Berkshire star wins Australian Master of the Amateur by four shots
John Gough’s growing global reputation was further enhanced today as the Englishman conjured up a brilliant final round to secure the prestigious Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship in Melbourne.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
The Berkshire player added to his glittering array of major amateur titles with a four-shot victory over Suffolk-based Scot Gregor Tait at The Southern Club in a competition which is officially rated as Australia’s best.
Gough, who last year won the Lytham Trophy and Spanish Amateur, started the day just one shot clear of Tait, but blew away the rest of the field as he rattled in six birdies in his opening ten holes.
The 24-year-old, who broke the course record on day one, celebrated with other British players who had made the long trip and the World No 19 will move within shouting distance of a top ten spot after closing with a hugely-impresive 15-under-par total. Recent winners of the event have included Jason Day and rising PGA Tour star Sahith Theegala.
He said: “It was great to come so far across the world and get the win.
“Really it was a challenge. Not only travelling as far as I did but playing in the conditions that I played in this week. It was delightful to get the win.
“Before coming over my dad did say you do see all four seasons in Melbourne and I can completely agree with it now. I got sunburn and windburn more than anything.
John Gough’s phenomenal run in major amateur events since June 2021:
• June 2021 – Palmetto Amateur (USA): 1st
• June 2021 – English Men’s Amateur: 1st
• August 2021 – Brabazon Trophy: 3rd
• September 2021 – SE of England Links: 3rd
• December 2022 – South Beach International Amateur (USA): 17th
• February 2022 – Jones Cup Invitational (USA): 3rd
• March 2022: – Spanish Amateur: 1st
• May 2022 – Lytham Trophy: 1st
• May 2022 – Brabazon Trophy: 10th
• May 2022 – Scottish Open: 2nd
• June 2022 – The Amateur: 3rd
• Aug 2022 – US Amateur: 121st
• Sept 2022 – World Amateur Team: 31st
• January 2023 – Australian Master of the Amateurs: 1st
“The first day was perfect conditions, a great round of golf and shooting the course record and I was obviously delighted with that.
“And then on day two it was a completely different day. Teeing off at 1.30 and then all the wind that we had… it was just brutal.
“I managed to battle the elements as much as the rest of the players and it turned out good.”
The late tee off on day two was a huge factor in Gough losing his lead to Japan’s Taichiro Ideriha although a third-round 67 (-5) put him back on top heading in today’s finale.
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Playing alongside Tait, who record a third-round 68, Gough birdied the first and third to move three clear of the Scot although the third member of the final group – Taiwan’s Chi Chun Chen – also got off to a blistering start and got within one of the leader by birdieing four of the first five holes.
However Gough also birdied seven and eight while the Taiwanese ace bogeyed both and with nine holes to go he was three ahead of Tait, who birdied eight and nine to stay in contention.
And the South East Links champion also birdied 13 to narrow the gap to two but a double bogey at the next – Gough would also bogey it – killed his momentum.
The soon-to-be champion parred the last four holes to close with a 68 while Tait’s final-round 71 left him a shot ahead of Chen, who also finished with a one-under-par round.
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On day one Gough birdied halve the holes to record his record-breaking eight-under score. That included a run of four straight birdies, starting at the 14th.
Gough is staying Down Under to play in the Australian Amateur at New South Wales GC and St.Michael’s GC, which starts on January 10th, and then the week after is entered in the Avondale Amateur, also in NSW.
His victory in the Australian Master of the Amateurs also means he gets an invite into an Australasia Tour mixed pro event in Melbourne, starting on January 29th.