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The chasing Australians needed a monster effort to contend on Sunday in Singapore, but even then they may not have reeled in eventual Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Takumi Kanaya of Japan.
A final round 5-under 65 lifted the 20-year-old to 13-under for the tournament and a two-stroke buffer over the field, booking him tickets to The Masters and The Open in 2019.
Australians Min Woo Lee and Dave Micheluzzi started the day four back at 6-under par and managed to close that gap to three after a pair of birdies each to kick off their rounds.
But Lee came unstuck at the troublesome 8th with a double-bogey, eventually signing for a 3-over 73 that saw him slip to 3-under and a share of 16th.
Micheluzzi kept his head above water for marginally longer but made no real inroads on the leader, as Kanaya rattled home three straight birdies from the 14th hole to all but end proceedings.
The Victorian eventually signed for a 77 and slipped to a share of 30th, but said it was a small confidence boost to mix it with Asia’s top talents despite not producing his best golf.
“I feel like that’s one of my strengths, when I’m not playing my best I can always be around the mark,” said Micheluzzi.
”I wasn’t playing my best coming into this event, was really struggling with my game. I played very well the first day and then played steady the next couple of days and didn’t hole many putts.”
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A closing birdie lifted fellow Victorian Zach Murray to a T21 finish, his final round 71 capping off a consistent but frustrating week.
“I just didn’t convert again today on the back nine,” said Murray.
“I’m never that far away. The driving’s really good. The irons are good. I’m not far away at all.”
The final round of Dylan Perry’s amateur career won’t live long in the memory banks, his 1-over 71 leaving him at even-par for the week and in a share of 24th on the standings.
But Perry is looking ahead and will now join the pay-for-play ranks with a first pro start in Japan later this month.
“I just struggled on the greens and once you start pushing to make some putts, that’s where the mistakes come from,” said Perry.
“Its not really the way I wanted to go out. But I wouldn’t change it for the world – the people I’ve met, the places I’ve visited and the life long memories I’ll have forever.”
Also finishing at T24 was Blake Windred, the New South Welshman signing for a 1-under 69 on Sunday that would have been a far sweeter finish, if not for a plugged lie under a bunker lip on the 18th.
Windred rolled in five birdies in his opening 11 holes on Sunday and a week teeing it up in one of amateur golf’s biggest events has left him hungry for more.
“Very consistent, just not the week, not the scores I was after,” said Windred.
“It just makes you want to work harder and harder. I want to be where Min Woo and the others are in the World Amateur Golf Rankings this time next year.”
Click here for the final scores from Singapore.