14 Jan 2022 | Amateur golf |
Crowe, Wong win Master of the Amateurs
by Dane Heverin
New South Welshman Harrison Crowe and Victorian Jeneath Wong won the Master of the Amateurs in trying conditions at Victoria Golf Club today.
Crowe - fresh off his victory at the Victorian Amateur last month - went wire-to-wire to win for the third time in his amateur career, while Wong gained an eight stroke lead at the halfway mark and never relented to notch her eighth amateur career victory.
Both players tussled with Melbourne weather that resembled four seasons in one day and a course that will challenge some of the best players in the world at the Australian Open later this year.
Crowe, six-under par, also had to contend with the immense pressure being placed on him by a pair of rivals from south of the Murray River.
Victorians Andre Lautee and Konrad Ciupek made final round charges with a pair of two-under par rounds of 70 and the intensity lifted many notches when Crowe made back-to-back mistakes at a crucial time.
"I had Konrad chewing at my heels in my group and I knew a few of the other boys in the group in front were playing well so I had to really knuckle out towards the end," Crowe said.
"I was cruising early though and I got it to two-under and 15 and 16 really unfolded me going double bogey-bogey."
The St Michael's member still held the lead and he needed to fight back to maintain it at the closing consecutive par-5s.
He steadied with a par at the 17th before ensuring there would be no dramatic playoff with a birdie at the last - a par-5 which Crowe went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie on throughout the tournament.
"I didn't make it easy for myself out there today - especially towards the end. I really snuck in there for a victory," he said.
"To make birdie up the last to win was really special."
Wong, from Metropolitan Golf Club, remained in control throughout the final round and put an exclamation mark on her performance with three birdies in the last five holes to finish four-under par and win by seven shots.
"It was a really good experience playing this exclusive tournament along with the top amateurs," Wong said.
"Since I'm going to college next year, I think it will be really good practice for playing really high, top golf."
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