Peter Lonard is set to be the headline act at the Lincoln Place NSW Senior Open after confirming his entry overnight.
Lonard, 50, will be making his debut in the Championship to be held at Thurgoona Country Club, Albury from October 26th to 28th.
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The New South Welshman boasts a playing record of 12 tournament wins including the NSW Open (2004), two Australian Masters titles (1997, 2002), three Australian PGA Championships (2002, 2004, & 2007), and back-to-back Australian Opens (2003 & 2004).
A two-time President's Cup pick, Lonard snared the biggest win of his career in 2005, taking out the PGA Tour's MCI Heritage Classic at Harbour Town Golf Links in 2005.
Graeme Phillipson, General Manager of Golf at Golf NSW was thrilled to announce Lonard's inclusion in the tournament. He said the multiple tournament winner's name was a welcome addition to the Championship.
“Peter is a household name and a massive coup for the tournament. He is a legend of Australian Golf and was arguably one of Australia's most outstanding players for over a generation.
Also debuting at the 2018 Lincoln Place NSW Senior Open will be two-time Australian Open Champion, Peter Fowler, and West Australian-based Kiwi Michael Long.
Fowler has been impressive on the European Senior ‘Stayesure' Tour this year, and currently sits in 5th place on the money list. A six-time winner in the senior ranks, the highlight of 2018 for the evergreen 59-year-old was victory in the Willow Senior Golf Classic in August.
The Lincoln Place NSW Senior Open will also mark the debut on the Ladbrokes Legends Tour for Michael Long, who turned 50 at the end of August. The Kiwi, who has represented New Zealand multiple times, is a two-time winner on the Web.com Tour and competed on the US PGA Tour from 2002 until 2005.
In a sign of how competitive Long remains, his last win on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia came earlier this year at the WA PGA against a field of much younger players.
Mr Phillpson said the presence of players of the calibre of Lonard, Long and Fowler would mean whoever is crowned the champion for 2018 will be a very worthy winner.
“We saw a dramatic finish to the championship last year when Sydney's Grant Kenny was chased all the way to the end by Peter Senior. With this year's tournament full of so many of the great names of Australian golf, the people of the Murray region are in for another fantastic week, without a doubt,” he added.
The $100,000 Lincoln Place NSW Senior Open will be played over three rounds at Thurgoona Golf and Country Club, Albury from October 26th to 28th. Entry is free.
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