Australian Seniors Championship and The Blue Tree Project

BLUE TREE MESSAGE SHINES AS SENIORS TEE OFF AT RICHMOND

The Australian PGA Senior Championship got underway at Richmond Golf Club on Friday, and while the scores were tight at the top, one vivid image stood out across the closing hole — a bright blue tree beside the 18th fairway.

That splash of colour isn’t an art installation or club quirk. It’s part of the Blue Tree Project, a mental-health and suicide-prevention initiative that began in rural Western Australia in 2019. The movement encourages communities to paint dead trees blue to start conversations about wellbeing — the kind of small talk that can save lives.

For players and fans at Richmond this week, the symbol couldn’t be more apt. Golf is a game built on solitude and self-reflection, and for many in the senior ranks, the transition from the main tour to later-career competition brings its own challenges. As competitors stride up the 18th, the blue tree stands as a simple but powerful reminder: check in with your mates, talk it out, and make mental health part of everyday conversation.

On the leaderboard, Nigel Lane leads with a brilliant five-under 65, edging ahead of a stacked chasing group. David Bransdon, Jason Norris, Brad Burns and Matthew Rogers all opened with 66s (-4) to sit one shot back. Former tour winners Nathan Green, Brendan Jones and John Senden were among those at 67 (-3), with Peter Senior and Peter Lonard at 69 (-1) after a steady first round.

The event, staged at the historic Richmond layout west of Sydney, has drawn one of the strongest fields of the year on the Australian Legends Tour. With firm fairways, slick greens, and a warm spring forecast, the next two rounds promise a mix of precision and patience — hallmarks of senior championship golf.

But whatever happens on the leaderboard, the final walk up the 18th will carry a different kind of weight. The Blue Tree Project’s presence at Richmond highlights a message that extends well beyond the tournament — one that resonates deeply across Australia’s sporting and regional communities.

“It’s not just about painting trees,” founder Kendall Whyte has said. “It’s about sparking conversations that could save a life.”

As the senior pros chase another title, Richmond’s blue tree quietly does its job — reminding everyone that a simple question, “Are you okay?”, can matter as much as the final putt.