Jack Kalis - Consistency personified at the Australian Open
Jack Kalis was just fifteen-years-old when he finished third in the 2012 Australian Open at Canberra International and the Wagga Wagga player’s record in the event since then is exceptional. Champion in 2019 and 2023, Kalis has been third on four occasions, in 2014, 2017 and 2018 in addition to his maiden bronze medal eleven years ago.
Add in an eighth place in 2013 and fifth in 2016 gives Kalis eight top ten placings in nine starts since. He couldn’t play in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. The tournament wasn’t played at all in 2021 because of the pandemic and Jack had to withdraw in 2022 due to family circumstances
His average score per round since 2012 is 53. His average for the first and fourth rounds is 52.6 while it’s 53.3 for the second and third rounds.
His lowest individual rounds are a final eighteen 46 at Canberra International in 2012 and another 46 in the 2019 third round, again at Canberra.
His average round overall is marginally better than one under par.
Jack’s lowest 72-hole aggregate was the 15 under par 201 he produced during his third place finish in 2012, a mark he almost matched with his 202 winning tally four years ago.
24 of his 35 rounds (the 2018 Open was contested over 54 holes) have been under par. He has finished over par just eight times.
Jack’s highest round (a 64) occurred during the 2015 Open at Wagga Wagga where overhanging trees and tricky greens made scoring difficult and the winning aggregate was just level par.
He posted an impressive 12 under par total for the 54-hole 2018 tournament for an average of 50, his lowest tournament average.
Interestingly, his worst round average has been at his home course, Wagga Wagga. That sits at 56.25 while his corresponding figures at Canberra International and Waverley are 51 and 54 respectively.
He first played as a 14-year-old at Waverley in 2011. Having contested the 2013 World Strokeplay championships at Tambre, Jack has ambitions to return to Europe, perhaps to compete in the 2023 World Strokeplay and in the World Cup at Vigo.
