Australian Amateur: Battle Lines Are Set

BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 Australian Amateur Championship | Preview | 19 Mar 2009

With the recent departure of established amateurs to the professional ranks, this year’s Australian Men’s Amateur is set to be the most fiercely contested championships in some time as the next wave of young talent steps up to the plate at Royal Queensland and Virginia Golf Clubs during the week.

A field of 260 contestants start the championship with numerous marquee players from Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe, all capable of claiming the championship.

It includes Daniel Beckmann, who’s been in stellar form during recent National Trial events. At last month’s Tasmanian Open, Beckmann fired a course record 65 on the final day to elevate himself to outright 5th finish. His efforts in Tasmania come off a solid finish at the NEC Master of the Amateurs back in January, where Beckmann led the tournament going into the final day, only to miss a play-off with Americans Rickie Fowler and Mark Anderson by a stroke.

“I’m due for a win,” said Beckmann, with his last National Trial title coming at the Federal Amateur back in 2007.

“With my game of late, I’ve been managing to put some low numbers on the card. My swing is feeling the best it has for some time and out on the course my confidence with actually playing the shot that I want to play is there. I’m looking forward to championships, that’s for sure.”

A fortnight ago at the Riversdale Cup, Beckmann produced some stunning form with a 3rd place finish, after moving up the leaderboard with another course record 10-under, 62, during the second round. Should Beckmann make the match play segment nect week, you would have to favour his chances of adding another title to his list.

Daniel Nisbet is another who should compete well during these championships. He’s fully recovered from a bout of stomach sickness that forced him to withdraw from the Riversdale Cup midway through after playing into contention. Nisbet’s game is well suited to the Royal Queensland, a layout which he probably knows better than any other player competing the week.

The 2008 Australian Junior and Queensland dual Junior Champion is at the next phase of his development as a player, following what was an outstanding junior amateur career. Nisbet in his first championship during the 2007 Australian Amateur at NSW Golf Club as a 16-year-old made it through to the semi-finals before being eliminated by eventual champion, Rohan Blizard.

Nisbet’s game has evolved since 2007 to be more rounded and his course management skills have improved to a level where he has the game to collect a major amateur title like this championship.

Keep an eye also on New Zealand’s Ryan Fox who played well at the Riversdale Cup and has just returned from last week’s New Zealand Open where he was grouped with Stephen Dartnall and Norway’s Henrik Bjornstad. Despite missing the cut at Arrowtown, Fox gained valuable experience playing the co-sanction Nationwide Tour event and is not only a powerful driver of the ball, but a player who also possess a wonderful short game with creativity around the greens.

Fox will be aiming to repeat Michael Campbell’s efforts in 1992, and have another New Zealander claim the Australian national title.

Recent Tasmanian Open champion, Ryan McCarthy is another to follow despite not having best of tournaments at Riversdale. The Tasmanian Open was McCarthy’s first National Trial win and arguably his sweetest following numerous runner-up finishes at the 2008 Victorian State Amateur and 2008 Keperra Bowl. A fierce competitor should he qualify for the match play, McCarthy will take some stopping.

The same can also be said about Matt Jager, Jordan Sherratt, Brendan Smith and Jason Scrivener, who all posses a strong game to claim this championship. As for “sleepers”, watch New Zealander Peter Spearman-Burn, and Australia’s Justin Roach.

Roach was runner-up in this championship in 2007, after also finishing runner-up at the 2007 Lake Macquarie Amateur. Whilst better suited to the more exposed layouts with his piecing low ball flight, Roach is a seasoned amateur which is an invaluable asset during match play encounters.

Spearman-Burn Spearman-Burn shot a course record 10-under 62 at Millbrook resort to qualify for the New Zealand Open and in 2007, won the Wellington Stroke Play championship.

Finally, you can also never go past Australia’s current top World ranked amateur Scott Arnold in an event of this stature.

With a win in the Lake Macquarie Amateur in January already to his credit, coupled with strong performances at the NSW Amateur, the Tasmanian Open and a runner-up finish to Jordan Sherratt at the Riversdale Cup, Arnold starts in this championship certainly as one of the favourites in international field of 260 contestants which includes players from England, Germany, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and USA.

The format includes 72 holes of stroke play in the Australian Men’s Stroke Play Championships, with a cut of 75 plus tied moving to the final 36 holes of stroke. The top 32 players then progress to elimination Match Play for the Australian Amateur Championship title proper.

“You play a lot of golf at this championship and I’m just aiming to make the top-32 for match play,” said Arnold, who in his last two attempts at the Australian Amateur was knocked out early in the match-play segment.

“I’m pleased with my form coming into the championship. I’ve played a little less golf than what I normally would have done, so I’m feeling fresh with my game. This is probably my last attempt at the title before going professional, so I’ll be giving it all I have.”

The respective winners of the Australian Amateur Championships and Australian Stroke Play Championships gain automatic entry into the 2009 Australian Open to be played in December at New South Wales Golf Club.

Defending champion Anders Kristiansen remains an amateur, but has not returned to Australia to defend his title, whilst England’s Daniel Willett, the defending Australian Stroke Play champion, is now professional and playing on the European Tour.