New South Wales Men's Amateur: Declan O'Donovan wins his opening match the hard way
Declan O'Donovan (NSW Golf Photo)
In the men’s, top seed O’Donovan remains on track to add another title to his NSW Medal and Avondale Amateur win. He had to do it the hard way in the afternoon round of 16 against his Avondale clubmate, Riley Millers.
Three down after nine, O’Donovan dug deep on the homeward stretch to claw his way back into the contest. The 20-year-old went eagle-par-birdie-par over the last four holes to get back to all-square before sealing the deal with a birdie on the second hole for sudden death.
“It seems like I’m the comeback king,” O’Donovan grinned. I made one of the best birdies I’ve made in a long while on 17. I got a little lucky on 18, and I two-putted.”
O'Donovan added, "I don’t like losing, and being down early on was frustrating, but I can play some pretty good golf when I have to, and I did it this afternoon."
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.
Recap courtesy of David Tease of NSW Golf
ABOUT THE NSW Men's Amateur
The NSW Medal is played over two courses. It is
two rounds of 18-holes stroke play and then match
play.
The field is evenly divided between the two
venues for the first day’s play with players
changing venues for their second round. The winner
of
the 36 holes stroke play
section of the Championship is the winner of the
NSW Medal.
The leading 32 players from the NSW Medal
(who have nominated to play in the NSW
Amateur) will be eligible to compete in the NSW
Amateur Championship Match Play, with each
match played over 18-holes other than the Final
which is played over 36-holes. The match play is
seeded with ties determined by lot.
View Complete Tournament Information