McCall vs. Lee for the New Zealand Amateur title

April 21, 2012 | by

New Zealand Amateur Vaughn McCall has made the final but he has not achieved his goal just yet.

Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand (April 21, 2012) -- The 20-year-old Gore Golfer, who is looking to become the first golfer in 24 years, and the first New Zealand Golfer in 39 years, to win both the New Zealand Stroke Play and New Zealand Amateur in the same year, progressed to the final easily this afternoon with a 4 and 3 win over Tom Brockelsby.

The No.2 seed is excited about his chance to complete the rare double up against Peter Lee who defeated Tae Koh 1-up.

“The goal is not quite reached yet,” said McCall.

“I was really happy with my processes out there this afternoon. I felt myself getting quite tired. My hands were working quite hard through the swings and my short game was backing me up as well.

“To have that short game behind me – I don’t think Brockelsby was too impressed with a couple of the up and downs that I made out there – it really go into him.

“He handed me a couple of holes which were quite strange. He gifted me a couple of holes on six and seven. His ball striking was great. He was the first person I played with all week who was hitting it straighter than me throughout this tournament. It was good to grind out another win.”

McCall is no stranger to making history. He led the Southland team to their first win of the Toro Interprovincial tournament in 61 years last year and then became the first golfer from the Deep South to win the NZ Stroke Play.

If he wins this weekend he will be the first New Zealand golfer to do the famous double in almost 40 years after Tauranga golfer Mike Nicholson won both events at the Springfield Golf Club in 1973.

In his way is 17-year-old Peter Lee from the Rotorua Golf Club who has gone quietly about his work this week to make the final.

“I have played with Peter before and that was two years ago and he was a really good golfer then and I am sure he has come on in the past couple of years. He is a sensational player.”

Lee admitted he had not dreamed of winning the New Zealand Amateur title simply because he didn’t expect to progress this far.

“I know it’s a big tournament but I never thought I’d be in this position,” said Lee.

“I just wanted to make the top 32 that was my main goal for this week and after that it was just one match at a time and it turned out pretty good.

“I played really great this morning – I had two chip-ins in my round – but this afternoon I wasn’t as great but I managed to bring it back. I kept playing my game and didn’t think too far ahead.”

Lee, a Bay of Plenty local, has never seen the greens at the Mount Maunganui as fast as they are for this week.

He believed his age is not an issue when taking on New Zealand’s best amateurs.

“I don’t think too much about my age. There are a lot of other golfers at this level who are my age so I don’t think too much about that.

“I am playing against a really great player so I don’t have my hopes too high but I will do my best.

Lee is excited about the prospect of winning the New Zealand Amateur like another Lee from Rotorua, Danny Lee, did back in 2007 as a 16-year-old at the St Andrews Golf Club.

“If I play my best I certainly have a chance but I don’t want to lose my head over it. I’ll give my best to win.”

Results: New Zealand Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Win	Vaughan McCall	, New Zealand	500
Runner-up	Peter Lee	, New Zealand	400
Semifinals	Tae Koh	, New Zealand	300
Semifinals	Tom Brockelsby	, New Zealand	300
Quarterfinals	Harry Bateman	, New Zealand	200

View full results for New Zealand Amateur

About the New Zealand Amateur

McCall vs. Lee for the New Zealand Amateur title

Match play championship of New Zealand for men and women. 36 holes of stroke play qualifying to determine the final 32 players for single elimination match play.