After coming agonisingly close last year, three Macarthur workmates have gone one better, leading NSW to victory over Queensland and claiming the title of Australia and New Zealand’s best indoor golf team in Brisbane last weekend.
Shane Zielonka, Andrew Robinson and Scott Green (pictured above and below) returned to the Trans-Tasman competition for the second consecutive year, having finished runners-up in 2025.
This time, the Macarthur trio delivered when it mattered most, defeating teams from across Australia and New Zealand to claim the 14th annual X-League Championship for their state.
The result represents a remarkable turnaround for the trio, who have worked together at a Macarthur logistics company for the past decade and carried last year’s grand final defeat into the new season.
“We came so close last year and that stayed with us, so to come back and actually finish the job is something we’re incredibly proud of,” Shane said.
“There’s been a lot of reflection over the past 12 months and we knew we had the ability to win, but actually getting here and doing it are two very different things.”
The NSW victory came at the expense of Far North Queensland’s Smoke Hazards team, who finished runners-up after defeating South East Queensland’s Diamonds in the Rough from Enoggera in the semi-final.
The Cairns team pushed Macarthur all the way in a thrilling final, with Shane keeping his nerve after a dramatic lip-out on the 18th sent the match to a playoff.
A costly shot into the water from the Queenslanders gave Shane the edge, before he calmly sank the winning putt to secure the championship for NSW.
For Andrew, returning after last year’s near miss added an extra layer of pressure to the weekend.
“We knew exactly how much it hurt to lose at the end,” he said.
“We talked about it throughout the season, but once we got back it was about putting that behind us and playing our own game. To walk away as champions is a pretty special feeling!”
The largest indoor golf league in the Southern Hemisphere, X-League is built around three-player, nine-hole matches played weekly on world-famous virtual golf courses, with a handicapped format allowing golfers of different abilities to compete together.
With teams representing their local regions and battling for the ultimate bragging rights, last weekend delivered a showcase of the growing competitive spirit behind indoor golf.
The X-League 2026 Championship event brought together 27 finalists from nine teams across Australia and New Zealand, who travelled to X-Golf South Bank in Brisbane for the August 8 event, competing for the title and $20,000 worth of prizes.
X-Golf Group’s X-League Coordinator Nick Treble said the competition gives everyday golfers the chance to represent their venue and state on the national stage.
“This year has been our largest X-League yet and it really demonstrates how far the competition has come, but also how golf is evolving overall,” he said.
“It’s a genuine pathway for everyday golfers to represent their venue, their state and ultimately compete for a major sporting title. Seeing their pride and excitement during the Championship weekend is the best part and it’s a real reflection of what X-League is all about.”
To learn more visit https://www.xgolf.com.au/x-league
