Aussie trio named for Eisenhower Trophy
IN: News | Amateur Golf | World Amateur Team Championships (2008) | General | by Anthony Powter | 07 Aug 2008
The Australian team for the World Amateur Championships to be played in Adelaide in October was announced today with Matthew Griffin, Tim Stewart and Rohan Blizard selected for the three-man team to contest for the Eisenhower Trophy.
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organised by the International Golf Federation. The Championship will be played at Royal Adelaide and the Grange Golf Clubs staring 16 October, where the best two rounds of the three team members count towards a team’s daily total over a four round tournament.
“To play the world amateur golf championship is the greatest honour for an amateur golfer to achieve,” said Matt Griffin, the 6th ranked amateur in the world and winner this season of two national trial events and the 2008 US Rice Planters Amateur.
“It will be a great way to finish to my amateur career.”
Joining Griffin in the Australian team are two of Australia’s most promising amateurs in Tim Stewart and Rohan Blizard.
Stewart is only one of three Australians ever to play in the final of the 123 year history of the British Amateur Championship, which he did in 2006 and his ever expanding resume is reflective of his prodigious talent. With four major amateur titles already to his credit, including the 2006 Australian Amateur Championship and 2007 Singapore Open Amateur, as well as numerous runner-up finishes in the US, Stewart’s international record is impressive.
“This will be the pinnacle event for my amateur career and even more exciting is that it is on home soil,” remarked Stewart, ranked 14 in the world.
“Looking at the teams over the previous years, I never dreamed that I would achieve the selection, but now that I have got it I cannot wait to play and hope fully win for Australia.”
Rohan Blizard makes up the final team member after qualifying for this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale as well as winning the East of Scotland title, a UK national trial event.
Blizard’s form going in to The Open qualifier showed signs of brilliance with UK tournaments punctuated with low round scores, including a 69 on the final day of the Scottish Amateur to finish T8 and a second round 66 at the St Andrews Links Trophy. Blizard’s Australian summer results included a win at the NSW Amateur Medal, a top-16 finish at the Australian Amateur and six top-10 finishes in National trial events.
He’s travelled extensively and has established himself as a top-class amateur, yet the world number 7 was thrilled to have been selected.
“It’s a great honour to have been selected,” Blizard remarked.
“Royal Adelaide is one of my top-3 courses and it will be great to play the world’s best amateurs in a team event with Tim [Stewart] and Matt [Griffin]. We all get along well together and this will no doubt push you to play your best.”
Australia last won the championship in 1996 at the Southwoods Country Club in the Philippines defeating Sweden and was runner-up to Great Britain and Ireland in 1998 at Club de Golf, Los Leones, Chile.
Netherlands are the defending champions after they captured the Eisenhower Trophy by two strokes over Canada when the championships were played in South Africa in 2006. The 2006 Australian team of Stephen Dartnell, Won Joon Lee and Andrew Tampion finished T12, a result which Blizard, Stewart and Griffin will be seeking to improve upon.
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