Patience required at Lake Macquarie Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2006 Lake Macquarie Amateur | Round Two | 27 Jan 2006
Day Two Photo Gallery – Lake Macquarie Amateur
Five hour plus rounds – its every golfer’s nightmare but that’s what afternoon players had to contend with during the second round of the Greater Building Society Lake Macquarie Amateur Championship. Conditions also in the afternoon contributed to the delays as a strong north easter arrived as scheduled around 2.30pm.
The conditions for most were difficult as rounds occurred that they would rather forget. The cut was 3, with the lead jointly shared between Jamie Moul from England and world number 10 amateur Won Joon Lee from Concord. Both are 7 under par at 137, but the tournament is still open.
This year there is no runaway as compared to Marc Leishman’s efforts the year before where he was unstoppable as he went into the final day with a seven shot lead. Eleven players patiently sit three behind Lee and Moul, including the likes of Tristan Lambert (138), Mitchell Brown (138), England’s Adam Gee (138). Jason Day also sits within striking range at three off the pace (140).
But it was the conditions that players were commenting on not the scores at the conclusion of their second round:
“The course is playing a lot tougher with the wind. I played ok but coming home I felt the heat with the wind and dropped a few shots.”
“I plan to just stop the bogeys occurring late in the game. There was about a four shot difference this afternoon than playing yesterday in the morning. It depends how well you drive on this course when the wind blows. It you get into the salt bushes you can have thousands,” commented joint leader Won Joon Lee after his 71.
Lee plans to approach the third round no differently and is out to impress selectors to gain one of those most sought after National Team positions. He is not the only player eyeing off selection and you can sense there is a bit more at stake during the tournament for the locals.
English Golf Union Elite Squad Member Jamie Moul continued with his strong form carding a one under 71 to share the lead with Lee. He like Lee felt the afternoon conditions a lot tougher than playing early the day before.
“I am quite use to the wind but it was tough out there this afternoon. It makes the course play completely different. Most of our tournaments we play in England are on links, but this was tough.”
“It’s nice to get out into the sunshine. I see what the weather does first tomorrow before I change my game. It all depends which direction the wind is.”
“The standard is pretty good. The whole atmosphere is also pretty laid back compared to tournaments back home and that’s good. I’ll head out with the same approach tomorrow and the greens a rolling decent so if the putts fall you’ll have a low score. As long as it does not get too hot then I will not burn out.”
Liverpool’s Tristan Lambert fired a second consecutive round of 69 in the afternoon conditions that can only be described as simply impressive and was one of the best scores of the day. He is a player to watch as he tees up in final group in the third round. It will be an exacting test for Lambert and many feel he has the capacity to win the tournament should the putts fall for him.
With fifteen players within three from the lead, the tournament is wide open. All agree that to master the Belmont layout, especially when the wind blows, requires patience. This adds to the saying that patience is a virtue and at the Lake Macquarie Amateur Championship, it appears given the conditions the secret to success.
Photo – Anthony Powter
