Macpherson leads NZ Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | New Zealand Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 New Zealand Amateur Championship | Round Three | 24 Apr 2009
Bryden Macpherson has moved to be outright leader at the New Zealand Amateur Stroke Championship after a third round 5-under-par, 65, at Titirangi Golf Club in Auckland.
Macpherson, winner of the 2009 Australian Amateur Stroke title last month, has played peerless golf in Auckland with rounds of 72-67-65, to be two strokes ahead of his nearest rival, South Africa’s Nicol Van Wyk.
Australian Amateur Champion and the world’s highest ranked amateur competing this week in New Zealand, Scott Arnold, remains in the hunt after firing a third round 69, to be in outright third position at even par with rounds of 70-71-69, and be six strokes behind Macpherson.
It was a stellar display today by Macpherson, his 65 almost mirroring his second round at the Dunes Medal last December, where he fired a sizzling course record 9-under-par 63, to claim his maiden amateur title.
Since that time, Macpherson has evolved into a serious contender in any major amateur golf tournament he now enters.
“The five birdies in the row got me off to the start I was after today,” said the 18-year-old, who last June qualified for the match play rounds at the 2008 US Junior Championship.
“I was able to get into the rhythm and each hole just followed. My scoring was solid and I felt I was in control out there. It’s a real confidence booster going into tomorrow’s final round.”
Macpherson’s swing is one of the sweetest around and the Victorian has course management skills way beyond his young years. He’s suave, confident and you could even say a tad cocky on the course, attributes that are perhaps necessary in modern world of major amateur golf.
“I’ll just take one tournament at a time,” he says.
“It’s great to be in with a chance again, but I’m not getting carried away as there’s another round to go and plenty of challenges out there.”
Today’s third round of the New Zealand Amateur was an all round solid day for the Australians.
Matt Jager, winner of the Western Australian Stroke title last month and runner-up at the prestigious 2008 Players Amateur, barring a disaster will be around for the all important top 32 and the elimination match play. The Western Australian is currently in tied 19th position.
Alongside Jager is Ryan McCarthy in tied 14th position after an impressive third round 69. Together they represent the remainder of the Australian contingent at this Championship.
Macpherson has already bagged two Australian National Trial events with the Dunes Medal and last month’s Australian Amateur Stroke Championship. He’s talented to say the least, as his results reflect with a recent runner-up finish last week at the South Australian Amateur Classic, not to mentioned his six top-15 finishes from six starts in Australian National Trial events this season.
The Victorian will be seeking to add another Australian name to the New Zealand Amateur Championship after Mitchell Brown won in 2005.
Before then there’s the ever important match play segment to survive which gets underway on Sunday and Macpherson is a player not phased by the enormity of the task at hand.
“It’s one round at the time,” he says.
“Lets get pass tomorrow’s round first. If a win comes with the Stroke that’s great, but it’s the title proper that we are here for and that will not come until Tuesday and I dearly want to be there.”
