Macpherson wins second title of the year at NSW Open

Victoria’s Bryden Macpherson has held off a talented field to secure his second Australasian PGA Tour title of the season at the NSW Open at Concord Golf Club in Sydney.

The 30-year-old former British Amateur champion won the Moonah Links PGA Classic in early February and finished second at the recent Queensland Open on the Sunshine Coast and hasn’t finished outside the top-16 in eight events so far this season.

Bryden Macpherson (Credit: Anthony Powter)

However, Macpherson’s three-stroke victory belies a hard-fought effort with rookie Elvis Smylie amongst those players riding him all the way until the end.

“I did not have my best game today, it just wasn’t there,” said Macpherson. “I didn’t seem to be reading putts very well. The best thing I could do was just stick in there and get lucky and some of the other guys will get nervous.”

Smylie, who only turned pro in February and placed third in his debut at the TPS Sydney earlier this month, was just one off the pace coming up the 17th hole before finding trouble amongst the trees and walking away with a tournament-ending double-bogey.

Former European Tour player Michael Sim, Jack Thompson and Nathan Barbieri all had their chances coming into the weekend but were unable to match Macpherson’s consistency across the four days after carding 66, 67, 65 and 68.

Barbieri’s 73 on Sunday left him six off the lead while Sim’s third round 72 disappointed after a 63 on Friday saw him take the overnight lead.

The NSW Open marks the end of the Australasian PGA Tour with the next events on the calendar coming up at Stage One of Q-School starting on the 7th April and finishing with the Final Stage at Moonah Links from 13th-16th April.