2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup Experience - The Royal Melbourne Golf Club

The Lexus Melbourne Cup Experience was held at the number one course in the country, Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The course was presented in fantastic condition, although the persistent rain made it a challenging day for all. Scoring was extremely close, with the top six teams separated by just three shots.

Claiming the runner-up position were Grant Thurlow, Brad Freeman, Joshua Green & Kate Dunn with an impressive nett 57.37. They were travelling nicely at two under par after six holes before dropping a shot on the demanding 16th hole. With six holes remaining, they knew a strong finish would be required to challenge for the title. Two birdies and a bogey over the closing stretch saw them finish agonisingly close, just 0.62 of a shot behind the eventual winners.

Taking out the victory was a team that produced one of the more unusual rounds in the history of the Lexus Golf Program. They got off to a sensational start with a birdie followed by an eagle on their opening two holes, only to be brought back to earth with a bogey on the signature par 3, 5th hole. They recovered well, playing the next four holes one under par, before unfortunately losing a team member to a back complaint.

Down to just three players, they showed tremendous determination, making three birdies over the next six holes and seemingly cruising towards victory. However, two bogeys in a four-hole stretch suddenly made things interesting. With just one hole remaining, a birdie was required to secure the title, and that is exactly what they delivered!

Congratulations to David Cate (19) – Melbourne City, Aston Jordan (9) – Adelaide, Stuart Kenny (18) – Darwin & Lou Kenny (36) – Darwin on a fantastic win.

For the full results from the day, please click the button below, 'Download All Results'.

We were also fortunate to have Lexus Golf Ambassador Dimi Papadatos join us for the day. I encourage everyone to keep an eye out for Dimi on the Australian Tour this year. It was also a special treat to have Emma Freedman share her insights and tips ahead of the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

I look forward to welcoming you all back to the Lexus Golf Days in 2027. In the meantime, please enjoy some of the fantastic photos captured throughout the day below.