Tim Stewart claims Tasmanian Open
BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2008 Tasmanian Open Championship | Round Three | 24 Feb 2008
Tim Stewart has confirmed his standing as one of Australia’s most promising amateurs following his win at the Tasmanian Open at Devonport Golf Club today. Stewart was the only player to finish the tournament under par, at 4 under, four strokes ahead of his nearest rival, Luke Young.
Daniel Beckmann, the 2007 Federal Amateur champion was equal 3rd at +1, along with Daniel Stevenson. Victorian Josh Younger finished 5th, at +3, followed by two up-comers, Jason Scrivener and Matt Jager, both at +4, who both recorded their second consecutive top ten National Trial event finish.
The Tasmanian Open is another major amateur victory for Stewart, building upon his wins at the 2007 Singapore Amateur and Australian Amateur. It places the 23-year-old and 2007 British Amateur runner-up in good standing for defending his title at the Riversdale Cup starting 7 March.
“I said to myself at the beginning of the round that, ‘I need to get to 4-under to have a chance here’, and I just kept it going,” remarked Stewart, who had rounds of 68-72-66 in the rain-shortened event.
Stewart’s final round of 4-under-par, 66, included eight birdies and an eagle, in testing conditions, where the majority of the field struggled to score.
“It was at least a five club breeze out there and it was gusty, making it extremely hard to find the fairways and greens,” remarked Stewart.
Stewart was frank about his recent form going into the tournament this week. By his own standards, he felt his game over the last three months was missing something. A new set of clubs a few days before the start of the tournament in Tasmania appears to have made all the difference.
“I’m playing with a new set of clubs that I only got this week and compared to what I was using before, they’re more reliable and it got my confidence back up there.”
“It’s great to get a win quickly. My game is back to where it was three months ago and it feels good.”
Stewart’s last major amateur title was in October last year, when he won the Singapore Open Amateur Championship, and secured an invitation to play in the Barclays Singapore Open the following week. Stewart also made it onto a Canadian Tour event at the Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga through Monday qualifying last August.
Pushing his game and mixing it with the professionals has obviously paid dividends for the 2006 Australian Amateur Champion, as he continues his quest for more major amateur titles.
“That’s the objective, to win as many of these amateur titles as I can,” remarks Stewart.
“I was able to simply just stay in there today, and it’s good to know I could get there being under the pump.”
With approximately five main Australian amateur titles still to be determined this season, Stewart is perfectly positioned to bag more amateur titles, both locally and internationally and confirm his status as one of the world’s best amateurs.
