A breakthrough on home soil
Australian James Marchesani won the 2026 WA Open at Secret Harbour Golf Links in Western Australia on 18 October 2026. His rounds of 68, 69, 69 and 65 added up to 271 strokes, 17 under par, enough for a one-shot victory. It was the 35-year-old Victorian's first title on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He had won on the PGA Tour China circuit in 2017, but a victory on his home Australasian tour had remained elusive.
Jasper Stubbs finished runner-up on 272 (−16), with South Africa's defending champion Oliver Bekker third on 273 (−15). Marchesani's closing seven-under 65 equalled the course record. Each round and final position was checked against the tour's official results.
How the final holes unfolded
Marchesani, Stubbs and Bekker entered Sunday level on 206 (−10) through 54 holes. Bekker surged two strokes clear after consecutive birdies at the 10th and 11th, but bogeys at holes 14 and 15 changed the contest.
Marchesani made birdie on 14. On the par-five 16th, Stubbs made an eagle and Marchesani answered with a birdie, leaving both men at 16 under. Then came the pivotal shot: from the teeing area on the approximately 178-metre par-three 17th, Marchesani struck his ball to around two feet from the cup. He converted the short birdie putt and moved one shot ahead. The tee shot came close, but it was not a hole-in-one; he completed the hole in two strokes.
A steady par at the 18th sealed the win. Bekker's attempt to become the first back-to-back WA Open champion since Terry Gale in 1982–83 ended in third place after his late dropped shots.
What it means
For Marchesani, the title ended a long run of strong finishes without a breakthrough on the domestic circuit. His partnership with caddie Brady Watt was particularly evident in the precise choice of line and distance at the 17th.
The venue also gave the championship a distinctive setting. Designed by Graham Marsh, Secret Harbour is a public-access, dunes-based links-style course south of Perth, exposed to coastal winds and demanding careful positioning around its bunkers. This was its first staging of the WA Open.
Final top three: 1. James Marchesani 271 (−17); 2. Jasper Stubbs 272 (−16); 3. Oliver Bekker 273 (−15).
Sources: GolfWA, official PGA Tour of Australasia results, Fox Sports Australia.
