It has been a long wait for us to have Aaron back in Australia playing on his home turf. Since relocating to the United States in 2001, Aaron has always made a point of returning to Australia to play the Masters and the Open. We missed him last year when for the first time he wasn’t able to make it back, he had a good reason though – he was celebrating the birth of his adorable daughter, Jewell.
Touching down in Melbourne a couple days ago, Jewell is all set to enjoy her 1st birthday in her Dad’s hometown. With the beautiful Melbourne weather we have this week, it will be perfect for Jewell to enjoy her first taste of Australian golf.
You couldn’t have picked a better week either, with a sold out tournament and the presence of the world number one in the field, there is a buzz in the air that is hard to beat. Never before has a tournament sold out months before and with an estimated 100,000 people making their way to Kingston Heath this week, you can only imagine how special a win here would be.
We have a new host for the JBWere Australian Masters, this year it will be held at Kingston Heath which is ranked as the 2nd best course in the country. It is 6455 meters long and par is 72. Known for always being in perfect condition, this course is fairly short but trust me, extremely challenging. With have most of Australia’s finest stepping out along with some of the best players from around the world, Kingston Heath looks set to stage one of the most thrilling weeks in Australian Masters history.
Talking about history, Aaron has a great one with the Masters. He claimed the gold jacket just 2 years ago in 2007. It was a nail-biting event with a few players in contention down to the last minute. Aaron fired a 70, 66, 69 and 70 to finish at 13 under with a 275. He was tied with Daniel Chopra and they played 4 play-off holes before Aaron sealed the deal. It was the perfect finish to his best year on tour.
The defending champion is Rod Pampling who shot a 71, 68, 70 and 67 to finish 12 under and tied with Marcus Frasier. Pampling went on to claim victory in the play-off.
I hope you have the chance to make your way out to Kingston Heath, it is going to be awesome!
GO BADDS!!
Shelley