WA Open Preview - Joondalup Country Club (October 5-8)

WA OPEN TOURNAMENT RESULTS:

Tasmania’s Simon Hawkes fended off all challengers in a tense final round on Sunday to win the 2023 WA Open at Joondalup.

Holding a four-stroke lead at the start of the day, Hawkes withstood a charge from playing partner, South Australia's Jason Norris, and Joondalup local Connor McKinney to win by two strokes at 17-under.

The turning point came at the 16 ^th hole on Sunday. With Hawkes and Norris tied for the lead, the Tasmanian drained a 40-foot birdie putt to establish a two-shot buffer after Norris made a costly bogey.

However, when Hawkes bogeyed the 17 ^th hole, his lead was pegged back to one as McKinney posted the clubhouse lead at 15-under.

Hawkes pushed his drive into the left rough on the 18 ^th hole before hitting a four iron into a right hand bunker 40m short of the green with his next shot.

Faced with one of the trickiest shots in golf, Hawkes fanned open a nine iron and played an exquisite bunker blast that finished inside five feet.

He converted the birdie to win by two shots and claim the $31,500 winner’s cheque.

Mandurah’s Braden Becker and Kiwi Kerry Montcastle finished three shots behind Norris and McKinney at 12-under in a tie for fourth.

GolfBox’s Brody Martin aced the 134m third hole on Sunday, finishing level par (T40) for the tournament.

FINAL SCORES

• 1 Simon Hawkes (TAS) -17
• T2 Connor McKinney (WA) -15
• T2 Jason Norris (SA) -15
• T4 Braden Becker (WA) -12
• T4 Kerry Montcastle (NZ) -12
• T6 Andrew Campbell (NSW) -11
• T6 Jak Carter (SA) -11
• 8 Scott Strange (WA) -10
• T9 Lawry Flynn (QLD) -9
• T9 Quinnton Croker (a) (QLD) -9

This year’s WA Open promises something different, with the time-honoured tournament being played at Joondalup Country Club for the first time since 1987.

Some of Australia’s best professionals and amateurs will duke it out in the 99th edition of the State open, with Joondalup’s Quarry/Lakes layout set to provide drama right up until the 72nd hole.

THE DEFENDING CHAMPION

Gold Coast-based Victorian Deyen Lawson will return to defend the title he won at WA Golf Club last year.

After dominating the first three days of the tournament last year, Lawson extended his lead to nine strokes as he made the turn on Sunday.

But the back nine was a different story.

Lawson tightened up and a bogey-riddled back nine, along with a surging Michael Sim, saw his lead cut to just two strokes as headed to the 72nd hole.

After just clearing a fairway bunker off the tee, Lawson striped a three wood up to the green then chipped and two putted to claim his maiden win on the Australasian PGA Tour by two strokes.

No-one has defended the WA Open since WA legend Terry Gale was successful in 1982-83.

LOCAL HOPES

Based on WA Open form, first year pro Hayden Hopewell looks a terrific chance of winning at Joondalup this year.

The Royal Fremantle young gun, pictured above, won the title as an amateur in 2020, was runner-up on either side of his victory and finished 15th last year prior to turning pro.

Ryan Peake is another local who has been in strong form.

He notched a top 10 in the PNG Open in Port Moresby in May before winning all three events on the North West Pro-Am swing, adding another two Pro-Am wins in northern New South Wales in July.

Mandurah’s Braden Becker is the most recent hometown golfer to win the WA Open (2022).

INSIDE KNOWLEDGE

Josh Greer and Connor McKinney will have a significant local knowledge advantage when they both play in their first WA Open as professionals.

The pair are members at Joondalup and played in multiple pennant winning teams before turning pro in the past year.

McKinney, a former Australian Amateur champion (pictured above), played at the Open Championship in July after winning his way into the field via final qualifying.

He missed the cut at the Open and has played a limited schedule on the European Challenge Tour this season, but heads to Spain in November to contest the second stage of the DP World Tour Q School.

PAST WINNERS

This year will see the WA Open field compete for a purse of $175,000 and the chance to join some of the biggest names in golf on the WA Open trophy.

Greg Norman, Gary Player, Ian Baker Finch and Kel Nagle all won the WA Open before going on to win a major, while multiple DP World Tour winner Ryan Fox won the title in 2014.

This year Matt Griffin (pictured), Maverick Antcliff and Jordan Zunic could be players to watch out for.

The trio return to Australia after overseas campaigns, with Griffin a member of the Japan Tour and Antcliff and Zunic both playing on the DP World Tour/Challenge Tour.

They have the class and experience to be contenders but putting it together at Joondalup in tournament trim will present some difficult questions for the entire field.

AMATEUR HOUR

Sixteen elite amateurs are set to tee it up at the WA Open this year and will be hoping to join Hayden Hopewell, Curtis Luck, Zach Murray and Oliver Goss as recent amateur winners of the tournament.

Joondalup amateur Tom Addy (pictured) won the Joondalup Pro Am in May and will be hoping his home course form will hold at the WA Open.

Addy beat NSW’s Alex Edge and Victoria’s David Bransdon, seasoned pros who will also return for the WA Open, by two strokes but looks to have serious local competition from Yokine’s Joseph Buttress.

Buttress, a recipient of the Cam Smith scholarship, made it through to the final 16 in the match play phase of the US Amateur in July.

NSW’s Jye Pickin, Kalgoorlie’s Connor Fewkes, Victoria’s Jasper Stubbs and Queensland’s Quinnton Croker will all tune-up for next month’s Asia Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne with a WA Open hitout.

And Queensland’s Billy Dowling appears to have legitimate claims after winning the Queensland amateur title in August.

Written by Jamie Martin Jamie Martin is currently locked in a battle to keep his handicap hovering around the mid-single digits. Despite his obvious short-game shortcomings, Jamie enjoys playing and writing about every aspect of golf and is often seen making practice swings in a mirror.