Samuel Slater staged a significant comeback to secure a joint victory at the Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Golf & Country Club Pro-Am. After a challenging start, Slater played his final 13 holes in 10-under-par, achieving a score of 6-under-par 66. This performance placed him alongside Christopher Wood and Harrison Wills as co-winners of the event, which is part of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
Wood and Wills initially reached 6-under before Slater joined them by birdieing his second last hole. While Wood has been successful in pro-am events for over ten years, this marks Wills’ first win at Middlemount.
Slater faced difficulties early on with double bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes but turned his game around on the back nine. He achieved four consecutive birdies and an eagle from the 10th hole, followed by another streak of four birdies from the 18th through to the third hole.
Reflecting on his performance, Slater said: “I was a bit rattled, that’s for sure. But anything can happen out there. That’s the approach I took to it. I’ve been working really hard on the short game. That’s the thing that’s let me down for several years, so it’s good to finally get that on track.”
Wills expressed his connection to local courses: “Being from out here, all these little tracks like Middlemount are like a second home. It’s nice to be able to come out here, catch up with everyone and put a round together. I’m going to play a fair bit over the next couple of months and see what comes.”
Wood shared his experience returning after some time away: “I spent a good part of the first probably three or four years when I turned pro out here, coming out and supporting these events so it was good to come back after a few years off. The course is definitely a lot better than I can remember. I would’ve liked to have probably got off the tee a bit better, but I putted well and holed some good putts to get the momentum going.”
The leading scores were tied between Sam Slater (66), Christopher Wood (66), and Harrison Wills (66). Ben Hollis followed closely with 67, while Jay Mackenzie scored 68.
The Central Queensland swing will continue with the ABM Blackwater Pro-Am scheduled for Saturday and Sunday where Jay Mackenzie will defend his title.
