Crabtree, Nishimura take top honors at Riversdale Cup

March 10, 2019 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Yuna Nishimura and Christopher Crabtree (Golf Australia/Twitter photo)

Christopher Crabtree birdied his final hole for a one-shot win on two fellow Australians

In a field loaded with Australia’s best talent, Christopher Crabtree rose to the top. The 23-year-old, a two-time club champion at Greg Norman’s Pelican Waters on the Sunshine Coast, finished with a one-shot victory after 72 holes at the Riversdale Cup.

What’s better, Crabtree had to bury a birdie putt on the final hole just to stay ahead of two younger chasers. Crabtree was 17 under for the week at Riversdale Golf Club in Victoria, Australia. His final-round 5-under 67 included an eagle at the par-5 sixth – his third of the week – and four consecutive birdies from Nos. 8-11.

At 23, of course, Crabtree is a bit older than the teenagers challenging for the title behind him. According to Golf Australia, Crabtree is coached by Cameron Smith’s mentor Grant Field and works out of the Queensland Academy of Sport. He played soccer until he was 14, thus getting a late start in golf.

Crabtree said he hoped the victory would raise his world ranking, and thus get him starts overseas this year.

“I feel like this performance has been coming,” he told Golf Australia. “It was just a matter of when.”

Among the men who Crabtree was barely able to keep at bay was Blake Collyer. The fellow Australian won the Dunes Medal and the Cotton States Invitational (in the U.S.) in 2018. Countryman Aiden Didone also finished tied for second.

Nathan Barbieri, runner-up at both the New South Wales Amateur and the Australian Men’s Amateur, was part of a three-way tie for seventh.

Blake Windred, who carries the second-best world ranking of any Australian (behind only David Micheluzzi) tied for 14th.

In the women’s division, Japan’s Yuna Nishimura beat compatriot Miyu Yamashita and Australia Rebecca Kay by three shots. Most notably, Nishimura is the player who finished runner-up at the inaugural Women’s Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2018, and will play the event again this year considering that the winner earns a spot in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur

Information from Golf Australia used in this report

Results: Riversdale Cup

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Chris Crabtree	, Australia	1000	68-70-66-67=271
T2	Blake Collyer	, Australia	700	73-63-67-69=272
T2	Aiden Didone	, Australia	700	68-68-66-70=272
4	Dylan Gardner	, Australia	500	65-72-68-68=273
5	Alessandro Noseda	, Switzerland	500	73-67-68-68=276

View full results for Riversdale Cup

About the Riversdale Cup

Crabtree, Nishimura take top honors at Riversdale Cup

Australia’ second oldest amateur 72-hole golf tournament is The Riversdale Cup. It is one of the most highly participated events in the Australian amateur golf calendar. More than 250 men and women from around the world compete in the event each year...