Big Easter set for Mandurah Open

BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2010 Mandurah Easter Amateur Championship | Preview | 01 Apr 2010

Less than a fortnight ago our best amateurs were playing in the Australian Amateur Championship at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth, in a tournament where it became survival of the fittest. Matt Jager in the process secured both the Australian Amateur and Stroke Championship titles and established himself as Australia’s current leading amateur.

The amateur circuit this week has remained in Western Australia for the Mandurah Easter Amateur Open at Mandurah Country Club, south of Perth. The tournament is another national selection trial event and the 161 field includes the majority of Australia’s top ranked amateurs.

Daniel Beckmann at this event last year withstood a determined Tim Hart for a two stroke win to collect his second National Trial Event, finishing the tournament at 14-under after rounds of 71-67-68-68. Beckmann, runner-up to Scott Arnold in the 2009 Australian Amateur, has returned to Mandurah to defend his title. After narrowly missing the match play segment last week at Lake Karrinyup, Beckmann will be primed to set his mark at Mandurah in an event that has served him well in the past.

Jason Scrivener arguably knows the Mandurah layout better than any other player competing this weekend as it’s his home layout. With a 3rd placed finish in this event in 2008 and another top-10 lat year, Scrivener is due for a local win to add to his 2009 Western Australian Amateur title. Scrivener is coming off injury but remains optimistic with his changes at home.

“Mandurah is a course were you have to be accurate off the tee,” says Scrivener.

“The greens are running fast, like they always do, so it should be another great tournament.”

Jager, like Scrivener, knows the Mandurah layout well and should feature prominently this weekend as the world number 6 goes in pursuit of yet another amateur title to add to his dual Federal Amateur wins, dural Australian Amateur wins and his 2009 New Zealand Amateur Championship title.

“Scriv [Jason Scrivener] and I have practiced together many times at Mandurah,” says Jager.

“I’ve rested a little since the Aussie Am and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and competing. I’ve scheduled some great tournaments ahead and hopefully this weekend will be another great event for me.”

The Mandurah Easter Amateur not only carries the sought after world R&A ranking points, but also for the winner a start in the British Amateur at Muirfield Country Club in June. This has attracted a stellar field in Perth.

Luke Bleumink, fresh off a second place at the Australian Amateur Stroke Championship, is competing and I tend to favour his chances at Mandurah. The Victorian has featured strongly in National Trial events, including a runner-up finish at the Riversdale Cup, to see his world ranking steadily climb to be currently 45th in the world.

Others to also follow this weekend are Sydney’s, Michael Williams, Jin Jeong, and Tim Hart.

Williams last weekend in the semi-finals of Sydney Major Pennants accounted for Michael Smyth to set up St Michael’s Golf Club for the final against Moore Park. Williams also made the top-8 at the Australian Amateur before Matt Jager ended his run. Williams this season has been nothing short of impressive and I would not be surprise to see him secure his first National event at Mandurah.

Jeong is another that’s played consistently all season in Australia. The Melbourne based South-Korean won the Riversdale Cup last month to add to his earlier win in the Tasmanian Open and was equal runner-up with Bleumink at the Australian Amateur Stroke Championship. Hart was runner-up to Jager at the 2009 Federal Amateur and recently made t he second round at the Australian Amateur.

My dark horses for Mandurah are Daniel Bringolf, Matt Stieger and Ryan McCarthy.

Bringolf in February won the NSW Cup with an impressive 10-under-par total, made the top-32 recently at the Australian Amateur and played the top position for The Australian Golf Club during the Sydney Pennant season. An impressive striker of the ball, Bringolf is another player that’s recently emerge from the junior ranks to show real promise.

Stieger was also part of the winning St Michael’s pennant team against The Australian with Williams and actually accounted for Bringolf in the top-order match with a 5&4 win. Stieger made the cut at the Australian Open Championship last December and has played well in National Trial events to be due for a win.

McCarthy has been rather quiet of late, yet has secured a top-10 finish at the Australian Amateur Stroke to add to his top-10 finish at the Lake Macquarie Amateur and The Dunes Medal. The dual Tasmanian Amateur Champion and world number 65 is certainly due another win and the Mandurah layout should suit McCarthy’s game.

Previous winners of the Mandurah Easter Amateur include the likes of Geoff Ogilvy, Jarrod Moseley, Brett Rumford, James Nitties and Matthew Griffin. The cut will come in with the top 70 plus ties following the opening two rounds, with final 36 holes being played on Monday.