: Tony Webeck Senior Writer | Golf Australia and PGA of Australia