Nisbet runner-up at Sahalee

BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 Sahalee Players Championship | Round Four | 04 Jul 2009

The 379 yard, par 4 16th at Sahalee Country Club is one hole that Daniel Nisbet would like to play again if he had the chance. The hole proved costly with Nisbet making a double bogey after he’d led the field for the best part of the final round today at the Sahalee Players Championship in Seattle.

Nisbet would go onto birdie the 18th hole only to fall a stroke short at 5-under-par from eventual winner Canadian Nick Taylor, who fired rounds of 69-70-70-73 to finish at 6-under-par for the tournament win.

Two solid rounds yesterday of 67-68, after opening with a 73, had moved the inform Nisbet within striking distance of collecting his maiden US amateur major title. A four-time winner this Australian summer, Nisbet started the final day a stroke behind third round leader, Eddie Olson.

The course, which played host to the 1998 PGA Championship, had been set up for the traditional “Sunday” round and the final day scores reflected as much. Only six players broke par with 75.7 the scoring average for the final round, the highest for the four rounds of the championship.

Nisbet’s final round 3-over-par 75 included three bogeys on the front nine followed by two birdies on the back with that costly double bogey on the 16th. A mixed round, yet a round which had presented Nisbet with plenty of opportunities.

“Overall I’m extremely happy with my result,” said Nisbet this evening.

“This was a world class field with all of the top American college players here but a handful and to play the way I played, gives me plenty of confidence moving forward to The Players Championship.”

Aside from the wrong club selection of the 16th tee today if there was an aspect of Nisbet’s game that he felt hampered his chances this week, it was his putting.

“I played well and was striking the ball probably the best that I have but I did not putt all that well. It was just one of those days when the putter just did not work for you.”

Matthew Giles, the only other Australian in the field, after Ryan McCarthy was disqualified following the first round for mistakenly signing for a wrong score, fired rounds of 79-73-76-77 to finish in a tie for 45th. This tournament would have been an obvious disappointment for Giles after finishing runner-up here in 2008.

The Sahalee Players was Nisbet’s first United States amateur event of the summer after travelling over from the UK where his best result was a tied 4th at the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy. Today’s finish sets Nisbet up well for his next US tournament, The Players Amateur at Belfair Golf Club in South Carolina starting 8 July.

“I’m hitting the ball the best that I’ve ever have,” Nisbet says.

“My putting is off and on a bit at the moment and I want to get that more consistent. That’s what hurt me today and on the first day. I’ve a lot of confidence moving into the next few amateur events so if I can knock in a few more putts, I’ll be up there in contention in these events.”

The world number 23 recorded four wins from four starts this Australian season and created history with the longest winning major Australian amateur title streak after securing the Golf SA Amateur Classic at Royal Adelaide, the Queensland Stroke and the Queensland Amateur and the Keperra Bowl in May.

An immense talent at just 18, Nisbet may have come up a stroke short at the Sahalee Players Championship, however, the form that resulted in Nisbet being the hottest Australian amateur during our summer is still there.

In just his opening tournament Nisbet has already made his respective mark on American soil. Whilst the golfing gods may not have been on his side today in Seattle with the five iron on the 16th tee travelling too long and with a putter that was not responding throughout the round, Nisbet moves to The Players Amateur knowing that with each US tournament he can seriously challenge for the title.

“I had my chances there today and to perform like I have at this tournament makes you confident going forward,” says Nisbet.

“I’m looking forward to The Players Amateur and you never know if a few putts drop and I keep hitting the ball the way that I am at the moment, it [first US major amateur title] might just happen.”