On August 13, Pine Rivers Golf Club will make its debut as a Legends Pro-Am tournament venue. Managed by the PGA of Australia, the Ladbrokes Legends Tour is the Professional golf circuit for Professional golfers aged 50+. Feature Magazine spoke to two Australian golfing legends who will be competing on the day.
BRAD BURNS
Fresh from his win at the 2017 INVEST Samoa Senior Open, Brad Burns took time out to talk to us about his experience on the tour thus far. At the time of going to print, Burns was in second place on the Order of Merit behind fellow Aussie, Tim Elliott.
How are you feeling as you approach the second half of the fixtures?
“As confident as you can be. There’s some pretty good players amongst the old fellas so it’s a long road until the end of the year.
“The dynamics of the actual tour are really good. Obviously it brings a wealth of experience to the table, and I think the playing partners really appreciate playing with the Legends.”
How are you feeling about the Pine Rivers tournament?
“I’ve played quite a few Pro-Ams there over the years. It’s always good to get back there - it’s a good little track. You’ve got the raceway just over the back of the course, so if the races are on, you feel like there’s going to be a car come over the fence every now and then [laughs].”
This is your second year playing in Senior tournaments. How does it compare?
“It’s very competitive. There’s a lot of younger guys coming through now that are turning fifty like Martin Pettigrew … and then you’ve got guys like Rodger Davis, Peter Senior and Mike Harwood, who are obviously very good golfers in their own right.”
What’s next after the Legends tour?
“At the end of the year there’s a Japanese qualifying school for the Legends, and I want to try and go over there and get my player’s card at Japan.”
RODGER DAVIS
Former world top-10 golfer and Australian golfing legend, Rodger Davis, will be making his debut appearance at Pine Rivers Golf Club on August 13. Davis spoke to us about the event and some of his career highlights.
Are you looking forward to playing at Pine Rivers Golf Course?
“I’ve heard it’s a pretty good course so I’m looking forward to playing it. Being an ex-chairman of the Legends tour, any new event that comes on I tend to play in to help them promote it.”
How do you prepare mentally and physically before a game?
“I’m sixty-six, I don’t do what I used to do in my 30s. My preparation is to drive up there in the morning, say hello to a few of the people on the committee and their sponsors, and then off we go. If I play well I play well, if I don’t I don’t [laughs].
How many hole-in-ones have you hit over the years?
“I’ve had 10 in my career, and I suppose the best one was in Chepstow in Wales [Epson Grand Prix 1988], when I holed out on the fifteenth hole and there was a Porsche at the end of it. That was pretty special.”
What has been the highlight of your career?
“The biggest standout moment was when I beat Fred Couples in the playoff at Royal Melbourne in the Bicentennial Classic [1988], and my whole family was there and a lot of my friends were there as well. The family rushed onto the green, and it was just something really special.”