17 Jun 2022 | Amateur golf |
Charles advances to British Am quarter-final
by Dane Heverin
Victorian Max Charles has booked a quarter-final berth in the R&A's Amateur Championship with two big wins at Royal Lytham & St Anne's in England on Thursday.
Charles, who plays college golf for Boise State University in Idaho, is in the hunt to become the first Australian to win the prestigious tournament in more than a decade after bettering Englishman William Hopkins by one hole in the round of 32 before overcoming Irishman Caolan Rafferty 4&3 in the round of 16.
Rafferty came into the match well-credentialed - having represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup against the United States - but Charles stayed so inwardly focused that he was unaware of his opponent's past.
"I glad I didn't know that (he played Walker Cup) before I played him," Charles said.
"My game is in a good spot at the moment, and so all I can do is keep trusting it. Pretty happy with how it's going."
Charles did enter the day quite nervy however, as he managed the emotions that come with going deep into the tournament.
"I was a bit nervous going into it but yeah, the game fell into place and it was fun out there," he said.
"There was no wind, so the course played a bit different to the past week. But yeah, I played solid and managed to get two wins.
"I guess match play, you don't really know what's going to happen. It's just whoever is good on the day really. It's completely different to stroke play.
"All you can really do is take it one hole at a time and that's what I did and managed to get two wins, so that felt pretty good."
The Kingston Heath Golf Club member, who originally hailed from Heidelberg Golf Club, faces another Irishman in Alex Maguire in the quarter-final on Friday evening Australian time, and he is not letting himself look beyond that match at the possibilities of winning the title and earning a place in the 150th Open at St Andrews next month.
"Look, I've made it a long way but there's still a long way to go," he said.
"All I can do is really take it one day at a time and see what happens. Like I said I'll just keep playing the golf that I am, and hopefully that ends in a good result."