Brad Burns consolidated his status as king of the sand greens on the 2025 PGA Legends Tour by sharing the WRL Engineering Warren Legends Pro-Am title with John Onions today.
After winning the Australian PGA Senior Sand Greens Championship at Cobar Bowling and Golf Club in a playoff on Monday, Burns shot a round of 5-under-par 65 to match Onions, who picked up his third victory for 2025.
With a mixture of 12 grass and six sand scrape greens, the 5800m Warren Golf Club layout, north-west of Dubbo in country NSW, provided a unique challenge to the Legends field.
“I want to take all the sand home and start putting on that actually,” Burns joked.
“I putt really good on sand and not so good on grass.
“I was 6-under after 10 and then had a couple of three putts on the grass.”
Just five players broke the par of 70.
Turning point
Looking for his first outright win of the year, Onions was cruising at 5-under through 15 holes before he slipped up with a double-bogey at the par-3 16th hole to hand Burns top spot.
A bounce back birdie on 17 saw the Victorian walk off the last hole one shot behind as Burns came to 16. However he also failed to make a par, his second bogey of the back nine leaving the Queenslander with two holes to regain the solo lead.
Playing in the final group, Burns parred 17 and 18 to settle for a share of the title, his fourth for 2025.
Quick quotes
Burns said: “We always have a great time when we come here. It’s always good coming to the country. They’re all so hospitable and it’s always nice to come back.”
Onions said: “I’m happy to tie with the king of sand”.
Leading scores
T1 John Onions 65
T1 Brad Burns 65
T3 David Crawford 67
T3 Grahame Stinson 67
5 Tim Elliott 68
T6 Mark Boulton 70
T6 John Wade 70
T6 Nigel Weldon 70
April 28
Burns earns Australian PGA Senior Sand Greens title
Queensland’s Brad Burns has played his way into the $140,000 World Sand Greens Championship at Binalong courtesy of a playoff triumph at the Australian PGA Senior Sand Greens Championship at Cobar Bowling and Golf Club.
Forced into a Monday finish after rain prevented any play on Saturday, the PGA Legends Tour players extended their stay in Cobar so that the $50,000 tournament could have its full complement of 36 holes.
Trailing Murray Lott by a single shot after Round 1, Burns had to bounce back from a late bogey at the par-3 15th with consecutive birdies to shoot 68 and join Andre Stolz and Nigel Weldon at 7-under par.
The trio headed back to the par-4 18th where Burns was able to secure his third win for the season.
Quick quotes
“I thought I threw it away,” said Burns.
“Four holes to go, I bogeyed the par 3. Just a very ordinary chip.
“Birdied 16 and 17 and a nice little par on the last.
“It took me a while to get used to the sand greens again but just a great day.
“Great people up here, too. We’ve had a ball. They do a fantastic job of looking after us.”
Final scores
1 Brad Burns 68-67—135
Won at first hole of sudden-death playoff
T2 Andre Stolz 69-66—135
T2 Nigel Weldon 69-66—135
T4 David Fearns 71-65—136
T4 Murray Lott 67-69—136
T6 Mark Hale 72-66—138
T6 David McKenzie 71-67—138
T6 Adam Henwood 70-68—138
T6 Carl Smedley 69-69—138
Next up: Warren Golf Club Legends Pro-Am on Wednesday
STORIES: TONY WEBECK | PGA AUSTRALIA
PHOTOS: PGA AUSTRALIA