Aussies on Tour: Papadatos takes big step towards PGA Tour

Sep 28, 2023

03 Apr 2023 | Professional golf |

by Australian Golf Media

By Tony Webeck

It has taken just one start for Dimi Papadatos to make a major step towards a PGA TOUR card at the Korn Ferry Tour's Astara Chile Classic in Santiago.

The Central Coast native made a late decision to play in Chile, using the conditional status he earned at Final Stage of Qualifying School to take his place in the field.

Papadatos was exempt into Final Stage by virtue of finishing fourth on the 2021-2022 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and now looks like enjoying an extended stay in the United States.

Four strokes back at the start of the final round, Papadatos started his Sunday charge with two birdies followed by an eagle at the par-5 third.

He followed up a birdie on 10 with a bogey at 11 before coming home with birdies at 13, 15 and 17 to set the clubhouse mark at 21-under par.

Needing birdie to tie Papadatos, American veteran Ben Kohles made a superb up-and-down from the back of the 18th green, showing steely nerves to hole a four-footer and force the playoff.

The pair traded birdies on the first trip back down the par-5 18th but both went long with their approach shots the second time around.

A two-time Vic Open champion, Papadatos played first, his chip releasing to eight feet behind the hole.

Kohles barely made it onto the putting surface with his chip but drained his putt from just inside 10 feet to apply the pressure back onto the Aussie.

Unfortunately for Papadatos, his birdie attempt shaved the left side of the hole as Kohles claimed his first win in more than a decade.

With a cheque for $US90,000 for his runner-up finish Papadatos earns a start in the next Korn Ferry Tour event and is projected to move up to 17th on the moneylist.

That will help to improve his status significantly at the next re-rank and provide the platform to push for a top-25 finish at season's end.

Fellow New South Welshman Rhein Gibson also enhanced his prospects of a return to the PGA TOUR in Chile.

Gibson's tie for 10th will see him remain in fourth position on the moneylist following his win in Colombia in February.

There were important results for two Kiwis this week also in Japan and Brazil.

Michael Hendry's tie for 11th at the Token Homemate Cup will solidify his status on the Japan Golf Tour while Charlie Hillier's win at the JHSF Aberto do Brasil on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica puts him on the path to promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour.

Results

PGA TOURValero Texas OpenTPC San Antonio (Oaks Cse), San Antonio, Texas1 Corey Conners 64-72-69-68—273 $US1.602mMC Cam Davis 80-66—146MC Harrison Endycott 74-73—147MC Ryan Fox (NZ) 75-75—150

LPGA TourDIO Implant LA OpenPalos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California1 Ruoning Yin 68-64-67-70—269 T25 Hannah Green 71-67-72-70—280 T34 Lydia Ko (NZ) 73-69-70-69—281 T47 Sarah Kemp 72-67-72-73—284 T59 Grace Kim 71-71-72-72—286 T71 Stephanie Kyriacou 75-69-73-72—289

Korn Ferry TourAstara Chile ClassicPrince of Wales Country Club, Santiago, Chile1 Ben Kohles 68-66-66-67—267 $US180,000Won on the second hole of sudden death playoff2 Dimitrios Papadatos 66-69-67-65—267 $90,000T10 Rhein Gibson 65-74-64-69—272 $22,130

Japan Golf TourToken Homemate CupToken Tado Country Club, Nagoya1 Shugo Imahira 64-66-71-63—264 ¥26mT11 Michael Hendry (NZ) 66-66-68-71—271 ¥2.561mT18 Andrew Evans 69-67-69-67—272 ¥1,854,666T26 Anthony Quayle 71-68-72-64—275 ¥945,100T42 Brendan Jones 70-70-67-70—277 ¥494,000T49 Dylan Perry 74-66-70-68—278 ¥367,900

Challenge TourThe Challenge presented by KGAKarnataka Golf Association, Bangalore, India1 Ugo Coussaud 68-67-68-67—270 €44,307.41MC Maverick Antcliff 75-75—150

Epson TourCasino Del Sol Golf ClassicSewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Arizona1 Gigi Stoll 69-67-70-68—274 $US30,000T17 Hira Naveed 72-71-72-69—284 $2,522T27 Robyn Choi 76-67-72-71—286 $1,935T41 Cassie Porter 75-70-74-70—289 $1,083T41 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 76-71-71-71—289 $1,083T59 Sarah Jane Smith 76-70-73-74—293 $710MC Gabriela Ruffels 81-75—156

PGA TOUR LatinoaméricaJHSF Aberto do BrasilFazenda Boa Vista, Porto Feliz, Brazil1 Charlie Hillier (NZ) 62-64-68-71—265T31 Harry Hillier (NZ) 66-68-71-74—279

LIV GolfLIV Golf OrlandoOrange County National, Orlando, Florida1 Brooks Koepka 65-65-68—198 $US4mT26 Marc Leishman 68-72-68—208 $159,000T26 Cameron Smith 69-68-71—208 $159,000T26 Jediah Morgan 71-70-67—208 $159,000T31 Danny Lee (NZ) 65-70-74—209 $149,000T46 Matt Jones 71-72-74—217 $123,000

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