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The 2017 Men’s and Women’s Victorian Amateur Championships have reached the quarter-final stage after the opening rounds of matches were played at the Commonwealth Golf Club on Monday 11 December.
On a beautiful fine and sunny day with a gentle southerly wind, players enjoyed ideal scoring conditions in the quest for the coveted Men’s and Women’s Victorian Amateur titles, both of which date back over 100 years.
The respective men’s and women’s leading qualifiers survived the opening rounds to progress to the quarter final stage. Women’s No. 1 Stephanie Bunque from Victoria progressed to the quarter finals after fighting back from a one-hole deficit after 10 holes to win two and one over Yarra Yarra’s Shanaiah Ferando. Men’s number one seed Lukas Michel (Metropolitan) defeated New South Wales’ Luke Park three and two in the first round, before winning by the same margin in his afternoon match with Tasmanian Ryan Thomas.
20-year-old Bunque, runner-up in this event to Western Australian Hannah Green in 2015, will now meet Kilmore’s Jessica Pickwick in the quarter-finals after the Victorian Women’s Par 3 Champion accounted for Cobram-Barooga Steffanie Vogel on the final hole of their round one clash. Other first round results saw most leading qualifiers safely progress including New South Wales duo Grace Kim and Hannah Park, Sanctuary Cove’s Gayeon Park and Commonwealth’s Alex Hilliard.
With 32 players qualifying through from the Men’s Port Phillip Amateur, the Men’s Championship saw two rounds played on the opening day with Victorian State Player and No. 2 qualifier David Micheluzzi also safely progressing. The Metropolitan member defeated Commonwealth’s Hamish Huffadine two and one in the morning before outlasting last year’s Men’s Victorian Amateur runner-up, John Lyras at the 18th in the round of 16.
Micheluzzi will now meet Woodlands’ Jack Deftereos-Brennan in the quarter-finals after the latter survived a sudden-death afternoon clash with fellow clubmate Bailey Watson at the 19th. Deftereous-Brennan had earlier prevailed at the 18th against Kingston Heath’s George Worrall in the morning round. A major casualty in the men’s competition on the first day was No. 3 qualifier Billy Cawthorne from Royal Adelaide who went down to Watson three and two.
In other results, current Men’s Australian Amateur Champion Matias Sanchez, 2013 Men’s Victorian Amateur Champion Zach Murray, Victorian State Team Member Kyle Michel and Kingston Heath’s Andre Lautee all progressed to the quarter-final stage. Lautee survived the day’s longest match winning his afternoon round of 16 match against Peninsula-Kingswood’s Lawrence Curtis at the 21st hole.
The Men’s and Women’s Victorian Amateur Quarter-Finals will be played over 18-holes at Commonwealth commencing at 7.30am on Tuesday 12 December. The semi-finals will then be played over 18-holes in the afternoon from 12 noon.
The 2017 Men’s and Women’s Victorian Amateur Championship then culminates with the 36-hole finals on Wednesday 13 December at Commonwealth. The morning rounds will commence at 7.30am with the afternoon rounds scheduled for 12:30pm.
To view full results & round of eight draw, click here.