Big hitter Cameron Champ commits to playing Australian PGA at Royal Pines
A shooting star of the PGA Tour is coming to Australia, with the longest hitter in world golf set to join Adam Scott and Cameron Smith as headline acts for the Australian PGA.
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The longest hitter in world golf has been lured to the Gold Coast to monster Royal Pines and challenge Adam Scott for the Australian PGA.
Tournament organisers are delighted to have snared Californian Cameron Champ and all the awesome driving power that regularly propels his tee shots 330m-plus.
On that basis, Champ won’t even be pulling out his one wood to reach the drivable eighth hole at 300m and will take on the easy 347m sixth as well with a whiff of breeze.
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Champ’s appeal is that he’s only a regular-sized dude at 1.83m yet generates an eye-popping swing speed of 205km per hour with a massive shoulder rotation and hip move.
He’s not a brute without finesse to rise to No. 71 in the world.
Champ, 24, won his second PGA Tour event just last month at the Safeway Open over Presidents Cup duo Marc Leishman and Justin Thomas.
The young American will be a fresh magnet for golf fans at the Australian PGA (December 19-22) where back-to-back champion Cameron Smith will be shooting for three in a row.
Champ can dial in his distance when most needed too.
“Thank you for what a great young man you are.†â¤ï¸@Cameron__Champ’s father experienced every emotion watching his son’s victory @SafewayOpen. pic.twitter.com/Afgslp8E06
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 30, 2019
He smote the longest drive at the last hole all day at the Safeway Open when a 337m blast set up a birdie and his one-stroke win.
The Australian PGA has done well to entice one of the game’s rising stars from the US because all the Americans at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne the previous week are flying home.
“I’m sure there will be lots of local hype after the Presidents Cup,” Champ said.
“I’ve heard great things about the golf course and the fun atmosphere with all the activity around the course so I’m really looking forward to trying to win the tournament.”
Describe Cameron Champ's swing in one word. pic.twitter.com/FbRNCqXVwO
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) September 30, 2019
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman was pleased to sign another drawcard for a bumper summer of golf.
“Cameron Champ is a shooting star of the PGA Tour and his booming drives will be a feature of the fun at the Australian PGA Championship,” Kirkman said.
The Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney (December 5-8) is being illuminated this year by 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, classy South African Louis Oosthuizen, England’s Paul Casey, four-time major winner Ernie Els and Australian favourites Jason Day, Leishman, Scott and Smith.
Scott and Smith are both taking on the three legs of the golf summer and their appearance at the national Open is a vital part of their preparation for the Presidents Cup.
Smith’s improved form to open the new PGA Tour season is highly encouraging while Scott will play against Tiger Woods at the Zozo Championship in Japan from Thursday.
Woods’ showing in Japan will play a big part in whether he feels sharp enough and fit enough to select himself as a wildcard pick to play, as well as captain, at the Presidents Cup.
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