24 Sep 2024 | Professional golf |
Aussie summer bringing 'major' vibes, says Davis
by Tony Webeck
Heaving Australian crowds and world-class courses are the perfect formula to recreate a major-like atmosphere on home soil, says PGA TOUR star Cam Davis.
Davis, Australia’s most recent winner on the PGA TOUR, confirmed his place in the summer’s two marquee events on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open on Tuesday.
Davis was just 22 when he triumphed at The Australian Golf Club to claim the 2017 Australian Open and has finished tied seventh in each of his past two starts at the Australian PGA Championship.
But more than the lure of a second Stonehaven Cup and maiden Joe Kirkwood Cup, Davis points to the home-country support for elevating the tournaments to the equivalent of a major championship.
“It isn’t a major but, to an Australian, it still feels like a major,” said Davis.
“I think every player out there would feel that if you’re playing on the Aussie tour, these are your majors for the year.
“If you’re playing around the world, you might have played one or two (majors). But you come back and these have the same sort of atmosphere, especially as a local coming back to play at home.”
With the Australian PGA Championship finding a home at Royal Queensland and the Australian Open to return to the Melbourne sandbelt for the second time in three years, Davis says that the championship stages add to the feeling of prestige.
“It’s always great when you get the best courses in Australia involved in the biggest tournaments,” said the world No.42, who won the Rocket Mortgage Classic for a second time in June.
“There’s something about seeing a sandbelt golf course on TV and something about seeing Brisbane on TV.
“The environment that you’re playing in is so different to everywhere else in the world.
“Especially when you have been playing all over the world throughout the year, when you come back it’s awesome to be amongst that environment again.”
Bitterly disappointed to be overlooked for the International Team for this week’s Presidents Cup, the silver lining is that Davis has an extra week to refresh and set his sights on an Aussie summer assault.
Aware that with the likes of Jason Day, Cameron Smith and Min Woo Lee confirmed to return that victories won’t come easy, Davis will return with a burning ambition to complete the Aussie quinella.
“To try and get the Aussie PGA championship under my belt as well would mean a lot,” said Davis.
“I feel like having a trophy in both of the biggest events that Australia holds is a real feather in the cap, especially for an Australian player.
“I know what it was like to win the Australian Open, and that doesn’t stop you from wanting to try and do it again.”
Join our newsletter
Get weekly updates on news, golf tips and access to partner promotions.