Aussies of the month: Young and old
Seven fine amateur golfers will represent Australia ‘across the ditch’ late this month when the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship returns to New Zealand for the first time since 2017. But are they the right men for the job?
Sam Cascio, Harrison Gomez, Richard Heath, Wesley Hinton, Graham Hourn, Kayun Mudadana and Harry Takis will tackle the majestic Te Arai Links from October 29 to November 1 in what is a distinct mix of youth and experience.
Five of the septet are 20 or younger. Meanwhile, Hourn is 58 and Heath is 55 (and resides in Switzerland). Both qualified fair and square via the World Amateur Golf Ranking, yet while they add layers to the fabric of the tournament – Hourn drew media attention at the same event a year ago for his background as a coal miner in Queensland – there’s a sentiment that youth should prevail when it comes to team composition.
Considering that the winner receives invitations to play in the Masters and The Open [see page 25], it makes sense that this championship be one for the rising stars, not those fading gracefully. Promising amateurs like Hamish Farquharson (18), Spencer Harrison (18) and Jonty Lunson (19, and ranked 166th in the world as of September 12) can rightfully feel aggrieved to have missed out.
Golfers in the news
Edge of 17: Australia’s top-ranked female amateur, Jazy Roberts, isn’t shy about shattering records. The 21-year-old Victorian smashed Hannah Green’s mark to win the WA Women’s Classic at Perth’s Mount Lawley Golf Club by 17 strokes (Green’s margin was eight shots). Roberts shot three rounds in the 60s while no other player broke 70 once.
First strike: Canberra pro Josh Armstrong holds the early lead on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit after he won the season-opening PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club. Armstrong birdied the 71st hole by somehow extricating his ball from parts of the New Guinea jungle to win by two strokes from Lachlan Aylen and Louis Dobbelaar.
She’s still got it: Her appearances at big tournaments – with clubs, at least – are few in number these days, yet that didn’t stop Karrie Webb [pictured] from having leaderboard impact at the US Senior Women’s Open. The 51-year-old finished third, five shots adrift of winner Maria McBride and three behind longtime rival Annika Sorenstam at Barton Hills Country Club in Michigan. Only that trio broke par for the 72 holes.
All Abilities schedule expands, includes stand-alone Open
Golf Australia and the International Golf Federation (IGF) recently announced the Australian All Abilities Open (AAAO), a landmark new international championship that will become the first elite-level golf event for athletes with a disability to be played under the new IGF classification rules developed under the International Paralympic Committee 2025 Classification Code.
The 54-hole championship will be held at Melbourne’s Sandhurst Club from November 11-13, with a field of 64 players – a significant expansion from the former 12-player Australian All-Abilities Championship format, competing across all eight IGF sport classes for men’s and women’s Open titles and combined sport class honours.
Meanwhile, All Abilities golf continues to grow across Australia, with 2026 marking several significant milestones and an expansion of competitive opportunities for players with disability.
Photographs by getty images/nurphoto