Victorian Phoenix Campbell has become the first player in 26 years to win the Queensland PGA Championship in successive years in a pulsating final round at Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane.
Seeking to complete a wire-to-wire victory with a one-stroke lead starting Sunday, Campbell had to contend with South Australia’s Jak Carter seeking redemption for his heartbreak two years ago and Cameron Smith just three strokes back in the rearview mirror.
Smith sent a shudder through the front-runners with birdie putts from 10 feet at both the first and second holes, but a bogey at the third and double-bogey at the fourth quelled Smith’s momentum before it hit top gear.
Campbell (70) pushed out to 11-under with birdies at the second and fourth holes, yet Carter (69) countered with birdies of his own in what became a two-man shootout as they began the back nine.
A brilliant second into the par-5 fifth gave Campbell an eagle opportunity that he duly converted and then he drove the green at the par-4 seventh for a straightforward two-putt birdie.
As Smith found his ball in the back of a golf cart and then behind a tree, Carter continued to apply the pressure.
The South Australian hit a superb shot into the par-3 eighth for birdie and, when he holed his birdie putt from eight feet on 10, had joined Campbell at 13-under-par.
Campbell dropped from the top of the leaderboard for the first time all week when he made bogey at the par-3 11th, Carter maintaining his one-stroke edge with par from five feet at the par-4 12th.
The lead swung back in Campbell’s favour when Carter made bogey on 14 and the defending champion two-putted for birdie on 15, but more drama was to follow.
Campbell’s bogey and Carter’s par at the par-4 16th sent the two players to the 71st hole tied for the lead at 12-under where they both made bogey at the par 5 that was playing directly into the north-east wind.
Neither player could find the birdie that would have secured victory at the par-3 18th, sending the tournament into extra holes for the second time in three years.
Playing first, Campbell hit the right edge of the hole with his tee shot at the first playoff hole, Carter responding with a magnificent shot of his own as the pair squared the hole with birdies.
They both missed the green at the second playoff hole, Carter once again suffering some cruel misfortune when he was forced to play his bunker shot with one leg in and one leg out of the sand.
Playing from just beyond the putting surface, Campbell chipped down to three feet and calmly holed out for par after Carter tapped in for bogey.
In so doing, Campbell becomes the first player to go back-to-back at the Queensland PGA since Lucas Parsons in 1997-1998 and the first player to defend a title won as an amateur having turned professional since Aaron Baddeley’s Australian Open double in 1999-2000.
“Defending is definitely tougher,” said Campbell, who was tied second a week ago at the Webex Players Series South Australia and now moves to third on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
“Last year I came from the clouds. I was in the clubhouse with four or five groups to come in still so it was a very different experience.
“There wasn’t much pressure on me. No one really expected much from you. This week, coming in, there’s a lot more expectations and obviously leading every day of the tournament.
“It’s a different event, so I can’t really compare myself to last year, but it just shows how far I’ve come in the last 12 months and that I’m on the right track.”
Playing the first of four events in Australia this summer, Smith (70) also believes he is set up for success in the weeks to come following his first Queensland PGA appearance since 2015.
“I feel like I played some really good golf this week,” said Smith, who finished three shots behind in a tie for third with fellow Queenslander Blake Proverbs (68).
“Just missed so many putts from inside 15 feet and felt like I hit plenty of good putts.
“I don’t feel like I need to go out there and reinvent the wheel or anything the next week or so. It’s nice to play four rounds of competition and kind of feel the juices flow again. I’ll take a bit from that. I feel like my game’s in a really good spot. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing.”
