NZ’s Gareth Paddison Cellarbrations QLD PGA Champion

Gareth Paddison is the new Cellarbrations QLD PGA Champion following an exciting back nine showdown with playing partners Terry Pilkadaris and Kieran Pratt.

Paddison birdied the 17thand 18th holes at City Golf Club in Toowoomba to finish at 18-under and secure his third PGA Tour of Australasia title, bringing some much needed smiles to the faces of his mates back home in New Zealand.

Its nice to be able to bring a little bit of good news home… That was in the back of my mind all week as the death toll rose and the numbers kept increasing of the amount of people missing, so its nice to finish on top,” said Paddison. I feel really proud to be a New Zealander at the moment.”

But the win wasn’t without a challenge from Pilkadaris who holed two wedge shots to temporarily jolt Paddison’s confidence near the end of the round.

I did think ‘well, is this my week?”’ I’d been leading all day and then suddenly he holes a wedge shot on number 4 and then decides to hole it again. But you work so hard throughout your career to finish the way I did, and I picked up two shots at the end so its given me tremendous amounts of confidence.”

For the win Paddison took home the $17,250 prize cheque plus an exemption onto the PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of 2012.

Pilkadaris and Pratt finished in a tie for second two shots back at 16-under par. Click here for the full leaderboard.

Smith leading amateur

What a week for 17 year old amateur Cameron Smith. Smith played in the first two rounds alongside Craig Parry and  finished inside the Top 10 as the highest ranked amateur.

Every day this week I learnt something new from the guys I was playing with, it was fantastic,” said Smith. I’ve still got a lot to learn before I turn pro but this week has given me a lot of confidence.”

PGA donates $50,000 to Relief Fund

Chairman of the PGA Mark Gibson announced that the PGA would contribute $50,000 to the Australian Golf Industry Flood Disaster Relief Fund.He was speaking at the Cellarbrations QLD PGA Championship presentation, reiterating how important regional golf events are to Australia.

We’re very proud to be involved with communities at this level. The players love getting out there and showcasing their game, but one of the wonderful things that it does is that it shows the locals what great golfers are out there and inspires the next generation.”

We thank the Toowoomba community for embracing this event and hope that what we have done here this week goes a little way towards rebuilding.”

The Golf Industry Flood Disaster Relief Fund is a fund established and supported by the golf industry bodies.

For further information please contact:
Nicole Powell, Communications and PR Manager,
PGA of Australia, npowell@pga.org.au