Phoenix Campbell successfully defends Queensland PGA title
Phoenix Campbell holds his QLD PGA Trophy – Image Australian Golf Media
Victorian Phoenix Campbell was playing in just his third event as a professional when he teed it up in this week’s Queensland PGA Championship at the Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs. However, with a runner-up finish at last week’s Webex Players Series South Australia event in Adelaide and now a playoff victory today, the 23-year-old will move to third place on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit.
Winning this same event as an amateur twelve months ago, Campbell will no doubt forever have fond memories of the relatively newly redesigned tournament course at the Nudgee Golf Club given what it has already meant to his exciting career prospects.
Campbell remained professional after winning last year despite the prospect of immediate full status on the PGA Tour of Australasia and played many of the key amateur events including the recent Asia Pacific Amateur Championship before turning professional after making the cut and finishing 34th at the Japan Open Championship in early October.
Today, the 23-year-old took a one-shot lead over the seemingly ever-present South Australian Jak Carter into the final round. The lead seesawed between the two throughout the final day to the point where both tied through 72 holes and still remained deadlocked after the first playoff hole.
Both missed the green the second time around but Carter was in an almost impossible position in the right-hand bunker and took three more to get down while Campbell produced an excellent par save to take the title.
The expected last round charge from the tournament’s marquee player Cam Smith failed to eventuate despite birdies at his opening two holes and he would eventually finish in a share of 3rd place with fellow Queenslander, Blake Proverbs and three shots from the playoff, with the in-form Elvis Smylie finishing alone in 5th place another shot back.
The victory will jump Campbell some 300 places in the world ranking from his current 1059th place and seemingly with a bullet.
For Carter, it was his third runner-up finish in PGA Tour of Australasia events and his ongoing progress this summer will be watched with interest.
