Tim Stewart leads Rice Planters Amateur
IN: News | US Mens Amateur | Rice Planters Amateur (2006) | Round Two | by Anthony Powter | 07 Jul 2006
Whilst the course record 63 at Snee Farm Country Club, which USPGA Tour player Stewart Cink shot as an amateur in the 1993 Rice Planters Amateur may have survived by the narrowest of margins following Tim Stewart's second round 64 yesterday, the Australian Amateur Champion is now exhibiting the game that justifies his current 7th world amateur ranking.
After claiming the Australian Amateur Championship earlier this year in Hobart, the 21-year-old simply stated that all he wanted to do in his US maiden tour was to "make as many cuts as possible".
Stewart is certainly doing that. The opening rounds of 68 and 64, a shot off Cink's course record, has resulted in Stewart commanding a three shot lead in the Rice Planters Amateur Golf, considered one of the top ten amateur tournaments in America.
They say nothing beats preparation and in Stewart's case arriving three days earlier than scheduled at Snee Farm Country Club in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, to play some practice rounds and familiarise with the surroundings has paid benefits for Stewart.
He had just come off a torrid time in the UK with the St Andrews Links and British Amateur Championship, both events which Stewart felt his game was there, except for his putting.
"Although the UK was not a great success, I did not really play that bad. The greens really let me down. I just could not hole a putt. The surface certainly was not what I was expecting. But it was just a pleasure to play there."
"I arrived here early and was able to play three rounds around Snee Farm and I felt that I am striking it well and was finally starting to hole some putts. I am happy with my form going into the tournament and I know I am playing well enough to post a good score at the end, it is just a matter of actually putting the numbers on the board."
Things have now changed for the better with Stewart.
He is currently at 12 under, three shots ahead of American Bert Atkinson and Tanner Ervin, both US Collegiate players going into the 3rd round.
There are a total of nine Australasian players competing here this week and after two rounds Phillip Watkins is in 7th position at -4,followed by Leigh Deagan -3 (T8), Mark Purser -2 (T11), Richie Gallichan -1 (T14), Justin Roach 2 (T32), Rudi Bezuidenhout 4 (T51), Grant Scott 5 (T55) and Michael Moore 13 (T78). Jason Day withdrew before the start of play on day one.
Rudi Bezuidenhount will surely be reconsidering his game plan following a disastrous 78 after opening the tournament with a 70. To string four solid rounds together in the one tournament is something Bezuidenhount is searching for at the moment. Bezuidenhount burst onto the US Amateur scene last month when the NSW State Squad member led the Dogwood Invitational after opening rounds of 66-68, only to have fallen back in the field following a poor third round 76.
With another Australian leading a major American amateur tournament in less than three weeks, the top American amateurs along with their coaches must be wondering who else has come out from Australia this summer.
Stewart has the game and the form to take the event wire to wire,
"So far the game still feels good. Yesterday was a good example, I just tried to keep my routine going and stay patient. It seemed to work well. There are still two more rounds to go and I will be focusing on keeping with my routine and let the scores happen."
Photo - Anthony Powter
