Tom Power Horan overturned an early two-shot deficit in the final to claim his second Gippsland Super 6 title at Warragul Country Club yesterday.
Power Horan, who was crowned champion in 2019 in a weather-marred event that saw no matchplay occur, prevailed over fellow Victorian Kyle Michel in the six-hole final. Michel was hunting for his maiden tour win.
The two finalists lined up alongside each other last Monday at the Cadbury Pro-Am at Woodlands Golf Club, with Michel claiming bragging rights by one shot to finish tied for third. However, that result wasn’t lingering in the mind of Power Horan as he claimed his second career win on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.
After finishing the strokeplay section of the tournament equal first, the 29-year-old Melburnian hardly erred on Sunday, making five birdies in the six-hole final match, set up by some remarkable recovery shots including a left-hander from against the butt of a tree on the second hole.
“I could not really get much of it right-handed,” Power Horan said.
“I didn’t want to take a drop like an unplayable. As left-handed shots go, probably wasn’t the hardest one, didn’t have to hit it too far.
“I thought, Might as well go for it. I’m in the final, you know, have a go.”
Michel was two shots ahead after he began with consecutive birdies in the final, and Power Horan made bogey after his tee shot on the second hole lodged against a tree.
But Power Horan turned it around with a remarkable recovery shot from under a tree to tap-in distance at the par-4 third hole, and he proceeded to birdie the fourth, fifth and sixth as well, icing it with a 20-footer at the par-3 final hole.
With Michel making bogey at the last, the final margin was a comfortable three shots.
With unsavoury weather forecast for Sunday evening, the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the wind picked up in the afternoon at Warragul, leaving the finalists battling against the wet and blustery conditions. Up until that point, conditions had been conducive to low scoring all week, yet the eventual champion still managed to shoot five birdies to take the win.
The victory will see Power Horan leap up the rankings in the 2022-2023 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, with full playing rights on next season’s DP World Tour on offer for the top three come season’s end, which Power Horan believes is within reach.
“At the start of the season I’d be pretty happy with my start now, you know – sitting, like, maybe 20th before this week, so hopefully up bit higher now,” he added.
“I still have eight or nine events left. It’s still a long way to go, but I feel like I’m playing well, and this week shows that.”
Power Horan has been in fine form as of late after switching to coach Bradley Hughes, winning the Murray Open in September and producing a tie for 12th at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.
Power Horan will enjoy two years of full playing rights on tour beyond this season as a result of Sunday’s win.
Another Victorian, Andre Lautee, managed to beat the leader through the first two days of strokeplay, New South Welshman Alex Edge, for third place in the consolation final.
Click here for final leaderboard.
