Pro-Am Day - Australian Open 2023 ft. Michael Block, Jiyai Shin, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and others

[Music] oh good [Music] shot good shot yep good morning from the Lakes Golf Club here in Sydney Australia I'm at the clubhouse of this golf course which is my home course actually today is the proam for the Australian Open it's a Wednesday morning there's some good notable pression here including Jeff o v uh Grace Kim Michael block uh so we're looking forward to getting out my dad is with me today uh we're going to go from the n9th hole backwards 9 87654 uh because those are the professionals that I think we'd like to see the start list is out on display we've had a quick look at the list so we're just going to get out there and hopefully see some good professional this is Hall number eight it's a par five at the Lakes Golf CL we've just seen Jeff ogi hit his presumably third shot right next to the well that St AGI walking to the flag his ball is there how was that shot dad that was superb Jeff ogi won this tournament here at this course back in 2010 I believe and he also oversaw the renovation of this course uh some years ago and this is the former world number one ladies golfer G Shin from Korea so this is Grace Kim this is one of the leading female Australian players she's about to hit her approach shot on the par five eigh hole here at the Lakes 200 M I think that went about 195 into the wind just right in front of the flag at the green so this group is Nicholas karts a former Ryder Cup player they're waiting for the green to clear of the group in front I think he'll be going for it in two he'll probably be about 220 M from the green he got into the left bunker next to the green General uh condition of the course is pretty good you can see very green grass it's very Lush just crossed the eighth Fairway uh we're going to make our way to what is the seventh thanks seventh hle and uh oh my right is the second green the par 4 just going to find some other groups we've got a notable Australian some two groups behind called Peter lonard he's a former PGA Tour winner uh and he's actually used to be a teaching professional here at the Lakes uh he's gone back to being a professional so let's go and try and find him this is Peter lonard on the sixth scen Par Four he's just partying with a long broomstick putter he's in the white shirt just walking to his ball is just puttered going to Mark the ball fixing a divot as I said he's a former winner on the PGA tour so this is Alex Fitzpatrick the brother of Matt Fitzpatrick winner of the US Open golf uh tournament one of the major championships on the Golf calendar so his brother is playing here in the kind of purple reddish shirt the ball landed where he's repairing the divot and spun all the way back it's got a long uphill pot so on the path 3 7th hle we followed Alex to the tea box here we're going to watch him tea off uh on this path 3 it's about 160 m uphill I've heard the caddy say take a 9on which is pretty unbelievable for person like myself I think for this kind of a distance I'd take a seven or a six let's have a look at the t-shot so good 9 i. it's unbelievable for us wa my my dad's a member here we probably we got 9 thank you 9 iron 160 m uphill dad what would you hit driver now we've got the Japanese professional golfer Rio hit satun world number 81 he's got a European tour win turned professional about 3 years ago plays on the Japan tour uh he's on Hall number five there a par four just getting ready there's a group right in front still waiting the tea off so that's Rio on the left let's see what Clubby takes out looks like a fairway wood maybe a five wood the play is just to get a ball up the Fairway next to the right bunker hit it about a 200 M shot have about 110 m in it's a left of Fairway left left Fairway I I thought it was a bit heavy do you feel wasn't crispy like yeah it was maybe slightly chunky but still good outcome left Fairway he probably has about 120 M into the flag from where he landed still a good come so that's the difference between a professional and amateur if he did kind of mishit it it's still playable whereas if I mishit it it's in the rubbish this is Rafa Caba a former rder cup player from Spain he's got a very very nice swing and it's going to use the driver yeah good shot good shot and I'm now standing at the t- box of the fourth hole this is a par four dog leg left it's going going to be inevitably a layup a shot you can't go for the hole with a driver because there's a large Sandy waste area about 190 M up the Fairway just in front of us curves left we're just waiting for uh Jonathan Vegas who is a former PJ tour professional he's goup to come to the tea and we'll check out his te- shot oh good shot so at the green of the long PA for third hle this is Michael Block's group Michael block being a PGA teaching professional or might I say a a former teach PGA teaching professional uh he came 15th in the PGA Championship last year and since then he's been on a social media uh amazing uh kind of tour of the world uh linking up with you know F1 drivers celebrities um yeah he's really doing really well for himself uh well he's playing our home course this morning in the program and um yeah hopefully he comes by and we'll see him hit a t-shot on the fourth hole that's him in the white shirt white cap standing at the back there just came out of the bunker hit it to about maybe 3 ft from the hall should be a pretty easy up and down it's Michael block standing on the fourth T there's a group in front still on The Fairway so they just got to wait it out a little bit oh good shot so the approach shot came up quite short so he's going to chip it on a that's good touch easy taping good shot yep perfect so now heading back to the clubhouse on the tea there was a bit of waiting time so we actually had a good chat with Michael block as well as his amateur playing Partners one who is the assistant general manager at elanora golf club which is a very nice club that we played at on Monday actually and another works for shps Asahi which is one of the sponsors as well as I think the general manager of manly Golf Club so they're all very good golfers but Michael said that after tomorrow's tea time so he's playing I believe here tomorrow he's going to go straight to the zoo Tango Zoo which is one of Sydney's Premier attractions uh he's said he's enjoying his time in Australia enjoying the people the food everything so that's good to hear about Sydney Australia and Michael himself is such a a very charismatic guy very easy to talk to took a photo with myself and my dad so yeah brilliant person dad what do you think of the golf course today very good the wind is blowing nice and not too challenging well the pro anyway it looking pristine and as my dad noted the course was an absolutely pristine condition for day one of competition play highlights of which you can check out by clicking on the link in the banner on the top right of your screen congratulations to all staff at the Lakes for making this event possible [Music]