Stieger moves at Riversdale

BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2011 Riversdale Cup | Round Two | 13 Mar 2011

Matt Stieger fired a second round 68 adding to his opening round of 67 to make his move on the leaderboard at the Riversdale Cup in Melbourne.

Stieger, winner a fortnight ago at the Tasmanian Open, is currently at 9-under-par for the tournament, two strokes ahead of Frazer Wilkin, Brett Drewitt and Nathan Holman. Yesterday, Holman fired a blistering 10-under-par 62 for the opining lead and in the process equalled the course record set by Daniel Beckmann in 2009.

Starting the second round five behind Holman in a share of 4th position, Stieger was able to hold onto his round after a slow start and came home strongly to be overall pleased with his round.

“My preparation leading into the second round was not the best,” said Stieger, ranked 45th in the world.

“I was waiting around for too long because the team bus arrived too early and then rushed my opening holes. Overall, I’m pleased with the round and to be in a position again in another National Selection event is pleasing.”
Stieger’s game continues to go from strength to strength and with the recent promotion to the Australian National squad to be a tier 2 member, he’ll be eager to put in another strong showing at a National Selection event, advance his world ranking and hopefully progress to tier 1 along with Australia’s top ranked player, Ryan McCarthy.

“I’ve a lot more work to get to the top tier and need to improve my world ranking,” says Stieger.

“I’m playing golf in the zone that I want at present. Taking each round as it comes and not getting ahead of myself out there. The work that I’ve done with my coach John Serhan at St Michael’s has been invaluable and he’s help me deal with being in these situations in leading tournaments.”

Stieger is one of the number of promising amateurs, along with Brett Drewitt, Cameron Smith and Jake Higginbottom, to come through to represent the next wave of our main amateur golfing talent.

Drewitt is another that’s being impressive and his opening rounds of 69-68 to be in a share of 2nd position sets him up nicely again in a main Australian amateur event.

Drewitt was the 2010 Queensland Amateur champion and Australia’s only international winner during 2010, with his win at the Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship in British Columbia. This season Drewitt secured a runner-up finish at the Tasmanian Open and not finished outside the top-15 in each main Australian amateur tournament he’s entered.

“I’ve had a few runner-up finishes in National events, it’s time for me to get one,” says Drewitt who finished second at the 2009 Dunes Medal and 2011 Tasmanian Open.

“I know my game is good enough and in a few tournaments I’ve felt that I’ve been unlucky a few times with my putting. I’ve worked on that aspect of my game and this week feel the putter is better. This is a course where you have to putt well and if I can get the roll of the ball happening, I’ll do well.”

A tenacious competitor, I’d expect Drewitt to feature strongly in an event like the Riversdale Cup, which is littered with main Australian amateur talent and ranked our third strongest tournament, behind the Master of the Amateurs and the Australian Amateur.

Brady Watt and Daniel Bringolf are also making their move at Riversdale this week, with Watt in a tie for 6th at 5-under-par after opening with rounds of 70-69. Bringolf is in a tie for 7th at 4-under-par along with New Zealander, Ben Campbell.

At present all eyes are on Stieger’s game as he pursues another National Selection event title. Enjoying a two stroke margin from his nearest rivals is nothing in an event of this nature and with the quality of the field.

Stieger is acutely aware he needs to keep the low rounds happening at Riversdale and that with any slip, he’ll be fighting back to reclaim the top spot.

“I’m staying in the moment,” he says.

“I’m not expecting anything to happen, but will just keep playing the style of golf that I’ve being doing and see what comes from it. Hopefully it will be another win.”