Jack Buchanan – image Australian Golf Media
The opening event of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s summer of golf, the WAPGA Championship was completed over the Graham Marsh designed Kalgoorlie Golf Course in Western Australia this weekend with 22 year old South Australian, Jack Buchanan, edging out West Australian Jordan Doull at the second extra hole of a playoff.
Both players are in their first year as professional golfers, and Buchanan’s win so early in his career assures him of status on the PGA Tour of Australasia for two years and provides a nice monetary boost, with the winner’s A$45,000 not going astray either.
Buchanan who played for Australia in the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy turned professional last November and has played events on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Tartan Tour in Scotland since, recording two top three finishes in Scotland this year.
Like all professional golfers in the early stages of their career, Buchanan now has the surety of somewhere to play in the foreseeable future and access to events he might not otherwise have been able to.
Doull has little playing experience in 72 hole professional events but despite losing the playoff the confidence earned from such a good showing will be a significant benefit for the 25 year old in the months ahead.
Doull, from the MT Lawley Golf Club in Perth, has played well in pro-am events in his home state this year but has shown this week that his game is not far short of where it needs to be to potentially win in the events coming up on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Queensland’s Elvis Smylie finished 3rd, just one shot from the playoff, perhaps still ruinjg a double bogey at his final hole on Saturday.
The PGA Tour of Australasia now moves to the Mandurah Country Club south of Perth for this week’s WA Open.
