As a winner on both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR and most recently part of the victorious Ripper GC LIV Golf, the fairways of regional Australian golf courses are a far cry from what Lucas Herbert has become accustomed to.

However those venues, like Murray Downs Golf and Country Club host of this week’s Ford NSW Open, are exactly the places he cut his teeth as a professional golfer.

Excited to be back in regional Australia, having grown up in Bendigo, Herbert has fond memories of the NSW Opens he has played, even if it has been a few years since he last teed it up in one.

With an elevated prize-purse of $800,000 and double Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit points on offer, this year’s NSW Open has attracted increased player interest, yet it has always been an important event for Herbert.

As a budding 21-year-old, grinding away in his first few seasons on Tour, Herbert’s career made a significant leap after his runner-up finish at the 2017 NSW Open at Twin Creeks Golf & Country Club Resort.

Despite Jason Scrivener running away with the Kel Nagle Cup that week by six-shots, Herbert describes his playing that week, and the two weeks that followed as an extremely pivotal moment.

“I remember that being a bit of a moment in my career where I sort of probably took a next step up,” Herbert said Wednesday.

“The following two weeks we played the Aussie Open and the Aussie PGA, and I played with Jason Day at the Aussie Open on the weekend and Sergio (Garcia) at the Aussie PGA.

“Within my team, we probably talk about the fact I probably grew up two years in those three weekends.”

Now 28, Herbert’s career has been on a steady upwards trajectory since that summer, and while the belief in his game was always there, getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the sports’ greatest enabled him to confirm that belief.

“I learned so much and probably learned that my game was on the right track in a way,” he said.

“I really benefited from seeing how J Day played and then how Sergio played, to be able to stack my game up against him and sort of go, ‘okay, look, I’m not there, but I’m on the right track’, and I could see how I can potentially get that good.”

That experience has stuck with the Victorian throughout his career and played a big part in his decision to extend his summer schedule, similar to 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith.

Herbert added this week along with the Webex Players Series Murray River in early 2025 to the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship he had pencilled in his calendar already.

Herbert and Smith got out earlier this week for a practice round with Tour winners from this season Jack Buchanan and Elvis Smylie, imparting some of the wisdom he has picked up over the years.

“Some of these kids probably haven’t played with players at the top level to really compare and see where their game matches up,” he said.

“We all show an interest in the next kids that are coming through because we want to do everything we can to help them out.

“It was very nice and hopefully we get to do it a little bit more over the next couple of weeks too.”

Self-described as “too competitive to not care”, Herbert is certainly at Murray Downs to compete this week, the memories of getting so close in 2017 potentially providing that extra motivation and hunger.

While that result may still sting, Herbert looks back fondly on 2017, even if his humble lodgings that week likely bears little resemblance to where he is staying this year.

“There was about five of us all staying in an apartment above a car garage where you take your car in to get service sort of thing,” he laughed fondly.

“All sorts of noises going on through the night. I reckon someone slept on a couch, but it was back when that was fun.

“Everyone will tell you those early years on Tour when you were doing that kind of stuff was some of your fondest memories though.

“I’ve got a lot of good memories from those three weeks, but yeah, in particular the 2017 New South Wales Open.”

As for his chances this week, Herbert says his game is not quite where he would like it, but he has been putting in the work over the off season.

“It’s been a little rusty,” he said. “It’s been a good bit of time off since my last event in Dallas, so yeah, just trying to get my body right again.

“The course is in great shape. I think it’s going to be a really good tournament venue this week.

“It looks like it’s going to be warm through the weekend, so it’ll firm everything up and should play like a true country golf course.”