So many winners, so few Kel Nagle Cups.
Lucas Herbert has the distinct honour of lifting one of the great trophies in Australian sport (yes, not just golf – the name on it alone make that undeniably true).
But there were so many fantastic aspects to the Ford New South Wales Open’s first trip this far west that there a few more pieces of silverware perhaps needed to be minted.
And this doesn’t even include all the outstanding positives of the regional nature of the tournament, nor the brilliant Murray Downs as host course.
Herbert is the man who will take all the headlines – and justifiably so.
He led on and off through the week, but when the whips were cracking, he showed just how much his game – and just as importantly his mindset – has improved in his handful of seasons on the sport’s international beats.
His time with Cam Smith – ironically the man he vanquished into a share of second place today – at LIV Golf has clearly been extremely important as he strives to reach his enormous potential.
Herbert, without doubt a man of the people, was as big a champion off the course as he was on it in presenting for handshakes, photos, hugs and chats with the myriad groups clamouring to get a piece of him around the presentations.
And, as ever, he was particularly witty when assessing his first Australasian Tour victory after a year on the rebel circuit.
“To win a four-round event, us LIV players only playing three rounds each week, we aren’t as fit as we used to be,” he joked.
“So to get through all four rounds we must be doing something right.
“Nah, to be honest, this means a lot to me, this trophy.
“I couldn’t tell you how much I made today, but the fact that I beat Cam down the stretch after I’d given him a four-shot start in really testing conditions, to come out in front is the coolest bit to me.”
So very cool.
Next on the winner’s list was Jye Halls, the Mollymook youngster who played four really steady rounds amidst some of his idols.
His medal as low amateur in his state Open, he said, would sit proudly in his growing list of achievements.
“But getting to play with Cam and Lucas and getting to see what they do first hand, that’s absolutely amazing,” Halls, 19, beamed after signing for his third 69 of a tournament in which he finished T12 at six under – and then promptly rushing out to watch his heroes complete their rounds.
So very cool.
Next on the list of winners – just as their scores suggested, they could not be split at 12 under and T2 alongside Smith – were Alex Simpson and Corey Lamb.
They are both softly spoken, gracious and good golfers, but with Smith in the final group today might have qualified as the most disparate final group three-ball in Australian professional golf history.
Lamb, 23, was the cult hero of the tournament and it sounded as if he had half of Branxton in the gallery after they drove 10 or more hours to cheer on their budding star.
He’s only new to professional golf, but has shown a game – and disposition – to indicate this won’t be his last big dance, even if his driver misbehaved in the final round.
“I didn’t have my best out there today. But at the end of it, I’ve tied with Cam Smith, so that’s pretty big,” said Lamb, whose mind was clearly in overdrive after a week of firsts.
“But they don’t do anything really that different to me, they’re just a little more experienced than me and I think if I can put myself in these positions a bit more, I’ll be able to do this.”
So very cool.
And Simpson, a 41-year-old who has only this year given away coaching to play on the pro-am circuit full-time – and who regularly sleeps on floors or in his car on tour to save a few bob and keep the dream alive.
He was a standout junior back in the day, but in almost 20 years of professional golf, his biggest previous tournament payday was $10,000 as a trainee.
Today, after he became the only player this week to shoot four sub-par rounds, he pocketed a tick under $55,000 for his share of second.
“My biggest cheque by about (six-)fold,” he beamed after remarkably only gaining access to the field via Monday’s qualifying event in nearby Barham.
“That takes a lot of pressure off, obviously. But the most important thing this will really provide me, hopefully, are the exemptions (tour card) I’ll get so that I can play in more of these.
“It leaves me hungry for more … it was a great day and great experience.
“It’s not too late, it’s never too late.”
So very cool.
Next is Smith himself, the larrikin Queenslander who did so much for the tournament just by agreeing to play.
While he was clearly disappointed not to get his hands on a major Australian trophy, his actions all week with so much demand for his time, was absolutely world class.
He’s a credit to his down-to-earth family and the respect rank-and-file Aussie golf fans have for him is to his eternal credit.
Smith’s hairstyle isn’t the only throwback to yesteryear and his altruistic nature should be cherished by us all – not to mention a beacon to others not as generous with their time.
That is but a small sample of the winners.
But it would be remiss not to mention Golf NSW itself, the forward-thinking body that made all of this possible in, historically, one of the least likely locations for such greatness.
Hats off to all who made it possible and we can all but hope that those in the south-west of NSW benefit for years to come with the publicity these champions created.
