Aussies claim top three spots at Rice Planters Amateur
BY iseekgolf.com | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2004 Rice Planters Amateur | Wrap | 12 Jul 2004
Sydney’s Aron Price has outlasted fellow countryman Marc Leishman to post a new tournament record on his way to victory at the 2004 Rice Platers Amateur in South Carolina. With two holes remaining Price, who attends Georgia Southern University, and Victorian Marc Leishman were deadlocked at 17 under. A thunderstorm stopped play for 45 minutes and at the resumption, Aron Price holed a difficult putt to edge Leishman by one stroke and claim victory.
It was an all-Australian triumvirate at the top of the leaderboard with Canberra’s Andrew McKenzie closing the day at -15 and to take outright third place.
Price has enjoyed previous successes both in the US and at home in Australia. He won the 2003 Western Stroke Play, was Top 10 at the 2003 Players Amateur, runner-up at the 2001 Australian Amateur and had 4 top 10 and 8 top 20 placings in his 2003 college season.
Other Australasians in the field were Brad Iles in outright 6th, Gavin Flint and Heath D’Altera at 10th, Kane Streat 12th, Neven Basic 17th, Jonathan Abbott 19th, Luke Hickmott 26th, Ashley Hall 31st and Anthony Brown 36th.
The Rice Planters Amateur is a four-day invitational event at Snee Farm Country Club, Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, and has hosted many great amateur players over the years. Tom Lehman, Davis Love III, Hal Sutton, Stewart Cink, Andy Bean, Scott Hoch and many others have enhanced their skills this course. This year, the Rice Planters Amateur is celebrating its 32nd Anniversary of hosting top amateur players from around the world.
