NSW Senior Open complete guide
The names are legendary, the games enduring.
The NSW Senior Open at Thurgoona Country Club Resort will again host some of the greats of Australian golf as they seek to snare a lion’s share of the $150,000 in prizemoney.
The first in a two-week run of major events on the PGA Legends Tour, the 2025 NSW Senior Open features four former champions, three former PGA TOUR winners and a host of players with wins on major global tours.
David McKenzie returns to defend his title while an influx of younger seniors are seeking to make their mark.
Tasmanian Mathew Goggin has made five starts on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2025 and was runner-up to McKenzie 12 months ago while 2009 Canadian Open champion Nathan Green will play his first NSW Senior Open.
Designed by Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge, Thurgoona has been the host venue to the NSW Senior Open since 2017 and serves as a fitting stage for a field stacked with fan favourites.
“Thurgoona is the perfect venue for the NSW Senior Open,” said Olivia Wilson, General Manager of Golf NSW.
“It’s a challenging, beautifully presented course, and the tournament consistently attracts some of the most respected names in Australian golf.
“We can’t wait to welcome the players and fans back for what promises to be an exciting weekend of competition.”
The 54-hole championship tees off on Friday with the final round to be broadcast live from 12pm-5pm on Sunday on Kayo Sports.
NSW Senior Open
Thurgoona Country Club Resort, Thurgoona NSW
Prizemoney: $150,000
TV times: Live 12pm-5pm Sunday on Kayo Sports.
Live scores
Players to watch
Andre Stolz – Four-time Legends Tour Order of Merit winner
David Bransdon – PGA TOUR Champions player
David McKenzie – Defending champion
Mathew Goggin – Five-time Web.com Tour winner
Nathan Green – Winner of 2009 Canadian Open
Peter Lonard – Two-time Australian Open champion
Peter Senior – Winner of 21 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events
Recent winners
2017 Grant Kenny
2018 Michael Long
2019 Brad Burns
2020 Not played
2021 Not played
2022 Richard Green
2023 Adam Henwood
2024 David McKenzie
Largest winning margin
3 – Grant Kenny, 2017; Adam Henwood, 2023
Tournament low round
61 – Peter Senior, R1, 2018
Most eagles in a tournament
3 – Andre Stolz, 2023
Most eagles in a round
3 – Andre Stolz, R2, 2023
Most birdies in a tournament
18 – Peter Fowler, 2019
Most birdies in a round
9 – Andrew Welsford, R3, 2022
Consecutive birdies in a round
5 – Jason Norris (Holes 10-14, R2, 2022); David McKenzie (Holes 3-7, R1, 2024); Andre Stolz (Holes 1-5, R3, 2024)
Tim Elliott is timing his run to the NSW Senior Open to perfection with a dominant victory at the Deniliquin Legends Pro-Am presented by Edward River Council.
A second win in his past three starts – he was tied third at Griffith – makes Elliott one of the form players on the PGA Legends Tour ahead of this week’s $150,000 event at Thurgoona Country Club Resort.
It was a comfortable three-stroke win for Elliott in Deniliquin, six birdies and a single bogey in a round of 5-under 67 building a handy buffer from Euan Walters (70) and David Diaz (70).
With the two biggest events on the calendar coming up over the next fortnight, Elliott credits an equipment change for his recent run of form.
“I haven’t been playing very well the last month or so and I’ve just changed putters,” said Elliott after his fourth win of the season.
“I’ve gone back to my old Ping Pal and it’s just started working.
“When I get to putt on quick, smooth greens, I can putt all right.”
Quick quotes
“The Course Superintendent, Terry, has done an amazing job on the golf course,” said Elliott.
“I’ve played a lot of tournaments and pro-ams in my time and those greens were as good as anywhere I’ve played.
“I’ll try and have a couple of good weeks. There’s going to be a lot of good players there so you’ll have to shoot some good scores.”
Leading scores
1 Tim Elliott 67
T2 Euan Walters 70
T2 David Diaz 70
T4 Ben Jackson 71
T4 Neale Smith 71
T4 Guy Wall 71
T4 Brad Burns 71
Next up
NSW Senior Open, Thurgoona Country Club Resort, October 31-November 2
October 26
Chris Taylor finds winning form in Griffith
`A couple of the PGA Legends Tour’s biggest tournaments are looming so Christopher Taylor was happy to find some winning form at the B&C Plumbing Griffith Legends Pro-Am on Sunday.
“I’m happy to find some form coming in to a couple of our bigger events,” Taylor said.
“I’ve had a slow start to the year and hopefully I’m going to finish it off a little bit better.”
Turning point
The highlight of Taylor’s day was an eagle at the par-5 fifth hole. However, the key birdie came nine holes later at the par-4 14th, moving him to 2-under-par for the day.
Stinson let his share of top spot slide with a bogey on his final hole, the par-3 seventh.
Quick quotes
Taylor said: “I got off to a bit of a flyer with par-par-eagle and then wind got up and it was a case of just hanging on as good as you could. It was difficult out there but a really enjoyable day. I’m looking forward to getting back to Griffith next year for an even bigger and better event.”
Leading scores
1 Christopher Taylor 69
2 Grahame Stinson 70
T3 Leon Trenerry 71
T3 Tim Elliott 71
T3 Ben Jackson 71
6 Mark Sheppard 72
October 24
Tim Elliott still showing the way
With potentially his last appearance in a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournament on the horizon, Tim Elliott secured a win on the PGA Legends Tour at Blackheath Golf and Community Club in the Blue Mountains.
Now 63-years-old, Elliott went close to shooting his age at the Blackheath Legends Pro-Am, with a round of 3-under-par 65 leaving him a shot clear of Terry Price and David Raalte.
It repeated a victory the Victorian had at Blackheath in 2018.
“I just enjoy playing Blackheath,” he said.
“You’ve got to hit it very straight around here and I’m getting shorter as the older I get. So hitting the fairways is an advantage.”
A former winner of the South Australian Open and WA Open, Elliott qualified for the Vic PGA at Moonah Links in December when he won the PGA Professionals Championship of Victoria at Portsea Golf Club in June.
“That’ll probably be my last real tournament I play,” he said.
“I might as well go out against the young guys, see how I go. It’ll be tough, but I’ll have a go.”
Turning point
Beginning his round at Blackheath at the 18th hole, Elliott picked up three birdies in four holes midway through his front nine. The clinching birdie came at the 314m par-4 15th.
Quick quotes
Elliott said: “It’s just a tight course. You’ve got to hit it straight and you’ve just got to play well. I’ve had the putting woes lately, the last six months, been having a lot of three putts and that’s really been affecting my game. Today I had two three-putts, but I’ve made a lot of birdies to make up for it, so it was okay.”
Leading scores
1 Tim Elliott 65
T2 Terry Price 66
T2 David Van Raalte 66
T4 Scott Barr 67
T4 Christopher Taylor 67
T4 Ken Druce 67
T7 Peter Lonard 68
T7 Darryl Purchase 68
T7 Richard Gilkey 68
T7 Mark Boulton 68
October 23
Scott Ford secured his first PGA Legends Tour title for 2025 at the Fidelity Capital Group Dave Crossman Memorial Legends Pro-Am at Springwood Country Club.
On a tough day for scoring, Ford shot a 2-under-par 67 to beat Nigel Lane by a shot with the rest of the field finishing at even-par or worse.
The win comes almost 10 years to the day since Ford’s first over-50s victory at the Wallacia Legends Pro-Am.
A regular visitor to Springwood in the Blue Mountains, he took a very strategic approach to his round, consistently played to the high side of each fairway to take advantage of the course’s natural undulations and avoiding chasing pins, opting instead for the middle of each green.
In his winner’s speech, Ford paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Dave Crossman, the tournament’s namesake.
Lane was left rueing an eight on the par-5 second hole after he played the back nine in just 31 shots.
Turning point
Ford made a bright start to his round by picking up a shot at his first hole, the par-4 fifth, and he was 2-under-par through his opening eight holes when he birdied the par-4 12th.
It was the 487m par-5 14th hole which proved decisive, however. His 3-wood approach struck the pin, setting up an eagle propelling the 63-year-old to 4-under-par.
Leading scores
1 Scott Ford 67
2 Nigel Lane 68
T3 Matthew Rogers 69
T3 Marcus Cain 69
T3 Richard Gilkey 69
T3 Peter Lonard 69
STORIES: TONY WEBECK | PGA AUSTRALIA