Rund embraces PGA party opening

by Tony Webeck, PGA of Australia

While Andrew & # 39; Beef & # 39; Johnston in the course of the Australian PGA Championship to the par-3 16th green runs, he expects to hear the DJ pop with a touch of American rapper Action Bronson; if the English extrovert makes an ace at every stage, then you must brace, everything can happen.

Johnston has this week inspected what the epicenter will be for golf enthusiasts who attend the PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort and loved what he saw.

The Soniq Million Dollar Hole not only features the Volkswagen Marquee behind the green, but now also has the Oakley Gold Coast Beach Club for the first time, a place where a select group of fans are invited every day to sit back in a deck chair and watch how the action unfolds.

Given the sponsor activity and the response of fans in recent years, such initiatives are part of the PGA of the Australian desire to create a fun tournament space, and it is something that Johnston believes the players should also embrace.

Often there is criticism for generating a lousy, nasty tournament experience for fans, golf around the world is experimenting with different layouts and new fan experiences, which according to Johnston should remain the fanbase of golf.

"I think it's a brilliant idea, adds something different to the gap, unlike the event," Johnston said, handing out beers and pies to the collected media

"I think that crowds and people will like it too, I am always in for such ideas, I think it's a good thing

"It is fascinating with the crowd doing different things that way, I hear that there is also a DJ in this hole, which will be interesting.

"More people are coming and giving a day out.

"If you want to go somewhere and you say, oh, what are we going to do on a Saturday with your friends, and you say, oh, there's golf and we can sit on 16 and there's a DJ, we'll have fun, they will appear.

"I think it advertises to a wider audience."

Aussie young cannon Lucas Herbert has paved the way for the rich European Tour for 2019 and is, like Johnston, enthusiastic about the atmosphere that will be created on the 16th hole in the course of the four days.

"A few people have different ideas about how to change, I think the picture of the game or how to make golf more fun," said Herbert.

"That looks like what the beach club is going to be and the party hole as it was last year.

"Sometimes I think we, as golfers, just have to relax, chill a little and maybe not that the drunken man in the background who screams touches us too much.

"These guys are all enjoying this and in many different ways we can play for the money and at the locations, during the tours we do.

"I love it, I would like to see more of it."

In conjunction with Aussies Cameron Smith and Curtis Luck for the opening of the two rounds, Johnston starts his first Australian PGA Championship from the 10th tee on Thursday morning (AEST) at 6 o'clock.

Giving an alarm that gives him enough time to be on schedule by 5 o'clock, Johnston is currently undergoing some pendulum adjustments with new coach Hugh Marr, but expects the biggest challenge this week will be to adapt to the Bermuda-grass greens of the Royal Pines layout.

"There are absolutely birds, it depends on the wind," said Johnston, who played in stormy conditions on Wednesday morning during the morning pro-am groups.

"You can birden par 5s, there are a few wedges.

"I think you have to drive the ball well and the greens are also pretty grainy.

"I was interested to wear them today, you get some really fast putts and some really slow putts.

"I think you have to be on the ball with the speed.

"From Hong Kong last week to this week, I adjusted a few adjustments (to my swing) and it felt better.

"It felt better this morning in the pro-am, and I also played a few holes on Monday and it felt better.

"If I can do that and I can get a good distance session in the morning, get a good feeling and come along."