Bundaberg Regional Council has thrown its support behind the 2022 Bargara Legends Pro-Am which will attract some of the best golfers in Australia to the region from tomorrow.
To be held at Bargara Golf Club on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 July, the annual sporting event will take place over two days and will see more than 70 golf professionals tee up on the greens.
Sport and Recreation portfolio spokesperson Cr Vince Haberman said Council had agreed to sponsor the match to show its support.
“Under the Partnerships and Sponsorships Grant Program, Council has agreed to support the Bargara Legends Pro-Am through gold sponsorship to the value of $1950,” he said.
“Over time the competition has become a key steppingstone for golf professionals who were just starting their careers.
“It has also attracted the likes of Nick O’Hern, John Senden, Ian Baker-Finch and Rod Pampling to name a few, and will continue to be a significant event for up-and-coming local golf stars in the future.
“Council is proud to sponsor an event that not only provides a place for sporting enthusiasts to challenge themselves but also showcases our region to visitors from around the nation.”
The Bargara Legends Pro-Am will attract more than 150 people to the event next week, injecting approximately $96,000 into the Bundaberg Region economy.
Phil passionate about Bargara Legends Pro-Am
Professional golfer Phil Curd has been the driving force behind local golf competitions for the past 25 years and will celebrate the upcoming 2022 Bargara Legends Pro-Am tournament as his last.
The passionate event director and his wife Janice are familiar faces at the Bargara Golf Course Pro Shop but in 2023 the duo plan to leave their roles and travel Australia to enjoy retirement.
The lifestyle change means Phil will pass on the Bargara Legends Pro-Am baton to a someone new.
Phil has been the director of the competition since 2013 and has also managed other golfing events in the region for more than 25 years.
“Pro-Am tournaments having been running in Bargara since 1982 but they were all for the younger professional players,” he said.
“In 2013, legends golf really started to take off, so we introduced the Bargara Legends Pro-Am which is for professional players 50 years and over.
“It was really well-received, with big golfing names like Rodger Davis competing, and the event has been operating ever since.”
Phil said this year would see more than 70 professional golfers travel from around Australia to take part in the event at the Bargara Golf Club on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 July.
“We have a record number of 77 players competing across the two days,” he said.
“We encourage the community to come and watch the competition, the players like to get involved with the crowds and it is a great day out for everyone.”
Phil said after 40 years of competing around Australia and the Pacific as a professional golfer, the transition to event organiser had been a natural progression.
The sportsman said his long history with golf also included coaching the 2009 US Open Ladies Champion Eun-Hee Ji and winning titles such as the Qld PGA Club Professional of the Year and Top 50 PGA Coaches in Australia.
“I think what I love about golf is the fact that I have always loved spending time outdoors,” he said.
“Golf is a wonderful game and I have always had a bit of luck with sport, so I really took to it.”
Phil said next week’s Bargara Legends Pro-Am event would be an extra-special one for him.
“While I am excited to have organised the event, I am also a little bit sad that this will be my last year of involvement, but all good things must come to an end,” he said.
“I look forward to handing over the reins and giving someone else the opportunity to be part of such a great competition.”
It won’t be the last time that Phil puts down the golf clubs though.
“My wife and I have plans to caravan around Australia in our retirement and you can bet that the golf clubs will be coming with me,” he laughed.
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