Presnell lives the dream at Moonah
BY Anthony Powter | Australasian PGA Tour | 2009 Moonah Classic | Round Four | 01 Mar 2009
Alistair Presnell overcame a determined Peter O’Malley at the Moonah Classic by a single stroke with a birdie on the closing hole to win his first professional victory and in the process set himself up for a challenging eighteen months ahead in the US.
Presnell finished the tournament at eight-under-par and in doing so secured full playing privileges on the Nationwide Tour for the remaining of the 2009 season and next year.
Alistair Presnell Audio Interview
During the press conference the 29-year-old was still trying to come to grips with the enormity of his achievement.
“I said to myself at the beginning of this Australian season, that I’ll try and get enough money from the co-sanctioned Australasian events to get a trip going to America,” said a relieved Presnell.
“Last year I travelled and played some Monday qualifiers on the Nationwide as well as the Cleveland Tours with mixed success, but loved it and America is where I want to play. I was at the stage where if the win today had not occurred, I may have had to find another job!”
Presnell moved quickly during the opening holes to be three-under through eight holes, including opening birdies on the first and second, which got his momentum going early.
“This is obviously a bonus for me,” he said of today’s victory.
“To go into an event like this, I was reasonably confident with my game. I play at The National, which is just down the road. It has similar grasses and I felt my swing was there.”
The co-sanctioned Nationwide events have opened many doors for emerging Australian players over the last few seasons. Presnell in four rounds of golf played in his own backyard, finds himself now living the dream.
“It was not on the plans for the start of the year,” he said about touring America.
“These four weeks were just about it and I said to myself earlier, ’that if I cannot get enough money out of the four events in Australasia, then I would go back to working in the air conditioning industry’. I would not have walked away completely from the game, but I would have had to re-access my goals.”
O’Malley, a two-time winner on the Nationwide at the 2002 Holden Clearwater Classic and the 2005 ING New Zealand PGA Championship, lead the tournament for the best part of the day moving to ten-under after twelve holes.
Ultimately the 185 metre, 17th would be O’Malley’s downfall, although an earlier bogey on the thirteenth was equally damaging. Playing the eighteenth green O’Malley knew he needed a birdie to force a play-off, but his putt was never on line.
Overnight leader, Miguel Angel Carballo, bogeyed the first and fourth holes and was never able to get his game going, finishing with a six-over, 78 to be tied 13th. Richie Gallichan also was unable to continue with his third round form, closing with a 77 to finish tied 18th.
Michael Sim regained his composure during today’s round after yesterday’s 76, to finish third at six-under-par, a stroke ahead of Terry Pilkadaris, Adam Bland and American Skip Kendall at five-under-par.
Throughout his career Presnell, like many a emerging player, has endured the rollercoaster ride of a professional golfer trying to break onto a main tour. He’s travelled the hard miles, often stayed in even harder places and played the grind of the pay-to-play tours in pursuit of his dream.
This afternoon at Moonah, to use the Nationwide Tour expression, he “lived the dream” and in doing so experienced a life changing event.
Opportunity often knocks softly, but when the fifteen footer dropped on the eighteenth green at Moonah Links this afternoon, the bells were ringing loud for Presnell. He is finally American bound with US$108,000 in the pocket.
