Kipp Popert brought his dominance from 2022 into the 2023 G4D Tour season as he claimed a thumping seven-shot win at the Australian All Abilities Championship @ the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
The new campaign got underway at Victoria Golf Club and it looked like we might have a new winner as Kurtis Barkley entered the final day with a three-shot lead in search of his first title.
Popert had other ideas though, and the World Number One carded a 69 to finish the week at two under and win a fifth G4D Tour trophy after four victories in the inaugural season.
Barkley signed for a 79 to be the nearest challenger, with Spaniard Juan Postigo Arce then at six over, seven clear of England’s Mike Browne and Irish star Brendan Lawlor who shared fourth. Lawlor was unable to replicate his fine play of day one, adding rounds of 79 and 78 to his opening 72 to finish at 13-over.
“I love it here,” said the victorious Popert. “This is the first time I’ve played a competition here in Australia.
“Growing up in the south-east of England I’ve been practising links golf for a while and I had to use a few of those shots out there today.
“My approach was that we have a system and I just followed it to the tee. I was hitting it really well so just wanted to see how low I could go.
“To be the champion here is an absolute honour. I had three Tim Tams yesterday so there must be something in those.”
A nice up-and-down brought Popert a birdie on the driveable first but he dropped shots at the fourth and fifth before finding his groove before the turn.
He put his tee-shot to six feet at the par-three seventh, made a two-putt birdie on the par-five next and holed from 15 feet on the ninth to turn in 34.
A bogey came on the 12th but Popert left himself six feet at the 13th and got down in two putts from off the 17th green as he romped to an emphatic victory.
- Full scoring HERE
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