O’Donovan added that the matchplay format was a great chance to learn about his game and how he reacts in pressure situations.

“I’ve learnt I tighten up a little when playing matchplay; some folk loosen up a bit, knowing they can make doubles & triples, and it only costs them one hole, but I find myself thinking about where my opponents are quite a bit, so I find it’s best to think I’m out there just playing by myself."

Several other hopefuls advanced to tomorrow’s quarters with varying results. 2022 NSW Junior Champion Coby Carruthers of Concord had it more challenging than most, with his morning and afternoon contests going extra holes.

Carruthers needed 20 holes to end his Concord teammate Blake Phillips’s tournament. Then, in the afternoon match, he was forced to go down the 19th against a plucky Billy Flanagan after an ill-timed bogey on the 18th.

St. Michael’s Jeff Pullen needed two extra holes to account for Sam Cascio in the morning round. Like Carruthers, he survived a scare late in the round of 16, squandering a three-hole lead on the back nine before settling with a clutch birdie on the par-three 16th. The vital late birdie proved enough, with Pullen making it through to the quarters for the first time.

Samuel Mukherjee won by one hole over Jack Phillips. The four-time Scotland Boy’s representative and Duke University Commit finished birdie-par to secure his quarter-final spot.

NSW Country Champion Andrew Kirkman, the oldest payer in the knockout phase, accounted for Moore Park’s Andrew Boaz 3/2 before cruising to an easy win over The Australian Golf Club’s 4/2. 

Harrison Glenday, who scraped into the matchplay phase in last night’s sudden-death playoff, took out the second seed, Lachie Jones, with an impressive 5/3 win in the morning round. He and Ethan Harvey, who won his morning match 3/1, staged a no-holds-barred battle for 18 holes. 

Glenday proved to be the man of the moment, holing a clutch birdie on the last for the match.

Kayun Mudundana cruised to a 2/1 win over Warren Sellors and 

in the final men’s contest of the afternoon, a mid-round run of three birdies in four holes proved enough for the impressive Vidur Subramanium in his afternoon match against Ed Proctor, eventually cruising to a 3/2 win.