2019 Nexus Risk WA Open – Michael Sim Wins A Thriller By A Shot

With: Phil Ryan

Cottesloe Golf Club hosts the WA Open for the 10th time Thursday 17-Sunday 20 October.
Members and the public are encouraged out to see some great golf. Entry is free and access to all club facilities available.
Links to all information and leaderboards here.Scroll down for round by round updates and galleries.

QUICK LINKS:   Live leaderboard Round 4 Sunday

Round 4 tee times (8.30am-10.10am)
PGA Australia Tournament page   PGA Australia Twitter

GolfWA.org.au website       GolfWA  Tournament page

Leaderboard WA Open All Abilities Championship

Round 4: Michael Sim Wins 2019 Nexus Risk WA Open by a shot from amateur Hayden Hopewell.

Congratulations to Michael Sim who is the 2019 Champion with 15-under 273 (68, 70, 67, 68), winning by a shot on the final putt holed from a gallant RFGC Amateur Hayden Hopewell on 14-under (68,67,68,71). 

Click here Final leadboard WA Open
Click here PGA Australia report:  SIMply stunning finish at WA Open
Click here: GolfWA report: Sim claims maiden Nexus risk WA Open

1	Michael Sim	Qld	15-under	68,70,67,68
2	Hayden Hopewell	RFGC (A)	14-under	68,67,68,71
T3	Dale Williamson	NSW	12-under	68,73,70,65
T3	Aaron Wilkin	QLD	12-under	69,70,69,68
T3	Michael Wright	QLD	12-under	72,66,69,69
T3	Daniel Fox	WA	12-under	68,69,69,70

 

Hayden Hopewell Leading Amateur Wins Terry Gale Cup
Hayden Hopewell was the winner of the Terry Gale Cup for leading amateur winning by three from lake Karrinyup’s Joe Owen, who finished strongly after an opening 74 to finish 11-under.

1	Hayden Hopewell	RFGC	14-under	68,67,68,71
2	Joeseph Owen	LKCC	11-under	74,66,68,69
3	Zachary Maxwell	Qld	4-under	75,69,6971
4	Connor McKinney	Joondalup CC	3-under	68,70,75,72
5	Lucas Michel	VIC	1-under	70,72,72,73

 

Inaugural WA Open All Abilities Championship to Geoffrey Nicholas
Congratulations also to Geoffrey Nicholas of The Lakes Golf Club, NSW, who is the inaugural WA Open All Abilities Championship winner with a two-round 155 (76, 79). Geoff won by four shots from Bankstown’s Shane Luke 159 (83, 76) and Arnold Bamroong of Werribee Park GC Victoria third on 163 (80, 83). GolfAustralia Report following has nice background on the winner:
GolfAustralia: Amputee Legend Nicholas On Top Again
Click here leaderboard 

Day 4: A match play battle with Michael Sim and Hayden Hopewell went down to the final putt

It was a fabulous day for spectators at Cottesloe Golf Club on Sunday and the players gave them plenty of excitement. Ultimately the battle started and finished in the final group however plenty made a late run with four getting to 12-under including Queenslander Dale Williamson who eagled the 4th, 8th and an eagle 2 on 16 in his 65 which was equal low round of the day and tournament with Korea’s Chang Gi Lee who also closed with 65 for 10-under.

Overnight leader, 17-year-old Royal Fremantle rising star Hayden Hopewell added a few more fans with plenty of family, friends and club members along cheering him on. He opened with a comfortable birdie 3 to lead by three. Hopewell and Michael Sim both three-putted the fourth for par fives and coming off a three-putt bogey five on 7, Hopewell send a wide one OOB in the club’s Lake Ellement. How he responded shows plenty about his potential. He ripped a long provisional, sent his second to 10 feet for a second ball eagle-par, while Sim two-putted safely for a birdie 4 to draw level. Up nine Sim went well wide on the front of the 1st fairway. He was just 18 inches from what would have been a free-drop from a re-vegetation area that would have left a simple pitch to the green, however he had to play sideways back to fairway and ultimately holed from about 5-feet to save bogey. Hopewell was in trees on 10 and bogeyed as did Sim with a three-putt and it was a crowded leaderboard at that stage.

Michael Sim ripped it to three feet for birdie on 11, missed birdie by a centimetre on 12, saved par on 13 with an eight footer, pitched close from 40 metres on 14 for birdie, stone dead from 30 metres on 16 for another, a two-putt birdie from fringe on 17 and he was up to 15-under. However Hayden Hopewell wasn’t done with. He had saved par from trees on 12, safe regulation par on 13. On 14 from 20 metres short chipped too strongly and just parred. Par on 15 and on 16 a great recovery from sandy rough and skimming a tree but birdie putt grazed the edge. A power drive on 17 saw a 4-iron to inside 15 feet, the eagle putt got a big piece of the hole and rimmed out.

Down 18 Sim led by two and went left in trees needing a recovery to right fairway 40 yards away. Another sublime approach to the raised green was three feet past the hole. Hopewell rose to the occasion and to the roar of the crowd holed dead centre from outside 30 feet, leaving Sim to hole his 3-footer downhill to win. He safely dropped it in dead centre and won his first WA Open title.

Gallery: Final round leaderboards – tight all day

Great to see 34-year-old Michael Sim, now based in Queensland, showing the talent still there. Back in 2006 he won a card on the PGA Tour from 19th place on the Nationwide Tour and has had the experience of playing with Tiger Woods in the final round of the 2009 US Open where Sims finished T18 and also was T51 at the 2009 PGA at Hazeltine same year. He was qualified for the 2010 US masters but couldn’t play with injury and dealing with injury has been his career constant since. Michael won the WA Amateur in 2002 when about 17 and again 2005 so would have had a good sense where his talented final-round opponent Hayden Hopewell was at.

The big crowd stayed around for the presentations in front of the clubhouse. Cottesloe Golf Club was thanked for hosting, being part of the five-club rotation that have hosted the event in the past decade. GolfWA Chair Greg Higham gave thanks to all and particularly noted the generous ongoing 11-year major sponsor support from Nexus Risk Services whose Managing Director Mark Patterson also spoke and presented the Roy Paxton Bowl to the winner Michael Sim. WA’s great champion Terry Gale was on hand as always continuing his life-long support of the game in Western Australia and presented his trophy to the leading amateur Hayden Hopewell.
Geoff Nicholas was a proud winner of the inaugural WA Open All Abilities Championship conducted over the weekend and spoke of the fun the players had and the value and importance of being included in the championship.

Cottesloe President George Cordin also spoke and thanked all for participating and proud that Cottesloe Golf Club had hosted the event for the 10th time in history. Thanks were given to members for giving up their course for the week along with thanks to the big band of members who made up the volunteer team under member Ermie Robinson to see that a multitude of tasks including  parking, starting, scoreboards and others assisted GolfWA and the PGA in a smoothly run event once again. Thanks also given to CGC Administration,Golf Operations, Food and Beverage and greens staff for their roles.George noted the great job that Superintendent Simon Bourne and Assistant Des Russell had done to get the course in immaculate condition.

Cottesloe President George Cordin noted that our greens staff and contractors will be straight into work Monday to commence hole changes and renovations on 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 holes that will see the final completion of the Graham Marsh course masterplan with a 14-hole course through summer and opening of the final layout in March-April 2020.

Photo galleries of presentation and Day 4 action follow.
Scrolling down also gets round by round reports and galleries.

Presentation gallery  here:  

Round 4 On course Gallery
Pictures Chris Paino and Phil Ryan

Cottesloe Golf Club and WA Open History:

Cottesloe Golf Club is hosting the Nexus Risk WA Open for the 10th time in its history in a tournament rich in tradition since 1913.
A detailed look at the WA Open history is in a separate post:   CLICK HERE
The tournament is also the 10th year Nexus Risk Services, naming rights sponsor have supported the WA Open.
Our club archivist Kay Briggs has detailed scores and details every winner, runner-up and leading amateur in history and also a brief WA Open History here:
WA Open History Scores and Venues 1913-2018

A Brief History of WA Open Golf Championship

The field is 80 professionals and 40 Amateurs and a cut will be made after 36-holes for top 50 professionals and ties and all amateurs that score or better will also make the cut.
The tournament also sees two women in leading State Players Kirsten Rudgeley and Kathryn Norris, who both play Cottesloe well, teeing it up from the men’s tees and will be interesting to watch.

Round By Round reports and Galleries: Scroll down Latest on top

Round 3 Saturday 19 October: 17-year-old Hayden Hopewell leads by 2 shots at at 13-under 
Royal Fremantle’s 17-year-old star amateur Hayden Hopewell shot 4-under 68 in the breeze at Cottesloe Golf Club to lead the Nexus Risk WA Open by two at 13-under 203 (68, 67, 68) going into what will be a thrilling final round Sunday 20 October. Hopewell is seeking to join Oliver Goss (2012), Curtis Luck (2016) and Zach Murray (2018) as recent amateur winners of the WA Open and a win by him would be the 30^thamateur winner of the title in the 95 WA Opens conducted since 1913.

Hopewell leads by two from Michael Sim and Rick Kulacz, with Kulacz seeking a CGC ‘double’ for the year, having won the TSA Sanwell Cottesloe Open in May. Leading amateur at the Cottesloe Open was LKCC’s Joe Owen and he also going well again at 8-under, chasing Hayden Hopewell for the Terry Gale Cup awarded to the leading amateur.

Great golf on offer at Cottesloe Golf Club, Alfred Road Swanbourne, entry is free and a chance to walk the course and get up close and personal as the battle unfolds

Barbagallo Volvo XC40 Hole In One Prize: Barbagallo Motors Perth has donated a brand new Volvo XC40 (2019 car of the year) for a hole in one prize. Head out to the 11th hole on Sunday to see if anyone drives away with a brand new set of wheels!

First tee off 8.30am, final group off 10.10AM and presentation on 1st tee immediately on completion.

GolfWA Report:  Hopewell extends lead at Nexus Risk WA Open

PGA Australia: Hopewell stands strong in WA

WA Open All Abilities Championship: Round 1 Geoffrey Nicholls leads by 4:
Click here WA Open All Abilities Championship Leaderboard

A further feature of the WA Open Week is  the inaugural WA Open All Abilities Championship.
A state-first championship for golfers with a disability it is 36-holes over Saturday and Sunday, playing on the same course, at the same time and under the same playing conditions as the professionals. Some of  Australia’s leading golfers with a disability are competing in the field of 11 players with five of the field from outside WA.  New South Welshman Geoffrey Nicholls from The Lakes Golf Club has a four-shot lead after a strong opening 76, home in 35 the front nine in the windy conditions, and leads from  Victorian Arnold Bamroong (Werribee Park) with 80 and New South Welshman Shane Luke (Bankstown GC) on 83.

 The All Abilities Championship will precede the final round play beginning from 8.30am at Cottesloe Golf Club.

Day 3 Gallery:
Our thanks to Cottesloe member Chris Paino who was out on course and his great snaps from Saturday follow:

Round 2 Friday 18 October: RFGC Amateur Hayden Hopewell leads by 1 at 9-under with plenty in the hunt

GolfWA report: Amateurs set the tone at WA Open

Round 2 of the Nexus Risk WA Open Friday 18 October saw the wind up all day but some great golf played and plenty of big names well placed for an exciting weekend finish.
Royal Fremantle’s star young amateur Hayden Hopewell again showcased his potential to lead by 1 at 9-under 135 (68, 67) boosted by a late eagle on the 8th his seventeenth hole.
A highlight for many locals was the great effort of Mt Lawley’s Kirsten Rudgeley becoming the first woman to make the cut at a WA Open, shooting a fine 1-under 71 in the heaviest of the day’s breeze and making it by a shot to spare with 1-over 145 (74, 71).
The cut came in at 2-over with 51 professionals joined by 11 amateurs for the weekend finish.
All are welcome at Cottesloe Golf Club for the final two rounds, entry is free and access to all club facilities available. Live scoring available at the PGA Australia Leaderboard, links above.

For Cottesloe members, no players through to the weekend and update on outcomes follows with round 2 CGC Gallery after Tournament gallery here:

Round 2 Gallery:

 

Cottesloe Members Gallery Round 2:

No Cottesloe players through to the weekend: Jack Patterson returned 150 (75, 75), James Ferguson 155 (79, 78) and trainee professional Lucas Paddick 159 (80, 79).
Thanks to all volunteers out and about and more welcome, just see Ermie Robinson at the clubhouse and you can job-share/shorten a shift for someone else while taking in the action.
Cottesloe member gallery follows:

 

Round 1 Thursday 17 October: Shae Wools-Cob leads by 1 with 5-under

Click here leaderboard


PGA Report: Wools-Cobb putter hot at Cott

GolfWA: Wools-Cobb leads after drama filled day at Cottesloe

Day 1: The morning round Thursday saw the best conditions for scoring and Queensland professional Shae Wools-Cobb returned a 5-under 67 that led by a shot at day’s end. Hard luck story came in the final group of the day with South Korea’s Chang Gi Lee in the lead at 5-under, hitting a wrong ball in a trap and the double bogey seeing him back to 3-under.

Talented West Aussies Amateurs Connor McKinney and Hayden Hopewell lead the amateur charge at 4-under. with Tom Addy and Josh Greer at 2-under.

A very good effort from our two women competitors in Kirsten Rudgeley with 74 and Kathryn Norris 76, from the men’s tees and chances to make the cut.

Cottesloe Players report:
Two Cottesloe Juniors in #MyGolfers Gary Gai and Charlie Cotter had the excitement of doing a mini ceremonial driving in of the tournament to start the day, the action in the gallery below.
Our Cottesloe representatives have some work ahead to make the cut with Jack Patterson 75, James Ferguson 79 and Lucas Paddick on 80. They are out early Friday: Lucas Paddick 6.50am 10th, Jack Patterson  at 7.20am 10th and James Ferguson at 8.20am 10th.

Gallery Round 1: Nexus Risk WA Open

Round 1 preview:

Cottesloe players in the WA Open:

Our Cottesloe club champion Thomas Patterson unable to take up his automatic place due to year 12 commitments. Jack Patterson received a sponsor’s invitation and our pennant Captain James Ferguson was the only member who successfully pre-qualified on Monday at Royal Fremantle and is playing.Great to see our trainee professional Lucas Paddick also gaining a start.

Cottesloe players and leading groups round 1 below.   Round 1 tee times here       leaderboard here

Round 1 Times CGC Players and feature Players
Time	Tee	Player
7.20	1	James Nitties, Daniel Fox, Azer Pehlic
7.30	10	Kirsten Rudgeley
7.50	10	Kathryn Norris
11.20	1	Lucas Paddick (CGC)
11.30	10	Brett Rumford, Jarryd Felton, Haydn Barron
11.50	1	Jack Patterson (CGC)
12.50	1	James Ferguson (CGC)

 

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