The Players Amateur: A True Test
IN: News | US Mens Amateur | Players Amateur (2007) | Preview | by Anthony Powter | 12 Jul 2007
Despite the tournaments short life of only eight years, The Players Amateur is considered one of the most prized amateur majors in America. Previous winners include British Open Champion, Ben Curtis, Bill Haas and Camilo Villegas, all now PGA Tour players.
“It’s a great tournament, well run and always attracting a strong field,” commented Australia’s Aron Price, tournament champion in 2004 and a victory that he considers as one of his finest amateur achievements.
Price, who currently plays the Nationwide Tour, sees the secret to playing well on the Belfair Golf Club layout in Bluffton, South Carolina, is more than just being a big hitter and booming it out there, rather it’s a course requiring precision, both with the driver and your irons.
“That strategy of simply booming it out there does not wash in major US amateur events like The Players Amateur. It’s a tournament played on a tight layout with horrendous rough,” were Price’s comments earlier this week and according to Price the ability to possess the all round game will be invaluable at The Players Amateur.
“There is simply too much talent and experience in the field, many of whom have previously attempted the ‘power’ strategy, only to find limited success. You need to be able to work your ball both directions and above all keep it on the short stuff, to have any chance at Belfair.”
This week’s field includes many of America’s finest, including 2005 Walker Cup team members, Buddy Marruci and Brian Harman, Andrew Kelly who was runner up in the 2006 US Amateur, 2007 Monroe Invitational and North & South Amateur champion, Phillip Mollica, Rickie Fowler the 2007 Sunnehanna Amateur champion and Manuel Villegas, the 2003-5 South American Amateur Champion and younger brother of PGA Tour player Camilo Villegas.
The Australians are well represented with fourteen been invited, in what will certainly be one of their toughest tests in America this tour. The Australian field also includes a number of American based collegiate players, Andrew Kelly (Uni of Arizona), Mitchell Krywulycz (Augusta State Uni) and David McKendrick (Uni of Louisiana).
They are joined by Jamie Arnold, Ray Beaufils, Rohan Blizard, Leigh Deagan, Andrew Dodt, Michael Foster who is fresh from his win at the Rice Planters last week, Richie Gallichan, Rick Kulacz, Tim Stewart, Josh Younger and Aaron Pike, who played superbly to make the semi-final of the North & South Amateur at Pinehurst last week, only to be beaten by eventual winner, Phillip Mollica.
Andrew Dodt and Rick Kulacz will be seeking to implement their new techniques after the two spent last week attending the David Ledbetter Golf Acamedy in Florida, where both fine-tuned their games with the latest in technology.
Dodt, who last month qualified in the British Amateur match play format, is yet to fire in the US leg of his tour. A missed cut in the Dogwood Invitation was frustrating for Dodt, who headed to American after a tremendously successful Australian summer, having won the Australian Stroke Play championship and the Keperra Bowl, as well as numerous top ten finishes in national selection events.
Dodt like Kulacz will be a serious contender at The Players Amateur. As should Aaron Pike following his efforts at Pinehurst, not to mention Tim Stewart, whose finish at Royal Lytham last month, in the British Amateur was simply outstanding.
The field of Aussies at this week’s Players Amateur arguably is Australia’s strongest since the Dogwood Invitational where, as a whole, our performance, with only three Australians making the cut, was disappointing.
This week is their chance to prove themselves against the might and depth that exists within the American amateur scene, in one of the most prestigious amateur events in the US. An event that is a sure test of golf and whoever holds the winner’s trophy on Sunday evening will be a true champion, lets hope it’s another Australian.
