Australian Master of the Amateurs: 16-year old D.J. Loypur in lead
MELBOURNE, Australia (Jan. 10, 2012) -- Gusty conditions at Royal Melbourne didn’t seem to affect the scoring in today’s opening round of the Australian Master of the Amateurs.
10 players came in under par. The score of the day, 66, came from 16 year old D.J Loypur … it’s just three shots off the record for the west course. A member at Heritage Golf Club in the Yarra Valley, D.J had five birdies on the front nine. He was probably kicking himself after a double bogey on the 134-metre par three 13th.
It was his only real blemish for the day. Another local, Woodlands golfer Nathan Holman is just one shot off the lead after a very even round that included five birdies.
Another seven players are within four shots of the lead, including world amateur number 5, American Kelly Kraft. He’s getting the feel of this course storming home with 32 on the back nine. Englishman Niel Raymond and leading Australian amateur Matthew Stieger both finished two under for the day.
Youngest player in the field, 13 year old Tian Lang Guan from China finished even after the first day. He birdied the first then had three successive pars before another birdie on five. He found the back nine a little more challenging, but a birdie on the last has left him with a taste for an even better round tomorrow.
Round 2 tees off from 8.30 tomorrow morning and there is NO admission charge to Royal Melbourne.
ABOUT THE Master of the Amateurs
The Master of the Amateurs, a 72-hole medal play
Championship,
has rapidly become one of the
elite championships in amateur golf. Like The
Masters, the champion
receives a Green Jacket. Contestants
participate in the first round of the
championship with professional golfers in a
unique Am-Pro Invitational.
The Master of the Amateurs winner gets an
invitation to the Porter
Cup in the U.S. Likewise the winners of those
two tournaments receive invitations to the
next Master of the Amateurs tournament.
A qualifying round (see tournament
website for date and handicap requirement)
allows
three non-exempt players to earn invitations
into the prestigious field.
View Complete Tournament Information