Federal Amateur beckons young guns
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2007 Federal Amateur Open Championship | Preview | 28 Sep 2007
This weekend’s Federal Amateur will shape up as an opportunity for the next wave of young guns to stamp their authority following the decision by Golf Australia to send a number of the National Squad members to international tournaments in Asia and South America.
With international obligations upon defending champion Rick Kulacz, Andrew Dodt, Tim Stewart, Scott Arnold, Matt Griffin and Rohan Blizard, the championship is open for the taking, however, despite the absences of the more known players, the field still remains impressively strong.
Emerging talents such as Rika Batibasaga, who was runner-up in last year’s event, and Michael Foster, the 2007 Rice Planters champion will lead the charge as the tournament starts this morning in Canberra.
Batibasaga, winner of the 2005 Fiji Open and more recently the 2007 Queensland Amateur Champion, has evolved into one of Australia’s most promising talents. During the final round of last year’s Federal Amateur, Batibasaga pushed Rick Kulacz to the wire, with the championship only determined on the final hole after Kulacz sunk a critical putt.
Kulacz, to his credit, held his composure despite the mounting pressure from Batibasaga’s late charge, but you sense Batibasaga gained from those experiences of being in the breech of securing a major amateur championship and is better for it.
Other notables playing at The Federal include Matt Jager, a quarter finalist at this year’s Australian Amateur and Josh Younger, who claimed the 2007 Mandurah Easter Amateur. Both are excellent players capable of claiming the title.
Justin Roach is another player capable of securing victory this weekend.
Roach, who was runner-up at this year’s Australian Amateur, played well in America this season, particularly in the Eastern Amateur and is keen to attract the national selectors’ attention in these National Selection Trials, with selection for next year’s Eisenhower Trophy up for grabs.
Blake McGrory, who earlier in the year, held off Justin Roach in a playoff to claim the Lake Macquarie Amateur is another eager to return to the winner’s circle and impress National Selectors.
McGrory has been relatively quite since the Lake Macquarie, and is eager to claim another major amateur title.
Over 150 players, including representatives from England, New Zealand and Asia start the tournament with the final round determined on Monday following a second round cut.
With previous winners including Nick Flanagan (2003), Gavin Flint (2004) and Andrew Martin (2005), who all have turned professional, The Federal Amateur is one of the most prized and sought after amateur championship in Australia.
The timing and the associated confliction with international obligations has presented a unique opportunity for the “young guns” of Australian amateur golf to step up to the plate and secure a major amateur title and this you are sure they will do as one player’s loss will be another’s gain.
