NARRABRI’S Matt Stieger had the pain of narrowly missing qualification for the Japan Tour eased with victory at the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic on Wednesday at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.
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The 25-year-old shot back-to-back rounds of 69 for four under and a one-stroke win over Charlestown’s Jake Higginbottom, who led with a 67 after day one. Next best was Waratah’s Leigh McKechnie at one under.
Stieger said the $10,000 first prize on Wednesday was “a great Christmas present and would help pay for a few” after his disappointment at the Japan Tour Q-School just two weeks ago.
“I played on the Challenge Tour over there this year and then went to qualifying for the main tour and missed out by two shots, which when you play six rounds, it’s tough to take,” Stieger said.
“But that’s golf, I guess. I came here with no expectations, so it was nice to get the win.”
It was Stieger’s fifth appearance at the Jack Newton tournament, which doubles as an end-of-season party for many of Australia’s professional golfers, but it was the first time he has been in the mix for the victory.
“I’ve only just come back from the Japan Tour school, so it was good to come here, relax and catch up with everyone,” he said.
The 2011 Australian Amateur champion and 2012 NSW PGA winner planned to head back to Japan for Challenge Tour events in June-July.
The celebrity section winners were former world longboard surfing champion Josh Constable and rugby league caller Frank Barrett on plus seven.
