Exciting first day at Queensland Amateur
BY Bruce Young | Queensland Mens Tour | 2007 Queensland Amateur Championship | 08 May 2007
The first round of the Queensland Amateur (Match Play) Championship got underway this morning at Indooroopilly Golf Club and the standard of golf began where it left off last week at Bribie Island.
Leading out in the first match were Rika Batibasaga (Indooroopilly) and Blake McGrory (Surfers Paradise) who are two impressive young players that have both grown enormously over the last 12 months. It was a fantastic battle with Batibasaga taking the early lead and going to the lunch break at 3up (after 18 holes). He maintained a good lead until McGrory birdied four holes in succession on the back nine in the afternoon round to close the gap.
Eventually the players would finish all square after 36 holes and headed down the 1st again. The 37th would be halved in birdies and then Batibasaga would birdie the tough 208 metre par 3, 2nd to take the match on the 38th. McGrory had shot 8 under for the 38 holes to lose.
Brett Rankin (Pacific) defeated Eagle Chang (Oxley) on 3 & 2. Rankin held the lead most of the day and will now take on the inform Batibasaga in tomorrow’s quarter final.
In the third match out, it was last year’s runner up, Ray Beaufils (Surfers Paradise) versus current Queensland and Australian Mid-Amateur Champion, Justin Shine (Toowoomba). Thirteen years younger than his opponent, Beaufils dominated the match and eventually won 5 & 4.
Andrew Dodt (Gatton) showed some promising form today and will be one to watch as the week progresses. He led Hyun-Chae Song from start to finish to take the match 6 & 5. The current Australian Amateur Stroke Play Champion has had a great start to 2007 and will now take on fellow National Squad member, Beaufils in tomorrow’s match will promises to be an excellent match up.
Aaron Pike (Indooroopilly) got through the first round when Tim Hart (Concorde) conceded the match due to illness on the 10th hole this morning.
Daniel Nisbet (Caboolture) got off to a slow start against local player and fellow State Junior Team member Mark Song (Indooroopilly). Nisbet would eventually close the gap to be all square at lunch and took an early lead in the afternoon. He held on to win 1 up and will take on Pike tomorrow.
Tarquin MacManus took on fellow Pacific club mate, Nathan Roberts and was three down after just six holes. MacManus, who has captained the State Junior Team for the last two years went to lunch at 2 down. He then put his game into top gear in the afternoon to take the match 1 up.
Number one qualifier, Kevin Lee, due to his exceptional performance last week winning the Queensland Medal at Bribie Island, was another player that began slowly this morning. Taking on Kevin Marques, who qualified courtesy of a playoff, Lee was 2 down early in the match. He would then start to claw back the lead and went to lunch at all square. He displayed some quality golf in the afternoon to take the match 4 & 3. Lee will now take on MacManus in what will be another hard fought match.
Playing on the Captain’s Course (Green and Gold nines), all matches in the Queensland Amateur Championship are held over 36 holes. The Championship dates back to 1900 and still remains the most prestigious Queensland amateur golfing event.
Source – QGU
Photo – Anthony Powter
