David Micheluzzi (Anthony Powter photo)
SINGAPORE (Oct. 4, 2018) – In his Asia-Pacific Amateur debut, there wasn’t a better way for Australian
David Micheluzzi to make a statement than a dramatic hole-out for eagle at the 18th hole. The shot capped an opening 6-under 64 at Sentosa Golf Club’s New Tanjong Course, and gave Micheluzzi the lead.
A seasoned competitor, the 22-year-old Micheluzzi know that means little with 54 holes still to go.
“I have been working on my pitching the last couple of weeks and that was just a perfect shot,” said Micheluzzi, who also had six birdies and two bogeys in his round. “…Obviously, it is just the first round of the tournament, but it is always good to be up in the lead. I have got three more rounds to go and I just need to take it shot-by-shot really.”
Micheluzzi’s year started with a victory at the Master of the Amateurs. He was runner-up at the Australian Men’s Amateur and a quarterfinalist at the British Amateur. This is his first Asia-Pacific start.
Micheluzzi leads three players by a single shot, including
Cheng Jin, the 2015 champion. Jin, of China, gave a hint at his scoring capability when he got hot in the middle of his round. Starting on No. 10, he was even through the first eight holes before making five birdies in a six-hole stretch. He finished with 65.
“I did not have a good start, but I made some clutch putts to not fall back early. And after I made the birdie on the 18th, I gave myself chances by hitting some good drives and then converting those opportunities,” said Jin, who finished fifth at this event last year when it was played Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.
“Sometimes, having won the tournament before can have its disadvantages because there are more expectations of you. But I know I have done it once, so I can do it again. That gives me a lot of confidence.”
Yung-Hua Liu, of Taiwan, and
Lloyd Jefferson Go, of the Philippines, also had 65. For Go, this is a familiar feeling. Go started the Western Amateur with a 63 that gave him a share of the opening lead. On that week in July, Go said he had been struggling with his game. A two-time Big East Player of the Year while at Seton Hall, Go faded away in the following stroke-play rounds at the Western and ended up not making match play. He can author a very different story in Singapore.
This is the sixth Asia-Pacific appearance for Go, 23.
“I felt I did everything very well. Unfortunately, I made bogeys on my last two holes, but otherwise I drove the ball well, hit my iron shots close and made the putts,” said Go, who had started with three birdies in his first five holes.
Australia’s
Min Woo Lee was among a group of five players tied for the fifth place at 4-under 66. It was a solid round from Lee, who is one of the favorites this week. Lee is No. 6 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Ranking.
The group at 66 also includes Cal senior K.K. Limbhasut, Indonesia’s Naraajiie Ramadhan, China’s Zheng Kai Bai and Korea’s Jin-Bo Ha.
Information from www.aacgolf.com used in this report
ABOUT THE Asia-Pacific Amateur
The Asia-Pacific Amateur (formerly known as the
Asian Amateur) is the first of a series of
worldwide
championships put together by a between the
Asia
Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters
Tournament and The R&A. The event offers the
winner an invitation to the Masters Tournament at
Augusta National Golf Club and the British Open
Championship.
The event has historically moved throughout the
region and has now been held in China,
Japan, Singapore, Thailand,
Australia and Hong Kong, Korea, and New
Zealand.
A field, topping out at 120 players, is selected by
the
following criteria.
The top two ranked amateur players from
each
of the APGC member countries plus the four
top ranked players from the host country. If
there is not a sufficient number of players
ranked from that member country, the
member
country may nominate a player(s) from
their
country, to be approved by the APGC, to
fulfill
the two positions eligible from that country.
The remainder of the field will be filled
taking
the next highest ranked players of APGC
member countries, not otherwise qualified.
The
maximum number of eligible players from
any
APGC member country (with the exception
of
the host country) is six. Additional players may
be offered at the event's discretion.
View Complete Tournament Information