‘Stoked’ Jasper Stubbs heads to Moonah Links with freedom – Australian Golf Digest

by Admin
December 3, 2024

For Jasper Stubbs, this week’s Vic PGA Championship at Moonah Links feels like home.

Although he was brought up in Gippsland and later moved to Melbourne, Stubbs and his family often holiday on the Mornington Peninsula.

“I’ve played junior tournaments [at Moonah Links] and played there quite a bit,” he said. “I like it. It’s windy and I like the wind so I’m excited to be there.”

Moonah’s two courses at Fingal – the brutish Open course originally designed by Peter Thomson to host the national championship, and Ross Perrett’s more friendly but broadly popular Legends course – will host the latest instalment on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia from Thursday.

With his outstanding equal-third finish in the ISPS Handa Australian Open at Kingston Heath on Sunday, the 23-year-old rookie pro now knows that his playing rights for next season at home are secure.

It gives him security to pursue his dreams with freedom; the top three on the Order of Merit pick up DP World Tour cards for next season, and he is currently 10th. Beyond Moonah Links, he plans on a crack at the Asian Tour Q-School in a couple of weeks, where the top 35 will receive cards for 2025.

Stubbs had only American Ryggs Johnston and Curtis Luck finish ahead of him at Kingston Heath. Given that he only turned pro in time for the WA PGA Championship in October, his improvement has been impressive.

“This was my second Aussie Open and my sixth start as a pro, so very happy,” he said. “It might take a while for it to sink in, but I’m happy with how I handled the whole week and how I played. Top-three in my national Open is awesome. It sucks not to be a little closer to Ryggs, but it was a great week for me.”

Stubbs was right in contention for the win until he bogeyed the brilliant par-3 15th hole from behind the green. “It wasn’t a terrible golf shot,” he said. “Just pulled it a little and went into a bad spot. That’s what we’ve got in the Sandbelt. You can be very close but end up dead.”

Stubbs was also frustratingly close to grabbing one of the three spots in next year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Ultimately the third spot went to Marc Leishman who tied with him. So in effect, had Stubbs’ chip from beside the 18th green on Sunday gone in, he would have been going to Royal Portrush. Because they shared third place, Leishman was awarded the spot because his world ranking is higher.

“I knew that was going to be the case,” Stubbs said. “I knew that I was tied with him on the last hole and I said to my caddie, ‘Just got to make one more birdie.’ I gave it my best shot but didn’t quite get there. I’m a bit gutted not to get a ticket back to The Open, but stoked with the week.”

This week’s field for the Vic PGA is headed by defending champion David Micheluzzi and a $250,000 prize fund. The Victorian Celebrity Amateur Challenge, a best-ball net stroke event where pros partner with an amateur, is another highlight with the likes of Brendan Fevola, Dermott Brereton and Ryan Papenhuyzen taking part.