Hawkes chases great rewards
VICTORIAN Open champion Simon Hawkes was in action last week on the PGA Tour of Australasia in the $150,000 Northern Territory PGA Championship.
The 29-year-old Tasmanian touring professional shot rounds of 76 and 75 to miss the even-par cut for the weekend rounds.
The former Tasmanian Open champion carded three birdies, four bogeys, one double and two triple bogies for his nine-over-par total of 151 and share of 91st position.
A dominant display enabled Daniel Nisbet to win the championship conducted at the Palmerston Golf Course.
Starting the day three shots off the lead, Nisbet knew he needed a low round to win his second title on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2018.
Firing an eight-under 63 was enough to hand the Queenslander a two-shot win with a tournament total 19-under 265.
Finishing two shots behind were Daniel Gale, who fired a final-round seven-under 64, and Damien Jordan, who shot 68 to finish with a tournament total 17-under.
New Zealander Mark Brown finished outright fourth on 15under the card while Adam Burdett and Maverick Antcliff rounded out the top five, finishing 14-under the card.
Hawkes currently sits in fourth place behind Nisbet, Queensland’s Anthony Quayle and New South Wales’ James Nitties on the Australasia PGA Tour Order of Merit.
Hawkes has amassed earnings of $135,828.97 from eight events and a high finish would reap him great rewards.
The PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit offers the winner a major championship start at The Open, while the leading two players earn invites into two World Golf Championships.
The leading top-10 players earn starts in the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. In addition, the highest finisher on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, not already exempt on to the European Tour, will receive a full card for the 2019 season.
Hawkes and the Tour of Australasia will next be in action at RACV Cape Schanck for the Victorian PGA Championship from October 11-14. COUNTRY Association officials wish to advise all southern clubs that entries for the 2018 RHL Roberts Memorial Trophy close on Friday.
The opening rounds are to be conducted at Richmond Golf Club on September 9, with the semi-finals and final at Royal Hobart Golf Club on September 16. Clubs are urged to enter early to avoid missing out as the event is only open to the first 16 applicants.
The format of the event is foursomes match-play knockout and all clubs must be represented by their foursomes champions or runners-up.
For details, contact the Southern Country Golf Association secretary Bruce Eaton on 0488 286 260 or email bruce eaton@bigpond.com DYLAN Perry, Blake Windred and Zach Murray flew the Aussie flag when the match-play phase of the US Amateur got under way last week.
Queensland’s Perry is the best of the trio, qualifying at one-under in a share of 10th place on the final leaderboard.
American Cole Hammer and Daniel Hillier of New Zea- land shared medallist honours at six-under after rounds at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.
However, Zach Murray was the last Aussie standing after Perry and Windred bowed out in the round of 64.
Perry lost one down to young American Jackson Van Paris while Windred lost 6&5 to Taiwan’s Chun An Yu.
Murray progressed with wins over Tennessee’s Jack Rhea one up and California’s Clay Feagler 3&2.
However, Murray’s run came to an end, going down 2&1 to medallist Hammer after an epic match at Pebble Beach in the round of 16.