Aussie of the month: Elvis Smylie
He came. He saw. He conquered. LIV Golf debutant Elvis Smylie produced a scintillating display to outclass a field laden with major winners in the league’s season opener in Saudi Arabia. The 23-year-old Queenslander powered the all-Australian Ripper GC to the teams title at ROSHN Group LIV Riyadh.
In the only day/night tournament on LIV’s schedule, Smylie dialled in his wedges and sizzled with the putter. He shot a record 24-under-par total to eclipse two-time major winner Jon Rahm in the first LIV Golf event held over 72 holes. Smylie collected $US4 million for the individual total and a quarter share of the $US3 million winnings for Ripper GC’s triumph.
The $A6.77 million bounty – more than three times Smylie’s career earnings on the DP World Tour – vindicated his leap of faith to LIV Golf from the comfort of the European circuit. It also justified his move west to work under Perth-based golf whisperer Ritchie Smith a little more than two years ago.
Birdie of the month: Broken records
Matt and Kiara Frohmuller achieved what may be an unprecedented feat when the siblings broke the men’s and women’s course records on the same day at Brisbane’s Wolston Park Golf Club. Matt was playing off a plus-3 handicap in the club’s January monthly medal when he fired a seven-under 60 to lower the men’s record by two shots. Teeing off an hour later, his older sister Kiara (playing off 8) carded a three-over 72 to demolish the women’s record by seven strokes.
Bogey of the month: Stopping the clock
The planned rollback on distances that golfers can hit the ball is set to be delayed by another two years. The R&A and USGA have told manufacturers they are considering a revision to the timeline that rolls back the golf ball for the longest hitters until 2030. The rule changes for test procedures to limit distance by 15-plus yards were scheduled to come into effect in 2028.
Golfers in the news
AUSSIE DOUBLE: The Australian Women’s Amateur has been retained in Australian hands for the first time in more than a decade after Jazy Roberts finished six strokes clear of Japan’s Anna Iwanaga. Remarkably, foreigners have claimed the trophy in eight of the past 11 years. The 21-year-old from Melbourne’s Yarra Yarra Golf Club closed with a 10-under 63 at the Western Australian Golf Club to finish on 27-under par. In the men’s Australian Amateur, Billy Dowling was just as impressive in registering a five-stroke victory margin over Josh Fuller and Kayun Mudadana. The Brisbane Golf Club member closed with a seven-under 63 to reach 18-under.
PERFECT MATCH: At Australia’s oldest matchplay championship, tracing back to 1898, Josh Fuller from The Vintage Golf Club etched his name into New South Wales Amateur history. The 24-year-old Fuller demolished WA’s Adam Baillie 10&8 in a lopsided 36-hole final at Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney. In a battle of the teenagers for the NSW Women’s Amateur, Lara Thomsen, 17, triumphed against Sophie Tong, 13, winning the final 3&1 on the 35th hole against her teammate from The Australian Golf Club.
RIGHT AT HOME: Having navigated three stages, 14 rounds and 252 holes to acquire a DP World Tour card last year, Connor McKinney was ready for an encore. The 23-year-old former Scot did so in his adopted home city at Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee with a four-shot, wire-to-wire victory at Royal Fremantle Golf Club.
RIDING A WAVE: Cameron John announced himself as the dominant figure on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia with a blistering fortnight to begin the New Year. John won the Vic Open at 13th Beach on the Bellarine Peninsula after trailing by two strokes on the 72nd tee. He birdied the par-5 18th to Nathan Barbieri’s bogey and then clinched his third title with another birdie on the first playoff hole. John came agonisingly close to another victory the next week when Jordan Doull pipped him on the fourth playoff hole to win the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club.
FROM BEDRIDDEN TO SILVERWARE: West Australian Haydn Barron completed a remarkable comeback from severe health ailments to win his maiden professional title at the Webex Players Series Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle. After three previous runner-up finishes, Barron prevailed by one stroke over Kiwi Jimmy Zheng on Cobram Barooga’s Old course. After returning home from playing Europe’s secondary tour last year, Barron spent six months recuperating from a gastrointestinal illness and a sacroiliac back injury.
IN THE STARS: In just his seventh start as a pro, Declan O’Donovan claimed his first tournament win at Webex Players Series Sydney, sinking five birdies in his last seven holes at Castle Hill Country Club. It was redemption for the 22-year-old Sydneysider who shared third place at Webex Players Series Murray River seven days earlier. O’Donovan conceded as much with a quote for the ages: “What I took from Cobram was to not change anything. Sunday on the Murray was just not my day and the universe didn’t want me to have it. But the universe gave me this one and it’s a nice feeling.”
STALWARTS RECOGNISED: Alexander ‘Sandy’ Dawson and Andrew ‘Langers’ Langford-Jones were recognised in the Australia Day Honours List when they received the Medal of the Order of Australia for their services to sport. Dawson was the second Australian to serve as captain of the R&A in 2013-2014. Langford-Jones has been a highly respected rules and tournament official as well as a key contributor to innovation in Australian golf.
VALE ERIC ROUTLEY: Six-time Victorian Amateur champion Eric Routley [above] passed away aged 101. One of Australia’s finest amateurs in the 1950s and 1960s, Routley won the Commonwealth club championship on 16 occasions and represented the club in pennants for 45 consecutive years without missing a single match. “Rout” captained the Australian team at the 1960 Eisenhower Trophy where they finished second to the United States led by Jack Nicklaus.
