Dennis Too Strong at Mandurah
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2011 Mandurah Easter Amateur Championship | Final Round | 26 Apr 2011
Six years ago Michael Dennis held aloft the Mandurah Easter Amateur Open trophy after the Royal Perth member won over a field littered with aspiring talent that included Marc Leishman, James Nitties, Michael Sim and Andrew Dodt.
History often repeats itself and during the final 36-holes at Mandurah Country Club south of Perth, Dennis repeated his 2005 efforts to win the 2011 Mandurah Easter Amateur with a 10-under-par total and an impressive five stroke winning margin over Ryan Peake.
Dennis had lead the 141 field since Saturday’s second round with rounds of 70-69 and he proved too strong drawing upon his experience and knowledge of the Mandurah layout to close with rounds of 71-68 to win easily over the next generation of young stars.
Better scoring resulted in the final rounds with Bonnie Doon’s and Jack Newton Foundation player, Jordon Zunic, shooting a very impressive third round 8-under-par, 64. Runner-up to Daniel Nisbett at the 2009 Queensland Amateur Stroke championship, Zunic’s third round was simply majestic and in contrast to the field’s efforts during the opening two rounds, where just five players were better than par mid way through the tournament.
Victorian Todd Sinnott also fired a 7-under-par, 65, to move fourteen places up the leader board for the low final day’s round.
Dennis had entered this event with strong form in the West and his victory at mandurah sends a stern message to the younger brigade to never underestimate the seasoned amateur journeymen in National Selection Events .
The 2010 Perth City Champion had finished runner-up to Ben Seward at the Western Australian Amateur Stroke championship before making the semi-finals of the Western Australian Amateur.
Considering Dennis was swinging the golf club well before half the field at Mandurah had taken the game up and he combines his passion for playing golf with family and work commitments, his victory is one for the club amateurs who compete against the modern day “professional” amateur.
Similar to Grant Thomas’ efforts recently in taking out the NSW Champions of Champions and finishing the top-16 in the NSW Amateur Championship against a field littered with aspiring professionals, Dennis’ win at Mandurah proves golf doesn’t discriminate from where you are from and whether you are loaded with the latest and greatest in manufacture’e equipment and given everything from dietary to mental conditioning to better your game.
Six strokes behind Dennis and with a 4-under-par total was a group of young guns finishing in a tie for 3rd position.
Geoff Drakeford had held the lead on the opening day with a 69 only to implode with a second round 76. The Victorian then carded final rounds of 71-68 to finish at 4-under-par to share 3rd position with Jordan Zunic, who carded rounds of 73-78-64-69, and Matt Stieger, with the 2011 Australian Amateur Champion finishing with rounds of 75-70-68-71.
Six other players broke par for the tournament with Kalem Richardson firing rounds of 70-71-72-72, to finish at 3-under-par and in 6th position.
Brody Ninyette recorded rounds of 72-74-70-70, to finish at 2-under-par and in 7th position, whilst Daniel Bringolf, Todd Sinnott, Brett Drewitt and Anthony Houston finished at 1-under-par and in a tie for 8th position.
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