Minami Inoue receives the Pampling Plate from Marge Pampling, whose son Rod sponsors the event.
APART from a junior club championship, which he doesn’t count because only one other kid entered, Minami Inoue had nothing to show for his seven-year golf career until the beginning of 2025.
“I’d won nothing,” said the 21-year-old who has spent the last three years as an associate professional at Toowoomba’s City Golf Club. “Not a single event. Nothing.”
But how things have changed this year!
In the first tournament of the year for Queensland associates, the PGA Associate and Employer Challenge at Brisbane’s Keperra course, Inoue shot a five-under-par 67 to break his duck.
Four months later he nailed a birdie on his final hole to win the Norris Motor Group’s Associate Pro-Am at Royal Queensland – the richest event for associates in the country.
He won again at Oxley in July, the only player to shoot par in tough conditions, before claiming the biggest prize of all – the Pampling Plate at Caboolture, where stamina counts for nearly as much as talent in a week-long test of golf and grit.
He became the first player of Asian heritage to win the event, which is sponsored by Rod Pampling, the former Caboolture greenkeeper and club champion who is still competing successfully on the US PGA Champions Tour.
The Pampling Plate begins with 36 holes of strokeplay, followed by four rounds of matchplay, with the two finalists then going head to head over 36 holes.
By the time he lined up against Southport associate Justin Morley in the final, Inoue had already played 99 holes of golf. After a match that ebbed and flowed throughout the day, he eventually won 3&2.
Inoue was born in Japan and moved to Australia with his family when he was six. They settled at Tenterfield in the New England region of NSW.
He was introduced to golf by his grandfather and the first time he played nine holes he shot 51. But not even that was enough to entice the youngster away from rugby league, where he played as a front row forward for the Tenterfield Tigers.
That was until he tore the meniscus in his right knee at the age of 14, decided league was not for him, moved to Toowoomba, dusted off his clubs and rapidly fell in love with the game of golf.
“I’m like, golf it is. Let’s go play,” he recalled. “Just started to hit it a bit better, and better, and better, and now I’m here.”
Minami Inoue tees off in his Pampling Plate match with James Bonnor, which he won the 26th hole.
Inoue relied on YouTube videos, Google tips and copying US PGA Tour players as he developed a golf swing that saw his handicap plummet to four. Then he sought guidance from City Golf Club pro Chris Britnell, who has been his coach ever since.
“He changed my swing drastically – in a good way,” said Inoue, who is no longer a fan of the YouTube route.
“It’s just not helpful,” he said. “You might want to eliminate a slice, but there’s a chance you’re not slicing the ball at all – just leaving your club face open. You might find yourself working on the wrong thing.
“Much better to pop into the pro shop, explain the situation and ask us for advice,” he said. “It might cost you a few dollars but you’ll fix the problem.”
Like most 21-year-old professionals, Inoue hopes to make a name for himself on tour and his success this year has given him newfound assurance.
“I’m confident I can do this,” he says. “I’m ready. I know I can beat these guys.”
He sits fifth on the Queensland associates’ Order of Merit, and if he finishes the year in that place he’ll be eligible to play in pro-am events and some of the bigger tournaments next year.
After he completes his time at City Golf Club he plans to move to Brisbane where there are more courses to play, facilities are better, and the competition stronger.
He will tackle Q School next year, and may even try to gain status on the Asian Tour.
“But if playing doesn’t work out I’d be happy to be a club pro,” he said. “I do like coaching, but I’d love to be on TV, doing the club twirl and stuff. I just want to do this.”
