Innholdsfortegnelse for Feb 2025 - Issue 429 i Golf Australia

The Sentry was nearly ready to kick off as we sent this edition to print, but there was no way we could go to press without including this stunning image. The “Tournament of Champions” is the PGA Tour’s season-opening event, held annually in Hawaii on Maui. Founded in 1953, the tournament historically featured only golfers who had won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year. However, players who qualified for the previousTour Championship are now invited as well. From 1986 to 2013, it marked the start of each tour season, until the PGA Tour switched to its wrap-around format in 2013, with seasons running from September to August. In 2022, Aussie Cam Smith set a new record, shooting the lowest 72-hole to-par score in PGA Tour history (−34)…

PERTH • WESTERN AUSTRALIA Built on bushland first procured in 1885, the club itself was established in 1928 and lies only 8km north of the Perth CBD. Despite now being firmly part of the urban landscape, the club still succeeds as an oasis of serenity. Birdsong, rustling trees and the ping of drives provide the soundtrack to your round; the bustle of the modern world fading into the background. That feeling of timelessness is enhanced by the magnificent clubhouse – which has retained its Tudor stylings despite numerous refurbishments since the 1960s – and the 15-foot clock standing sentinel near the first tee. Modelled after Pebble Beach’s iconic Rolex, WAGC’s own timepiece is a captivating feature, set against the vista of rolling fairways, mature trees, flower beds, a lake and the…

American players are to receive half-a-million dollars ($A790,000) for playing at the Ryder Cup, with the proviso at least 60 percent goes to charity. More than 15 years after American players first asked the question, they will be paid for playing at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage this year. However, their European opponents at the biennial trans-Atlantic event will continue to compete for just the pride and glory. Europe are the defending champions and have won 10 of the last 14 events. The PGA of America announced each of the 12 players on Keegan Bradley’s side will receive US$500,000 ($A790,000), with US$300,000 dollars ($A470,000) donated to a charity or charities chosen by each player. The remaining US$200,000 has been termed a “stipend”. The players also receive expenses and gifts. The…

Marc Leishman is all of us. Well, most of us, anyway, certainly those reading this journal. He likes playing golf. He loves playing with his kids on holidays. He does not hate a cold beer while watching the cricket after mowing the lawn. And, like most of us outside a gilded, monied, tight-lipped elite, Leishman doesn’t know what will come from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s purchase of six percent of PGA Tour Enterprises, and what it will mean for players on the LIV golf league where the man largely plies his trade. And Marc Leishman is very much okay with that. Our man Leishman, you see, is so laidback he verges on, without quite reaching, the coveted state of cool. He’s not Arnold Palmer in a cardigan smoking…

On a bluebird afternoon in late November 1978, an Australia XI, captained by Ian Chappell, and a West Indies XI, captained by Clive Lloyd, warmed up at the Sydney Cricket Ground nets before the first game of the second season of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket. While WSC’s first year had been underwhelming – a sparse crowd at one game was described in The Times as “confetti at a graveyard” – this game at the SCG would be the relatively new and exciting “one-day cricket” and the first to be played under the ground’s newly-installed giant floodlights. And the light was on for the people of Sydney, who were drawn to Moore Park like multitudes of migratory moths to your Mazda’s high beam. And yet, with 20 minutes until the…

For the first time in the Sandbelt Invitational’s brief history, tournament host Geoff Ogilvy was an interested onlooker across the four days of the event, not a participant. In the four years his Foundation has run this event, it’s arguably the one he has most enjoyed too, not having to worry about the state of his own game amidst a host of other responsibilities across the week. “We know how good a spirit and how great a tournament this is, but every single time, to see the looks on the faces of these kids and the situations that develop, it’s amazing,” Ogilvy enthused about his experience ‘outside’ the ropes this year. “Hopefully we can keep it going for a really long time because I think it’s a good deal.” A…

If you’re going to bury contentious news in a press release, Christmas Eve is a good time to do it. And so it was that the WPGA Tour of Australasia informed media that, like the LPGA and European Ladies tours, it would be amending its membership policy and banning transgender golfers from competing in its events. The WPGA’s statement read in part: “Following the lead of the global Tours and decisions guided by medical, scientific, legal expertise, and consultation with their members, the WPGA Tour of Australasia eligibility requirements will now reflect those of the LPGATour with membership eligibility for those who are assigned female at birth or have gone through transition prior to puberty.” The governing body stressed that the decision was made “to ensure uniformity in women’s golf…

This is what sinking a crucial 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th to win a tournament looks like. Specifically – what it looks like when legendary German Bernhard Langer accomplishes such a feat, to borrow a Happy Gilmore line. Langer’s recent Charles Schwab Cup Championship victory at Phoenix Country Club marked the 18th consecutive year he’d won on the PGATour Champions circuit. The 67-year-old closed with a 5-under 66, shooting his age or better for the third straight day and for the 23rd time in his career. He finished a stroke ahead of defending champ Steven Alker, who won the season points title and a $1 million bonus. Reflecting on his achievement, Langer said, “It’s unbelievable…to win this big tournament and make it 18 years in a row is just…

It would be disrespectful and wrong to call Hannah Green’s 2024 a “breakout year”. The 28-year-old already had three LPGA Tour wins to her name – including the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – before even teeing off in 2024. She had been demonstrating world-class qualities for many years. What does it take to be considered world class? Is it measurable? Or is it a subjective, eye-test thing? The Cambridge Dictionary defines it simply: among the best in the world. The dictionary of common sense, however, says that to be world-class, you dominate and win significant events, regularly and for a sustained period. Green played some world-class golf in 2024 and is ranked No. 6 in the world. However, in this writer’s opinion, she needs a prominent and consistent 2025…

Gold Creek (ACT) Opened by none other than Lee Trevino, Gold Creek is set amongst homes in Canberra’s booming, northern, “satellite” suburb, Gungahlin. A gentle handshake par-4 awaits after you walk under your first road to get to the 1st tee. Another long walk to two brings a nice short par-4, followed by another long walk to the interesting par-5 3rd. The trend continues with the undulating 4th followed by a straight, short hole and then long par 4. While the holes themselves are interesting, the walks through tunnels detract from the experience. The course itself continues to test shot-making and the back nine has more undulation, which makes the holes interesting. – Simon Tyndale-Biscoe Queanbeyan (NSW) Set alongside the Queanbeyan River, this course has a lot of rise and…

There are few places in the world that intrepid golfers won’t find or travel to in pursuit of unique and exceptional golf experiences. From the remote corners of eastern Canada to our own King Island in Bass Strait, global golf can be summed up as: “If you build it, they will most definitely come.” Greece and golf, however, have not historically been names synonymous with each other. The climate has always been perfect for the game, but due to factors like culture, land, desire, and lifestyle, golf has enjoyed only a brief glimmer of recognition among the ancient land’s residents. Thankfully, this is a landscape that is slowly but surely changing from a global awareness perspective. Many years ago, at the conclusion of a Greek island holiday, I sneaked in…

Lydia Ko has received the ultimate accolade after her fairytale 2024, becoming the youngest Dame in New Zealand’s history for services to golf in the 2025 New Year Honours list. The 27-year-old became not only New Zealand’s youngest Dame, but also the youngest in the modern Commonwealth. English sailor and yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur had previously held the title of youngest Dame, receiving the honour at the age of 28 in 2005. The news of her damehood came as a surprise to the Korean-born Aucklander, who admitted that, while she has always chased the biggest titles in her sport and strived for greatness in her chosen field, becoming a Dame had never crossed her mind. “You don’t grow up thinking, ‘I’m going to become a Dame.’ You might say, ‘I…

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THE AUSTRALIAN GOLF CLUB KENSINGTON • NSW Michael Block, the club professional who stole the spotlight at the 2023 PGA Championship, earned widespread attention after his memorable performance, including a hole-in-one and a 15th-place finish. His success led to invites, including one to the Australian Open in Sydney, where he expressed admiration for The Australian Golf Club. Block called it “one of the best courses I’ve played in my life”, comparing it to Augusta National. The course, originally designed in 1905, underwent major renovations under Jack Nicklaus in the 1970s, transforming it into a parkland-style layout with sculpted bunkers, water hazards, and towering pines. The Australian, renowned for its superb conditioning, remains one of Australia’s top tournament venues. Recent improvements under superintendent Dan Cook, including the restoration of bunkers and…

Meet the Garmin Approach R50: Portable Launch Monitor and Simulator Garmin Australasia introduces the Approach® R50, a premium launch monitor and golf simulator that lets golfers play year-round, indoors or out. Featuring a 10” colour touchscreen, over 43,000 preloaded courses, and an upgraded Home Tee Hero¹, it provides the luxury of golfing from your home setup or driving range. Utilising three high-speed cameras, the R50 tracks more than 15 ball and club metrics², including spin rate and spin axis, while offering high-speed impact videos for detailed shot analysis. “With advanced three-camera technology, the Approach R50 delivers cutting-edge metrics and analytics for golfers to improve their game – whether it’s measuring shot data or enjoying a virtual round on a rainy day,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer…

This year, I retired. Some might say I did so too early; others might argue I didn’t retire soon enough. After nearly 35 years of sedentary work, I managed to stay relatively fit, focusing on my core with what little I’d learned from yoga and Pilates. Moving into my next phase of life, I decided to resurrect a sport from my past, one that is under siege due to the demand for public open space in Sydney. Growing up as a “wog” kid in the inner west of Sydney in the 1970s, I loved cricket, tennis, hockey, and golf. While I continued playing hockey into my early 30s, I couldn’t dedicate time to cricket or golf, especially with work and family commitments. My weekends were filled with kids’ football, backyard…