A late change of plans has allowed Deyen ‘Digger’ Lawson to make a welcome defence of his Queanbeyan Crown when the 2022 Championship gets underway at Queanbeyan Golf Club this Thursday.
Lawson is keen to have some competitive golf under his belt before next week’s Australian PGA Championship in Queensland, the first major tournament of the Australian Summer of Golf, and the Victorian will be hoping to start the new year off with a win.
Lawson was never headed in last year’s tournament, carding a course record nine-under 61in the opening round before closing out with a 64 to win by four shots from Daniel Gale with former amateur Grace Kim in third place.
Besides Lawson, the field for this week’s tournament is impressive with several big names competing. Local hope Matt Millar, who claimed the Murray Open back in November, will be one of the Victorian’s Biggest threats, so too, former NZ Open Champion Jordan Zunic, who came within a whisker of claiming the Gippsland 6’s Crown in December.
Freshly minted professional Grace Kim, who wowed the fans with her runners-up performance against the men in the Western Open at Dubbo in late November, will also be keen to lift her first professional title on home soil.
Others players worth watching include recent Japanese Tour School winner Andrew Evans, former NSW Open Champion Aaron Townsend, and NSW duo Justin Warren and Scott Arnold.
The $50,000 Queanbeyan Open is the third event in the six-event NSW Regional Open Series. The top three placegetters not otherwise qualified are assured of a start in the $400,000 Golf Challenge NSW Open being played at the renowned Concord Golf Club in March.
Play will get underway on Thursday, January 6th from around 7.20 am, with Friday’s final round Livestreamed on the tournament website www.nswopen.com, on Facebook at GolfNSW or via the SEN APP.