Preview: The Gippsland Super 6

Two tournaments for the price of one. That’s the unique position the Gippsland Super 6 holds on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule.

Now in its fifth year, the Gippsland Super 6 at Warragul Country Club, 90 minutes south-east of Melbourne, starts out as a 54-hole stroke play event over three days before morphing into a final day of six-hole knockout matches culminating in a two-man finale.

Two-time champion Tom Power Horan is not in the field this year, nor is 2021 champ Jack Thompson or 2020 victor Marcus Fraser, opening the door for a new winner to be crowned in 2023.

Last week’s Queensland PGA champion, Phoenix Campbell, has opted not to turn professional so is not in the field but fellow Victorian amateur and recent Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, Jasper Stubbs, will pit his game against the pros after taking up one of six ‘Elite Amateur’ invitations.

Coffs Harbour’s Jack Pountney and Orange’s James Conran played their way into the field this week by virtue of their top-10 finishes at Nudgee Golf Club, Pountney finishing one back of Campbell in a tie for second while Conran shot 67 in the final round to earn a share of ninth.

Leading by one with four holes to play, a bogey at the par-5 17th would see Pountney finish one shot shy of forcing a playoff, yet the 25-year-old was proud of how his game held up playing in contention for the first time.

“It was pretty cool to be honest,” Pountney said of his Sunday in the hunt.

“I was quite comfortable out there, just a couple of errors coming home.

“Definitely a huge boost going forward knowing that you can get yourself into those situations.

“Now it’s just wanting to get back in there more and more.

“Hopefully I can take the form into Gippsland and go one better.”

Three of this season’s winners – Lachlan Barker, Ben Eccles and Austin Bautista – will be out to further strengthen their positions as the top three on the Order of Merit as the likes of Pountney, Lawry Flynn, Blake Proverbs and Nick Voke look to build on their runner-up finishes in Brisbane.

At the completion of 54 holes on Saturday, the top 24 players advance to the match play section. A playoff will be used if there is a tie for the 24th and final spot.

The top eight players after 54 holes receive a bye in the first round of match play and must then win four matches to be crowned champion.

In the four previous editions of the Gippsland Super 6, Jack Thompson is the only winner to come from outside the top eight after the stroke play section.

In 2021, Thompson finished tied for 17th after 54 holes and needed extra holes to defeat Jackson Bugdalski in the first round of match play.

He knocked off No.1 seed Michael Sim in the second round and then defeated Brett Rankin and Rohan Blizard on his way to facing Jordan Zunic in the final, again requiring a playoff to clinch his maiden win on Tour.

You can watch the Gippsland Super 6 live and free on Kayo Freebies, available on Foxtel on Fox Sports.

Coverage starts at 4pm on Saturday with the excitement of the knockout matches to begin from 2pm on Sunday AEDT.

Warragul Country Club. PHOTO: Brendan James.

HOW TO FOLLOW

For live scoring and the latest news visit www.pga.org.au. Exclusive content and tournament updates will also be posted regularly on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s social media channels.

Instagram: @pgatouraus

Twitter: @PGAofAustralia

Facebook: @PGAofAustralia, @PGATourAus

Official hashtag: #GippslandSuper6

HOW TO WATCH

Catch the action of the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday, broadcast live, on Foxtel (Channel 505) and live and FREE on Kayo Freebies.

Round 3: Saturday, 4pm-7pm AEDT

Round 4: Sunday, 2pm-7pm AEDT

FORMER CHAMPIONS

2022 Tom Power Horan

2021 Jack Thompson

2020 Marcus Fraser

2019 Tom Power Horan

COURSE RECORD

61 Chris Wood (Round 2, 2021)

COURSE DESIGNER

Syd Bennett (1926)

PLAYERS TO WATCH