NT PGA Champion !

Travis completed a wire to wire victory at the NT PGA Championship hosted by Palmerston Gol Club.Shooting 4 under on Sunday he was 19 under for the tournament and 6 shots better than second place getter Deyen Lawson.Travis gains a winners category on the PGA TOUR of Australia whenever he turns  Pro prior to close of 2018.MORE LATER.... 

Leading into final round at Top End

Travis shot a flawless 5 under par 66 in the third round of the NT PGA Championship to be leading the tournament by 4 shots.At 15 under par Travis holds a 4 shot lead over Darren Beck, Marcus Both and defending champion Jordan Zunic.Coach John Serhan was on the bag helping to steer Travis around the course.  Serhan also coaches Darren Beck who will be in the final group alongside Smyth and Both.Lining up a putt on the 18th.Read the interview with the PGA

NT PGA Championship

Playing in his first professional tournament for 2017 Travis carded 7 under and 3 under in his first two rounds to be tied for the lead.He is tied with trainee professional Frazer Droop going into the week end.Travis is playing as an amateur so no money at stake but potential exemptions and ranking pointsTied 4th is Darren Beck at 7 under who is also managed by Contender Sports.Read the PGA Report

Trav's stocks flying high

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Through to quarter finals at US Amateur Championships

Travis grabbed a spot in the Quarter Finals at Riviera Country Club by winning his round of 32 match 3&2 and backing it up in the afternoon with a 2 &1 win over Texan Will Zalatoris."My game has never felt better. I'm feeling as confident as any golfer can be at this stage of the Championship. I am expecting a really tough match tomorrow."Travis is the remaining Aussie in the field after Dylan Perry and Shae Wools-Cobb both failed to advance into the round of 16.Travis will meet Doc Redman in the quarters.  Redman is ranked 70th in the WAGR and hails from Raleigh in North Carolina.  He was runner up after the four medal rounds at the Western Amateur.

First round success at US Am

Travis got through to the round of 32 by beating William Gordon of North Carolina 3 and 1.At the half way mark Travis was 3 up but 2 birdies by Gordon saw that lead shrink to 1 up.At 1 up through 15 Travis was able to clinch the match with birdies on the 16th and 17th. His stroke play score was about even par.Dylan Perry won his match on the 19th and Shae Wools-Cobb won 2&1.Good friend and 2016 Australian Amateur Champion Connor Syme from Scotland beat the world number 2 amateur Maverick McNeal to progress to the next round.The next two rounds are played on Thursday (Sydney -17 hours)

Through to knock out stage of US AM

Travis finished T37 on two over par after two stroke rounds of the US Am to enter the knock out stages. He shot even par and 2 over to reach the top 64 players from a starting field of 312!The cut for the top 64 was 4 over so he had a couple of shots up his sleeve."The back nine was strong swirling winds in the canyon from down wind to straight into. It was one of the most stressful back nines I've played"Other Aussies to make the match play stage were Dylan Perry, Min Woo Lee and Shae Wool-Coob.  

Final USA Amateur Events

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Travis made a great start in the USA finishing 4th at the Porter Cup, the first of his final three amateur events in the USA.  He was the highest placed Aussie at the Porter Cup which was played at the Niagara Falls Country Club.After a week at Woodlands Golf Club with the Golf Australia squad it was onto Glencoe, Illinois just up the road from Chicago for the Western Amateur.  Arguably this tournament is the strongest Amateur event although not providing the winner with the prestige and invitations of the US or British Amateur Champion.The track at Skokie Country Club is 6,500 metre.  Combine this with some awful weather and you have real test.The 154 strong field is cut to 44 after two rounds then to the "Sweet Sixteen" after a further two rounds. The sweet sixteen go through to the matchplay knockout.Travis made the first cut at one under but failed to make the top sixteen finishing at three under the card and 5 shots off the cut line.Three Aussies made the sweet sixteen; Dylan Perry, Ruben Sondjaja and Min Woo Lee.Perry and Sondjaja were knocked out in the first round and Lee in the quarters." Skokie is an amazing course and it was a privilege to play there. I played very solid all week but felt my iron play needs to be a bit tighter"."Feeling confident in my game in the run up to the US Am.  I know exactly what I am going to work on to get ready!"The US Am commences on the 14th August at the Riviera Country Club, Bel Air. 

Final USA Amateur Events

Travis made a great start in the USA finishing 4th at the Porter Cup, the first of his final three amateur events in the USA.  He was the highest placed Aussie at the Porter Cup which was played at the Niagara Falls Country Club.After a week at Woodlands Golf Club with the Golf Australia squad it was onto Glencoe, Illinois just up the road from Chicago for the Western Amateur.  Arguably this tournament is the strongest Amateur event although not providing the winner with the prestige and invitations of the US or British Amateur Champion.The track at Skokie Country Club is 6,500 metre.  Combine this with some awful weather and you have real test.The 154 strong field is cut to 44 after two rounds then to the "Sweet Sixteen" after a further two rounds. The sweet sixteen go through to the matchplay knockout.Travis made the first cut at one under but failed to make the top sixteen finishing at three under the card and 5 shots off the cut line.Three Aussies made the sweet sixteen; Dylan Perry, Ruben Sondjaja and Min Woo Lee.Perry and Sondjaja were knocked out in the first round and Lee in the quarters." Skokie is an amazing course and it was a privilege to play there. I played very solid all week but felt my iron play needs to be a bit tighter"."Feeling confident in my game in the run up to the US Am.  I know exactly what I am going to work on to get ready!"The US Am commences on the 14th August at the Riviera Country Club, Bel Air. 

Performances in UK Events

After competing in the Riversdale Cup and captaining the NSW Team in the Interstate Series Travis left for the UK to play three elite amateur events and an International Sectional Qualifier for the US Open.At the Riversdale Cup he finished 16th on four under after rounds of 70,70,74 and 70. At the Interstate Team event held at Melville Glades GC in WA the NSW team were just beaten in the final by Victoria 4.5 to 3.5.  On the personal side Travis remained undefeated throughout the tournament.The US Open Sectional Qualifier was held at the magnificent Walton Heath course in Surrey on 29 May.  Travis finished at 3 under par through 36 holes played on the Old Course (6,820m) and the New Course the same day.  Top 15 qualified with 9 under being the magic number to secure a berth at Erin Hills.  Wade Ormsby qualified with touring partner Harrison Endycott missing by just one stroke.Travis was T66 in the 120 strong European Tour field.On to Scotland to play in Ayrshire and St Andrews.  At the Scottish stroke play at Western Gailes Golf Club Travis finished T14.  A triple on the last denying him a top five result. "I played well throughout the tournament struggled a bit in the wind on occasions. Getting used to the slower pace of the greens!"Onto St Andrews for the St Andrews Links Trophy one of the oldest amateur tournaments on the elite european schedule.  Tough first round on the wrong side of the draw weather wise.  A 6 over par was hard fought on the Jubilee Course.  In the second round Travis bounced back with a 3 under on the Old Course to finish three shots off the even par top 40 cutline.A week off before the British Amateur Championship at Royal St Georges to recuperate and practice.  Time for a bit of fun at Halifax Golf Club. At 5 under Travis equalled Brett Drewitt's score in 2013 but unable to eclipse Matt Stieger's 6 under in 2012.Pictured here firing at the second green from the 17th tee!  An invitation from Ken Davidson to play Royal Lytham and St Annes could not be missed.  Travis and Harrison teed up in a best ball match play against two club members Robert Fox and Ian Crowther playing off 2 and +1 respectively.  Travis and Harrison played off +3.  Club secretary had given the Okay to play the back tees.Turning at the back nine into three club wind the young Aussies were 2 down.  Surely their youth would tell?  Robert 62 and Ian 59 did not let up and showed their links guile around the course.  Travis and Harrison lost 3 and 2.  They now appreciate the task faced by Adam Scott on the final stretch when he lost in the 2012 Open to Ernie Els at Royal Lytham.  They described the course as "Brutal" and had a fantastic learning experience!At Royal St Georges 288 players teed up in the Brtish Am.  Great result for Travis finishing T11 after the two medal rounds scoring 3 under at Princes and 2 under at Royal St Georges.Top 64 and ties advancing to the knock out stages.  Travis lost in his first match against  Swiss Perry Cohen on the 19th.That is of course the nature of match play.Bottom line for the UK trip was that although no Championships were won Travis performed well enough to force himself back into the WAGR top 50 and secure a berth in the US Amateur Championships at Riviera  Country Club in California on 14 August. 

Solid Start to 2017

 It was a busy start to the final amateur year.  Travis played 4 tournaments in 6 weeks.It was a tough start to the year carding a +8 in his first round at the Master of the Amateurs at Royal Melbourne.  The first round saw Travis was near the bottom of the elite 78 man field.  He hung in and clawed his way back to finish +6 and T26.At the Aussie Am held at Yarra Yarra he eased onto the Match Play rounds with a +7 finishing T47 in a field of 234 players.  After good wins in the first three rounds he was knocked out 3&2 in the quarter final by an on form Robert MacIntyre. Last year MacIntyre was runner up at the British Am.Travis was the medallist at the NSW Amateur Championships held at Terry Hills.  He shot -8 and -6 to streak the 240 man field by 6 shots over second place.  Unfortunately Travis was bound by a commitment to a friend's wedding and did not play in the matchplay section of the tournament.These performances helped Travis secure an invite to the Victorian Open Championships at 13th Beach.  The $500,000 event is now a tier one event on the professional calendar with a strong starting field.The first two rounds are split between the Beach course and the Creek course.  Winds got up to 40km for the afternoon field at 13th Beach for the first round.  Travis was at the wrong side of the draw and his score of +2 left him with work to do if he was to make the week end.  An even par round the next day left him 5 shots off the 3 under par cut line and T104 in the 144 man field.These results, and the move to the professional ranks of two cohorts, leave Travis at the number one amateur ranking in Australia and 36 in the world R&A rankings.He next tees up at Riversdale  on 9 March where he won in 2015.

Travis bows out in the quarter final of the Australian Amateur

Travis was knocked out of the quarter finals by scotsman Robert Macintyre. Overall there was some solid golf played but he ultimately was beaten by a talented player. "I gave it my all out there but it wasnt meant to be. Putts werent dropping for me like they were for Rob, but credit to him it was a great match." Travis will now take the positives and continue to focus on his upcoming events.

 

Start of Final Amateur Year

Travis took time out to coach 10 year old Alex Radevski at St Michael's Golf Club.  Won't be long before Travis's number one fan will be challenging everyone at St Micks!Travis starts the year with two of the most prestigious events on the amateur calendar in Australia.  The Master of the Amateurs followed by the Australian Amateur Championships at Royal Melbourne."I am really excited about 2017.  I have set some ambitions targets!"