| Mark Tapper | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Sporting nationality |  Australia |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour of Australasia |
| Professional wins | 1 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
Mark Tapper is an Australian professional golfer.
Tapper is from Sydney, Australia. [1] He trained to be a pro in the early 1970s. [1] He first received media attention during the 1972–73 season. He held the first round lead of the North Coast Open held at Coffs Harbour, Australia. [2] He also had some highlights in New Zealand. He finished third at the Manor Park pro-am event. [3] He also recorded a hole-in-one during the first round of the Garden City Classic. [4] In late 1973, Tapper had the chance to win his first major event at the three-round Hibiscus Coast Classic. The event was held at the Peninsular Golf Club in Orewa, New Zealand. Tapper opened with a 65 (−7) to break the course record and tie Terry Kendall for the lead. [5] He followed with a 68 to take a two-shot lead. In the final round, however, "he dropped shots at the third and fourth holes" to quickly lose his lead. He ultimately finished with a 73 to lose to Kendall by two. [6]
Despite this decent start, Tapper would have to wait until the mid-1970s for substantive success. He won a number of minor tournaments across Australia in 1975, [7] including the Bankstown pro-am by two over Peter Kohlsdorf. [8] This good play would culminate at the New South Wales PGA Championship. Tapper was seven behind Brian Jones as the final round began but shot a bogey-free 69 (−3) to get into contention. Marty Bohen, who was in second place, had a chance to take the clubhouse lead but bogeyed the final hole to fall into a tie with Tapper. Jones, the leader all day, had a weak final round and then double-bogeyed the 18th to fall into a tie with Tapper and Bohen. [9] The three men competed in an 18-hole playoff on Monday. Jones again built a sizable lead – this time by three shots after seven holes – but would ultimately lose it once more. Tapper was one back of Bohen entering the 17th hole but made a 14-meter eagle putt to tie the American. On the final hole, a par-3, Tapper nearly made an ace; his birdie would win it. [10] This performance would help him earn the Most Improved Player award by the New South Wales Professional Golfers Association in February. [7]
At the very end of the season, in March, Tapper was in contention one final time. At the Queanbeyan City Open, he shot opening rounds of 66 (−4) to take a one shot lead over Randall Vines, [11] a lead that would remain entering the final round. [12] Tapper three putted the first hole, however, presaging "putting miseries" that would plague him for the remainder of the day. He ultimately shot 73 and finished four behind Vines. [12]
Despite all of the success during the 1975–76 season, however, Tapper's career on the PGA Tour of Australia did not advance. Back injuries would disrupt his career. [13] The 1977–78 season was the final one with any highlights. He led the Tuggerah Lakes Open and New South Wales Open after the first round. [13] [14] He also finished third at that season's Queanbeyan City Open's pro-am, the site of one his best placings on tour, two behind Peter Kohlsdorf. [15]
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Jan 1976 | New South Wales PGA Championship | −7 (72-71-69-69=281) | Playoff |  Marty Bohen, Brian Jones |
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1976 | New South Wales PGA Championship | Marty Bohen, Brian Jones | Won 18-hole playoff; Tapper: −1 (71), Bohen: E (72), Jones: +1 (73) |
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