CAMPBELL v FOX IN AUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH-PLAY FINAL
FROM STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
New Zealand's Ben Campbell has secured a place in tomorrow's final of the Australian amateur match-play championship after a monumental battle with compatriot Ryan Fox in Melbourne today.
Last year's runner-up had to endure three extra holes before claiming his place in the 36-hole final where he will meet Australian Matthew Stieger at Victoria Golf Club. Campbell, the world's 14th-ranked amateur, displayed all his experience and attitude to sneak home in the morning quarter-final, a one-hole victor over South Australia's Brad Moules.
He made a hot start to the semi-final against Fox, going two-up after nine holes and finishing five-under par.
Campbell moved to three-up with four holes to play before Fox got one back with a birdie on the 15th, another with a par on the 17th and then a brilliant tap-in eagle on the par-5 18th to send the match into extra holes.
Campbell thought he had won the contest when his 4m birdie on the first extra hole slid in and then out of the cup, with his celebratory fist-pump proving premature.
They halved the second play-off hole and Campbell got the job done when he two-putted from 20m while Fox failed to get up and down out of the bunker.
Earlier, Fox was in outstanding form to dispose of Englishman Dave Coupland, runner-up in the stroke-play section of the Australian men's amateur championship, 2 and 1.
Australian Bryden Macpherson, the New Zealand stroke-play champion three years ago, ended the hopes of Waikato's Mat Perry 4 and 3 in the quarter-final but the Victorian, who has a New Zealand mother, lost three of his last four holes for Stieger to triumph 2 and 1 in the semi-finals.
Campbell has the chance to emulate the feat of his namesake Michael Campbell, who is the only New Zealander to have won the Australian amateur title in more than 100 years.
New Zealand's Ben Campbell has secured a place in tomorrow's final of the Australian amateur match-play championship after a monumental battle with compatriot Ryan Fox in Melbourne today.
Last year's runner-up had to endure three extra holes before claiming his place in the 36-hole final where he will meet Australian Matthew Stieger at Victoria Golf Club. Campbell, the world's 14th-ranked amateur, displayed all his experience and attitude to sneak home in the morning quarter-final, a one-hole victor over South Australia's Brad Moules.
He made a hot start to the semi-final against Fox, going two-up after nine holes and finishing five-under par.
Campbell moved to three-up with four holes to play before Fox got one back with a birdie on the 15th, another with a par on the 17th and then a brilliant tap-in eagle on the par-5 18th to send the match into extra holes.
Campbell thought he had won the contest when his 4m birdie on the first extra hole slid in and then out of the cup, with his celebratory fist-pump proving premature.
They halved the second play-off hole and Campbell got the job done when he two-putted from 20m while Fox failed to get up and down out of the bunker.
Earlier, Fox was in outstanding form to dispose of Englishman Dave Coupland, runner-up in the stroke-play section of the Australian men's amateur championship, 2 and 1.
Australian Bryden Macpherson, the New Zealand stroke-play champion three years ago, ended the hopes of Waikato's Mat Perry 4 and 3 in the quarter-final but the Victorian, who has a New Zealand mother, lost three of his last four holes for Stieger to triumph 2 and 1 in the semi-finals.
Campbell has the chance to emulate the feat of his namesake Michael Campbell, who is the only New Zealander to have won the Australian amateur title in more than 100 years.
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, March 22, 2011
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home