The young Australian Elvis Smylie (-14) has won the BMW Australian PGA Championship, the first tournament of the 2025 European Tour season, after carding a 67 in the last and decisive third round (the tournament was shortened after Friday’s downpour) and leaving the two big favourites, his compatriots and fellow players in the star group, Cameron Smith (-12) and Marc Leishman (-11), two and three strokes behind.
This is the second professional victory for this 22-year-old Aussie, after making his debut as a winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, his tour, just over a month ago. In other words: Smylie is making a strong impact and we may be witnessing the emergence of a new global star. For now, his life and career take a 180-degree turn, as this triumph grants him full playing rights on the DP World Tour, where we will see him in all the major events of 2025. Smylie also leads the ranking of the PGA Tour of Australasia, although this circumstance and position of privilege will now be the least of his concerns… He is already aiming for higher goals.
The challenge, against two heavyweights like Smith and Leishman, was considerable. That is why, above all, great things can and should be expected from this young man. Far from shrinking, Smylie’s performance in the final round was overwhelming, with birdies on holes 1 and 2 and a four-under-par score for the first seven holes. What was expected to be a high-altitude duel between the two great Australian champions of LIV Golf turned into something very different.
It is true that the young winner struggled to finish, but he did so without a single blemish on the scorecard, despite the multiple and varied problems he encountered, especially on the back nine of the Royal Queensland Golf Club (Brisbane, Australia). His powerful (he hits very long) and rhythmic tee-to-green game may have suffered in the decisive stretch due to extreme pressure, but not his putter. He saved up to three very delicate situations on the greens with putts of two, four, and even six metres, all absolutely crucial moments, especially as his two illustrious playing partners were also not very sharp from tee to green on a course that was certainly challenging due to the wind.
The surprising thing, in fact, is that Smith finished with a score below par (69 strokes, two under on the day), with four bogeys on the card and a long game that was too erratic. But these great players have these qualities. He still holed a fabulous birdie chip on the 17th, a par 3, to add a bit more excitement to the final outcome, although afterwards, once again, he missed the second shot on the 18th and left the way clear for the young champion.
Eight editions of this tournament have already been played since it entered the European Tour calendar, and this is the seventh victory by an Australian player. Only the American Harold Varner III managed to win in 2017, being followed by up to six local players in the standings. This time it was Smylie, a candidate no one counted on initially, it’s true, but behind him, up to five more Australian players lined up. They give no respite. Therefore, the performance of the Spaniard Ángel Ayora (-9) surely holds even more value, as he was the first non-Australian on the leaderboard after carding a spectacular 64 in the final round and climbing more than forty positions.
