Nick Marsh came through a playoff to win the PGA of Australia’s Associate National Championship at Cobram-Barooga Golf Club.
Trailing Joseph Hodgson by four shots heading into the final round, 32-year-old Nick – who is attached to Vipingo Ridge in Kenya, where his father David is the PGA professional, and played out of Huddersfield Golf Club as an amateur – shot a one under-par round of 71 to finish tied with Joseph on six under-par and setup a playoff.
Returning to the 18th, Nick held his nerve to make a par while Joseph made a bogey, earning him the Australian title to go with the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s Coca-Cola PGA Assistants’ Championship he won in July.
Nick showed little sign of jet lag despite travelling 28 hours from Manchester, producing a consistent week with rounds of 70, 71, 70 and 71.
“I’m absolutely lost for words, to be honest,” Nick told Golf Australia after collecting the trophy. “It’s a long journey to come down here and play, and I’m absolutely over the moon to be able to take the trophy home with me.
“I’m very fortunate to come down here, courtesy of the PGA of Australia and the PGA of GB&I, who gave me the opportunity to play.”
Joseph looked firmly in control of the championship after firing a second-round 64 to establish a six-shot lead at the halfway mark. However, the Mount Osmond Golf Club-based associate was unable to maintain that momentum over the weekend, closing with rounds of 73 and 75.
Nick still had plenty of work to do on Friday afternoon, trailing by five shots through nine holes before firing a bogey-free back nine featuring two birdies.
“I was trying to just concentrate on my own game and see if I could post a decent score, and then see what happens,” Nick said when asked about his final round. “I was one over-par through nine. I had to come from behind and a couple of birdies on the backside got me into a playoff.”
For Nick, the victory adds to a career that has taken him from winning the English Amateur Championship in 2014 to spending a decade on international professional tours before beginning his PGA traineeship under the guidance of his father, David. David has been a PGA member for 35 years and is the PGA professional at Vipingo Ridge in Kenya, where Nick is currently undertaking his traineeship.
After several years without a professional victory, Nick is enjoying his return to the winner’s circle in 2026.
“I’d been winless for a couple of years and then all of a sudden this year I’ve won twice,” he said. “The game is definitely there. I’m 32 now, I’m getting on a bit, but I’m just going to get qualified as a PGA member, play as much as I can, and see where that takes me.”
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