After a brilliant rookie season on the PGA Legends Tour last year in which he won four times, wins have been harder to come by in 2024.

He was victorious at Busselton in May and after a run of top-five finishes made it win No.2 on the year with a two-stroke victory at Lismore Workers Golf Club.

“Not that I felt that I deserved a win, but the game’s been pretty solid of recent,” said Boulton.

“Play solidly enough and hopefully the scores come.

“It felt like a little while between wins so this is great.

“This proves that I’m capable. Feel like I should be here.”

Boulton had just one bogey in his round of 4-under 66, two clear of Grant Fyander (68) and Michael Isherwood (68).

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

A birdie at his second hole – the par-5 sixth – was a strong start but Boulton’s round stalled with a bogey on 12 to be even par through his first nine holes.

He soon kicked into gear, however, a birdie at the par-5 14th the first of three on the trot, closing out his round of 4-under with birdie at the par-4 third.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“We started on five and hit a good shot into five. Made a nice par, which was good to start on,” said Boulton.

“Played pretty solid. Stuck a few shots close for birdies, made a few good putts so it was all going quite smoothly.

“(The bogey) was just a small blemish. But other than that, it was stock-standard driver in play, hit greens in regulation and knock the putt in.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Mark Boulton               66
T2        Grant Fyander              68
T2        Michael Isherwood      68
4          Simon Tooman            69
T5        David McKenzie           70
T5        Chris Taylor                  70

NEXT UP

Glen Innes Golf Club makes a return to the PGA Legends Tour schedule on Wednesday followed by the Watsons Leisure Centre Legends Classic at Coffs Harbour Golf Club on Friday, where Mark Boulton is the defending champion.

The nearest challenger to Andre Stolz at the top of the PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit, Taylor had seven birdies and an eagle in his round of 6-under 64 to finish two clear of Adam Henwood (66) with Peter Jones (68) and Brad Burns (68) sharing third.

Taylor came under attack from an unappreciative local as he warmed up on Sunday morning but shrugged it off to continue on his winning ways.

“Beware of the wounded golfer, eh,” said Taylor.

“I’d hit a few wedges down the practice fairway, we and picked up the range balls and got hit in the head by a magpie.

“Pecked me in the head, drew a bit of blood and thought it was going to leave me with a bit of a headache.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

With four birdies in his first six holes, you would never have known Taylor was in any discomfort.

He began with a birdie at the par-4 first and then picked off three in succession from the fourth to the sixth holes.

There were dropped shots at both 10 and 12 but were wedged either side of an eagle at the par-4 11th.

After almost driving the green, Taylor hit a lob wedge over the bunker and then watched on as his ball spun back from behind the hole and into the cup.

Consecutive birdies at 13 and 14 separated Taylor again from the rest of the field, closing out his round of 66 with a bogey on 17 and birdie on 18.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“It was one of those days where I basically just holed a lot of putts,” said Taylor.

“I had six or seven birdies and an eagle so just one of those days where everything went right, I suppose.

“Look, any win’s a good win, but to have 10 in one season is quite good.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Chris Taylor                  64
2          Adam Henwood          66
T3        Peter Jones                  68
T3        Brad Burns                   68
5          Mike Zilko                    70
T6        Nicholas White             71
T6        Tomas Mezera              71
T6        Dell Bain                      71

NEXT UP

The PGA Legends Tour continues its run in northern New South Wales on Monday with the Lismore Workers Legends Pro-Am at Lismore Workers Golf Club.

The Moree Golf Club layout in north-west New South Wales proved a stern test over the two days, Weldon the only player in the field not to record at least one over-par round.

He posted rounds of 72-71 to finish at 1-under and hold off prolific winners David McKenzie (74) and Adam Henwood (70) by a single stroke.

But Weldon’s breakthrough wasn’t without drama.

Having started his second round from the third hole, Weldon mistakenly played down the 10th fairway rather than the adjacent second hole.

“The amateurs of my group didn’t say anything. They just thought I was trying to play it that way,” Weldon said of his mistake from the tee.

“I thought they were on the wrong fairway themselves. I’ve hit it to six feet and then realised I’m on the wrong green.

“I’ve had to take a drop off the side, hit it onto the other green, and then I ended up making a double (bogey) to finish.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking at that point but got there in the end.”

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

Weldon began Round 2 two strokes back of McKenzie but with two opening birdies at thee and four – and McKenzie’s bogey on one – he quickly assumed a front-running position.

That position was strengthened when he made birdie at the par-5 ninth and then moved well clear with eagle at the par-5 15th.

Like McKenzie, Weldon dropped a shot at the par-3 first but thankfully had enough of a buffer to absorb his double-bogey on the final hole to hold on for a one-shot win.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“It’s a great course, tough course in parts and you’ve got to hit it to certain positions,” said Weldon.

“If you’re out of position you’ve got to work pretty hard but I putted and chipped well. That was the key for me.

“I did have a couple of looks (at the leaderboard) through the day because the boys had pre-warned me and said it doesn’t hurt to have a little peek.

“I knew I was comfortably in front and I wasn’t trying to do anything silly. Had a bit of a debacle on the last, but not to worry.

“It is a bit nerve-wracking, especially my first one trying to get that monkey off my back, but I felt like I handled it OK.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Nigel Weldon               72-71—143
T2        David McKenzie           70-74—144
T2        Adam Henwood          74-70—144
4          Marcus Cain                 73-72—145
T5        Andre Stolz                  75-71—146
T5        Andre Stolz                  75-71—146
T5        Simon Tooman            76-70—146