Mark Officer Golf

New South Welshman Andre Stolz today completed a tough week of golf in fine style by winning the Victorian PGA Championships at Sanctuary Lakes by shooting a five under par round of 67. He is now also the leader of the Australasian Tour Order of Merit. He won by two shots from Queenslander Stuart Bouvier who matched his round of 67. In a week that produced extreme high temperatures and strong winds the final round was played on a  cool rainy 20 degree day. Returning to competitive golf just nine months ago after a three year hiatus due to a devastating wrist injury, the 38 year old father of four held onto his two shot overnight lead to claim his first title since winning the 2004 Michelin Championship on the US PGA Tour. It’s been an amazing week, the weather threw everything at us, but it feels good to have won a four round event again,” said Stolz who returned to the Australasian Tour at last year’s Cellarbrations NSW PGA Championship in November.
He finished T17 at the 2008 Australian Masters and came back to be one shot off the lead heading into the final round of the Australian Open in December, eventually finishing T6. Coming into this week’s event, he had a T10 finish at last week’s Subaru Open.
Stolz couldn’t really explain the dramatic re-surgence in his form, but put it down to history.
“I don’t know, normally when I play well, I play really well and when I play bad I’m horrendous, so things haven’t really changed. I either win or miss the cut a lot of the time. I can’t explain it. It used to annoy me but now I just go with it.”
Runner up, Queenslander Stuart Bouvier, who was tied for second place overnight, quickly recovered from a bogey at the second to record a five under final round and claim outright second place.
Also tied second overnight, Victorian Cameron Percy shot a final round four under and finished tied third alongside Adam Bland whose six under 66 saw him move up six places on the final day.
The rounds of the day went to Victorian’s Alistair Presnell and Scott Laycock. Presnell recovered from a disastrous third round 77 to shoot seven under 65 and move from T16th place to finish in a tie for fifth alongside Subaru Victorian Open runner up Laycock who was also T16th overnight.
The top ten was rounded out by Queenslander Andrew Bonhomme who finished seventh on 12 under, with New Zealander Gareth Paddison and Brad Kennedy tied eighth on 11 under and Victorian amateur Bryden MacPherson capping off a spectacular finish in just his second professional event to finish tenth on ten under par.
First round tournament record breaker Luke Hickmott finished just outside the top 10 on nine under. He was T11 with Paul Sheehan and Stephen Dartnell.
The Australasian Tour heads to Perth on February 16th for the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines, before heading back to Victoria for the Moonah Classic beginning the week of February 23. The Tour then heads across the Tasman to New Zealand for the HSBC NZ PGA Championship at the Clearwater Resort at Christchurch beginning March 2 and then to Queenstown for the Michael Hill NZ Open at The Hills GC from March 9.

1 271 -17 Andre Stolz (AUS) NSW 68 67 69 67 16,500.00

2 273 -15 Stuart Bouvier (AUS) Qld 66 67 73 67 10,450.00

3= 274 -14 Adam Bland (AUS) SA 69 70 69 66 6,600.00

Cameron Percy (AUS) Vic 71 68 67 68

5= 275 -13 Alistair Presnell (AUS) Vic 69 64 77 65 4,180.00

Scott Laycock (AUS) Vic 65 70 75 65

7 276 -12 Andrew Bonhomme (AUS) Qld 65 68 74 69 3,465.00

8= 277 -11 Gareth Paddison (NZL) NZL 70 67 71 69 2,887.50

Brad Kennedy (AUS) Qld 69 67 70 71

10 278 -10 Bryden MacPherson (Am) (AUS) Vic 70 68 68 72 Amateur

11= 279 -9 Luke Hickmott (AUS) Vic 61 70 78 70 2,200.00

Paul Sheehan (AUS) NSW 69 68 72 70

Stephen Dartnall (AUS) WA 69 66 72 72

14= 280 -8 Michael Brennan (AUS) NSW 73 67 71 69 1,544.40

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