Australian Amateur title just eludes England international
An inspired run of golf just failed to carry England international Arron Edwards-Hill to Australian Amateur glory in New South Wales today.
The Essex player eventually finished in a tie for second, just two shots behind New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori, who surged clear on the final day thanks to a closing 66 (-6)
Edwards-Hill, who finished runner-up to Christian Maas at the Brabazon Trophy in May, was one of 11 players who started the fourth round within two shots of the lead and he maintained the form that saw him spring into contention yesterday.
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Scores rose sharply in the third round and the Chelmsford star was struggling to make headway early on, reaching the turn in one over.
However a run of four straight birdies, starting at the 11th, catapulted him into the title reckoning and he closed with an eagle to leave himself just one shot off the 54-hole lead, held jointly by Kobori, Ireland’s Robert Moran and Japan’s Taishi Moto.
This morning Edwards-Hill kept applying the pressure, going bogey-free to finish with a 67. However Kobori eagled the fifth and birdied eight, 11 and 12 to gain a stranglehold on the event while Moto was his main danger for most of the day until the Japanese ace bogeyed 16 and 17. He would finish level with Edwards-Hill.
Recent Australian Master of the Amateurs champion John Gough also went into the final day with high hopes. He started the fourth round on level terms with his international team-mate but a bogey on 12 and a triple on 15 ended his chances.
Australian Master of the Amateurs runner-up Gregor Tait (Aldeburgh) was another to tee off today just one off the lead but a poor start from the Scottish international put paid to his chances. The South East Links champion opened with a double and then went bogey, par, bogey, eagle, bogey and would eventually finish in a tie for ninth alongside Gough.
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Kent’s Kipp Popert, the country’s leading disabled golfer, was just two back after the third round thanks to a superb third-round 67.
However today the 24-year-old Wildernesse golfer tripled 16 and bogeyed 17 to eventually finish in a tie for 25th.
The Australian Amateur remains one of the biggest amateur golf titles despite having switched to a 72-hole stroke play in 2021. Previous British winners include Connor Syme (2016), Eric Ramsay (2005), Jack Doherty (2003) and Warren Bennett (1994).