Michael Wright challenges Jake McLeod in Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club

As Michael Wright secured his first win in 14 years, the only person recording the moment with their phone missed one of the most important elements, but he’s not concerned. Here’s how it happened.

Michael Wright in action on the final day of the Webex Player Series Victoria. Picture: Golf Australia

The most memorable, and important, shot of Michael Wright’s career was one in which the only mobile phone camera recording it didn’t even capture the ball. But that’s OK.

Because on the final hole of Champions Tour Q-school a little over a year ago, Wright had a life’s worth of golfing toil boil down to a wedge, a lie in the desert sand, with a little hand held device filming what was happening.

What happened was the one of the most improbable sporting stories of the year few in Australia knew about.

He holed his shot from about 100 yards for birdie, won a spot on the Champions Tour and then the little phone camera went to work.

Wright danced and hollered with his caddie, and when the enormity of it all sunk in a few minutes later, crouched down, staring into the ground and trying to fight back tears with his hat pulled over his head.

He’d made the tour for greying over-50s which counts Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Fred Couples among its members, and leaves a golden egg for those lucky enough to play it.

For the past decade, Wright joked that while most adults wish to turn back time, he just wanted to fast forward until 50 so he could try to qualify for the Champions Tour.

In his first year on the circuit in 2024, he banked more than $760,000 without going close to winning. After decades as a journeyman professional golfer, the “financial gremlin in his head”, as he calls it, was laid to rest.

Michael Wright in action on the final day of the Webex Player Series Victoria. Picture: Golf Australia

A golfer without financial pressure is a funny beast. This week, Wright returned to Australia to play the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club, essentially a warm-up for his return to the Champions Tour this year.

The stakes were nowhere near as high as that miraculous one-in-a-thousand wedge to make the golden oldies circuit, but it still meant something.

He made it to the final group on Sunday and the two men who mattered most were less than half his age. Son Noah, 19, was his caddie. His playing partner and closest rival, Corey Lamb, is 23.

There’s something enlightening about an athlete desperately trying to hold off Father Time, and turn back the clock. Wright did.

It took him longer than he might have wanted, but Wright eventually beat Jak Carter, 31, in a two-hole play-off to secure his first win in a professional event since 2011. It was the third time Carter has lost a play-off in the current PGA Tour of Australasia season. Everyone felt sorry for him.

But how about Wright? He hasn’t won an event in so long it’s easy to forget he even won at all. And it came after receiving a two-shot penalty on Friday for playing the wrong ball.

“(Noah) was five and he probably wouldn’t even remember it,” Wright laughed. “To have him on the bag is so cool.”

After two playoff holes, Michael Wright wins for the first time in 14 years! 🏆🤩#WebexPlayersSeriespic.twitter.com/Wl9K04cCvQ

— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 26, 2025

After splashing a nerveless bunker shot to three feet to set up par on the second extra hole, Wright (-15) watched Carter – who fired a six-under 64 in his final round – hammer his par putt from eight feet off the inside of the lip. Carter didn’t even clean up for bogey. It left Wright the stress-free finish to break a duck he never thought might be broken.

Afterwards, he spoke about maturing and going to the next level. At 50? But you’re never too old to improve in this game.

“Definitely playing the best golf I’ve played,” he said. “To get a win today is going to give me that extra bit of confidence to go forward and progress.

“I saw Jak climbing up the leaderboard and I couldn’t help but see his name up there. I told myself to just hang in there. I did. I still couldn’t get it done in regulation, but I was fortunate to get it done in a play-off.”

Brad Kennedy (-14) just shaved the outside of the cup with a birdie try on the 72nd hole to join Wright and Carter in the play-off, eventually joining Andrew Martin in a share for third.

But it was Wright’s day, and it had been a long time coming.

Day 3: The 50-year-old veteran on collision course with Tiger Woods

A 50-year-old Australian veteran who could be playing against Tiger Woods as early as next year on the rich Champions Tour is threatening to upstage his much younger rivals on a hit-and-run mission back home.

Michael Wright, who hasn’t won a professional event in Australia since 2011, reeled off a stunning seven straight birdies to start his third round of the Webex Players Series Victoria event on Saturday.

It was a feat he’d never achieved in his golfing career and hauled him into a share of the lead with Corey Lamb at Rosebud Country Club.

Lamb (-13), less than half of Wright’s age, will have his best chance of winning a maiden PGA Tour of Australasia event on Sunday, but will give years of experience to Wright, who now battles the likes of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer on the senior circuit.

Michael Wright & Corey Lamb lead with 18-holes to play 👀#WebexPlayersSeriespic.twitter.com/001eMxBywo

— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 25, 2025

Woods will turn 50 later this year and is eligible to join the Champions Tour if he wants to.

Wright’s round was only slowed when he made a double bogey to snap the birdie barrage, before eventually signing for a five-under 65.

“The first seven holes, I’ve never done that before and I wish I can do that every time I play. That was a lot of fun,” Wright said.

“I said after a couple, ‘you can’t birdie them all after I birdied the first two’. I said it again after three and four and five and then seven. Then I came back to reality on eight.

“I actually played pretty nicely on the back nine to be honest, but the putts just didn’t drop, whereas they dropped on the front nine.”

Update: SEVEN BIRDIES IN SEVEN HOLES 🤯 #WebexPlayersSerieshttps://t.co/GBGu2OmJ0wpic.twitter.com/gYZuqNCWuP

— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 25, 2025

Wright’s 18-year-old son Noah is permanently on his dad’s bag and it will be a sentimental win should he prevail after the last of his three wins in Australia came in 2011.

A crazy final half hour on Saturday set up a tantalising finish with Wales’ Lydia Hall (-11) holing out for eagle from the middle of the 18th fairway to put herself in the frame after a tough day, and Jake McLeod joining her with a clutch birdie on the last to card a difficult one-over 71.

The lowest round of the day belonged to Queensland’s Brad Kennedy, who fired an eight-under 62 to join Hall, McLeod and Andrew Martin just two behind the leaders.

But Lamb will have the chance to get his name on a first professional trophy after an exhausting schedule in which he played nine events in 10 weeks before Christmas lifting him to seventh on the order of merit.

He shaped a miraculous shot out of wasteland to give him a birdie chance on the 15th and then seized a one-shot lead on 17, but dropped back to share top billing with Wright after a wayward drive led to bogey on the last.

That swing path 😍

Today’s play is underway #WebexPlayersSeriespic.twitter.com/NYP9V7rIpN

— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 25, 2025

“It was a slow day, but if we can start holing some putts [on Sunday] I’m sure I’ll get a run,” Lamb said.

“It was good to not have my best stuff and still be tied for the lead. I just kept hanging there. If I play solid [in the final round], I’m sure I’ll hole a few more putts.”

Asked about the prospect of winning another event in Australia, Wright said: “I’m due. I’m going to play some good golf. I’m just having a lot of fun. I’m a little bit surprised (I’m up there), but at the same time I try not to think about what score would be (to be leading).”

Day 2: Lamb’s secret weapon

To watch him, you would think he would hit the ball an absolute mile and that would be his ultimate weapon. But it’s hardly like that.

His larger-than-most fingers belie a sweet, soft touch. He played in the final round of last year’s NSW Open with Cameron Smith, who you could swear has a remote control for his golf ball every time he’s chipping from near the green.

Bring on the weekend 💪#WebexPlayersSeriespic.twitter.com/9p7F4sj50B

— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 24, 2025

But Corey Lamb wanted to see how his own short game measured up. How his mastery with a wedge in hand stood up against the world’s best from close range. The result? Not bad, not bad at all.

Smith has long packed up his bags and fled the Murray River for a new season of the globetrotting LIV Golf league beginning next week.

Corey Lamb played alongside Australian great Cameron Smith. Picture: Golf Australia

But Australian golf’s other cult hero-in-waiting, Lamb, is still working his own magic touch at home in search of a maiden professional win.

It’s only the half-way mark of another golf tournament, but at this crucial juncture Lamb has another share of the lead at Webex Players Series Victoria.

Coming down his last hole of the second round on Friday, it looked shaky whether he would have the honour. But parched in a greenside bunker, those large hands produced another sweet touch and he saved par.

“Today was pretty average, I thought,” Lamb said bluntly. “I got away with a few shots I probably shouldn’t have, but it was solid.

“I’m hitting it well and putting myself in the right positions to give myself birdie chances. I’m not really doing too much wrong, which is good.”

Not doing too much wrong will help you stay on leaderboards and make a decent living. But winning is when everything changes. For a young man only a few years into his professional career, Lamb has the knack of putting himself in contention. But what has he actually learned to try to win?

“You’re never out of it,” he said. “You feel like you could be a long way behind at some points, but you’re not really. Just try to not to worry about anyone else and just do my own thing. There’s not much you can do if someone else goes out and wins.”

Jake McLeod is trying to end his seven-year wait for a professional win. Picture: Golf Australia

Lamb (65) will head into the weekend in the final group with Jake McLeod, trying to break his own drought, namely a first professional win in almost seven years.

The first round leader did all he needed to with a four-under 66 on Friday to join Lamb at 12-under for the tournament, two shots ahead of Andrew Campbell (-10). Wales’ Lydia Hall (-9) is the best placed woman in the field.

It could have been even better for McLeod if not for making bogey on two par-fives during his second round.

“I just made a bad decision on 16,” McLeod said. “(But) I did a good job today. I played pretty nicely for the most part.

“I had a good little stretch through the turn on one, two and three after teeing off on 10. I had a couple of three putts on five and seven which was a bit disappointing, and I lost a bit of momentum there.

“I just feel like I’m hitting the ball so nicely and I haven’t really put myself into any trouble, which is good. And it’s been tricky with the wind.”

Day 1: McLeod off to a flyer

If Jake McLeod resolved to start golf tournaments better as part of his 2025 wishlist, then he’s making a good fist of it after surging to another early lead on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Queensland’s McLeod, 30, set the pace after the first round of the Webex Players Series Victoria tournament, taming windy conditions at the Rosebud Country Club on Thursday.

Just a fortnight after equalling the Royal Fremantle course record with a scintillating opening round at The Players Series Perth event, McLeod fired an eight-under 62 at Rosebud for the solo lead.

Fresh in his memory will be a wild weekend in Perth where his final day card was a rollercoaster from eagles to double bogeys – eventually finishing tied fourth behind Jordan Doull – but he’s given himself another shot at winning his first professional event since the 2018 NSW Open.

While most of the players at the top of the leaderboard took advantage of the calmer morning conditions, McLeod battled increasing winds during the afternoon wave for a stunning back nine of 29.

Jake McLeod in action during the first day of play at the Webex Players Series in Victoria.

His round included seven birdies and an eagle on the peninsula – which even surprised McLeod himself.

“Once we got to hole eight, (the wind) started pumping,” McLeod said.

“It’s pretty crazy out there and I was only a couple under at the time. I was just hoping to finish a couple under to be honest.

“I hit it really well off the tee today. To be honest, my hitting was what got me through. I never really hit it in trouble and it was impressive to control the ball in that wind. I’m starting to feel very comfortable hitting the shots I want to hit now.”

McLeod has a one-shot buffer from a trio of chasing New South Welshmen – Corey Lamb, Nathan Barbieri and Harrison Crowe – who all carded seven-under 63s.

Corey Lamb is one shot behind the leader. Picture: Golf Australia

Lamb, in particular, is desperate for another good week to climb the Australasian order of merit standings from seventh spot after a stretch in which he played nine events in 10 weeks before Christmas, including a final round pairing with Cameron Smith at the NSW Open.

“I just put the new driver in the bag this week,” Lamb said. “It’s been good.

“It’s the new Callaway Elite … and it is pretty elite. I didn’t really like it on Tuesday but the Callaway guy put it down a degree and it came out a lot better. I thought, ‘why not give it a go?’ I love new stuff. I feel comfortable hitting it.

“I’ve been close enough (to winning a tournament) and I wouldn’t mind getting my name on one of the trophies. You need to keep ticking the points over and the more you get, the closer you’ll get to the top three for the DP (World) Tour spot.”

Former NSW junior teammates Lamb and Crowe posted bogey-free rounds, while Barbieri poured in eight birdies as he chases a maiden professional win on tour.

Wales’ Lydia Hall, who won a women’s NSW Open qualifying event last month, was the best of the females after the first round with a six-under 64.

Originally published as Michael Wright challenges Jake McLeod in Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club