After registering his highest ever DP World Tour finish in the ISPS HANDA Australian Open twelve months ago, Conor Purcell is hoping to repeat the feat and end the year on a high as he tees it up for the final time in 2023.
Given how the schedule falls, this is the beginning of the 2024 DP World Tour season with Purcell making one cut from one start at the Australian PGA Championship last week. This time last year he finished in a share of 7th place in the Australian Open and if he can put on a similar showing it would be a good start to the season but also a good end to a year where he played his first full season on the Challenge Tour and narrowly missed out on a DP World Tour card.
“I’m looking forward to playing the Aussie Open again,” said Purcell who is out in the opening 3-ball on Thursday at the Lakes Gc. “I have great memories from last year coming in the top-10 and obviously hoping to do something similar.
“It’s a bit of a different scenario this year having played such a full schedule and this will be my last event this year so just about knuckling down for one more week this year and giving it my best go.”
The Portmarnock man loves spending the winter period down under but he will take a break to come home for Christmas before knuckling down again in the New Year.
“I’m staying down in Australia for a couple of weeks after and then come home for Christmas is the plan. I will get practicing again in January in somewhere so just finish the year here this week and there won’t be much golf for the rest of the year.”
The 26-year-old showed plenty of promise in Brisbane last week, racking up nineteen birdies but unfortunately there were nineteen bogeys thrown in across the 72 holes. Encouraged by his ability to register red numbers on the card, he hopes to limit the mistakes in Sydney this week.
“Last week had plenty of good stuff in there but just too many mistakes. Round three and four especially, probably highlighted the mistakes a bit more so hopefully I can limit the mistakes going into this week and keep the birdies going.”
Purcell is joined in the field by fellow Irishmen Tom McKibbin and Mark Power as they look to round off their seasons in Australia.
McKibbin made the cut last week while Power missed it by the minimum after following an opening 68 with a birdie less 75.
Meanwhile, running alongside the DP World Tour event is the Australian All Abilities Championship on the G4D Tour where Brendan Lawlor is in action on the opening event of the 2024 season.
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