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Articles by Patrick Taylor
Aussies on Tour: From Down Under to the Home of Golf - PGA of Australia
A 15-strong group of Australasians – many courtesy of strong Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia seasons – descend on the Home of Golf this week for a favourite stop on the DP World Tour, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Each year, professionals from around the globe pair up with Hollywood actors, sporting stars, business moguls and musicians for the pro-am event which is played over three famed Scottish links.
Australian Golf Power Rankings September 30 - PGA of Australia
Consistency was the key this week, as a West Australian could no longer be ignored as she knocked down the door of the Australian Golf Power Rankings. With her seventh top-10 of the year on the Ladies European Tour, Kirsten Rudgeley makes a welcome return to the list. While she was looking to go one better than her runner-up finish last year at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, her share of fifth was still a strong showing for the young Mount Lawley Golf Club member.
Aussies on Tour: Rudgeley grabs another top 10 in France - PGA of Australia
A year after finishing runner-up at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, West Australian Kirsten Rudgeley has enjoyed another strong week on French soil. The 24-year-old finished in a tie for fifth this time around, recording her seventh top-10 finish in 2025 on the Ladies European Tour, and second in consecutive weeks.
Four Open spots on offer on PGA Tour of Australasia - PGA of Australia
Four players will earn exemptions into the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale through performances across the remainder of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season. The R&A announced overnight an extension of the existing agreement that will see the top three non-exempt players at the Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in December and the winner (or leading non-exempt player) of the 105th New Zealand Open in late February earn direct entry to The Open from July 16-19.
PGA Institute launch new Careers in Golf Scholarship – supported by Golf Australia - PGA of Australia
The PGA Institute and Golf Australia have combined to launch a new Careers in Golf Scholarship to assist those in regional areas already working in golf and those looking to enter the industry. It is specially designed for regional golf clubs or venues looking to upskill staff, as well as supporting recent Year 12 graduates who are interested in pursuing a rewarding career in the golf industry.
How to follow the 153rd Open Championship - PGA of Australia
The final men’s major of 2025 is upon us and Australia is well represented as the 153rd Open Championship heads to Royal Portrush. Nine Australians and two of our New Zealand neighbours make up the Australasian contingent, with two West Australian’s making their first appearance in the sport’s oldest major.
adidas PGA Pro-Am Series North Qld Swing: Bogey-free Fairfax claims title in Mackay - PGA of Australia
Gavin Fairfax stuck to his plan and hold off a charging Lincoln Tighe to win one of the biggest events on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, the PIMS Mackay Festival of Golf Pro-Am. Rounds of 63-67 gave the Queenslander a 36-hole total of 12-under-par and his first pro-am title for 2025. Tighe (NSW) produced the lowest round of the event, a 9-under-par 62, in the final round, which included a front nine of 30, to end up one shot behind after starting Friday in a share of 14th.
Leishman hungry as ever for major glory - PGA of Australia
Victorian Marc Leishman has had a career to date that most golfers only dream of, however, there are two notable absences from his otherwise illustrious resume. The boy from Warrnambool is yet to break through in an Australian Open or a BMW Australian PGA Championship, and major championship glory has proved just as illusive.
Aussies on Tour: Seniors team up in Wisconsin - PGA of Australia
Some of the most loved names in Australian golf will team up this week in a new-look American Family Insurance Championship on the PGA TOUR Champions. For the first time, the event will see 38 teams of two play a best-ball format on the Friday and Saturday, before a final day scramble format. With so many Australians now playing on the US over-50s Tour, the new format has allowed old friends – and competitive foes – to band together for a chance of glory.
Leishman books his ticket to Oakmont - PGA of Australia
It took more than 36-holes on Golf’s Longest Day, but Victorian Marc Leishman has booked his ticket to the next week’s US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Leishman played his Final Qualifying at Woodmont Country Club’s North Course, alongside fellow Australians Karl Vilips and Ripper GC teammate Lucas Herbert. Scores of 70-69 and a 3-under total were good enough for a share of third alongside Sebastian Munoz and Bryan Lee, which meant a three-for-two playoff ensued.
Aussies on Tour: Bosio, Percy suffer playoff heartbreak - PGA of Australia
Two Australians have come up agonisingly short of victory over the weekend, with both Victorian Cameron Percy and Queenslander Justice Bosio losing in playoffs on the PGA TOUR Champions and Ladies European Tour (LET) Access Series respectively. For Percy, the T2 finish at the Principal Charity Classic in Iowa marks a third top-10 finish this year in his quest for a maiden Tour victory.
PGA Pro-Am Series North Qld Swing: McDade cruises home at Tropics - PGA of Australia
Melbournian Connor McDade has produced two perfect days of golf to capture the Mercedes-Benz Tropics Golf Club Pro-Am by 2-shots, as the North Queensland Swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series got underway this week It is McDade’s first win of the year, however it is only his second event, and the win pockets him a nice $4,490 for topping the $25,000 event moving him to seventh on the National Pro-Am Order of Merit.
Four new Webex All Abilities scholars announced - PGA of Australia
The 2025 Webex All Abilities Scholarship recipients have been announced, with four new scholars receiving funding to pursue their golf dreams. Tom Ryan (full scholarship), Kane Leonard, George Vassiliadis and Lachlan Smith (development scholarships) are the four new golfers in this year’s intake, joining returning scholars Cameron Pollard, Natascha Tennent, Steven Alderson and Noah Schammer, who all continue to perform on both the national and international stage.
#NVW2025: Celebrating our volunteers in golf - PGA of Australia
Close to six million Australians volunteer their time within local communities across the country, helping to create stronger and healthier environments, and this National Volunteer Week we celebrate those who donate their time to golf. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Australian Golf, with around 30,000 donating their time and skills to ensure that our sport can be enjoyed by the 3.8 million Australians who played golf in the past year.
Aussies on Tour: Kyriacou swoops home in Utah - PGA of Australia
It may not have been enough to get her a maiden LPGA tour title, but Steph Kyriacou’s remarkable albatross at the 72nd hole helped her swoop on a second top-10 finish of the year. Finishing T6 at the inaugural Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion earned the Sydneysider a cool US$88,000 and has boosted her to 28th on the Race to the CME Globe standings. “I just nailed my driver. My second shot was actually a pretty good number.
Shin to realise dreams through Women In Golf Scholarship - PGA of Australia
Christine Shin’s dreams of representing Australia and of becoming a fully qualified PGA Professional are a step closer thanks in part to the Women in Golf Scholarship. The Women in Golf Scholarship was founded in 2021 with the intention of increasing the representation of women within the ranks of PGA Professionals and to promote women into leadership positions within the golf industry. In the short time since it was established, it has already produced a number of success stories.
Aussies on Tour: Peake gets underway in Asia - PGA of Australia
Courtesy of is now famous win at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports, Ryan Peake gained winners category status on the Asian Tour, and makes his debut as a Tour member at this week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in South Korea.
Australian Golf Power Rankings April 29 - PGA of Australia
He may not have a win to his name yet in 2025 yet Lucas Herbert’s consistently strong performances for Ripper GC have finally made his claim to No.1 spot undeniable. Winner of the Ford NSW Open during the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season and tied for fifth at the Australian Open, Herbert shot a stunning 10-under 61 in the final round at LIV Golf Mexico City to finish tied for second.
NSW Senior Open returns to Thurgoona - PGA of Australia
Some of the biggest names in Australian golf over the past 30 years will be on show when the 54-hole NSW Senior Open returns to Albury in late October. Running from October 31st to November 2nd, 2025, the $150,000, 54-hole tournament is an integral part of the PGA Legends Tour. This year’s event will be the seventh edition at the Thurgoona Golf & Country Club Resort.
PGA Institute partners with Holmesglen Education First Youth Foyer - PGA of Australia
Three young Melbourne women have become the first beneficiaries of a new educational initiative between the PGA Institute and the Holmesglen Institute. With the objective of providing more educational opportunities for Melbourne’s youth, the PGA Institute has deepened its partnership with Holmesglen Institute by launching a scholarship program in conjunction with Launch Housing’s Youth Foyer initiative.
Asha Flynn awarded Karrie Webb Coaching Scholarship for 2025 - PGA of Australia
After a successful first year for the concept in 2024, Queensland’s Asha Flynn has been awarded this year’s Karrie Webb Coaching Scholarship presented by Nippon Shaft. Since completing the PGA of Australia Membership Pathway Program (MPP) in 2019, Flynn has been making waves not only in her home state of Queensland, but around the country.
Women in Golf Foundation Program launches in Australia - PGA of Australia
The R&A and The PGA Australia Institute are pleased to announce the launch of the Women in Golf Foundation Program, in Australia. The Women in Golf Leadership Foundation Program forms a significant part of The R&A’s and Australian Golf’s ongoing commitment to the Women in Golf Charter. This program provides women across the golf industry with opportunities to enhance their leadership capability confidence and connect with a growing alumnae globally.
Ice cool Conran gets it done at Heritage Classic - PGA of Australia
The Heritage Classic always looked set for an epic conclusion, and it didn’t disappoint with James Conran triumphing by a single shot to secure his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory. Tied with Victorian Nathan Page coming down the last hole, Conran, from Orange in New South Wales, hit a brilliant wedge approach to inside a metre and tapped in for a final birdie for a tournament winning 22-under-par total.
South Australian holding tight at Heritage Classic
STORY BY PATRICK TAYLOR Barker leads at 17-under, one stroke ahead of Victorian Nathan Page, his playing partner on Saturday, who missed several late birdie chances to snatch the 54-hole lead. New South Welshman James Conran sits in solo third at 15-under, followed by a group of five players tied for fourth, another shot back. Among them is 2021 WA PGA champion Jay McKenzie, a Sydneysider who had missed the last seven cuts prior to this week.
Barker holds tight at Heritage - PGA of Australia
South Australia’s Lachlan Barker scrambled late in his Saturday round to hold onto the one-shot lead he worked so hard for, and takes it into Sunday as the Heritage Classic is set for an epic conclusion. Barker leads by one at 17-under over his playing partner from today, Victorian Nathan Page, who missed several late birdie chances on Saturday to snatch the 54-hole lead.
Lefties lead logjam at Heritage - PGA of Australia
Ten players are within two shots of the joint leaders, left-handed duo Tyler Hodge and Will Florimo, as the Heritage Classic —the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s penultimate event of the season — reached its halfway point. New Zealand’s Hodge, and Queenslander Florimo are tied at 11-under-par, with Hodge looking to make it back-to-back Tour wins after breaking through at the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship just two weeks ago.
Munro goes low to kick off Heritage Classic - PGA of Australia
He didn’t quite match eventual champion Matt Griffin’s opening day heroics from last year, but Queenslander Jack Munro has got his Heritage Classic campaign off to a hot start at The Heritage Golf and Country Club. Munro posted 9-under 63 around the St John Course on Friday as Elvis Smylie stared down his closest chaser for the Challenger PGA Tour of Order of Merit title, Ryan Peake, firing a 4-under 68 to Peake’s 74, and took one step closer to wrapping up the season-long title.
Smylie home to secure cherry on top - PGA of Australia
Elvis Smylie’s life changed when he successfully got up-and-down on the last at Royal Queensland in November to secure the BMW Australian PGA Championship. As soon as the putt dropped, the young Queenslander became a DP World Tour member, and had proved to the world that he could not only rub shoulders with his heroes, but out-do them when it mattered most. Smylie had proved that to himself a month earlier however, with his breakthrough win at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open.
How to follow the Heritage Classic - PGA of Australia
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia returns to Australian shores this week for the Heritage Classic, the penultimate tournament of the 2024/25 season and a crucial week in the chase for positions on the Order of Merit. Last year marked the return of the tournament to the Tour calendar after a 10-year hiatus, and it was Victorian Matt Griffin who hoisted the trophy come Sunday.
Aussies on Tour: Min Woo unable to recover at Sawgrass - PGA of Australia
As the 36-hole leader, Min Woo Lee was poised to make the biggest step in his professional career at THE PLAYERS Championship this week, but his weekend ended up being a disappointment. With closing rounds of 78-73, the West Australian eventually finished in a tie for 20th alongside Kiwi Ryan Fox, with Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun to return on Monday morning for a three-hole playoff to decide the champion.
How to follow THE PLAYERS Championship - PGA of Australia
Five Australians and one New Zealander are headed to the famed TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course as the best of the best on the PGA TOUR assemble for this week’s THE PLAYERS Championship. Often dubbed “the fifth major”, THE PLAYERS offers the richest purse on Tour outside the majors, with the winner granted a generous Tour exemption along with a host of tournament invitations.
Rick Kulacz appointed High Performance Manager for Western Australia - PGA of Australia
Golf Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Kulacz as the new High Performance Manager (HPM) for Western Australia. Kulacz, a former Golf Australia Rookie Squad member himself and two-time winner on the Asian Tour, brings valuable competitive experience to the role.
Communication mastered at first Emerging Leaders session - PGA of Australia
The first of four PGA Institute Emerging Leaders sessions was held today at the PGA Learning Hub in Sandhurst, with 17 attendees gaining valuable communication insights. The Emerging Leaders program was launched in 2024, and among a number of other offerings, the PGA Institute program is geared towards professional development through interactive workshops designed to empower the next generation of golf industry professionals.
How to Follow the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship - PGA of Australia
Having taken a hiatus from the Challenger PGA Tour in 2024, the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship is back on the schedule and will be contested at Hastings Golf Club on the North Island. Louis Dobbelaar was the 2023 champion at Gulf Harbour when the championship was last a Tour event, while Waitangi professional, Pieter Zwart finished birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie to win by one stroke last year.
List ready for PGA TOUR debut at Torrey Pines - PGA of Australia
Danny List makes his PGA TOUR debut this week at The Genesis Invitational, thanks to being chosen by tournament host Tiger Woods as this year’s Charlies Sifford Memorial Exemption recipient. Having grown up largely outside of Australia in Ghana and later in the UK, List’s time on Australian shores as a child is often overlooked. With an Australian father, List harnessed his game in Perth, and says it was in Western Australia where he first began to take his game to new heights.
Broadcast boost for 2025 Australian WPGA Championship - PGA of Australia
Golf fans across the nation will be able to watch the 2025 Australian WPGA Championship live on the 9Network, and Fox Sports available on Foxtel and Kayo. In what is a major coup for the new standalone women’s golf event set to be hosted at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club on March 6-9, the 9 Network, Foxtel and Kayo will showcase 10 hours of action-packed golf during the final two days of play.
Grace Kim locked in for 2025 Australian WPGA Championship - PGA of Australia
LPGA Tour winner Grace Kim will headline the 2025 Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast from March 6-9. A winner on the world’s premier women’s circuit in 2023, Kim will be one of the stars of the show when the contest for the Karrie Webb Cup is played for the first time at the renowned Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club. Hailing from Sydney, the 24-year-old claimed her maiden title, the Lotte Championship in Hawaii, in just the third start of her debut year on the LPGA Tour.
Proverbs pips Norris at Webex Players Series Murray River - PGA of Australia
It took three extra holes as temperatures soared at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, where Blake Proverbs outlasted Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia veteran Jason Norris to claim his first Tour win at Webex Players Series Murray River. Proverbs (64) began the day three shots back of overnight leader and fellow Queenslander Jake McLeod at 19-under, but produced his third straight sub-65 round to be tied with Norris at 23-under for the tournament.
John's 60 highlights moving day on the Murray - PGA of Australia
While Jake McLeod leads at 19-under, Victorian Cameron John’s 11-under 60 in the morning on Saturday got the Cobram Barooga members off their seats as they watched their Old Course’s record broken at Webex Players Series Murray River. Starting the day at 6-under for the tournament, John elevated himself all the way into a tie for third with Jye Pickin at 17-under.
Wongras and McLeod clear at the top - PGA of Australia
The low scoring continued on the second day of Webex Players Series Murray River, as Thailand teenager Cholcheva Wongras and Queensland’s Jake McLeod continued their love affairs with the Old Course at Cobram Barooga to share the lead at 14-under.
Three tied at the top on the Murray - PGA of Australia
Michael Hendry, Ryan Peake and Cholcheva Wongras have got their Webex Players Series Murray River campaigns off to a perfect start, all posting 7-under around the Old Course at Cobram Barooga to share the lead after day one. Out early, Hendry and Peake both got off to incredibly hot starts in the calm morning conditions, and the 64s they eventually signed for could have remarkably both been lower.
Quayle’s quest to reach Europe - PGA of Australia
Having cut his time on the Japan Golf Tour short late last year, Anthony Quayle had a clear goal in mind on his return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia … finish in the top-three on the Order of Merit and secure a DP World Tour card. Ahead of this week’s Webex Players Series Murray River, Quayle is currently in eighth position and is well on his way, the man from Nhulunbuy remarkably getting there without recording a win.
How to Follow Webex Players Series Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle - PGA of Australia
The Webex Players Series rolls on this week, with players heading north from Rosebud to the Murray River and the Old Course at Cobram Barooga Golf Club. Having grown up just down the road in Shepparton, the event will once again be played in honour of the late Jarrod Lyle. Last year saw Kazuma Kobori take out his first of three victories on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia on his way to winning the Order of Merit.
Lee, Phillips Lead At Halfway Mark
Rachel Lee equalled the Cranbourne course record, and Blake Phillips continued his strong form to put the New South Wales High-Performance Squad young guns on top at the halfway point of the Adidas Australian Amateur. Lee’s superb 7-under 65 with eight birdies today equals Kiwi Fiona Xu’s course record set in 2022, and vaulted her up into the outright lead by two shots at 8-under overall.
Henkel goes wire-to-wire in Gippsland - PGA of Australia
It took 28 holes on Sunday at Warragul Country Club, but with the support of family and his best mates strolling the fairways alongside him, Victorian Ben Henkel has secured his maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory at the Gippsland Super 6. Having grown up on the Bellarine Peninsula, playing his junior golf at both 13th Beach Golf Links and Metropolitan Golf Club, Henkel’s debut win is made all the more special being so close to home.
Top 24 set in Gippsland - PGA of Australia
While Dylan Gardner, Corey Lamb and Ben Henkel have the bragging rights as the 54-hole leaders of the Gippsland Super 6 at 17-under, the third round today at Warragul Country Club was all about making the top 24. Only the top-24 players make it through the Sunday’s medal match play finals, and so playing into the top half of today’s leaderboard was priority number one.
Records tumble on Friday in Gippsland - PGA of Australia
The low scoring continued on Friday at the Gippsland Super 6, as the course record at Warragul Country Club was updated on multiple occasions and the first sub-60 score in Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia history was recorded. Even after a 9-under 61 and 17-under total, leader Ben Henkel was overshadowed today in Warragul, with young West Australian Connor McKinney recording the first 59 in Australia in close to 20 years.
Connor McKinney, Mr 59 - PGA of Australia
For the first time since 2005, a scorecard of 59 has been signed in an Australian Tour event, with West Australian Connor McKinney responsible for the magical round today at the Gippsland Super 6. Brad McIntosh was the man close to 20 years ago at the Von Nida Tour’s Queensland PGA at Emerald Lakes. McKinney’s score marking the first sub-60 score on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia its current form.
Gloves on for Henkel in Gippsland - PGA of Australia
On a day where there was no shortage of low scoring at Warragul Country Club, it is Victorian Ben Henkel who stands tall above the rest atop the Gippsland Super 6 leaderboard after day one. After playing the last six years without a glove, Henkel decided to give it a go in a practice round earlier this week and has kept it on today, helping him on his way to an opening course record 8-under 62.
Lamb to continue banging down the door - PGA of Australia
Emerging cult hero Corey Lamb knows that a first professional win is not a matter of if, but when, and there’s no time like the present. Those that have been following Lamb’s journey, first through the amateur ranks and now on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, have a growing sense of expectation that a breakthrough is imminent.
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