-With Australian Golf Media
The Webex Players Series reaches its 2024/25 finale this week as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season hits the business end and the WPGA Tour of Australasia gets into full swing.
Being played for the second time at Castle Hill Country Club, Webex Players Series Sydney features a field of 144 men and women competing for one prize purse and one trophy joined by all abilities and junior players on the weekend.
New host Peter O’Malley is in the field and no doubt harbouring hopes of presenting himself the trophy.
O’Malley is joined by another veteran in Brendan Jones, who not only holds a record three top-10 finishes at this event, but is also a member at Castle Hill with his photo on the wall as an adidas Australian Amateur winner. He is bound for the PGA Tour Champions this year.
The two experienced campaigners are joined by some of the brightest lights of the local circuits, including Cassie Porter in a final Australian tune-up before she heads back to the LPGA Tour in her debut year.
Porter is joined on the women’s side by birthday girl Kelsey Bennett who enters in red-hot form after firing a seven-under round at Terrey Hills Golf Club on Monday in a pro-am, while the sister of last year’s winner, Momoka Kobori, returns from a top-30 in Saudi Arabia.
The men’s field features seven winners from this season, as well as past Order of Merit winners Jake McLeod and Jed Morgan. A strong contingent of Asian Tour -based Aussies, including Travis Smyth and Jack Thompson, will also be hoping to have some success in the north-western suburbs of the Harbour City.
Australian Golf Digest tours editor Evin Priest caught up with O’Malley for a chat recently about the Castle Hill tournament:
AGD: How significant is it to have a Webex Series event in Sydney, especially one that you’re involved with? What impact do you think it will have on golf in Sydney?
O’Malley: It’s great. Castle Hill has really embraced the event. Bonnie Doon hosted it for a couple of years before it moved to Castle Hill last year. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there last year due to back surgery, but I’m excited to be a part of it now. Hosting a Webex Series event in the Hunter Valley was fantastic, but having it in Sydney is special. The members at Castle Hill have been very supportive, and I think the tournament will be a great addition to the region.
AGD: How crucial is it to have a regular golf tournament like the Webex Series in Sydney to give Sydney golf fans the opportunity to watch the pros up close?
O’Malley: It’s absolutely crucial. It’s fantastic that Castle Hill has stepped up to host this event. Some events like the NSW Open are being moved to regional areas, which is great, but it’s also important to have high-level tournaments in Sydney. Castle Hill is expanding rapidly—it’s incredible how much the area has grown since I first played pennants golf there 40 years ago. Having a Webex event in Sydney allows people to see the next generation of stars in both the men’s and women’s game, which is a big drawcard.
AGD: Castle Hill offers a dramatic, visually stunning course with rolling hills, immaculate conditioning, and signature holes like the drivable par-4 16th. Do you think Castle Hill provides a great showcase for Sydney golf? Could it be an eye-opener for people who have never been to a country club before?
O’Malley: Absolutely. Castle Hill is a beautifully presented course with tree-lined fairways and Kikuyu grass, which is typical of courses on Sydney’s northern and western sides. It’s very different from the courses in the eastern suburbs like The Australian, The Lakes, or Royal Sydney. Castle Hill really represents what a lot of Sydney’s north and west have to offer in terms of course style. The TV coverage will also do a great job of showcasing just how good the course is.
AGD: What would you like to see happen this year and in the future with the Webex Series in Sydney? How can it continue to grow?
O’Malley: I’d love to see some of our young stars really contend. Kazuma Kobori was fantastic in year, and now he’s secured his DP World Tour card. That’s the beauty of these events—they provide young players with a platform to progress to the next level. Ideally, we’d see another young talent win here and earn a place on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, securing opportunities for bigger events next season. The same goes for the women’s side—players like Cassie Porter, who is beginning her LPGA Tour career, bring excitement. Seeing the next generation shine is what makes these tournaments so valuable.
AGD: Finally, POM, which club did you play pennants for, and what are your earliest memories of playing golf at Castle Hill?
O’Malley: I played for Pennant Hills, starting with the Eric Apperly Shield and then moving into senior pennants. The first time I played at Castle Hill was probably around 1984 or 1985. Back then, the surrounding area was mostly five-acre hobby farms—it felt like playing in the countryside. I used to drive down from Bathurst, and it was like visiting a country course for me. Now, the landscape has changed dramatically, with high-rise apartments and housing estates everywhere. It’s incredible to see how much it has developed.
