Aussies invade Dogwood Invitational
IN: News | US Mens Amateur | Dogwood Invitational (2007) | Preview | by Anthony Powter | 27 Jun 2007
For an amateur event immersed in American tradition that dates back to 1941, the Dogwood Invitational is seen as one of the prized American amateur majors on tour.
This year thirteen Australian players, including the cream of our national squad, will descend upon Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia for the tournament that gets underway this evening.
Tim Stewart, who is full of confidence after his stellar British Amateur performance, spearheads the Aussie challenge with fellow teammates Jamie Arnold, Scott Arnold, Rohan Blizard, Ray Beaufils, Richie Gallichan, Rudi Bezuidenhout, Michael Foster, Rick Kulacz, Josh Younger, Aaron Pike, Andrew Dodt and Matthew Griffin all eager to challenge the field.
With the field limited to qualified invitees and the host of top American amateurs, the Dogwood Invitation has traditionally become part of the training ground for Australians as is reflected with the progression to the professional ranks that seems a natural transition for many of the competitors.
Adam Scott had a shot at the title whilst an amateur as did Andrew Buckle, who won the Dogwood Invitational in 2002 to become the first Australian to claim the title.
Rick Kulacz went close last year with four solid rounds of 66-70-69-73 to finish in T4th position along with fellow Australian, Tristain Lambert, whilst Won Joon Lee finished T6th.
Lee is currently focusing on the Korean and Asian Tour, after securing a substantial sponsorship deal with the electrical manufacture LG. Lambert is gaining his footing in the US, travelling with James Nitties targeting the Nationwide Monday qualifiers and falling back on the Hooters and Tarheel secondary tours.
Australians have performed well at the Dogwood in recent times. It’s the first occasion this season that our guys have come together in an American tournament and they’re keen to make their mark on the US major amateur circuit.
Full of confidence with their recent results in the UK, in particular our performance in the British Amateur, the players are ready to fire. For some, like Rick Kulacz, America could not have come quick enough, having found the fickle English conditions tiresome.
Beaufils, Bezuidenhout, Pike and Foster have been enjoying the US over the past two weeks, having competed in the Sunnehanna Amateur and Monroe Invitational, whilst the rest of the guys were in the UK playing the St Andrews Links Trophy and British Amateur.
This year the tournament also takes a different perspective for the Americans with selection for the Walker Cup team up for consideration. America’s top amateurs have converged upon the Dogwood also in force, in what will undoubtedly be one of the better US major amateur tournaments on the schedule this year.
