LIV star details epic pub trip after latest tour win

If golf silverware was ranked by drinkability, then the Ken Nagle Cup would be near the bottom of the list.

Just ask LIV Golf star Lucas Herbert.

The 28-year-old claimed a memorable win in his native Australia last week at the NSW Open and celebrated in fitting style.

Herbert, who hails from Bendigo in Victoria, beat teammate Cameron Smith at Murray Downs before taking over a pub in his hometown.

“My favourite pub in Bendigo, the Tysons Reef Hotel, I texted them before I had the trophy in my hands to stay open tonight,” Herbert said.

“It was pretty special because it was the first time I had won and been back in Bendigo that night. So, I texted all the boys and told them they needed to get there to celebrate.

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“There were a few familiar faces in the pub with us that night. Obviously, a few of the boys were at Murray Downs and they made the trek back with us that night to Bendigo.”

The state open, sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia, was played around 90 minutes from Bendigo, where the party started.

“It was a pretty cool evening, not a lot of recollection at the end of it,” he said. “I’ve been telling everyone that I celebrated appropriately.

“I think [the bill] only got to $800 or $900 but I don’t really know what was charged.”

And when it came to drinking from the prestigious trophy, named after 1960 Open champion Ken Nagle, things got a little messy.

“The Kel Nagle Cup fits seven beers in it,” Herbert explained. “Once that got filled it, it was a pretty tough task to get out.

“It’s not a great drinking trophy; it’s got quite flat edges, so we wore most of the seven beers trying to drink them out of the trophy.”

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Herbert, who won the LIV Team Championship with his Aussie mates last month, banked just over $136,000 for his win in New South Wales.

But earning a third tour win was far more important.

“It wasn’t until I got halfway home, and I got a text from the PGA that I found out how much money I’d won because it didn’t mean anything,” Herbert said.

“It was more about winning a tournament, getting your hands on a trophy, proving to yourself that you could beat someone like Cam and some of these guys who are playing really well from the Australasian tour.

“It definitely meant a lot to me, and I know the feelings I had down the stretch were very similar to the feelings I’ve had at big tournaments around the world as well.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.