WA’s Connor McKinney picked up his maiden tour title on Aussie soil with a dominant wire-to-wire victory at Webex Players Series Perth.
The mixed-field Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event, hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee at their home club of Royal Fremantle, was gripping entertainment from day one, with McKinney always in the mix at the top of the leaderboard.
A storming finish to his third round saw McKinney record a hole-in-one and a birdie in his closing two holes to establish a two-stroke lead with 18 to play.
The 23-year-old Joondalup Country Club product came out fast on the last day, too, birdieing the 1st and eagling the 2nd to offset any nerves and to stretch his lead to five from DP World Tour star Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.
Indeed, such was McKinney’s attacking verve that he extended his advantage to eight strokes with further birdies at five, six and eight.
Despite the best efforts of WA trio Curtis Luck (67), Kirsten Rudgeley (68) and Abbie Teasdale (70) — who shared T2nd — McKinney was able to coast home and could afford three late bogeys and still run out a four-stroke winner at -18 for the championship.
A winner on the Tartan Pro Tour in his Scottish homeland last year, McKinney hopes to use the biggest win of his career as a platform for his debut season on the DP World Tour, after he earned his card last December.
“To see all the boys and my dad and my brothers and stuff, all run onto the green there and celebrate with me, it’s pretty special,” he said. “It’s something I’ve looked forward to for a long time, but to actually do it at home with everyone here is awesome.”
“It gives me of confidence heading to Bahrain [on the DP World Tour] in a few weeks and looking forward to get going over there,” said McKinney.
In what was a strong showing for the WA contingent, there were also top 20 finishes for Haydn Barron (5th), Brett Rumford (T9th), Adam Hatch (T13th) and Brady Watt (T16th).
Houston’s moment of magic
Each Webex Players Series event also features a 36-hole junior championship, offering young amateurs the rare opportunity to compete alongside leading professionals under the gaze of TV cameras.
Twelve WA juniors lined up at Royal Fremantle, with Kortni Houston taking out the title in unforgettable fashion.
The Lakelands Country Club member — a WA state golfer at junior level — made a sensational albatross at the par-five closing hole to pinch a one-stroke victory over home-club favourite Heejoo Cho at +5 for the championship.
Webex Perth winners Steve Alderson, Connor McKinney and Kortni Houston with event host Min Woo Lee
Remarkably, it was the fourth albatross of the tournament — a figure believed to be a world record for a professional golf event.
James Mee hit the first of the four on Friday at the par-five 6th, with WA duo Brady Watt (6th hole) and Hayden Hopewell (11th hole) matching his achievement on day three before Houston’s final-hole fireworks on Sunday.
Only one stroke separated the top two players in the concurrent Webex All Abilities Players Series, with defending champion Steve Alderson going back-to-back to deny Lochie Smith.
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