Barr Secures Japan Tour Card

Scott Barr has made it through the gruelling 6-round Final Stage of Japan Tour Qualifying School on 7-under par and in a tie for 39th place. The top 90 players out of a field of 182 have earned their right to compete on the Japan Tour in 2011 with the higher ranked players gaining more tournament starts next year.

Barr will divide his playing time next year between the Japan Tour and Asian Tour where he currently lies 21st on the Order of Merit with one tournament remaining. The season will come to a close at next weeks US$600,000 Black Mountain Masters in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Well done Scott...all the best on Tour in 2011!

Michael Campbell seeks out Gary Edwin

Former US Open champion Michael Campbell has had a difficult time on the golf course over the past 2 years. In 19 events on the European Tour in 2010, he missed the halfway cut as many as 16 times. Only twice did he shoot rounds in the 60s; on nine occasions he soared into the 80s. And his winnings of €13,576, a far cry from the $2,496,269 he collected on the European Tour in 2005.

Fortunately things now appear to be turning around for Cambo. A couple of weeks back Campbell seeked out the help of "The Guru" Gary Edwin and began refining his swing technique. He then shot four steady rounds at the Australian Masters, finishing tied for 28th place. Then at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney last week, Campbell put together rounds of 71,71,69,70 for a 7-under total and a tie for 12th at the Australian Open Championship.

“The last three days have been very encouraging,” said Campbell, after posting a third round of 69.

“I’ve been working with a new coach in Gary Edwin for the last two weeks. He’s been a great help. I hit 15 greens in each of the first two rounds and 16 today. If I’d had any luck on the greens at all, I would be right up there in contention. That’s a nice feeling. I couldn’t really have been further south than I was this season.

“Still, I have to admit I’m happy just to be heading in the right direction. We’ve worked hard on just simplifying everything. In fact, I’ve been doing the same off the course. We moved house recently and I threw out a lot of stuff. Basically, I’ve done the same with my golf swing; I’ve thrown out all the rubbish. Gary has given me a new lease of life. Today, I hit so many quality shots that finished pin-high, which is always a good sign. At last I’m swinging the club well.”

Gary Edwin has had an obvious and immediate influence on the Kiwi's game. “All we’ve really done is get Michael back to swinging the way he was when he won the US Open at Pinehurst in 2005,” Edwin says.

“He has so much talent; it didn’t take him long for him to get back to ‘flushing’ it. Once he starts putting better, he’ll be back in contention before long. I’m looking forward to watching him next year.” And while Campbell started working late last year with legendary Scottish coach Bob Torrance, Campbell confirmed his arrangement with Edwin is permanent.

So much so, Edwin will travel with Campbell to Abu Dhabi mid-January for the first event of Campbell’s new 2011 European Tour season.

Barr Tied 5th in Japan

Scott Barr added a 3-under par 69 to his opening round of 68 at the Japan Tour's Final Stage Q-School. Scott is 7-under par and just 4 shots out of the lead. Gary Edwin's students Scott Laycock is 2-under par and currently in a tie for 58th.


There are 184 players competing in this Final Stage, with the field cut to the top 90 players after 4 rounds, before another 2 rounds to determine each players ranking for the 2011 season. The Japan Tour Q-School is the most gruelling of qualifying schools with the Japan Tour being the most lucrative Professional Golf Tour in Asia.

Sock Hwee and Edgar Finish 2nd

The 5th and Final NRG for 2010 was played over 54 holes this week with our Academy students taking out 2nd place for both the Men's and Ladies divisions.

It was hard work and a high-scoring event for the ladies as they were pushed back to compete off the "white tees". Koh Sock Hwee (pic above) fought off former Academy student Kok Jo Ee for 2nd place, 5 shots adrift from eventual winner and another former Academy student Joey Poh.

In the Men's division, it was another solid performance from our youngest ever National Open Amateur Champion Edgar Oh who had rounds of 73,75,72 for a 2nd place finish behind former Singapore Sports School student Joshua Shou. 15yr old Marc Ong who led the pack into the second round, slipped back into a tie for 7th after an unfortunate triple bogey on the par 5 10th hole.

Australian Open - round 1

Rod Pampling (pic above) and Peter Senior are both off to a great start in the 2010 Australian Open. The pair shot matching 4-under par 68's around the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney. Pete Senior is coming off a wire-to-wire victory in the Australian Senior Open in Perth and looks to once again contend for the Aussie Open title...a championship he last won in 1989.

Final Stage Japan Q-School underway

The 4th and Final Stage of the long and gruelling Japan Tour Qualifying School got underway yesterday at Central Golf Club (Ibaraki).

Scott Barr (pic above) opened his six-round campaign nicely with a 4-under par 68 on the East Course to sit just 2 shots off the pace. Leading the pack are fellow Asian Tour players Angelo Que and Chawalit Plaphol who also played their first round on the East Course. Australia's Scott Laycock who has been refining his swing technique this year under Gary Edwin, is on 2-under around the West Course.

Academy Juniors Take Early Lead

The 5th and final National Ranking Game for 2010 got underway yesterday with our Juniors charging to the top of the leaderboard.

In the Men's division, Marc Ong shares the lead with Gregory Foo after they shot similar rounds of even par 72 at Tanah Merah Tampines Course. Edgar Oh is just one shot back after shooting 73. Other respectable scores from the junior contingent came from Ashwin Bhanu with 76, Abdul Hadi 77 and Billie Pay 77.

In the Ladies division, Lim Jia Yi shot a solid round of 4-over par 76 to lead by 2 shots over SLGA National player Joey Poh.

The next round will be played at Raffles Palm Course, then back to Tanah Merah for the 3rd and final round.