British Amateur Leaderboard Has International Flavor
6/18/2018 | by Royal & Ancient
see also: View results for British Amateur, Royal St. George's Golf Club
Nine countries - including the U.S. and Canada - are represented in the top 10 after the first round at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar
ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND (June 18, 2018) - South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber led the way after the first round of stroke play qualifying in The 123rd Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links today.
The 18-year-old from Bloemfontein got off to a fine start at the par 70 Murcar with birdie threes at his opening two holes. Nienaber, who lost out in a play-off to England’s Nick Poppleton in the Brabazon Trophy earlier this month, notched up three birdies in five holes from the 4th but bogeyed the par three 5th. He bounced back from a dropped shot at the 10th with a birdie at the 14th on his way to a four-under-par 66.
In blustery but sunny conditions in the north east, Australia’s David Micheluzzi and Canada’s Sam Meek finished two strokes back on two-under-par. Micheluzzi, the 2018 Australian Masters of the Amateur champion, slipped into top gear from the start at Royal Aberdeen with five birdies in his opening seven holes and just the one dropped shot. Birdies on the 12th and 13th were undone by an untidy finish with three bogeys in the 21-year-old’s last four holes as he completed a 69 on the par 71 course.
Windy Conditions “If I was told I would have shot 69 today before the round I would have been pretty happy with it but I’m pretty disappointed at how I finished,” he said.
“These holes into the wind are so difficult. I just tried to keep it in play and I made a good bogey at the last which hopefully gives me momentum.”
At the same venue, Meek enjoyed something of a rollercoaster round with the undoubted highlight being a magnificent albatross two on the 487-yard par five sixth. His purple patch began with birdies on the 4th and 5th and continued with another at the 8th but he ran into trouble with a double bogey six at the 10th. A birdie at the 14th was sandwiched with dropped shots at the 13th and the 15th which meant he finished with a 69.
“I had no idea it went in,” said the 19-year-old. “It was totally blind. I had 240 yards so I just hit 5 iron up there. It looked good but I really had no idea until the people up there started jumping so I figured it was in the hole. That was a pretty good feeling – I’ve never made one of those before. I just need a hole in one and then I can say I’ve got this!”
Hovland in the hunt
Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the highest-ranked player in the field, and a member of the NCAA Champion Oklahoma State University golf team, posted a one-under-par round of 70 at Royal Aberdeen, while the leading Scot was Euan McIntosh from Turnhouse who carded a level-par 71 at the same venue.
The 288-strong field will play the second stroke play qualifying round tomorrow with the leading 64 and ties qualifying for the match play stage. Play gets underway at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links at 7am.
Admission is free to the public. Fans can also book a spot at Carnoustie for the return of The Open, from July 15-22, with 123 tickets available in a prize draw at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links. Spectators who attend The Amateur Championship can enter the draw at stations set up at both courses.
The 18-year-old from Bloemfontein got off to a fine start at the par 70 Murcar with birdie threes at his opening two holes. Nienaber, who lost out in a play-off to England’s Nick Poppleton in the Brabazon Trophy earlier this month, notched up three birdies in five holes from the 4th but bogeyed the par three 5th. He bounced back from a dropped shot at the 10th with a birdie at the 14th on his way to a four-under-par 66.
Windy Conditions “If I was told I would have shot 69 today before the round I would have been pretty happy with it but I’m pretty disappointed at how I finished,” he said.
“These holes into the wind are so difficult. I just tried to keep it in play and I made a good bogey at the last which hopefully gives me momentum.”
At the same venue, Meek enjoyed something of a rollercoaster round with the undoubted highlight being a magnificent albatross two on the 487-yard par five sixth. His purple patch began with birdies on the 4th and 5th and continued with another at the 8th but he ran into trouble with a double bogey six at the 10th. A birdie at the 14th was sandwiched with dropped shots at the 13th and the 15th which meant he finished with a 69.
“I had no idea it went in,” said the 19-year-old. “It was totally blind. I had 240 yards so I just hit 5 iron up there. It looked good but I really had no idea until the people up there started jumping so I figured it was in the hole. That was a pretty good feeling – I’ve never made one of those before. I just need a hole in one and then I can say I’ve got this!”
Hovland in the hunt
Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the highest-ranked player in the field, and a member of the NCAA Champion Oklahoma State University golf team, posted a one-under-par round of 70 at Royal Aberdeen, while the leading Scot was Euan McIntosh from Turnhouse who carded a level-par 71 at the same venue.
The 288-strong field will play the second stroke play qualifying round tomorrow with the leading 64 and ties qualifying for the match play stage. Play gets underway at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links at 7am.
Admission is free to the public. Fans can also book a spot at Carnoustie for the return of The Open, from July 15-22, with 123 tickets available in a prize draw at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links. Spectators who attend The Amateur Championship can enter the draw at stations set up at both courses.
Results: British Amateur
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | , South Africa | 1800 | ||
| Runner-up | , Ireland | 1200 | ||
| Semifinals | , England | 900 | ||
| Semifinals | , Ireland | 900 | ||
| Quarterfinals | , England | 700 |
About the British Amateur
This championship, along with the US Amateur Golf Championship, is considered the most important in amateur golf. The first stage of the Championship involves 288 players each of whom plays two rounds of 18 holes, one to be played on each of the two ...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original