Aussies in top form for Southern Amateur

BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2008 Southern Amateur Championship | Preview | 16 Jul 2008

With an invitation to the PGA Tour’s Bay Hill Invitational available for the tournament winner, the Southern Amateur attracts the world’s best amateurs and is rightfully placed as the 8th world ranked amateur tournament.

Australian Michael Sim won the title in 2004 and the event has been on the list since for Aussies, who tour the major US amateur circuit.

Matt Jager spearheads the ten-strong Australasian contingent when the tournament commences tomorrow at the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida.

Last week, Jager was denied his first US title at the Players Amateur by Mark Anderson courtesy of a red hot putter that saw the American fire a blistering final round 10-under-par 60, to finish five strokes ahead of Jager.

Jager’s world ranking jumped to twenty-three, as did his confidence.

“This result sets me up well for the remaining tournaments particularly the Southern,” said Jager following the Players Amateur.

“It’s great to be playing these major events and I’m looking forward to competing in the rest of the main events here in America.”

Another emerging young gun playing this week is 18-year-old Matthew Giles. The 2006 World Junior champion was the top Australian at the Dogwood Invitational a few week’s back with a T12 finish and followed that with a runner-up finish at the rain-shortened Sahalee Players Championship in Seattle.

Giles moved to the US earlier in the year and is a freshman at the University of South California. At 18, he has already received a PING All-America honourable mention by the Golf Coaches Association of America and continues to improve with every tournament he enters.

“The Southern Amateur is definitely one of the best amateur events that we play,” says Giles.

“The Lake Nona layout is a good course and you can definitely make some birdies, especially with the softer conditions due to the recent rain they have had here. I’ve had a week off since the Sahalee Players and feel I can give this tournament a real crack this week.”

Tim Stewart will be seeking to claim his maiden US amateur title and will be aiming for the same opening effort that he had at the Dogwood Invitational. The 2006 Australian Amateur champion closed the first round with a career low nine-under-par 63, to share the lead with New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Stewart is certainly capable of winning this event.

Danny Lee also is in the field and the world number four is the highest ranked player at the Southern Amateur, one ahead of Kyle Stanley, winner of this tournament in 2006.

Scott Arnold’s clubs have finally surfaced after getting lost in transit from the UK last week. It would not be surprising to see the 2008 Riversdale Cup champion produce something special this week, especially after a frustrating tournament at the Players Amateur, with borrowed sticks and questionable pin placements on the third day.

Other notable Australians playing here this week include 2007 Rice Planters champion Michael Foster, Ray Beaufils, Grant Scott and Justin Roach, runner-up at the 2007 Australian Amateur.

The championship format is a 72 hole stroke with a field of 168 international players from the US, South Africa, South American and Australasia. The cut of low 66 scorers and ties will be determined after the second round.

Australians have already secured one victory in the US this season with Matthew Griffin claiming a win at the Rice Planters and two runner-up finishes. Griffin has elected to have this week off and is currently in New York with Josh Younger.

Giles and Jager are the in-form Australian players currently in American and join Griffin, Younger, Jason Scrivener and Grant Scott as the only Australians to record top-ten finishes to date. The Southern Amateur may well be another success story for an Australian. The timing appears to be right, especially for Matt Jager and Matthew Giles.