Austin Bautista
(Australian Open Photo)
RED HILL, Australia (November 6, 2016) -- For the second consecutive year Austin Bautista has won the Australian Federal Open. On the 36-hole final day at the Federal Golf Club Bautista shot rounds of 73-68 to finish 8-under and one shot in front of runner-up Charlie Dann.
Last year when Bautista won the event last year he was able to cruise to a stress free nine-stroke victory, the 2016 title would prove to be anything except stress free.
When Bautista teed off on Sunday he was 5-under and ahead by two shots but he dropped a stroke during his third round and thus began his last round 4-under.
However, if anyone was thinking that the defending champion had lost his mojo in the third round they couldn't have been more wrong. Bautista came rolling out of the gates with birdies on Nos. 1, 4 and 5 to reach 7-under.
A 1-over stretch from Nos. 6-8 did slow him down a bit but he was able to regain his form and reach 9-under by rolling in three more birdies on the 10th, 12th and 14th.
At this point Bautista seemed to be in control of his game as he led Dann by two shots with four holes remaining. That lead would however vanish quickly as Bautista hit a wayward tee shot at 15 that led to a double-bogey.
Bautista credited his caddy and 2015 Federal Golf Club champion Harry Brazil for minimizing the damage, "Harry’s advice calmed a tense moment and got me back in the space I needed to be."
A ship righting par followed on the 16th and then on the ensuing hole Bautista converted what proved to be the tournament winning birdie.
Dann put together rounds of 73-67 on Sunday but he would be done in by a bogey on the 18th after he had been tied for the lead following a 17th hole birdie of his own.
Jordan Ayre finished third at 5-under while Ryan Chisnall and Blake Proverbs shared fourth at 4-under.
36-HOLE RECAP
Austin Bautista has moved into the 36-hole lead at the Australian Federal Open Amateur. Bautista has reached 5-under following a 3-under 69 on day two at The Federal Golf Club.
The week for Bautista got off to a slow start on Friday with a 1-over frontside, since his opening nine he has been close to flawless. Bautista turned the tide with three straight birdies coming home on Friday setting the stage for his second round.
In the second round the 2015 Australian Open participant recovered from a 3rd hole bogey with a birdie on No. 6 and an eagle on the par-5 7th to reach 4-under for the week. Moving to the backside it was a three birdie, two bogey homeward stretch that pushed him to 5-under.
Second place Charlie Dann has used rounds rounds of 69-72 to post 3-under, Ben Ferguson is in third place at 2-under, first round leader Justin Kim is in fourth at 1-under while five others are even-par and fifth.
ABOUT THE Federal Open Amateur
72 hole stroke play championship with a cut
after 36 holes.
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