Sport
6 September, 2025
Golfers were unreal at virtual championships in Victoria
CAIRNS’ virtual golf champions took on eight teams from around Australia in the X-League National Final in Victoria last weekend.
Local 2024 club champion Matt Velicki and serial annual championship winner Oliver Duncan were joined by their younger golfing protégé, Angus Burnett, to contest the southern hemisphere’s largest tech-powered golf competition, X-League.
Now in its 14th year, X-League golf simulators have become renowned for ultra-realistic gameplay, with Golf Australia reporting a 9 per cent lift in participation year-on-year.
The X-Golf League stages three seasons each year. Teams of three play nine holes weekly on simulations of famous courses worldwide. Season winners then compete in venue championships, with the best advancing to state and national finals.
The Cairns golfers faced off against rivals from as far afield as Christchurch, Darwin and Perth.
Forty-three-year-old pool builder Matt Velicki said before the event that the team was keen to bring the title home.
“Ollie’s game is pretty sharp at the moment, so he’ll be very competitive” he said.
“I’ve had a bit of a layoff the last couple of weeks, but I’m starting to gear up for it.
“And Angus is getting good way too quickly.”
In the end, the Cairns side, competing as 3 Putt Par, finished second in their pool but narrowly missed out on a place in the top four.
