Fowler leads Master of the Amateurs
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 NEC Master of the Amateurs | Round One | 12 Jan 2009
World number two amateur, Rickie Fowler, has taken a four stroke lead following the opening round of the NEC Master of the Amateurs Championship at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Victoria.
The American only had his first look at the Yarra Yarra layout after just missing the storms in Fiji and flying into Australia on Saturday and his opening 7-under-par round of 65 included five birdies on the front nine and three on the back. Another American, Mark Anderson is four strokes back in second place with Bryden Macpherson, winner of The Dunes Medal last month, in third place at 2-under-par.
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. Anderson back in August won the 2008 Players Amateur with a closing 60 to deny Matt Jager his first US victory.
Jager, Australia’s highest world ranked amateur (14th) opened his campaign with a 1-under-par 71 to be tied 4th with Daniel Beckmann, six strokes from Fowler.
The winner will receive an exemption in to the 2009 Porter Cup and the 2009 Players Amateur, two of the major amateur tournaments in the US.
Toby Wilcox from Yarra Yarra Golf Club won the event last year at 2-under-par with rounds 73-70-74-69, two shots clear of Josh Younger.
Previous Master of the Amateurs winners including Brendan Jones (1999), Ben Meyers (2002), Andrew Tampion, (2004) Ashley Hall (2005) and Jason Day (2006).
