Rice Planters favours Australians
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2007 Rice Planters Amateur | Preview | 04 Jul 2007
From an Australian perspective, we’ve performed well at the Rice Planters. Three years ago Australians claimed the top three spots when Aron Price outlasted Marc Leishman to post a tournament record seventeen under to claim the title, whilst Andrew McKenzie finished outright third.
Tristan Lambert in 2005 became the second Australian victor, securing the championship in a rain shortened format. Last year, Tim Stewart’s second round 64 elevated him into contention moving into the final day, only to see the then Australian Amateur champion go down to American Tanner Ervin by a single stroke on the final day.
With that history, you’ll be expecting a strong performance from the twenty Australians out of the ninety-one starters this week at Snee Farm Country Club, Mt Pleasant in South Carolina. Like most American amateur majors, the Rice Planters is a four-day invitational event, except with a fifty-four-hole cut coming into effect for the low sixty and ties after the third round.
According to Aron Price, the secret for scoring at Snee Farm is how well you play inside 130 yards and you’re capacity to adapt to the humid conditions.
“You have to get your game good inside 130 yards. Snee Farm is short and it’s normally really hot the week it’s played. If you’re patient around there and get into good positions, the birdies will come,” were the tournament record holder’s comments. Price now plays on the Nationwide Tour.
The heat and humidity certainly played a factor for the majority of the Australians in last week’s Dogwood Invitational. The Dogwood was, for most, their first tournament in America after playing in the fickle cooler British conditions. The Australians still remain well spirited, despite last week’s relatively poor showing.
“I was battling with adjusting to the heat at the Dogwood,” commented Scott Arnold.
“It was tough going, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Who wouldn’t here?,” remarked Ray Beaufils, who was one of only three Australians to make the cut at the Dogwood.
Despite this obvious climate differences, the Australians remain confident a US victory will be secured this tour and are supporting each other within a healthy team based environment.
“There’s a definite comradery this year will all of the Aussies and that makes the experience much better,” Tim Stewart commented this week in Charleston as the Australian prepare for the tournament.
“There’s obvious differences in the courses between the UK and here, the major factor also being the heat. At Snee Farm, there’s not a lot of run as opposed to the UK, which generally speaking are harder and faster courses over the whole layout.”
Stewart is looking to go one better this year and feels his ready for the challenge and the experiences learnt last year will only play to his advantage.
“Coming into the US, I certainly feel a lot more confident. The British Amateur has lifted me because before that, I was feeling my form was not where I would have liked it,” remarked Stewart.
“I know this course reasonably well and how to play it to score. Hopefully things will work out again for me this week and be in contention to challenge like last year.”
The field this week at Snee Farm doesn’t resemble last week’s Doodwood Invitational. That’s not taking anything away for the Rice Planters tournament, as a strong American field has assembled including Austin Cody, who won the 2002, 2004, 2006 Gallaway Golf Junior World Championship, Greg Doherty, the 2006 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, and former Nationwide and PGA Tour player, Garrett Morrison.
Past history reveals the Rice Planters has been kind to Australians. By now they’ve had time to get accustomed to the conditions and with the level of mateship and depth of talent playing at the Rice Planters, hopefully this will be a better week for the Australians.
