2008: Year of the Amateur

BY Anthony Powter | 05 Jan 2009

The year 2008 was full of achievements for Australasian amateurs, not to mention changes with a number of Australia’s top amateurs moving into the professional ranks after the completion of the World Amateur Championships in October.

The year was arguably highlighted with Danny Lee’s stellar performances in the US, in particular in August where Lee claimed the Havemeyer Trophy to became the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur Championship. At 18 years and 1 month, Lee topped Tiger Woods’ efforts as the youngest winner, who was 18 years, 7 months, when he won the first of his three consecutive US Amateur titles in 1994.

Lee’s year started superbly when he claimed his first international victory outside New Zealand at the Lake Macquarie Amateur in January. Lee obliterated the field at Belmont with a final round 69 to finish the tournament 20-under-par and 10 shots ahead of nearest rival, Australia’s top ranked player at the time, Matthew Griffin.

The win for Lee at the Lake Macquarie Amateur would be a sign of things to come in what arguably was one of the finest ever modern-era achievements by any male amateur in a single season.

In August Lee secured the World’s top amateur ranking from American Rickie Fowler following his win at The Western Amateur in the US, where he won both the the medallist and matchplay honours. A week earlier Lee collected the William C. Campbell Award following the Porter Cup. A prize given to the player to record the low aggregate score in the Northeast Amateur, Players Amateur and Porter Cup, all main US amateur tournaments.

Lee rightfully took the year out as the world number one as he received numerous invitations to play both on the PGA Tour, European and Australasian Tours. Lee is set to play the Abu Dhabi Championship next week, followed by the Qatar Masters and Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour.

Scott Arnold confirmed he standing as one of our best amateurs winning the Riversdale Cup back in March after a play-off from Kieran Pratt. Arnold travelled extensively throughout Europe during the Australian winter and secured top-20 finishes at the Scottish Amateur, St Andrew Links and British Amateur stroke play.

The Australian Men’s Amateur Championships at Royal Adelaide witnessed a truly international affair with the R&A’s ranked world number one, England’s Daniel Wilett, winning the Australian Amateur Medal over a strong field in April, whilst Norway’s Anders Kristiansen won the championship title over Michael Foster 7&6 in the final.

West Australia’s Kristie Smith cruised to a 9&8 victory over Stacey Keating in Australian Women’s Amateur Championship, after Stephanie Na collected the medal in stroke play.

Na confirmed her ranking at Australia’s top female amateur golfer when in August she claimed the US Amateur medal with world number two, Amanda Blumenhurst, at Eugene Country Club in Oregon. The South Australian also claimed the West Australian Stroke Play Championship and was joint medallist at the Victorian Stroke Play Championship.

In May, Matthew Griffin sunk a critical six footer on the final hole to win the Keperra Bowl and claim his second National Trial event after winning the Mandurah Easter Amateur a month earlier. Griffin would go onto win in July the Rice Planters Championship in the US to secure his first international victory and elevate himself to world number four and retain that ranking until turning professional in October after the World Amateur Team Championships in Adelaide, where Australia finished 6th.

Locally Moore Park Golf Club secured the prized Sydney Major Pennant Flag over Pymble Golf Club in May, whilst Victoria Golf Club claimed another Division 1 Victorian Golf Association Pennant Flag over Yarra Yarra.

The Victorian Team won the rain shortened Australian Interstate Series at Monash Country Club in September, whilst New South Wales collected the Gladys Hay interstate series.

A number of emerging young Australian guns also made their marks throughout the year.

Matt Jager in October secured his first National Trial event with the 2008 Federal Amateur, a week after winning in the Jockey Club Championship in Argentina and ended the year as Australia’s top ranked amateur and world number 16 following stellar performances both at home and in the US, including a runner-up finish at The US Players Amateur in July.

Jason Scrivener finished the season with a bag of top-10 National Trial event finishes as will as a top-10 at the Players Amateur in the US. Sydney’s Brendan Smith exhibited solid performances in Argentina, Japan and locally including a T3rd at the Riversdale Cup in March. Matthew Giles was runner-up at the rain-shortened Sahalee Players Championship in July in the US and also received a PING All-America honourable mention by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

Ryan McCarthy won the Tasmanian Amateur, was undefeated during the Australian Interstate Series and finished runner-up to Matt Griffin at the Keperra Bowl in one big season for the Tasmanian. Bryden Macpherson capped off the year with a win in December at The Dunes Medal, which included a course record 63 in the process to elevate the young Victorian into the main amateur arena. Both MacCarthy and Macpherson are names to follow during 2009, which will their first international season on the world amateur circuit.

The World Amateur Teams Championship for only the second time in Australia was hosted by The Grange and Royal Adelaide during October with 126 teams from 52 countries competing. The Scottish team proved easy winners over the USA and Sweden to claim the Eisenhower Trophy, whilst Australia finished 6th. American Rickie Fowler secured top individual score and the world number two is to return this month to compete in the NEC Master of the Amateurs at Yarra Yarra.

Sweden easily won the Espirito Santo Cup in the women’s championship.

With the departure of Rohan Blizard, Tim Stewart, Matthew Griffin to the professional ranks throughout the year the next wave of promising Australian talent are ready to step into the breech.

With the likes of Matt Jager, Matt Giles, Jason Scrivener, Jordan Sherratt, Ryan McCarthy, Brendan Smith and Bryden Macpherson, just to name a few, making their respective marks on the world amateur stage during 2008, Australian male amateur golf in particular is certainly set for an exciting 2009.