Schneider after double at Lake Macquarie
BY Bruce Young | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2012 Lake Macquarie Amateur | Round Three | 28 Jan 2012
Germany’s Marcel Schneider looks to complete a unique double tomorrow when the 21 year attempts to follow up his Australian Amateur Championship victory in Melbourne last week with a win at the Lake Macquarie International Amateur Championship at the Belmont Golf Club near Newcastle.
The rescheduling of the Australian Amateur to January has meant that the two events have not previously been won in back to back victories.
Interestingly, just a little further south, the winner of the Australian Women’s Amateur Championship last Sunday, Lydia Ko, also faces the possibility of victory at the Women’s NSW Open, taking a four shot lead into the final round at the Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney.
Today Schneider started his third round one shot behind Caboolture’s Daniel Nisbet but a third round of 67 to Nisbet’s 69 has given him a narrow one shot lead with 18 holes to play.
New Zealander Vaughn McCall stormed into contention with a record equalling round of 63 which included seven birdies and an eagle at the par four second where he holed his wedge approach. It was the best round of the day by four shots and has McCall just two from the lead.
McCall, from the small South Island town of Gore, was yesterday named in the New Zealand Tasman Cup team, this round further confirming his promise.
Local hope, Jake Higginbottom, is in a share of 4th position with Germany’s Sebastian Kannler and, just four shots from the lead, are certainly within striking distance.
The disappointment of the day was the round of 78 by the recent Australian Masters Champion, Nathan Holman who slipped from his overnight share of second to 21st.
Tomorrow’s final round appears on paper as if it could develop into a return battle between the winner and runner up in last week’s Australian Amateur Championship, Schneider and Nisbet, although McCall showed today that any player within five or six shots of the lead still has a chance.
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