Bautista breaks through in NT as three gain European cards
This week’s winner Austin Bautista – photo PGA of Australia
The 2021/2022 PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit was finalised over the weekend with the leading three players earning the right to play the DP World (European) Tour in 2023.
Jed Morgan, Blake Windred and Andrew Dodt retained the positions they held leading into this past weekend’s NT PGA Championship at the Palmerston Golf Club outside of Darwin and for Morgan and Windred they will play the DP World Tour for the first time as members next season, while Dodt will regain his previous full status there.
The new initiative to allow the leading three players to graduate to the European Tour was announced in January ahead of the win by Morgan at the Australian PGA Championship and was devised in some respects as a measure to counteract the push from the Saudi Arabian Liv Tour.
Morgan won the Australian PGA, Windred the Victorian PGA Championship and Dodt’s runner-up finish to Morgan at the PGA Championship were the catalysts for their career boost.
The NT PGA Championship was won by first time PGA Tour of Australasia winner, Austin Bautista from Sydney, who cleared out to win by seven over Victorian Ben Wharton and the Gold Coast’s Tim Hart who stormed home over the weekend with rounds of 64 and 67 to share second place.
Bautista earns $27,000 for his win and follows up a runner-up finish at the recent runner-up finish at the WAPGA in Kalgoorlie.and two 3rd place finishes earlier in the year in TPS events in Australia.
Dimi Papadatos and Aaron Pike finished 4th and 5th respectively on the Order of Merit and will earn the right to Finals qualifying for the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour in the US, Papadatos missing out on the third DP World Tour spot by just $1300.
