It’s not often you get to play a State Championship five minutes from your own front door, but that was one of the reasons Cameron Pollard gave for his nine-shot win at the 2026 NSW Inclusive Championship.
As a Coffs Harbour local, Pollard was right at home for the event, and it showed in the way he approached each round.
“It’s nice to show up at the course like you’re playing with your mates,” Pollard said.
“Sleeping in your own bed helps as well.”
That home comfort translated straight to the scorecard. The win is Pollard’s fifth in six years at this event, a run of dominance broken only by golf professional Wayne Perske back in 2024.
This year, Pollard wasted no time reminding the field why he’s the man to beat at Coffs Harbour, setting the pace with a stellar opening round of 65 (-5) that put daylight between himself and the rest of the field from day one.
He backed it up with a 73 in round two, more than enough to hold on for a nine-shot victory at two-under-par and reclaim the title.
It was a local domination across the board, not just at the top of the leaderboard. Sawtell’s Lochie Smith made it a big week for the home region, winning the nett event at two-under-par nett and claiming victory by two shots over Queenslander Asher Belbin.
In the Stableford event, Rodney Sampson claimed his second win at Coffs Harbour after also taking the title in 2024, finishing with 69 points across the two days for a three-point win over Chris Perry.
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