Sensational young Aussie pro Elvis Smylie has captured a second victory in a month with his success at the BMW PGA Championship in Brisbane.
The 22-year-old son of former Wimbledon champion Liz posted a third and closing round 67 for a two-shot success at 14-under in the rain-affected event on the host Royal Queensland course.
Smylie captured a maiden pro career title just over a month ago with success in the West Australian Open and now a second major Australian tournament and, in the process, holding off boyhood hero and triple Australian PGA Tour winner and major-winning Cam Smith.
TIME TO DREAM ELVIS …
Elvis Smylie captures maiden 2024/25 #DPWT @PGAofAustralia with former @Wimbledon mum @Liz_Smylie & dad proud as punch
PGAofA/Liz
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/NA9bn9dAIB
— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) November 24, 2024
The left-handed Smith posted a closing 69 for a 12-under tally and one clear of his LIV Golf team-mate Marc Leishman.
Smylie birdied four of his opening seven holes but stalled with 11 closing pars but still good enough for success and with his proud parents Liz and John looking on.
Liz capped his tennis career winning the 1985 Wimbledon doubles title with American Kathy Jordan while she also won a Bronze medal with partner Wendy Turnbull at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Dad John, and a pro tennis player himself, was Liz’s manager.
And among the first to greet Australia’s newest sports champion was his proud parents
Straight over to his biggest supporters, mum and dad @Liz_Smylie | #AusPGA pic.twitter.com/AW3DycI87m
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) November 24, 2024
Also helpul in Smylie’s career was in 2019 when he was awarded a Cameron Smith Scholarship that saw him spend a week at Smith’s Florida home, where he was able to learn to live and practice as a PGA Tour professional.
“It’s a dream come true,” Smylie said.
“I won’t forget this day, you know, playing with Cam and Leish there, I looked up to these guys since I was a kid and just being in their presence and compete against them for the title, I’ve learnt so much and just so grateful and so honoured right now.
“My short game was great, I definitely saved myself in that department. I was pretty average off the tee, but golf is a game of imperfection and today that was a sign of that.
“I just told myself to find a way of getting it around and doing my best, executing every shot as well as I can and my short game was great, so I gave that the full credit that it deserves.
“I’m a proud ambassador for BMW and have been a proud ambassador for the last three years. It is an absolute honour to be with a brand like BMW (as well as) Titleist, Footjoy and Golf Australia. My team; Ritchie Smith, Luke Mackey, Michael Lloyd, Marty McGuinness, my mum and dad.
“They have been with me every step of the way. I saw my mum in the corner there, tearing up before I holed that last putt so everyone who has been on this journey with me, they know how hard I’ve worked to be here and hopefully this is just the start of good things to come.”
The Australian PGA was the opening event of the 2024/25 wraparound DP World Tour schedule and earned Smylie a mandatory two-year exemption which in effect is actually three years as he has all of the 2025 season and then the regulation two years of Tour exemption that runs to the end of the 2027 season.
Well done, Elvis.
