Macpherson opens well at Western Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2010 Western Amateur Championship | Round One | 04 Aug 2010
Bryden Macpherson is the best of the Australians following the first round of the Western Amateur being played at at Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, just north of Chicago.
Macpherson fired an opening 1-under-par, 70, to be in a tie for 12th position, three strokes behind current leader American Blayne Barber, a 20-year-old junior from Auburn.
Barber leads by a stroke over two-time Canadian Amateur champion Cam Burke of Eastern Michigan University, USC freshman Jeffrey Kang and Sweden’s Henrik Norlander, a member of Augusta State’s 2010 NCAA championship team.
Macpherson experienced a mix round with seven birdies, a triple bogey, a double bogey and a bogey in a show of extremes out on the course. The dual 2009 Australian and New Zealand amateur stroke champion has already secured a top-3 finish at the Dogwood invitational and has been playing solid all summer here in the US.
Today was no different for the University of Georgia Freshman, with his round only hampered with some course management issues.
“I played really well today,” said Macpherson.
“I made some course management errors in a couple of spots and my putting was questionable at times. Following my round I did some work on my putting and it feels really good.”
Despite today’s roller coaster ride Macpherson remains confident he can challenge in one of the biggest world amateur events outside the US and British Amateurs. This week the Western Amateur has attracted 10 of the top-15 world amateur players including the highly-ranked Bud Cauley, Oklahoma State teammates Peter Uihlein and Kevin Tway and 2010 Jones Cup champion Patrick Reed of Augusta State. The field is certainly one of the strongest assembled this summer in the US.
“My game feels really solid,” says Macpherson.
“I really feel like I can challenge this week. The course is brilliant and conditions are favourable for low scoring. You could not ask for a better setup and it’s a matter of playing strategic golf out there. Hopefully, I can do that better tomorrow.”
Ten Australians are in the field including Jason Scrivener who’s fresh off a top-10 finish at last week’s Porter Cup. Scrivener opened today with a 4-over-par 75 and will need to make his move during tomorrow’s second round to make the low 44 and ties cut mark.
Kieran Pratt and Daniel Beckmann are in the hunt to make the cut, opening with even-par rounds of 71 to be in a tie for 20th position. At one stage during today’s round Beckmann got it to 5-under-par through six holes. The 2009 Mandurah Amateur and 2007 Federal Amateur Champion went out in 32 to be 4-under-par on the turn, only to let slip some shots on the closing nine where he carded a 4-over-par 39.
Tarquin Macmanus fired an opening 2-over-par, 73, to be currently on the fringe of the cut in 49th position, with Mitch Krywulycz and Luke Bleumink firing a 3-over-par 74 and they are also in with a chance to survive tomorrow’s cut.
Matt Jager’s woes continue with the dual Australian and New Zealand Amateur Champion well down in the field after opening with an 80.
This year’s Western Amateur format includes two, 18-hole stroke play rounds, followed by a cut for the low 44 scores and ties following tomorrow’s round. The players then play 36 holes of stroke play on Thursday, with the low 16 advancing to match play segment of the championship on Friday. The winner will be determined following elimination match play which concludes on Saturday.
