PGA Legends head north for flood relief - PGA of Australia

PGA Legends head north for flood relief


Peter Senior, Mike Harwood, Tim Elliott and Brad Burns headline a spectacular field of senior PGA Professionals travelling to Townsville this week on the Ladbrokes Legends Tour with the aim of raising money for flood relief.

Peter Senior, Mike Harwood, Tim Elliott and Brad Burns headline a spectacular field of senior PGA Professionals travelling to Townsville this week on the Ladbrokes Legends Tour with the aim of raising money for flood relief.

"PeterDevastated by floods in February of this year, golf facilities in the Townsville region were some of the hardest hit and a great deal of work has been put into reopening each course over the last few months.

Wednesday 7 August marks the Ladbrokes Legends Tour’s first return to Townsville since 2010 and in 2019, PGA Professionals will get an opportunity to play all three of the primary golf facilities in North Queensland.

Rowes Bay Golf Club will play host to the Global Hire Rowes Bay Legends Pro-Am on Wednesday 7 August, before the professionals move across to Townsville Golf Club on Thursday for a unique 12-hole tournament.

The three-event swing will be completed on Friday 9 August at Tropics Golf Club and with each event boasting $11,000 in prizemoney, the region will see first-class professional golf in action.

Many of the PGA Professionals are hoping that their presence in Townsville can have both a financial and moral impact.

“It has been well documented the challenges Townville golf courses have experienced as a result of the floods and if myself and the other PGA Professionals can have a positive impact by raising some money and putting on a great show for the sponsors, we are happy to oblige,” said Peter Senior.

“I haven’t been back to Townsville for a number of years and the region has always been pretty good to me so I am looking forward to getting up there.”

Mitch Bligh, General Manager of Townsville Golf Club, is looking forward to hosting the tour, and along with the other two golf courses, hopes it will help will put tournament golf back on the map in Townsville.

“We had a really successful Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series event at Townsville Golf Club last year though with the likes of Peter Senior and Mike Harwood coming to play this week we are really excited to give our members and sponsors a unique opportunity,” said Bligh.

“It has been really difficult after the floods and hopefully between all three courses we can raise some significant money to help get us back on our feet.”

PGA Professional and Director of Golf at Tropics Golf Club, Matt Duke, is hopeful the golfing community will get behind all three events.

“The calibre of professionals coming to play is amazing and we are looking forward to hosting them at The Tropics again knowing many of them have played in QLD Masters, Australian Legends Classic and other big tournaments we have had here over the years,” said Duke.

For Gary Toplis, General Manager of Rowes Bay Golf Club, it is just as much about collaboration between the three clubs as it is anything else.

“We have all gone through the ups and downs earlier this year though the golf industry is a tight-knit group up here and these events show that when we all work together, we can ensure the game of golf continues to prosper in Townsville,” Toplis added.

For a list of all of the PGA Professionals competing in each of the Ladbrokes PGA Legends Tour events in Townsville visit https://www.pga.org.au/tourns/legends-tour/schedule.


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