Kurt Barnes secures 2004 Queensland PGA title
BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2004 Queensland PGA | Wrap | 14 Nov 2004
23-year-old Muswellbrook resident, Kurt Barnes has today won his first professional golf tournament almost twelve months to the day after turning to the paid ranks. The 2002 Australian Amateur Champion fought an almost two horse race over all seventy two holes with his playing partner on all four days, Gary Simpson.
There were many highlights throughout the week but the two shots Barnes will likely most remember are the second he hit to the par four 16th this afternoon and the five foot putt he made for par at the 71st hole to follow on top of a Simpson birdie. That gave him the cushion to play the last hole without the pressure of not being able to make an error of any sort. The five foot putt for par came after he had missed the green left at the long par three.
His second to the 16th came after his tee shot had hit the trees and he was left with 188 metres for his second. “It came out just perfect he said afterwards, but I was not going to say anything until it hit the green and then it rolled up to two feet. What it came down to in many ways however, was the five footer for par at the 17th which was just so important and then I put a great swing on my two iron up the 18th.”
Barnes used irons from the tee on many occasions, more especially over the closing fifty four holes. “I made a couple of stupid mistakes in the first round on Friday and as I hit the two iron a long way, I felt comfortable about backing myself around here over the last three rounds with a more strategic approach.” Barnes paid tribute to his caddy Andrew Kuuse from Melbourne early in the week and it is a fair bet that he would have been feeling the same after the final round.
“I knew thirty six holes on the final day was going to play into my hands just a little, especially having been not long out of amateur golf where we played a lot of days over thirty six holes. I changed my shirt and my socks after round three and felt fresh and ready to go.”
When asked as to how he was able to withstand the pressures of contention for so long Barnes said, “I think playing with Gary helped both of us a lot as we both knew exactly where we stood at all stages. No one was emerging as a threat to us as such and all we needed to keep an eye on was each other.”
It was perhaps appropriate that the event turned into a ’two horse race’ as the Hunter Valley resident is sponsored by the world famous horse breeding establishment Coolmore. He is good friends and plays golf with several of the management of the Coolmore organisation. “They have been very good to me,” he said. “I have a short term arrangement with them for 12 months and they have been of great support.”
Simpson didn’t hole the putts he had earlier in the week. “I guess I had my fair share over the course of the week and although disappointed, anytime you shoot twenty eight under you have got to be happy.” Simpson will not play the NSW Open this week preferring instead to take the week off to rest up for the three, big, end of season events.
Nigel Spence was again impressive finishing third at 21 under, albeit seven shots behind runner up Simpson, with local Brisbane amateur Adam Blyth recording a top five for the second week in a row when fourth at twenty under.
The Von Nida Tour now heads to Liverpool Golf Club in the west of Sydney for the NSW Open.
Source – PGA Australia
