It was a day of upsets as the storied Victorian Amateur Championship began at Kingston Heath today.

Men’s medallist Louis Dobbelaar of Queensland was the first to tumble, losing in the first round of matchplay to Jang Hyun Lee of New Zealand, the reigning New Zealand amateur champion 5 and 3.

Lee in turn was beaten in the round of 16 in the afternoon by Yarra Yarra’s Tim Walker.

South Australian Billy Cawthorne, who was runner-up to Dobbelaar in the Port Phillip Amateur which served as the qualifying for this event, also fell in the first round, losing to Patric Kroschel of the same club, Royal Adelaide, 3 and 2.

No. 3 seed Jack Thompson from South Australia also lost in the first round to prove the fickle nature of matchplay golf.

Port Phillip Open women’s champion Stephanie Kyriacou was one favoured player to proceed, beating Keeley Marx of Victoria in the round of 16 today, 2 and 1 to progress to the quarter-finals tomorrow.

Highly-fancied Doey Choi of New South Wales lost to Victorian player Jeneath Wong.

But another big name to fall was the 2017 Victorian Amateur champion Stephanie Bunque, who lost to Abbie Teasdale of Western Australia, the 2018 WA amateur champion.