AGU finalises tough Australian Eisenhower selections

BY Bruce Young | Amateur Golf Tour | 2004 World Amateur Team Championships | General | 11 Aug 2004

The Australian Golf Union today named their three man team to compete for the Eisenhower Trophy at the World Amateur Teams Championship in Puerto Rico later this year, with James Nitties, Michael Sim and Jarrod Lyle, the final selection.

Queenslander Gavin Flint was in the end not considered because of his decision to commit to stage one of the USPGA Tour qualifying process which is being held at twelve venues over a two week period in October, one of those weeks the actual week of the World Amateur Teams Championship. The venues at which a player will play stage one of qualifying is not decided for at least another month.

James Nitties had also been considering tackling the same stage of USPGA qualifying as Flint but changed his mind to gain selction.

“Without the certainty of Gavin’s availability for the week of the event or the week prior it made his selection almost impossible,” said AGU spokesman Dominic Wall.

Jarrod Lyle finished runner up to Flint at the New Zealand Amateur Championship in April and earlier in the year, finished runner up to Andrew Martin at the Australian Amateur Championship in Adelaide. Lyle also played well in many of the national selection trials.

James Nitties was a beaten finalist two weeks ago to Ryan Moore at the Western Amateur in the US and was also runner up to Moore at the Sahalee Players Championship in July. Over the last twelve months Nitties has also played well in a series of amateur and professional events including his 8th placing at the MasterCard Australian Masters at Huntingdale last October and his win at the Saujana Amateur in Malaysia in May. Nitties also won the 2003 New Zealand Amateur.

Michael Sim has excelled in US Amateur events in recent weeks including his win at the Southern Amateur, his third placing behind Moore and Nitties at the Sahalee Players Championship and by making the semi finals at the recent Western Amateur where he was beaten by Nitties.

Other players considered close to and perhaps unfortunate not to make the team are the brilliant New South Wales golfer Aron Price, who recently won the Players Amateur in the US, led the qualifying at his venue for the US Amateur and at the Western Amateur and has been a standout for his collegiate team, Southern Georgia University. Also New South Wales golfer Andrew McKenzie, who was perhaps on the next level in the consideration process. McKenzie has performed with distinction in a series of events this year in Australia and the US.

“The feats of Price in particular, have been recognized by the AGU” said Wall, “but in what was a close decision, he narrowly missed out.”

The 2004 Eisenhower Trophy is to be played from October 28th – 31st in Puerto Rico at the Rio Mar Beach Resort & Golf Club – River Course (designed by Greg Norman) and Ocean Course (designed by George & Tom Fazio). At the last four Championships, Australia finished third in 2000 and 2002, second in 1998 and won the Championship in 1996. The best two from three scores count each round over 72 holes with two rounds at each course.