Adam Scott and Marc Leishman are in the hunt at the Australian PGA Championship. With a 5-under 66, Scott is two strokes behind the leaders, David Puig, Ricardo Gouveia, and Anthony Quayle, who is working with Steve Williams, Tiger Woods’ former caddie.
The Australian veterans are aiming for a strong finish in this high-level pro tournament. Scott, a former world No. 1 and Masters champion, hasn’t won a 72-hole event since 2020. Can he pull off a ‘beauty’ round to claim the title?
Join us as we break down the final round action, the weather challenges, and the exciting prospects for the Australian Open next week. Will Scott’s experience pay off, or will the leaders hold their ground? Find out in this thrilling golf showdown!
Imagine the thrill of Adam Scott, a golf legend who once topped the world rankings and claimed the Masters, battling fiercely for victory on his home turf in Australia, yet chasing a pack of leaders who might just slip away. It’s a nail-biting scenario that captures the heart of golf fans everywhere. But here’s where it gets intriguing. Scott’s rare appearance back home adds an emotional layer to the chase. In Brisbane, Australia at the Royal Queensland Golf Club, Adam Scott and fellow Australian Mark Leechman entered the final Sunday round of the Australian PGA Championship just two strokes behind the leaders. These season pros don’t get to play in their homeland as often as fans might wish. Scott has scaled back his PGA Tour schedule, while Leashman has committed to the LIIV Tour, a rival circuit that sparked plenty of debate in the golf world. And with only two major professional tournaments remaining in Australia this season, the current PGA event and next week’s Australian Open at the prestigious Royal Melbourne Course, every round carries extra weight. For beginners diving into golf’s competitive scene, think of these tournaments as the big leagues, highstakes battles, where players vive for prestige, prize money, and bragging rights on challenging courses designed to test every skill. The 45-year-old Scott carded an impressive five under par 66 on Saturday and the 42-year-old Leashman matched that with a 67, leaving them tied for sixth place overall. Leading the pack after three rounds were three players. European tour regulars David Puig who shot a 65, Ricardo Guvia with a 66, and Australian Anthony Quail who posted a 67 and had the legendary Steve Williams once Tiger Woods Caddy handling his bag. Together, this trio sat at a commanding 13 under par total of 200 after 54 holes. Guvia, reflecting on his solid performance, shared, “I was very consistent off the tea and hit a lot of greens, which is crucial on a layout like this. But here’s the part most people miss. The impact of a caddy like Steve Williams, whose experience with a golf icon like Tiger Woods could be a gamecher for Quail. Is it fair that one player’s bag might hold an edge due to such pedigree?” A stroke behind the leaders, Min Wu Lei fired a 67 and second round leader Kazuma Kabori, a Japanese-born New Zealander, added a 68. Kabori had dazzled earlier with four straight birdies to end Friday’s round and two more to kick off Saturday, but then settled into a remarkable run of 16 consecutive pars. No gains or losses on those holes, just steady golf that kept him in the hunt without any drama. For those new to the game, a birdie is scoring one stroke under par on a hole, while a par means matching the expected score. It’s the balance of risk and precision that makes golf so addictive. Scott, the former world number one and 2013 Masters winner, acknowledged the challenge ahead. With eight birdies and three bogeies in his Saturday round, he knows he needs a beauty of a final round to close the gap. Despite his 32 worldwide victories, he hasn’t triumphed in a full 72 hole event since the 2020 Genesis Invitational. “It’s hard to gripe about a 66,” Scott remarked. “I’ll need to deliver a top-notch performance. A fiery front nine to get myself into contention, then perhaps a push if I can climb the leaderboard with seven or eight holes left. But I’ll have to finish strong, too. I’m the one chasing. I can’t afford to stall. It’s too tight. It’ll take something spectacular tomorrow. Still, I’ve positioned myself well. The players also battled mother nature once again with thunderstorms forcing a 2-hour halt on Saturday. This echoed earlier disruptions from Thursday’s storms, which delayed the first round into Friday for nearly half the field. On a positive note, the softened greens from the rain and the uplift clean and place relief rules on the fairways, allowing players to move their balls slightly if it landed in a penalty area like a water hazard to avoid unfair penalties, helped produce lower scores. For golf newcomers, these rules are like a safety net. They prevent frustration from bad luck, keeping the focus on skill rather than random misfortunes. Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Jeff Ogulvie, the 2006 US Open champion and soon-to-be captain of the international team for next year’s President’s Cup at Medina in Chicago, shot a 66 to sit at 10 under, just three strokes off the pace. The Australian PGA Championship is jointly sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour, kicking off the ladder’s 2025 to 26 season just 2 weeks after Rory Mroy clinched the race to Dubai title. Mroy himself will be a star attraction at the upcoming Australian Open, adding even more allure to the Sunshine States golf scene. And this is where it gets controversial with tours like LIIV splitting the field and limiting home appearances for players like Leashman. Is the game suffering? Some argue it fosters innovation and bigger purses, while others say it divides the sport and distances fans from their local heroes. What’s your take? Should li players prioritize home tournaments more or is the global circuit more exciting? Do you think a CAT’s background unfairly influences outcomes or is it just part of the strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear agreements, disagreements, or fresh perspectives.
