Pratt makes moves at NEC Amateur

BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2010 NEC Master of the Amateurs | Round Two | 12 Jan 2010

Despite a second round of even par 72, Kieran Pratt has a one stroke lead over Jin Jeong and first round leader, Jordan Sherratt, moving into the third round of the NEC Master of the Amateurs at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne.

Pratt started his second round with a double bogey which resulted in a 2 over-par front nine, yet the three-time winner this season on the Australian Amateur circuit bounced back with a closing 2-under-par back nine to finish even par and build upon his first round of 67 to finish the day at 5-under-par.

In a round that was associated more with consolidation than attacking, Pratt was pleased with his day’s efforts despite the opening setback.

“It’s not often you say that you’re pleased with an even par round, but that’s they way I feel after today’s round,” remarked Pratt this evening.

“The start today was obviously not one of my best, but I was able to play the closing nine at 2-under when the conditions were much harder than what we had in the morning.”

“You look at where I’m currently placed and obviously I’m glad to be were I am going into the third round. This is a course that you can attack and there’s certainly a low number to be had.”

Overnight co-leader Jordan Sherratt experienced a hard day at the office, firing a second round 2-over-par, 74, in what he described at a horror round.

“I’ll move on from today’s round,” said Sherratt, a twice winner during the 2009 season with the Riversdale Cup and the Barrett Amateur in Canada.

“This is a course that you can attack and today was just one of those rounds where nothing went my way. It’s passed and I’ll go out there tomorrow ready to fire another low number.”

Sherratt finds himself in a tie for second at 4-under-par with rounds of 66-74 along with Jin Jeong, after the Korean carded rounds of 69-71.

American Walker Cup player Bud Cauley rocketed up the leaderboard with a course record 7-under-par, 65, to move into 4th position at 3-under-par and to be just two behind Pratt.

“It was just one of those rounds where I got it going,” commented the world number three.

“I needed to make a move after yesterday’s opening 76, and it kind of all fell into place for me out there today.”

Cauley, 19, is an Alabama State sophomore and last season won the 2009 Players Amateur to add to his ever expanding resume of titles. Cauley simply ripped about the Yarra Yarra layout with precision iron play and powerful driving off the tee on a layout which he’d only played twice.

“I’m just wrapped to be playing here in Australia,” remarked Cauley.

We’re in the middle of our off-season at present and to come and play courses like these, it’s simply fantastic. The course record is certainly sweet to have and it gives me plenty of confidence moving on."

Cauley was a co-Medalist at the 2008 Toyota World Junior Amateur Championships in Japan and a member of the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup, playing in Newport, Wales.

Since progressing to the main amateur ranks, Cauley has quickly established himself on the world golfing stage, making the top-32 of last year’s US Amateur Championship after being a Medalist at sectional qualifiers and he reached the semi-finals of the prized Western Amateur.

Geoffrey Drakeford, the first round leader along with Jordan Sherratt, fired a second round 76 to be in a share of fifth place along with France’s, Victor Dubuisson, after the world number 2 had a second round 2-under-par 70. The Frenchman had opened with an even-par 72 and currently finds himself at 2-under-par for the tournament.

Dubuisson, the 2009 European Amateur Champion, has made his second return to Australia after competing for France at the World Amateur Teams Championship in Adelaide in 2008. A solid performance at the NEC Amateur should see the Frenchman reclaim the world’s number 1 ranking.

Michael Williams secured rounds of 71-72 to be in outright 7th position at 1-under-par and four behind Pratt. Williams finds himself a stroke ahead of Daniel Beckmann and Ryan McCarthy, who are at even-par for the tournament.

Again the NEC Amateur remains an open affair and with the quality of the field with four of the world’s top-10 world ranked amateur golfers, the stage is again set for a thrilling finish at arguably Australia’s main amateur event on the golfing calendar.