Greg Chalmers is the ultimate journeyman in golf in all sense of the word. He has journeyed all over the world, on the European Tour, the U.S. PGA TOUR and here at home in Australia and Oceania to play the game he loves. Born a Sydneysider, he came north to the Gold Coast and to beat two fellow Aussies, one from Adelaide in South Australia, Wade Ormsby, and the other the beloved local Queensland Hero, Adam Scott, in an epic 7-hole playoff. It was a seven-hour day at the office for Chalmers, who teed off at 10:37 am, a good hour ahead of Scott in the final group, shot a spectacular 64 (better the next best score of the day by four strokes), waited around for an hour or so for the playoff, which was all played repeatedly on the par-4 18th hole, that would not end, and in the end outlasted the World No. 3 player and won the Australian PGA Championship by 5:30 pm.

As fate would have it, I never made it out to walk the back nine with the leaders as planned today. I ventured an hour north for a morning JPT tour of Brisbane’s city sights and when I reached the RACV Royal Pines resort Adam Scott was bogeying the tricky, Graham Marsh- designed, short par-4 eighth hole. By the time I settled down for a quick lunch in front of the TV in the media lounge, Adam had rebounded with a birdie at the ninth while Chalmers was 6-under in his Sunday best round through 14 holes. Two holes later after an Ormsby bogey at the 11th the eventual playoff threesome were tied for the lead at 10-under par.

After watching Chalmers approach shot on the 18th hole I ventured out just in time to watch him drain the 10-footer for a dramatic finishing birdie for a new course record of 10-under par 64.  Ormsby and Scott would each go one-under the rest of the way in their rounds with two birdies and a bogey to match Chalmers clubhouse 11-under total of 273. Ormsby would match Chalmers’ dramatics draining a 20-foot birde putt of his own on the 18th green.

After hearing Chalmers flash interview outside the scoring trailer I went back to the 18th green to see American Scott Stallings walking off after making a birdie of his own and posting a 70 to finish three strokes out of the playoff. With only three groups remaining to finish I decided to settle in behind the back left greenside bunker to watch the conclusion of the final event of the Australian Trifecta (Masters, Open, PGA). I use to do this a lot when I was a spotter and liked to watch the player parade marching into the last hole. Little did I know there would be a playoff as I expected, like everyone else, that Adam Scott would light up the Gold Coast and win back-to-back PGA Championships. Plus the playoff would be an extended Australian style “Kangaroo (Groundhog)-Day,” it kept hopping over and over again. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

Boo Weekley finished with a par to post a 2-over par 74, four strokes out of the playoff. After opening with a morning 66 on the rain-shortened Thursday round, Boo was a little inconsistent but his solo 6th place finish was his best of the Australian Trifecta. Boo met Australia and Australia lovingly booed him an admiring and friendly welcome and good-bye. Ormsby’s dramatics were next and then the stage set for Scott to win with a dramatic birdie of his own but that did not happen. Instead he bunkered his drive left and missed his chip-in to settle for a par and a playoff appearance with Chalmers and Ormsby.

The shadows moving across the green tell the story of the epic playoff, said to be the longest in Australasian tour history. The fact that it happened all on a single hole is not to be understated either.

Scott and Ormsby missed makeable putts in Round 1 of the 7-round title fight.

Round 2 was fateful for Chalmers in that he missed the green and chipped knowing Scott had a 7-footer and Ormsby a 5-footer for potential winning birdies. If either or both made, Chalmers would likely be out. Chalmers chip was poor, stopping 12 feet short and maintaining his honor to putt for par before the other two gave their birdie putts a go. Chalmers, still hot with the putter that led to his 8-birdie, bogey-less masterful round, drained the par-saving putt that saved his hopes or rather his caddie’s hope. As Chalmers would confess later—”I started to shake my caddy’s hand and he wouldn’t. He said, no, no, we’ll just wait and see. I thought we were done. I thought there’s no way both are going to miss.”  They did with Scott rimming the hole and Ormsby completely missing it.

Round 3 was fateful for Ormsby as he exited left to birdies first by Chalmers, then by Scott, after tow good chances in the earlier rounds to make a birdie and win the PGA Championship.

The next two rounds would have Chalmers on the ropes with Scott unable to hole the knockout putt. In Round 4 Chalmers made a great recovery from the woods left while Scott missed a 20-foot birde putt after a huge drive down the middle of the fairway. For the record, Scott hit the fairway six of seven times in the playoff with his driver bunkering right only once.

In Round 5 Chalmers bunkered his drive left and Scott rimmed another tournament ending 12-footer. For the record, Chalmers only hit one fairway in seven playoff drives, in Round 3, when he sank the birdie putt to force Scott to make his.

Round 6 had both competitors bunkered off the tee, Chalmers left and Scott right. Scott 2-putted from off the green and Chalmers surprisingly missed a 15-footer for the win.

Round 7, of course, had Chalmers 2-putting from 50 feet after a bunkered right drive, and surprisingly, Scott three putting from 18 feet when everyone thought he would make it for the win.

Chalmers, the journeyman around the world, had another major victory at home, another PGA Championship to match his two Australian Open Championships. Maybe he is really not a journeyman but wants us to think he is. After all his second Open victory in 2011, came by holding off late charges by John Senden and Tiger Woods.

Another winner this week was golf course architect Graham Marsh. His new front nine, redesigned in a tight 9-month window after the February European Tour Ladies Masters, was well received by the players, sponsors and golf fans alike. As mentioned above his tricky par-4 eighth hole factored into the dramatic Sunday finish and there is no doubt his redesigned back nine will do the same in next year’s PGA Championship. Adam Scott’s drive that rolled through the left fairway bunker back into the fairway in Round 2 of the playoff will likely not happen next year. Later that same year he defeated Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser in a sudden death playoff to win his first PGA Championship.

With this victory, even though he lost his PGA TOUR status last year finishing 132nd in FedEx points, we will see him in the World Golf Championships (WGC) at Doral and Firestone, and the Open Championship at St. Andrews, earned by virtue of his finish in the Australian Open.

Based on his champion’s interview comments, we might see a new Greg Chalmers as well: “Look, what happens is my attitude, if you’re talking about my mental approach, one of my weaknesses, if you want to get into it, is that when I play in the (United) States (on the PGA TOUR) I don’t play to win. I’m 41 and I’ve been doing it a long time… I just like to do well rather than, you know what, when I come here, I come here to try and win the golf tournament and I get really focused on that… so that’s an attitude that needs to change.”

Here’s a guy that is brutally honest with himself, accepting of himself and in so doing can change himself, whether to continue winning here in Australia or next year on the U.S. PGA TOUR in a WGC.

With an epic playoff finish in Queensland at the RACV Royal Pines Resort I think there is one thing that need changing for sure and that is the Queensland Events and Tourism logo: Queensland—It’s LIVE!

I think it should be: Queensland—It’s LIVE and EXCITING!

Here is the question I posed to champion golfer Greg Chalmers in his post-win interview:

Q. I think Adam rimmed his, Ormsby missed, but what were you thinking at that time? Did you think you were done and did it re-energise you?

GREG CHALMERS: Yeah, I started to shake my caddy’s hand and he wouldn’t. He said, no, no, we’ll just wait and see. I thought we were done. I thought there’s no way both are going to miss. I certainly thought Wade’s putt was uphill, I thought it was a putt that most of us would make but I also understand that you’re nervous and sometimes it’s really hard to control what the putter does and how the ball rolls.

I was very fortunate I think that I made that putt, I read it right and I think it broke about a cup to the right, which is a good putt for me, for a leftie. I just kind of pushed it up against the break and it broke in the hole and before you know it, it was still going.

I would have liked to hit a better second shot. I fatted it out of the bunker I think; that’s what happens. I hit a little fat and went left in the rough.

Sadly this is the last golf tournament on the Australasia PGA schedule. What an Australian Trifecta it was!

After playing the Championship Course here at RACV Royal Pines in the morning I drive back to Sydney to catch a flight to Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand. What a great month and a half in Australia!

Exciting conclusion to the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort… Congratulations to Greg Chalmers!!!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/14/14)

On to the “Golf Journey to New Zealand!”

 

As ‘Strange’ as it may seem, everything is as expected going into the final round of the Australian PGA Championship and then again there is the unexpected too on Moving Day!

Adam Scott, two strokes back of two relatively unknown co-leaders to start Round 3 on Saturday at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, continued his calculating, consistent and stellar play and posted a 3-under par 69, to move to the top of the leader board heading into Showdown Sunday.

Strange as it may sound, the co-leaders after Round 2—Wade Ormsby and Scott Strange posted 1-under par 71s to remain in the lead though joined by Scott. As if a “Before and After” category on Jeopardy, Adam Scott Strange is the final twosome teeing off at 11:45 am. Joining Ormsby in the penultimate pairing will be Jason Scrivener who followed a 73-66 start with a more stable 68 to keep moving in the right direction on Moving Day.

Unexpectedly, the shorter newly Graham Marsh-redesigned front nine played a stroke and a half harder than the back nine. American Boo Weekley got back into contention after a chip-in eagle on the par-5 12th hole and a birdie on the par-4 13th hole. Weekly will be joined in the second-to-last group to tee off by Michael Hendry who had the low round of the windy day—a five-biride, no bogey 67.

Great Scott, there is an American named Scott Stallings, who surged to within four strokes of the lead at day’s end with a back nine 5-under par 31 (eagle with 3 birdies) after a ‘thank you Graham Marsh’ pedestrian 1-over par 37 on the front.

On Thursday the low round was 65 (Jin Jeong ringing the door bell), on Friday it was Strange and Scrivener’s 66s and today it was Hendry’s 67. Strange as it seems, and keeping in the same direction I am thinking a low round of 4-under 68 by any of those named above within four strokes of the lead (and David Snail 68-71-71 with a bookend 68) will be enough to seal the deal and take home the Joe Kirkwood Cup.

My guess is that Scott will be Adam Scott!

Any Jeopardy! fans out there? Adam Scott Strange or Ormsby? Who will win the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort? It is time for Final Jeopardy! Doo dee doo dodo doo dee doo Doo dee doo dee doo-…dododododo Doo dee… and the final putt drops and the winner of the Joe Kirkwood Cup is??? What I did ‘before and after’ this ‘Golf Journey to Australia & New Zealand’ I do not know…   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/13/14)

 

On Tuesday night, Tony Roosenburg, Tournament Director, received an award from the PGA of Australia recognizing his company’s long term production of the PGA Championship. In the course of receiving the award, which was a collectible professional tournament golf bag, he made an interesting statement—”you can’t organize two things in golf—the winner or the weather.”

At the half-way point of the 2014 Australian PGA Championship his words have held true but both the weather and the winner have come to be a little more in focus. Ninety-four players missed the even-par cut and will no longer be competing for the Joe Kirkwood Cup, a prize that recognizes Joe Kirkwood Sr., the golfer credited with putting Australian golf on the world map. The weather cooperated on Friday allowing the Thursday afternoon starters to finish their first round and all golfers to complete their second round. The weather forecast for the weekend is decent with a 40% chance of morning showers on Saturday and a partly cloudy day on Sunday.

The question becomes who will win the Australian PGA to join Nick Cullen (Australian Masters) and Jordan Spieth (Australian Open) as champions of the Australian Trifecta? Boo Weekley led at the end of the first day but not at the end of Round One. Jin Jeong, the 24-year old South Korean with one European Tour victory to his credit, went out at 5:30 am and finished his bogey-free, seven-birdie round of 65 to eclipse Boo by one stroke.

The best score of 66 in Round Two was posted by Scott Strange, a 37-year old Australian golfer with two wins each on the European and Asian Tours, and Jason Scrivener, who held four tour cards in 2013 (Australasia, One Asia, European Challenge, and Canadian) and was one of 27 to earn a 2015 European Tour card in Q-School last month in Girona, Spain.

Strange (69-66)  is atop the leader board at the halfway point at 9-under par along with the consistent Wade Ormsby who opened up with 68-67. Ormsby, age 34, went to the University of Houston for three years, and has one win on the Asian Tour to his credit.

World No. 3 Adam Scott, who is on everyone’s radar, is two strokes back, and will join Strange and Ormsby in the final group on Saturday, opened with the consistency that eluded him in Melbourne (Masters, 73-68) and Sydney (Open, 74-66). A win here is on his personal radar for sure—”I really want to finish this off with a win and hang onto a trophy this year and go into next year feeling a little bit chuffed (delighted; pleased; satisfied) with myself.” Scott also revealed in an interview with Australian Golf Digest this week that he and his wife Marie Kojar are expecting their first child in nine weeks.

Don’t forget about Boo Weekley who is three strokes back in solo fourth place and followed his opening 66 with an even par second round of 72. Or the six players tied for fifth place four strokes back including Jeong, Scrivener, and Masters Champion Cullen.

It’s moving day at the Australian PGA Championship, let’s see who delivers over the weekend and takes the Kirkwood Cup home with them!

Interesting story on and off the golf course at the Australian PGA Championship!!!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/12/14)

Here are the pics from the day:

 

 

 

Boo Weekley is playing in his third tournament Down Under and fired a 6-under 66 to take a two-stroke lead in the rain-shortened first round of the 2014 Australian PGA Championship. Half of the 156-player field, everyone in the morning wave, finished their round. Queenslander and World No. 3 Adam Scott, along with five other early risers, posted 4-under 68s. Three weeks ago Boo placed T15, five strokes back of Australian Masters Champion Nick Cullen down in Melbourne at the Metropolitan Golf Club. Two weeks ago he finished T15, fifteen strokes behind fellow American and Australian Open Champion Jordan Spieth who ran away from the field with a Sunday 63 to win by six strokes at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.

Everyone in the afternoon pairings played at least six holes with Jin Jeong (4-under through 12 holes) and Tom Bond (4-under through 9 holes) leading the pack. With Queensland not on daylight savings, the sun will rise at 4:43 am and play will resume at 5:30 am. The sun will set at 6:35 pm with the long days of summer in effect Down Under.

Boo holed a 146-yard 8-iron on the 379-meter par-4 17th hole, his eighth of the day, for an eagle 2 to go along with five birdies and a lone bogey on the 13th hole. After taking a week off to see the sights in Australia with his good mate and Round 1 & 2 playing partner Steven Bowditch (shot 75), Boo came back to the golf course with his usual happy-go-lucky attitude.

“Every day I might not have my best game,” Boo pointed out in his post-round interview, “but at least every day I’m thankful that I’m able to play this game and play at the level I play it.” And it looks like his game is following his positive attitude: “It felt like it all came together today. Like I said, the first week I didn’t make no putts, hit it pretty solid, just didn’t make no putts and the next week made some putts but to me didn’t hit my irons as well, you know what I mean? So now today it was kind of like they both came together. I made the putts and hit the irons pretty good.”

“If I win (I win, if I don’t, I don’t but my goal was to come over here and every event I played in was to just to top 20. I’m going to head back (home to Florida on) Monday. I got a hunting trip lined up as soon as I get back home, so it’s kind of cutting in on my hunting back home.”

Boo’s relaxed demeanor and seemingly in-the-moment focus is reminiscent of when he won back-to-back Heritages at Hilton Head in 2007 and 2008 and then helped the United States Ryder Cup team ride (on his driver off the first tee) to victory at Valhalla later in 2008. His most recent win was in May 2013 at Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas.  His wide-eyed first visit Down Under and a victory this week in the Australian PGA Championship  would duplicate what Spieth accomplished in this golfing country’s national Open.

Let’s hope the weather cooperates and the golf-about continues and concludes on Sunday so Boo can go home and start hunting on Monday!

http://www.andygolftraveldiary.com/day-41-dinner-with-the-…/ Arrived on the Gold Coast for the Australian PGA Championship at the RACV Royal Pines Resort… dinner with the stars tonight…   (Facebook Post 1 Pic, Andy Reistetter, 12/9/14)

Everyone going PURPLE for pancreatic cancer today at the Australian PGA Championship for the Avner Nahmani Pancreatic Cancer Foundation… inspirational comments by Avner’s widow Caroline at Tuesday night’s PGA Dinner (with MC Richard Champion)… with my best mates Kathie & Martin… heading out to watch the golf… Graham Marsh’s redesign of the front nine has been a big hit here at RACV Royal Pines Resort! Has been a whirlwind week since I left Sydney here on the Sunshine & Gold Coasts! http://www.andygolftraveldiary.com/journey-to-australia/   (Facebook Post 2 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 12/11/14)

Australian PGA Championship underway at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast…   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/11/14)

 

 

 

 

 

The young man, who came to the golfing world officially at age 16 at the Nelson in 2010, said a low round on Sunday couldn’t be done, and then he went out and did it in American style, shooting a course record 8-under 63. Lone American amongst the top 15 golfers teeing off at The Australian Golf Club in the National Open of a great golfing island continent country, he birdied the second, then three in a row starting at No. 5 and then sprinted to the title birdieing four of the last five holes and winning by six strokes. Brett Rumford, tied with Spieth and Greg Chalmers to start the final round, matched those three consecutive birdies but could not keep up the pace to the clubhouse and shot a 70 to finish solo third. Chalmers started with a birdie and had two others that were negated with three bogeys. The lefty shot 71 and finished  in fourth place. Rod Pampling birdied five of the last six to shoot 68 and finish in solo second place.  Adam Scott double bogeyed the par-5 fifth that ignited Spieth, shot 71 and finished fifth. A good consolation prize for Pampling, Chalmers and Rumford was qualifying for the 2015 Open at St. Andrews in the first of 14 such events in nine countries on five continents.

This was Jordan Spieth’s first trip ‘Down Under’ to Australia and he enjoyed every moment of it on and off the golf course. I feel the same way on Day No. 32 of the ‘Golf Journey to Australia.’ A comment made by Troy Grant, the Deputy Premier Minister for Tourism, in the Awards Ceremony on the 18th green, that Jordan is a “credit to golf and a credit to his country,” inspired me to ask the following question in the champions’ interview:

Q.   Jordan, it seems like yesterday you were 16 and you kind of came out to the golfing world as a nelson. Can you talk a little bit about the progression to today and winning the national championship of such a prestigious golfing nation, and what it means to you to hear the deputy premier minister for tourism say you’re a credit to golf and a credit to
your country?

JORDAN SPIETH: That took me back. I was as close to tearing up as I got out there. Those words are words, you don’t necessarily expect to hear them and when you hear them it’s a tremendous honour and one that carries weight. I certainly need to conduct myself for me and my family, my country, the team, whatever. So that was really nice of him.

Yeah, since I was 16, that first professional experience as an amateur was what put belief in my head that this is what I could do for a living and that I wanted to be the number one player in the world some day. It was that week that I really knew that it was possible if I really stayed at it and worked hard, having that opportunity. So since then still had some junior events, through college golf, University of Texas, winning a national championship there. Each year there were certain goals that I wanted to achieve and wanted to get better each year, and that was the goal.

Each year had something that was a little better than the last and I felt like I was better as a golfer, better mentally and with my skill set, and this year I believed it was an improvement on last year but without a win, which was a goal of mine, to have a win in 2014 and I only had two events left. So to finally accomplish it now, this is the peak of where I’ve ever been as a golfer and it’s really cool and hopefully we work to climb more higher peaks.

Seeing Jordan win and win in such a convincing fashion was beautiful and made me proud to be an American. What a week it has been at the Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.

Andy Reistetter Reporting from Down Under. Well Done Andy Boy   (Facebook Post 1 Pic, Jeffrey ‘Frosty Rothstein, 11/30/14)

WOW, what a Sunday at the Emirates Australian Open…   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/30.14)

 

Here are some other highlights of the day:

 

Saturday, with a tricky and difficult Australian Nor’easter wind , turned out to be ‘Stay Where You Are, If You Are Lucky’ day at the 88th rendition of the historic Australian Open. Greg Chalmers, the Round 2 leader, did just that posting an even par 71 after a bogey-bogey start to hold on to a share of the lead at 5-under par with fellow Australian Brett Rumford and American Jordan Spieth, both shooting 2-under 69.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy came unraveled with a triple bogey on the 9th hole from the high grass above the green right and followed it with a sloppy double bogey at the 10th to fall out of contention. Being six strokes back with thirteen to pass, it is unlikely the Northern Irishman can win in his last round of the year.

The magic stay-put number on Saturday was 69 and Adam Scott achieved it by offsetting a lone bogey with three birdies. Rod Pamphling’s route to a 69 was dunking his approach shot on the par-4 10th for a heroic eagle 2. Both are tied for 4th one stroke back. Out of the final twelve golfers teeing off on Saturday only four, Rory and his playing partner Adam Crawford who shot 76 and Geoff Drakeford and Conrad Shindler who both shot 81 in the wind, fell out of the top echelon at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Australian Golf Club. Daniel Nisbet, out in the first pairing, 3-1/2 hours before the leaders teed off shot the day’s best round of 67 and moved from last place to T9, five strokes back of Chalmers, Rumsford & Jordan. Staurday was definitiely ‘Stay Where You Are, If You Are Lucky’ day at the 2014 Australian Open.

Can lone American in a sea of Aussies win the Emirates Australian Open?   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/29/14)

Saturday was still moving day for me around the grounds of The Australian Golf Club. Here are some of my wanderings:

 

It seemed like it was ‘Moving Day, A Day Early” to me for the second round on Friday at the Australian Open at the Australian Golf Club. American Jamie Lovemark set a new course record 6-under 65 in the morning moments after Adam Scott posted the now old course record of 66. Lefty Australian Greg Chalmers would match Scott’s 66, combine it with his opening par 71 score, to lead by one stroke at the half way point over a foursome of Rory McIlroy, Adam Crawford, amateur Todd Sinnott, and Conrad Shindler. First round leader Jordan Spieth slipped to a 1-over par 72 and is another stroke back. Scott is three strokes back of Chalmers and two strokes back of Rory trying to avenge the loss to Rory in last year’s Open at Royal Sydney Golf Club. The theme of the tournament is “Bring it on,” the “it” being the showdown between Rory and Adam. Other than Geoff Ogilvy being eight strokes back, the stage is set for a dramatic finish, albeit one day early.

In the spirit of the day I was out and about moving around the impressive grounds of this continent country’s namesake golf club. In between watching the Adam Scott/Jordan Spieth/Nick Cullen in the morning and the Rory McIlroy/Geoff Ogilvy/Matt Jones in the afternoon I checked out the Exhibitor Village and found lots of interesting stories.

I started off in the Emirates, the title sponsor’s booth. Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating nearly 3,400 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 142 cities in 78 countries across six continents according to Wikipedia. They had an engaging putting game that required skill, concentration and confidence since it was timed. The object was to putt a ball into each of the holes and the challenge was enhanced by the curved slopes of the putting surface. Playing was a lot of fun and I managed to finish 12th and earn a sleeve of balls. The PR firm behind the innovative booth is the Pulse Group out of London, Dublin and Dubai.

Next up, as I circumvented the village, I was drawn in by kids chipping into an inflated target with holes, to a combination tent of My Golf, Kids Only Clubhouse, FootGolf, and SpeedGolf Australia.  My Golf, Kids Only Clubhouse is Australia’s national junior introductory program to develop and promote participation in golf. A 10 week introductory program to the sport, the MyGolf program is the major driver of junior golf participation in Australia. The end result being, I guess, is the twelve competitors in the field of the Australian Open designated as part of the ‘Golf Australia Squad.’

 

SpeedGolf Australia, supported by Golf Australia is ‘Everything that Golf isn’t but can be… fast, creative, instinctive, aerobic and family friendly.’ I like to walk and play golf quickly with similar minded people so maybe this is for me? I did learn that Ireland’s Rob Hogan recently beat 24 professional speed golfers to take the Speedgolf world championship at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Hogan jumped out to the midway lead on Saturday with a 77 in 39 minutes and 31 seconds (39:31). He followed up with a 79 in 41:29 and had the fastest time both days. The scoring format of Speedgolf is total strokes, plus total minutes and seconds it takes the player to complete his or her round. Hogan’s final Speedgolf score was 236.55. Interesting for sure.

 

Footgolf Australia was nowhere to be found and I suspect they were afoot out on a golf course somewhere. FootGolf is the result of combining the popular sports of football (soccer) and golf. The rules largely correspond to the rules of golf.​ This game is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee. The game depends on the integrity of the player to show consideration for other players and to abide by the rules. Would I would miss the act of hitting something (a ball) with something else (a stick)? Sounds interesting and worth a try too!

I then came across a booth and a man who dotted an ‘i’ and crossed a ‘t’ from my trip out to Tassie (Tasmania, the island state of Australia) and Barnbougle Golf Links Resort where I came across a fabulous collection of hickory clubs and modern PING clubs in the clubhouse at Lost Farm. The booth was the Australian Golf Heritage Society and the man is Ross Baker. Look for an interesting video on this authentic club maker. Ross is a combination of everyone I ever met in the Golf Collectors Society in America. What an informative treat to meet the guy I wanted to meet!

Watching Rory finish with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole I came across James Gribble, the founder of Empower Golf—for golfers of all abilities. James was on the Aussie team that placed 3rd at the World Disabled Golf Championships in Japan in October. His vision is to facilitate and promote golf for Australians of all abilities. I enjoyed my time with James and his Aunt Jackie. As we watched Rory finish a stretch of eight holes without a birdie but still score 3-under ( an eagle, four birdies and three bogeys) I was reminded that it isn’t how but how many in golf. Ditto that for life. Thank you James!

Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott all in the mix but Greg Chalmers leading the Emirates Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney… check out what I found and who I met outside the ropes on Friday…   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/28/14)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The golf course, personally designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, at The Australian Golf Club is a ‘BIG’ golf course, not unlike one of his other masterpieces at home at Muirfield Village in Ohio.

More on that and the experience of playing it two weeks ago and the first round of the Australian Open later on…

Here are some pics from the excitement of arriving at “The Oz,”  I am feeling a bit like Dorothy in total wonder and amazement of being Down Under and at the second professional golf event of the Australian Trifecta of the Masters, the Open and the PGA Championship!

WOW, what an exciting Thanksgiving Day in Australia!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/27/14)

Happy Thanksgiving Up Yonder! Definitely missing being with friends and family! Gratitude is universal in our world but Thanksgiving is definitely American. Lucky to celebrate in a way for two days being Down Under. Tragic and sad story here in Sydney with the death of a 25-year old batsman professionally playing the national game of Australia. Puts life in perspective… thankful for and enjoying today… off to The Australian Golf Club for the second round of the Emirates Australian Open… Happy Turkey Day Up Yonder in America! (-:   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/27/14)