Koh tops Luck, wins Australian Amateur

January 19, 2014 | by

-- Golf Australia Photo

New Zealand's Tae Koh, 19, won his first career major with a resounding 6-and-5 win over Curtis Luck

SEATON, Australia (Jan. 19, 2014) -- New Zealand 19 year-old Tae Koh clinched the first major win of his amateur career on his first trip to Australia with a resounding 6&5 win over Western Australian Curtis Luck at The Australian Amateur Championship presented by Audi at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide.

The Manukau Golf Club member and World Number 275 led 4up after the first 18 holes and said he was overwhelmed to clinch victory.

"It feels great obviously. Winning 6&5 was a pretty good effort I thought. I thought it was going to be a pretty tough match. You play pretty good players. To do it in that fashion is awesome," Koh said.

In doing so, Koh becomes the first New Zealand man to win the title since former U.S Open champion Michael Campbell did in 1992. Koh also earns an exemption into the Emirates Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney later this year.

"That’s big – Michael Campbell won a major and was a great player. Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps. The Australian Open – wow. Big crowds, I’ll have to get used to that. Hopefully I get to play with some good pros and see what they do," Koh said.

Born in Korea, Koh moved to New Zealand at the age of six and began playing golf when he was seven after caddying for this father. He stopped playing golf for four years in his early teens to pursue cricket and soccer before returning to the golf course four and half years ago.

For Luck, from Cottesloe Golf Club, it was the end of a solid week and continues his good form in 2014 following his win at the Boys' Victorian Junior Masters earlier in January.

Results: Australian Mens Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Win	Tae Koh	, New Zealand	1200
Runner-up	Curtis Luck	, Australia	900
Semifinals	Antonio Murdaca	, Australia	700
Semifinals	Todd Sinnott	, Australia	700
Quarterfinals	David Snyder	McAllen, TX	500

View full results for Australian Mens Amateur

About the Australian Mens 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.