Top field for Master of the Amateurs
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 NEC Master of the Amateurs | Preview | 11 Jan 2009
The 2009 NEC Master of the Amateurs Championship starting on Monday at Yarra Yarra Golf Club has certainly complied one of the most exciting amateur fields following various qualification series held around the country. Added to an already impressive Australian line-up which includes our top world ranked player Matt Jager (14th), is a strong international presence with players from the US, England, Fiji and New Zealand competing.
World number-two, American Rickie Fowler will spearhead the international field which includes three of the world’s top twenty players, including fellow US players Adam Mitchell (16th) and Eric Flores (18), whilst Jason Palmer, the 2006 Italian International Amateur Champion and Adam Wainwright are members of the English Elite Squad.
“It’s great to be back,” said Fowler, who’s eager to reclaim the world number-one position again from Danny Lee who’s currently playing on the European Tour on sponsor’s invites and won’t be competing at Yarra Yarra.
“The top spot means a lot, but in my head rankings are not everything yet it’s always nice to be number-one as everyone is kind of looking at you. Right now every one is looking at Danny [Lee] and we are all trying to chase him down.”
Fowler took individual honours for the lowest four rounds at the World Amateur Team Championships last October and has secured numerous US titles including the 2007 Players Amateur and back to back wins at the Sunnehanna Amateur for the last two years. Mitchell from Chattanooga is the 2008 Porter Cup Champion and was a semi-finalist at the US Amateur in August.
The eighty strong amateur field includes many of Australia’s most promising young amateurs ready to make their mark following the recent exodus to the professional ranks by Rohan Blizard, Tim Stewart, Matt Griffin, Josh Younger and Michael Foster.
Tarquin MacManus is one such player to follow at Yarra Yarra. MacManus is on his second year of a four-year scholarship with the University of Arizona in 2007, where the 19-year-old Queenslander has been horning his golfing skills on the tough US college circuit. MacManus recently finished a solid T4th at the Wolf Pack Classic in the US, where he shot a closing round 64 and currently heads the order of merit as Arizona’s leading low scorer.
Bryden Macpherson is another promising player moving from the junior ranks and starting making his mark. Macpherson last month won The Dunes Medal in a wire to wire effort finishing at 14-under-par with rounds of 64-72-63-75 for a three stroke victory which included a sizzling course record 9-under-par 63.
MacPherson knows the Yarra layout and coming off the win at The Dunes is full of confidence with his game.
“The field is strong especially with the international players,” says MacPherson.
“The par-3 here [Yarra Yarra] are important, score well on those and you’ll be having a solid round. My game is still solid from The Dunes and I’m looking forward to this tournament.”
Matt Jager is another to watch in the opening Australian event for 2009. Jager has evolved into one of Australia’s most consistent amateurs in the bigger events and in October last year secured his first National Trial event with the 2008 Federal Amateur, a week after winning in the Jockey Club Championship in Argentina.
“I’ve enjoyed the break since the Australian Open,” says Jager.
“With Rickie [Fowler] and the other internationals in the field, it makes you want to play well and it’s always great to compete at home against international players that you don’t usually have the change to play against.”
Jager ended the year as Australia’s top ranked amateur and world number 16 after stellar performances both at home and in the US, including a runner-up finish at The US Players Amateur in July. His aim this year is to secure more amateur titles and climb the world rankings.
“This is my first Master of the Amateurs and from what I hear the event just keeps getting stronger. The next twelve months for me is about winning as many as these main events as I can. That’s my focus.”
Other prominent amateurs competing include 2007 Federal Amateur Champion Daniel Beckmann, Brett Rankin, National Squad member Daniel Nisbet and Luke Bleumink.
The winner will receive an exemption in to the 2009 Porter Cup and the 2009 Players Amateur, starts all competing this week would love to have in the bag so early in the season.
Toby Wilcox from Yarra Yarra Golf Club won the event last year with rounds 73-70-74-69, two shots clear of Josh Younger. Wilcox has returned to defend his title, whilst Josh Younger has turned professional and is currently attempting to obtain playing privileges in Asia.
Previous Master of the Amateurs winners including Brendan Jones (1999), Ben Meyers (2002), Andrew Tampion, (2004) Ashley Hall (2005) and Jason Day (2006).
