Australian Amateur: Luck, Koh reach finale
SEATON, Australia (Jan. 18, 2014) -- In front of strong home support, Grange Golf Club member Anthony Murdaca (SA) fell agonizingly short of a place in the final when a pulled second shot on the 18th hole during the semi final left him in the trees and he lost out to New Zealander Tae Koh who found the green.
In a see-saw battle, Murdaca fought back to square the match on the 17th hole before the errant shot on the final hole cost him a chance of victory.
For Koh, from Manukau Golf Club near Auckland, a victory on Sunday would make him the first New Zealander to win the Australian Men's Amateur Championship since 2005 U.S Open champion Michael Campbell in 1992. To do that, Koh will need to beat Western Australian Curtis Luck who has been in great recent form following his win at the Boys' Victorian Junior Masters earlier in the month.
Luck defeated 2013 Victorian Amateur finalist Todd Sinnott this afternoon and has claimed an impressive list of scalps on his way to the final including last year's Australian Amateur Finalist Geoff Drakeford (VIC). This afternoon's semi final against Sinnott went down to the wire, with Luck holding a two hole advantage through 14 holes before Sinnott won back-to-back holes on 15 and 16 to square the ledger. On the final hole, Luck held his nerve while Sinnott found trouble in the right rough and had to chip back out onto the fairway.
Adding to the drama, Luck's approach hit the flag stick and rolled into the bunker but a great recovery left him with a 3 foot putt for par while Sinnott failed to make his 20 footer to force the match into extra holes.
ABOUT THE Australian Men's Amateur
The Australian Men's and Women's
Amateur
Championships are Australia's oldest
Amateur
Golf Championships, with both having
been
played since 1894. Long held as a match play event,
in 2021 the format changed to 72 holes
of stroke play.
View Complete Tournament Information