Players from 16 countries will compete for the 100th Australian Amateur Golf Championship presented by Nissan when it commences at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Woodlands Golf Club, in Melbourne, on Thursday.

Entries were received from all eight Australian states and territories plus Argentina, Canada, Chinese Taipei, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, and the United States of America.

Leading International Contenders
* Matthew Richardson (Eng) – 2004 Brabazon Trophy winner, 2004 European Amateur champion, 2004 England Eisenhower Trophy team member
* Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) – boasts victories on five continents in addition to his 60 title successes in the United Kingdom (including the 1991 & 2003 British Amateur crowns)
* Eric Ramsay (Sco) – 2004 British Amateur semi-finalist.
* Matt Holten (NZ) – 2005 Australian Foursome champion, 2005 Riversdale Cup winner, 2002 Australian Amateur semi-finalist
* Lee Corfield (Eng) – 2002 Lytham Trophy winner, 2004 British Amateur runner-up
* Brad Iles (NZ) – 2005 Australian Foursome champion, 2004 Australian Medallist, 2003 Australian Amateur runner-up
* Kyung-tae Kim (Kor) - 2003 Song-am Cup Amateur Golf Champion
* All 4 Malaysians are ranked their national top 6

Leading Australians
* Marc Leishman (Vic) – 2005 Lake Macquarie Amateur champion
* Mitchell Brown (NSW) – 2005 NSW Amateur champion, 2003 Australian Medallist, 2003 Australian Amateur semi-finalist
* Adam Porker (Vic) – 2004 SAGA Invitational winner, 2005 Lake Macquarie Amateur runner-up
* Jason Day (Qld) – 2004 Hillross Australian Open Leading Amateur, 2004 Australian Junior champion, 2004 World Junior champion
* Andrew Martin (Vic) – 2004 Australian Amateur champion

341 entries were received for the championship, whilst a capacity field of 312 players (the handicap ballot mark was 1.7) will start the first two rounds of stroke play qualifying this Thursday and Friday (17 and 18 March) at Royal Melbourne's West Course and Woodlands. There will then be a cut, with the leading 100 players and ties progressing to round 3 (Saturday at Woodlands). Round 4 will be played at Royal Melbourne on Sunday. The leading 32 players will then decide the championship over five rounds of elimination match play on Royal Melbourne's West Course from Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 March (with only the final to be played over 36 holes).

Other Points Of Interest
* The 100th Australian Amateur champion will receive a three-year exemption into the field for the Hillross Australian Open.
* This will be the 100th staging of the Australian Amateur Championship (the Centenary Australian Amateur was held in 1994 at Royal Sydney and The Australian and was won by Englishman Warren Bennett who finished as Leading Amateur at the British Open later that year). The first championship was held at Royal Melbourne's Caulfield course in 1894 – meetings were not staged during the 20th century's two world wars.
* The last champion to win multiple titles was Doug Bachli (1948 & 1962)
* Since 1952 there have been 52 different champions.
* Three golfers have won the title four times - H A Howden (1896-98, 1901), the Honourable Michael Scott (1905, 1907, 1909-10), and Jim Ferrier (1935-36, 1938-39).
* Previous winners now in the professional ranks include Bruce Devlin (1959), Bob Shearer (1969), Terry Gale (1974), Mike Clayton (1978), Wayne Smith (1983), Chris Gray (1990), Lucas Parsons (1991), Michael Campbell (1992), Greg Chalmers (1993), Warren Bennett (1994), Mathew Goggin (1995), David Gleeson (1996), Kim Felton (1997), Brett Rumford (1998), Brendan Jones (1999), Brad Lamb (2000), Andrew Buckle (2001), Kurt Barnes (2002), and Jack Doherty (2003). The late Roger Mackay was also an Australian Amateur champion (1980).
* The following players have won both the Australian Open and Amateur titles – Michael Scott, Dan Soutar, Clyde Pearce, Ivo Whitton, Mick Ryan, Jim Ferrier, Bruce Devlin, Bob Shearer, and Greg Chalmers.
* The Amateur returns to Royal Melbourne for the first time since Kevin Donohoe was successful in 1965.
* Andrew Martin will attempt to become the first player since Jim Ferrier in 1939 to successfully defend his title – players to have come close in recent years include Andrew Buckle (a quarter-finalist in 2002 at Indooroopilly after winning at Metropolitan in 2001) and Greg Chalmers (who reached the semi-finals at Royal Sydney in 1994 after winning in 1993 at Royal Hobart).

The AGU is delighted to advise that Nissan is the sponsor of this championship. In addition to the 100th Australian Amateur Championship, Nissan also generously supports the Nissan Australian School Teams Championship, and plays an important role in the development of golf in Australia.

Source - AGU
Photo - Anthony Powter

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