Two course records set on first day of Australia Master of the Amateurs
John Gough
It didn't take long for some of the best amateurs in the world to leave their mark on Southern Golf Club in Melbourne, which is hosting the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship for the first time.
England’s
John Gough and Japan's
Yuna Araki opened with rounds of 64 (-8) and 67 (-6) to set new men's and women's course records at Southern Golf Club and grab early leads at Australia's most prestigious amateur event.
Gough, who played collegiately at Charlotte, made four birdies in his last five holes to finish three shots clear of Japan’s Taichiro Ideriha, Australia’s Jeffrey Guan and Scotland’s Gregor Tait who are all tied on 5-under.
Four golfers, including American
Nick Gabrelcik, are four back after carding rounds of 68 on Tuesday.
Gough, whose impressive resume includes wins at the
Palmetto Amateur and
English Amateur in 2021 and the
Spanish International and
Lytham Trophy last year, had nine birdies against just one bogey for his 8-under par round at the Southern Golf Club, which is hosting the event for the first time.
Defending champion
Harrison Crowe is off the pace after carding a 2-under 70 in his opening round, as is two-time
Northeast Amateur champion
Dylan Menante.
Araki, who recently tied for third at the
Women's Asia-Pacific Amateur held in November, birdied her last two holes for a round of 67 and a two-shot lead over countrywoman Mizuki Hashimoto and Caitlin Peirce of Australia.
The Australian Master of the Amateurs Championships is a 72-hole stroke championship with a cut after 54-holes.
ABOUT THE Master of the Amateurs
The Master of the Amateurs, a 72-hole medal play
Championship,
has rapidly become one of the
elite championships in amateur golf. Like The
Masters, the champion
receives a Green Jacket. Contestants
participate in the first round of the
championship with professional golfers in a
unique Am-Pro Invitational.
The Master of the Amateurs winner gets an
invitation to the Porter
Cup in the U.S. Likewise the winners of those
two tournaments receive invitations to the
next Master of the Amateurs tournament.
A qualifying round (see tournament
website for date and handicap requirement)
allows
three non-exempt players to earn invitations
into the prestigious field.
View Complete Tournament Information