Smith, Nisbet in QLD Am Final
BY Anthony Powter | Queensland Mens Tour | 2009 Queensland Amateur Championship | Semi-Finals | 07 May 2009
Cameron Smith and Daniel Nisbet will meet in tomorrow’s final of the Queensland Amateur Championship at Nudgee Golf Club.
Nisbet, the top qualifier in the match play draw defeated Eagle Chang, 7&6, to make it through to the final after earlier wins over Adam Boyer, 2&1, and Luke Marino, 6&4.
Last week Nisbet fired a final round 2-under par 70 to win the 2009 Queensland Men’s Stroke Play Championship finishing at 10-under-par, for an impressive nine stroke win over Jordan Zunic.
It was Nisbet’s first senior State Amateur title, having being a dual winner of the Queensland Junior Championship before progressing to the senior ranks.
“It was great to get a win back home and I’ve played well all week,” said Nisbet, who earlier in the year moved from Queensland to Victoria to gain more experience playing the Victorian pennant series and be close to AIS training facilities.
Cameron Smith disposed of Indooroopilly’s Tim Hart, 3&2, to set up his first major amateur final.
Smith, winner of the Tasmanian Junior Masters earlier in the year and the current number one ranked Australian Junior, was the 15th qualifier in the match play draw.
At just 15-years-old, Smith has a promising future ahead of him and in his opening encounter on Tuesday eliminated the number two qualifier, Jordan Zunic, 6&4.
In his second round match Smith was too strong for Daniel McGraw, winning 4&3 to set up his semi-final match with Tim Hart.
Nisbet brings some stunning form to tomorrow’s final with two wins from two starts.
A week before winning the Queensland Amateur Stroke title, the 19-year-old won the Golf SA Amateur Classic wire to wire, to claim his maiden National Trial event title.
With wins including the 2008 Australian Junior Championship, the Gary Player Classic, Jack Newton International, Tasmanian Junior, the Aaron Baddeley World Final in China and a twice winner of the Australian Junior Order of Merit, Nisbet arguably starts tomorrow’s final as the favourite.
That’s not taking anything away from Smith, who’s progressed to the final with some strong wins and continues to feature strongly in main amateur events this season.
The Nisbet/Smith match up sets the stage for a gripping final against two of Australia’s emerging young guns, in what will surely be the first of many matches between them as they progress through the main amateur ranks in the years to come.
