Stieger & Drewitt lead Tas Open
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2011 Tasmanian Amateur | Round Two | 26 Feb 2011
Brett Drewitt and Matt Stieger share second round honours at the 2011 Tasmanian Open being played at Kingston Beach Golf Club south of Hobart.
The pair are locked at 10-under-par in the national selection event with Drewitt firing rounds of 67-65 to Stieger’s rounds of 65-67. Stieger and Drewitt enjoy a three stroke margin over Daniel Bringolf who fired rounds of 66-69 to be in outright 3rd position, two strokes ahead of Cory Crawford and David Coupland.
2010 British Amateur Champion and defending champion, Jin Jeong, remains in the hunt with rounds of 72-67 to be seven from the leaders at 3-under-par and in 7th position.
Last season Stieger featured strongly in National Selection events with a tied 3rd at the Lake Macquarie Amateur, a runner-up finish behind Jason Scrivener at the Mandurah Easter Amateur in April and in just his maiden tour to the US, won his first major amateur stroke event at the Pacific North West Amateur. This season Stieger has secured a top-15 finish at the Master of the Amateurs and reached the semi-finals at the NSW Amateur. Stieger is yet to claim a National Selection event and is a player keen to stake his mark in national teams having recently represented Australia during the Ashes Series at Elanora Country Club.
Drewitt during 2010 was the only Australian to secure an international with his 4&3 victory over American, Cory Renfrew, at the 109th Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia.
A majestic striker of the ball, the 20-year-old has quickly established himself of one of our main amateurs. Drewitt this season have played solid golf making the top-16 at the NSW Amateur, a top-10 finish at the Lake Macquaire Amateur and a top-15 at the Master of the Amateurs. Drewitt currently sits just outside the world’s top 100 and a solid result this week in Tasmania will certainly see that ranking improve.
For an event first held in 1913 the history of the Tasmanian Open is steep in tradition and former champions include some of the country’s finest. Whilst it might currently not hold the status the event enjoyed during the seventies, where the Tasmanian Open was a regular on the Australian tour, its current National Selection status makes it an event our top amateurs certainly want to bag.
Geoff Ogilvy, Brendan Jones and Mathew Goggin have claimed the title during the nineties. Recent winners include Nick Flanagan (2003), Ashley Hall (2005), England’s Ben Parker (2006), Rohan Blizard (2007), Tim Stewart (2008) and Ryan McCarthy (2009).
With our best amateurs, combined with some seasoned professionals, the Tasmanian Open will certainly unfold into an interesting tournament, especially with the likes of Stieger and Drewitt eager to make a statement.
