Bonhomme back on track with WAPGA win
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2009 Western Australian PGA Championship | Round Four | 02 Nov 2009
Queensland’s Andrew Bonhomme birdied the final four holes of the Laurance Scrap Metals Western Australian PGA Championship at the Bunbury Golf Club south of Perth to win by one over New Zealander Hamish Robertson and Victorian David Diaz.
A missed three foot putt at the 72nd hole cost Robertson the chance of taking the event into a playoff while Diaz will rue a three putt par at the par five 17th which cost him the opportunity to force the event into extra time.
The victory turns around a horror couple of years for Bonhomme, who two years ago was playing close to the peak of his game. Towards the end of the 2007 domestic season he had won the Queensland PGA Championship, secured the Von Nida Tour title and a few weeks later had done well enough at the PGA Tour School to secure status on the Nationwide Tour for 2008.
He headed to the Nationwide Tour in 2008 but early in the season he would slip while playing the Mexico Open and damaged his wrist. He was unable to play for two months and the momentum he had been building was lost as he sat out a two month enforced break while his injured wrist healed.
He lost form and was unable to regain it and so the last two years have been arguably two of the most difficult of his career. He made the decision to quit the Nationwide Tour in September of this year, returned home and his game and confidence have been rebuilt with a series of good finishes in pro-ams in Queensland.
This week’s victory is an important step for the 37 year old. While the chances were reasonable of a start at the Australian Masters, the Australian Open and the Australian PGA, the win ensures that will be the case and the man from Goondiwindi is back on track.
Robertson produced a delightful superb bunker shot at the 17th to secure his birdie at the par five to join Bonhomme, who was splaying two groups ahead, in the lead. He was lucky with his tee shot at the last after it had hit the trees left and bounced back towards the fairway. He was unable to capitalise on that break, finding the front bunker with his approach but produced another fine recovery to three feet and it appeared the event was destined to go extra holes.
The putt was not easy as it was downhill and with so much at stake for the unheralded golfer from Taihape in New Zealand’s North Island, it took on even greater significance. He missed and the title was Bonhomme’s.
WA Open Champion and this week’s second round leader Michael Curtain rebounded from a horror third round of 79 to finish at five under and within two of the winner in 4th position. He shared that position with Scott Laycock who vied for the lead all day before bogeying the last when a birdie would have given him a playoff opportunity.
The PGA Tour of Australasia now moves to Queensland for the Cellarbrations Queensland PGA Championship at the City Golf Club in Toowoomba.
