QLD in command at Men's Interstate
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2010 Australian Interstate Teams Matches | Matchplay Round Three | 15 Sep 2010
Queensland have extended to a 4½ match advantage over defending champions, Victoria, to maintain the lead following the third round at the the Men’s Interstate Series being played at Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane.
Leaders since Monday’s opening round, Queensland continued their good form with a 7&4 win over Victoria to break away from the rest of the field.
After winning three of the four morning foursome matches, the stage was then set for Queensland to make its move in the afternoon singles, which the team did winning four of the seven matches and squaring one to Victoria’s two wins. Queensland’s lower order of Cameron Smith playing at 4, Marika Batibasage at 5, Adam Boyer at 6 and Chris Wood at 7, won all their matches against their Victorian counterparts.
The top-order matches produced some interesting results with Victoria’s Kieran Pratt demolishing Queensland’s Tim Hart, 5&4. Daniel Beckmann accounted for Gavin Fairfax, 1-up, yet it was Queensland’s Brett Rankin with his all square result against Luke Bluemink, which gave the Queenslander’s the upper hand to set up the vital rubber win in this series.
Pratt, Australia’s top ranked world amateur having taken the crown from Matt Jager, remains undefeated in the singles matches following squaring his opening match against Tasmania’s, Ryan McCarthy and accounting for Lincoln Tighe, from New South Wales in yesterday’s second round, 1-up.
In other matches, Tasmania was too strong for Western Australia winning 8&3 and New South Wales squared their match with South Australia.
Aside from Kieran Pratt’s stellar performances in the series to date, Queensland’s Brett Rankin remains undefeated in his singles encounters with wins over Brad Moules from South Australia, 1-up, and Tasmania’s Nathan Gatehouse, 5&4. Cameron Smith playing in the number 4 position for Queensland is also having a strong series with singles match wins over South Australia’s, Alex Hendrick, 6&5, Mark Schulze from Tasmania, 2&1 and accounted for Rory Burke in the third round 1-up.
Thursday’s fourth round has Queensland against New South Wales, Victoria facing Western Australia and Tasmania meeting South Australia.
With only two rounds remaining in these series and with Queensland with 24½ matches and Victoria with 20 matches, they are the clear challenges for the title. New South Wales is presently eight matches behind Queensland on 16½, with Tasmania on 13 and Western Australia and South Australia both on 12½.
