South Coast’s Kelsey Bennett to kickstart professional golfing career at Melbourne International

22-year-old Kelsey Bennett has carved up the junior and amateur golfing scene for years now, and is ready to commence life as a pro golfer. READ MORE ABOUT BENNETT’S RISE TO THE TOP.

MOLLYMOOK’S Kelsey Bennett will officially commence her professional golfing career this weekend at Latrobe Golf Club for the Melbourne International.

The 22-year-old from St. Michael’s Golf Club has landed her spot in every WPGA event for the year 2023 after securing medallist honours at the WPGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club on Tuesday 17 January.

This served as the kickstart to her professional career, with this weekend’s tournament in Melbourne now giving the young gun her first taste of paid to play ranks.

Having been one of Australia’s top amateurs, Bennett now has a whole new challenge ahead of her, but is relishing the opportunity to progress her career.

“This is just something that I was looking forward to and super happy that I can start in Australia,” Bennett said.

Kelsey Bennett. Photo: David Tease | NSW Golf

“I’m super keen, off to Latrobe and it will all start.

“I’ve entered into a few of the events and now I’m in the Victorian Open which is even better.

“That’s the one thing that I was really focusing on this week, making sure that I got into that top eight so I could guarantee myself starts.”

Action from the Tasmanian Open Golf Championships from Kingston Beach Golf Club. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Late last year, Bennett disappointingly missed out on qualifying for the European women’s pro tour while competing in Spain.

However, her confidence will now be beaming after her four under par victory over a strong field of 23 national and international golfers.

Bennett realised her potential from a young age, making a name for herself in the junior scene with a Hole-in-one at the Jack Newton Junior Golf Brett Ogle Masters in 2013.

Kelsey Bennett watches her second shot at the 16th hole during the round of 16 at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (Darren Carroll/USGA)

It was only up from here for Bennett in the junior golfing scene.

A former athlete at the Illawarra Academy of Sport, Bennett was awarded Golfer of the Year in 2017.

She is a former champion of the Tasmanian Open and Northern Territory Amateur, and in 2022 she came third in both the Australian Women’s Amateur Championship and the NSW Amateur.

In the same year she also competed in The Women’s Amateur Championship in the United Kingdom where she made the quarter-finals, as well at the US Women’s Amateur Championship where she made the Round of 16.

Bennett is playing some great golf and she’s looking forward to getting her professional career underway this weekend.

“I didn’t miss any of the cuts in the Australian events last year so that gave me a really big confidence booster,” Bennett said.

“I was super stoked to do that and really looking forward to this year.”