The Blue Mountains is punching above its weight in top level golf, with Josh Cabban from Yellow Rock the latest local to turn professional and achieve early success.
Cabban won the biggest tournament of his four-month career as a PGA Tour of Australia pro on May 3, holding the 2015 South Pacific Export Papua New Guinea Open trophy aloft and pocketing the $27,374 winner’s cheque.
A carpenter by trade, Cabban started slowly in steamy conditions on the Royal Port Moresby Golf Club course, but nailed a seven-under par score of 65 in the third round to start the final round sharing the lead with Kris Mueck.
At that point he said “no matter what happens, I will still be happy with my week” — a relaxed attitude that paid off as the pressure rose the next morning.
The 22-year-old opened a comfortable gap over his nearest rivals in the opening nine holes by playing solid, composed golf, securing pars while others struggled.
He held a three-shot lead over Daniel Fox with nine holes to play and hammered a 2.5-metre birdie putt at the 16th to be four in front with two holes remaining.
Despite a nervy final putt to bogey the 18th and score a final round 71 to finish the tournament at 12-under, it was enough for Cabban to finish four shots ahead of runner-up Fox and rise up the national rankings and the 2015 PGA of Australia’s Pro-Am Order of Merit list.
Cabban said tying as leader in the final round of a big tournament was not a position he’d found himself in before.
“I am quite speechless to have walked away with the win,” he said.
“I had a chat with a few of the other professionals and one said to me, out of those in the final group I am no doubt the least expected to win, so go out and play like it.
“I did and I guess the proof is in the victory.
“It is quite ironic that the winner receives a green jacket given I lost all of mine in the Blue Mountains fires — it’ll certainly be cherished.”
Cabban said although he loves carpentry, he’d always dreamt of playing golf professionally.
“It is something I could definitely get used to.”
Cabban now heads to Western Australia and Queensland to play in Pro Am events, before finishing the year playing in major Australian tournaments, the first being the Queensland Open in August.
“My goal is to try to finish in the top five in one of those tournaments before heading to the Asian Tour (qualification) School to start 2016.
Cabban is one of three Blue Mountains-based golf professionals.
Blackheath’s Adam Stephens (the winner of the 2014 South Pacific Open Championships) and Katoomba’s Troy Cox both play full-time on the PGA of Australia Tour.
