Stewart goes down to Weaver in Amateur final

BY Anthony Powter | World Amateur Mens Tour | 2007 British Amateur Championship | Grand Final | 24 Jun 2007

American Drew Weaver was able to withstand a late challenge from Tim Stewart to claim the British Amateur 2&1 overnight at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Weaver becomes the first American since Jay Sigel in 1979 to claim the championship, in a final where Stewart forced the American to go to the 35th hole, after he mounted a spirited late challenge in the afternoon match.

Earlier, Weaver was first to strike in the final, claiming the 3rd hole. Stewart immediately won the 4th to get back and by the end of the morning 18 hole session, Weaver had managed to take a two hole lead into the afternoon.

Stewart, by the 12th hole in the afternoon, had slipped to four down as the American produced some superb golf with four birdies through 12. According to Stewart, it’s the front nine of Royal Lytham where matches were either won or lost this week and in the final, it was no different.

“I just didn’t play well enough on the front 9 of the second 18, which is the key point in any match play,” commented Stewart.

“Royal Lytham’s first nine are tough holes. There’s out of bounds along the side and the par 4’s are long and narrow. You miss the fairway and you’re in the hay and struggling”.

“I didn’t play those well this afternoon and he was able to draw away by the 12th. He was 4 under for those 12 holes and the birdie on the long par 3 12th really hurt as the match went to 6 up with six to play”.

Stewart then fought back winning the next four holes, two with birdies.

“I manage to win four holes in a row and apply some pressure. I played some of my best golf ever in that stretch and all I kept thinking was one hole at a time”.

The 2006 Australian Amateur champion had managed in a space of three holes to halve the deficit and on the 16th, Stewart hit one of his best putts all week for a birdie that forced the match down the 35th hole.

“It was a real lifter to drain that putt. It was from about 12 metres, but the line was straight. I hit it true and it tracked all the way and kept me in there”.

Stewart going into the 35th hole was feeling confident about the match continuing and had a chance to take it to the 18th when Weaver had missed the green, but Stewart’s 13 metre birdie putt edged the hole.

“I felt the match was starting to change, as I’d come off winning four in a row. It was a difficult putt and one you’re not sure what could happen. I had no real option by that stage but to go for it after he missed the green and needed to get up and down”.

Weaver then faced a three metre putt for the championship and it fell and with it Stewart’s chances of being the first Australian since Douglas Bachi in 1954 to claim the British Amateur.

“If you said to me at the beginning of the week that I would be in the last two of a 288 player field at the British Amateur, I would have been delighted,” Stewart remarked this evening as he was preparing to travel to the US.

“He played really well, especially on the first nine this afternoon. I feel really confident heading over to America after this week. Although I’m a little disappointed, I am very pleased with having such a strong start to the trip and hope I can continue this form in the US.”

Last year in America when I bumped into Stewart watching the USPGA at Medinah, he was the 21-year-old Australian Amateur champion playing golf for the first time in the States. He had just secured two runner up finishes from seven starts in major American amateur events, the Rice Planters Amateur and the Eastern Amateur.

Stewart’s comments to me then were, “golf is a work in progress for me at the moment”.

Almost twelve months have passed and Stewart’s game has evolved from strength to strength. Winning the Riversdale Cup in March this year meant a lot to Stewart. It was his first major stroke round victory and proved to himself he can win those events. Finishing runner up at the British Amateur also has impacted on him, not in a negative but in a positive way.

Stewart walks from the British Amateur with confidence and poise, eager to return to the US and build upon the previous year’s work in progress. His achievement this week is to be admired. He is only one of three Australians ever to play in the final of the British Amateur in its 122 year history. That itself speaks volumes about his talent.