Pro-ams rarely make for box office gold but that all changed at the WA Open, where golf influencers Ron Chopper and Joel were the hottest ticket in town.
An online competition to win a round with the pair at the WA Open pro-am at Mount Lawley GC captured imaginations and attracted entries from more than 800 club golfers from across the nation.
The three lucky winners were Riki Barron (Mandurah Country Club, handicap 15.6), Bryce Jeffrey (Perth Golf Network, 13.8) and Jon Caspersz (Mount Lawley GC, 13), who were subjected to the unusual experience of teeing off in front of several dozen passionate spectators.
With Ron and Joel playing alternate shots, Riki, Bryce and Jon were tasked with keeping the team competitive in the Best Ball Stableford comp.
All three had moments to treasure and even if there were no prizes on the day for their combined efforts, the experience of playing alongside two of WA’s favourite YouTube golfers was a suitable reward.
“I was absolutely thrilled when I got the message that I’d been picked to give one of WA’s best courses a crack with Ron and Joel,” Riki told GolfWA.
“Even though I get nervous teeing off with a group of 4-5 watching me in a normal club comp, it was a really fun day out with the lads and the course was pristine.”
“I had a few fist pumps and a bounce in my step all day when I heard that I’d won a place in the pro-am,” added Bryce. “It was nice to hit a couple of fairways and see some putts drop today, it was great fun.”
The Ron Chopper fan club was out in force on WA Open pro-am day
Home-club member Jon was similarly enthused, saying: “I was a little bit starstruck, I think, playing alongside the celebrities, but it was an amazing day.
“The highlight was seeing the Chopper fan club out in force, and my kid also came out to watch and got a photo with Ron, so that was really cool.”
For his part, Matt Heath, the PGA professional alter ego of Ron Chopper, was full of praise for his playing partners’ efforts.
“They did incredibly well,” he told GolfWA. “When you get 40 people rock up and you’re a 15 handicapper, it can get pretty daunting.
“They played some great shots, made some putts, lost some balls, but did very, very well with that crowd.”
Look out for the official video of the day, which will air soon on the Ron Chopper Golf YouTube channel. View GolfWA’s behind-the-scenes video of the day below.
Thanks to all who entered the competition! We were blown away by the response.
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