Michael Smyth leads Federal Amateur

BY Anthony Powter | Australian Mens Amateur Tour | 2008 Federal Amateur Open Championship | Round One | 03 Oct 2008

New South Wales State representative Michael Smyth is the first round leader at the Federal Amateur in Canberra after firing a superb 5-under-par 67.

A group of four players follow Smyth at 3-under-par, including Jin Jeong, Luke Bleumick, Ben Weatherly and Daniel Loveridge who carded the afternoon low round, 69, when most of the afternoon field struggled to break par.

Smyth was able to resurrect the form that saw him claim a share of 3rd place at the Lake Macquarie Amateur back in January. Ranked 394 in the world, Smyth has experienced a patchy run with National selection trial events since his efforts at Belmont.

With missed cuts at the Riversdale Cup, and the Australian Amateur back in April, followed by a T34rd at the Keperra Bowl, Smyth’s game of late has been anything but consistent.

“I haven’t been playing that well lately,” he said after his round today.

“I had no expectations here in Canberra and just went out to enjoy the round and I think with the score that I finished with, I must have been playing a different course to the others.”

Smyth’s first round was the perfect start to the Australian season opener and joined the few in today’s field to break par around the Red Hill layout, just south of Parliament House in Canberra.

Matt Griffin fired an opening 1-under-par 71, to be only four off the pace, whilst defending champion Daniel Beckmann closed with a respectable even-par 72.

They are five behind Smyth and in T13 position along with a group of players including Nicholas Cullen, Jason Scrivener, Scott Arnold, and the in-form Matt Jager, who on Sunday won his first international title at the Tournament of International Jockey Club of Rosario in Argentina.

Both Jager and Arnold teamed up to win two-man teams format by 16 shots over host nation Argentina and defend Australia’s title in Argentina. They were noticeably tired during today’s opening round, having only just arrived back in the country.

This year, the Federal Amateur has attracted a strong field which includes two of the world’s top-20 ranked players in Griffin (5) and Jager (18), as well as four players in the world’s top-40 with Josh Younger (21), Scott Arnold (24), France’s Victor Dubuisson (29) and runner-up at the Australian Amateur, Michael Foster (37).

Back in 2004 the Federal Amateur received National trial event status and has developed into one of the main Australian amateur events on our calendar. Previous winners include current PGA Tour player Nick Flanagan (2003), Asian Tour player Gavin Flint (2004), Andrew Martin (2005) and a recent winner on the Asian Tour, Rick Kulacz (2006).

It’s therefore surprising the event is yet to receive the international ranking it deserves. Then again with the strength of this weekend’s field, it’s only a matter of time before that will change.

The tournament certainly promises to be open with the usual challengers of Griffin, Jager, Arnold, Scrivener, as well as Beckmann and Cullen, all positioning themselves early.

At the same time the internationals are making their move, especially France’s Victor Dubuiisson, winner of the 2008 Mexican Amateur and a 3rd place finisher in the Western Amateur back in August. He’s certain to make his mark here before heading to Adelaide for the Eisenhower Trophy.