on the back nine to record a 67 (−4) and take the clubhouse lead. He ultimately entered a sudden-death playoff with Bob Shearer. On the second playoff hole "Cahill almost won it" but Shearer managed to go up and down from off the green. On the third playoff hole Cahill hit his approach well over the green assuring bogey. Shearer's "safe par" won the event. Due to this good play people in the golf industry had great hopes for him. Terry Smith, the golf journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, referred to him as the "new Bruce Devlin." Legendary golfer Peter Thomson stated he was "a new star." The remainder of the mid-1970s were not as successful, however. In January 1976, Cahill played the Australian PGA Championship at Rosebud Country Club. He opened with a four-under-par 68 to break the course record, sharing the lead with Bill Dunk. However, he was "disqualified" in the second round. The Australian PGA stated that Cahill was "ineligible" because he had not played for three full years as a "trainee professional." Cahill was not happy with the decision and "left the course in disgust." In April, he returned to Europe. Cahill made the cut in five of his seven events but did not record many high finishes, only recording one top-25. At the end of his season, he attempted to qualify for the 1976 Open Championship. During the first qualifying round, he was playing directly behind crane operator Maurice Flitcroft. Flitcroft, who had never played golf before, ended up shooting an extremely high score, delaying groups behind him. This personally frustrated Cahill. "I just snapped at the 12th and accosted him," he later said. "I yelled at him that this wasn't a circus and told him to get off the course." Cahill ultimately "missed qualifying for the Open by heaps." Overall, Cahill did not have much success in Europe, recording only one top-25 and finishing outside the top 100 of the Order of Merit once again. Cahill shortly returned to Australia. He recorded a few highlights, finishing joint third at the Queensland Open in October and solo runner-up at the Tasmanian Open a few months later. He also won the Victorian Close Championship during the season, a minor event. As of April, he was playing on the European Tour. His poor play returned. During the European season, Cahill made the majority of cuts but