“I’m really happy and proud of the win. I came close a couple of years ago on my last visit here and it was a shot shy, so this time was very satisfying,” Barr said.
“You can see by the scores that Cromer is a hard golf course. You’ve got to hit it very straight. You’ve got to be sort of strategic and you’ve got to be patient.”
Turning point
After starting the final round two shots behind Diaz, Barr made his move immediately on day two with birdies on his first two holes, while the leader bogeyed his opener.
The 299m par-4 13th turned out to the pivotal hole, however, with Barr making a three to Diaz’s five to seize control of the event.
Quick quotes
Barr said: It’s a beautiful golf course. It’s in a beautiful setting. The membership really support the event. They get right behind it. The sponsors are amazing and the hospitality is amazing. So yeah, I really had a goal this week to come here and win and very pleased I did.”
Leading scores
1 Scott Barr 67-69
2 David Diaz 65-72
3 Anthony Summers 67-71
T4 Derrin Morgan 71-69
T4 Lucas Bates 69-71
T6 Martin Peterson 71-70
T6 Marcus Cain 70-71
T6 Andre Stolz 70-71
Next up
The PGA Legends Tour heads to the Blue Mountains for the Fidelity Capital Group Dave Crossman Memorial Legends Pro-Am at Springwood Country Club on Thursday.
October 19
Peter Lonard savours special win at Mollymook
There was a phone call home to savour after Peter Lonard out-lasted a quality field to take out the Mollymook NSW Senior Masters at Mollymook Golf Club’s Hilltop Course.
A week after hosting the Ford Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifier, the Hilltop Course was again in exceptional condition, allowing the quality players to come to the fore.
Joint leader with Andre Stolz after Round 1, Lonard posted 2-under 70 in Round 2 for a 5-under total, enough to hold off Terry Price (68) for a one-stroke win.
The site of his first Pro-Am start 36 years ago, Lonard’s latest PGA Legends Tour triumph came with an added bonus.
“It’s a good day today because my daughter, every time I phone her up, she asks, ‘Did you win?’” Lonard said.
“I haven’t won one for a while so today I phoned her up and she said, ‘Did you win?’ and I said, ‘Yeah.’ And she goes, ‘Did you get a trophy?’ I go, ‘I don’t think so,’ so she’s still not happy.”
Quick quotes
“I didn’t really hit in the trees that often and hit a fair few greens,” said Lonard.
“The beauty of this course is you’ve got to not three-putt. If you’re playing all right, you can hit a lot of great shots and hit it 10 feet above the hole and you’re trying not to three-putt rather than actually hole them. It’s a totally different game to probably what we play week in, week out.
“I had a three-putt on the 16th – I held on that long – but it finally got me.
“I played my first Pro-Am at Mollymook Golf Club. I shared a room down in the bottom corner in a hotel with about eight blokes. Wasn’t a pretty sight.
“After 36 years I finally actually won something.”
Leading scores
1 Peter Lonard 69-70—139
2 Terry Price 72-68—140
3 Leon Trenerry 70-72—142
4 Andre Stolz 69-74—143
T5 Scott Barr 73-71—144
T5 Mark Boulton 73-71—144
Next up
Kent Relocation Group NSW Senior PGA Championship, Cromer Golf Club, October 20-21
October 15
Cain puts it together at Eden
A frustrating run with the putter ended in emphatic fashion as Marcus Cain claimed the Eden Gardens Lifestyle Village Legends Pro-Am at Eden Sport and Recreation Club.
The continuation of the PGA Legends Tour Sapphire Coast swing was again a showcase of exceptional golf, Cain finally on better terms with the flatstick to win with a 5-under par 66.
Cain’s only dropped shot came with a missed putt for par from inside three feet.
“Fourteen-over for the past three rounds and just putting, purely putting,” said Cain after his second win of the season.
“I’ve had eight or nine three-putts and hitting the ball exactly like I did today.
“I said to my wife, ‘I can’t hit it any better; I’ll just putt better and the ball will go in.”
Paul Powell had seven birdies in his round of 4-under 67, tied with Martin Peterson for second, Peterson’s round consisting of an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys.
Quick quotes
“The lies were OK, but preferred lies helps a lot,” Cain added.
“When we can actually get our hand on the ball and get that little extra help, it helps hitting into the greens.
“Especially chipping around the greens, it makes that a lot easier.”
Leading scores
1 Marcus Cain 66
T2 Paul Powell 67
T2 Martin Peterson 67
T4 Nigel Lane 68
T4 Grahame Stinson 68
T6 Lucien Tinkler 69
T6 Peter Lonard 69
T6 John Wade 69
October 14
Burns ‘claws’ his way to Tathra Beach win
He is one of the most prolific winners in the history of the PGA Legends Tour yet Brad Burns unveiled a new secret weapon in winning the Forbes Stynes Real Estate Tathra Beach Legends Pro-Am.
As the South Coast swing continued, Tathra Beach Country Club once again presented wonderful playing surfaces for a star-studded Legends field, Burns finishing one clear of Chris Taylor with a round of 3-under 68, Andre Stolz third at 1-under 70.
Battling the flu in recent weeks, Burns tapped into “short game guru” Euan Walters for some tips, the move from a conventional putting grip to a claw grip paying off immediately.
“Euan Walters has been giving a couple of tips along the way and he’s a short game guru,” said Burns. “Chris Taylor, also.
“I’ve gone from conventional grip to the claw and the first time I let it loose today and it was great.”
Although he got off on the wrong foot with a bogey at the first, Burns responded with birdies at three and four, a 15-foot putt for par on the par-3 18th proving crucial in securing an outright win.
Quick quotes
“Shot a couple under around the back nine and holed a nice 15-footer for par on the last,” said Burns after win No.11 for 2025.
“I just like playing golf and the clubs are fantastic. They put up enough money for us to go and play for so I like supporting all the golf clubs that I actually turn up to.”
Leading scores
1 Brad Burns 68
2 Chris Taylor 69
3 Andre Stolz 70
T4 Paul Griffiths 71
T4 Brendan Chant 71
T4 Euan Walters 71
T4 Peter Lonard 71
T4 David McKenzie 71
October 13
Lane way too good at Sapphire Coast
What looked destined to be a photo finish developed into a one-man romp as Nigel Lane flashed home to win the Sapphire Coast Legends Pro-Am by three strokes.
Played across Pambula Merimbula Golf Club and Tura Beach Country Club over two days, as many as nine players were within one stroke of the lead on the back nine of the final round on Monday.
Yet four birdies in his final five holes saw Lane (70-69) swoop late and finish the two rounds at 5-under par and three clear of Peter Lonard, Catalina Club Director of Golf, Rodney Booth, outright third at 1-over.
“I didn’t actually look at the leaderboard until 16,” said Lane, who inadvertently saw the leaderboard after using his phone to check a local rule.
“Suddenly my heart jumped out of my chest and I just had to be wary how far I was going to hit it after that.”
Quick quotes
“Hit the ball pretty well the last couple of days,” said Lane.
“My driver has been a little bit haywire but it went straight the last two days. When I drive it well, I have a chance of shooting good scores.
“Changing to the long putter has just resurrected my game. Suddenly the pressure’s not on my chipping anymore and I’m actually able to hit some good chips.
“It’s been a big change, I suppose. I struck the ball really well. The back nine, got it up-and-down really well on one of the par 3s.
“I don’t think I missed any other greens that nine, so I probably ended up hitting 14 greens so I’ve played tee-to-green fairly well.”
Leading scores
1 Nigel Lane 70-69—139
2 Peter Lonard 69-73—142
3 Rodney Booth 71-74—145
T4 Brad Burns 71-75—146
T4 Mark Boulton 72-74—146
T4 Chris Taylor 72-74—146
T4 David McKenzie 73-73—146
T4 Andre Stolz 71-75—146
T4 Grant Kenny 71-75—146
October 10
Stolz wins third ACT Senior PGA
Formative years at Fairbairn Golf Club helped Andre Stolz to conquer wild conditions and claim a third straight TLE ACT Senior PGA Championship.
Winds that gusted beyond 60km/h in Round 2 meant that birdie opportunities were few and far between, Stolz building on his round of 6-under 64 in Round 1 with 4-under 66, his 10-under total securing a three-stroke victory from Mark Boulton (67).
While the course has grown and evolved since Stolz was a young aspiring golfer in Canberra, the four-time PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit winner called upon those early days to close out the victory.
“I know the course pretty well, so I know which way the wind was going to be howling from and I knew where the opportunities were going to be today. Not many on a day like this,” Stolz said.
“It’s just nice coming back to the town here. I have fond memories of growing up here.”
Quick quotes
“Obviously today was ridiculous,” Stolz said of the conditions.
“We were on the eighth hole and the amateurs had looked up the app and said it was 65ks an hour.
“I missed the green there just to the right, had a pretty straightforward chip and I had to back off it. I felt like I could miss the ball with the gusts that were blowing at that point.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play well here each year and I seem to putt well here, which is good.
“I haven’t been putting that well lately, but I boxed quite a few over the last two days.”
Leading scores
1 Andre Stolz 64-66—130
2 Mark Boulton 66-67—133
3 Leon Trenerry 67-68—135
4 Kurt Stegbauer 65-71—136
5 Nigel Lane 66-71—137
STORIES: PGA OF AUSTRALIA