South Australia s stunning Grange Golf Club plays host to the most talented amateur golfers from around Australia and the world as Audi Australia once again supports the Australian Amateur Championships in 2014. Getting the 2014 championship season off to a flying start, the celebrated Australian Amateur Championships the country s oldest golfing championships will again see the cream of players from around the country as well as around the world battle not only for the coveted title but also for exemption into their respective Australian Open tournaments, making these the most prized titles in Australian amateur golf. A long time supporter of golf both in Australia and internationally, Audi proudly presented the Australian Amateur Championship in 2013, where the combined field of nearly 300 golfers converged on Melbourne s Commonwealth Golf Club to play for the oldest golfing championship in the country and a chance to tee up alongside the sport s leading professionals in their respective Open Championships. In a thrilling display of skill and nerves under pressure, it was Queensland s Cameron Smith who staged a brilliant fight back to ultimately triumph over Geoff Drakeford to claim the 2013 title. The young Queenslander has since gone on to turn professional, joining the ranks of those the Australian Amateur Championship have launched on their professional careers and as such, will not be back this year to defend his title. This leaves the way open for a new champion to make his mark in 2014 and potentially launch another great career. In the Women’s Championship, West Australian Minjee Lee stepped up to take victory over South Australia&aposs Jenny Lee and is in Adelaide to defend the title she claimed so convincingly last year. The level of competition for this year s contest was evident long before entries even closed, the maximum number of male players (216) being well oversubscribed, meaning that more than 20 players had to be balloted out and placed on the reserve list such is the lure of this tournament which has been played since 1894. Originally played at (Royal) Melbourne Golf Club and known as the Victorian Golf Cup, the country s oldest golfing championship boasts an impressive roll of past winners to match its proud history. With the likes of Brett Rumford, Greg Charmers and Michael Campbell (NZ) having won the Men’sChampionship in the past and Nikki Campbell, Stacey Keating and Kristie Smith, starring in the women’s competition, it is small wonder that the finest golfers from around the globe, including Britain, USA, South Africa, Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Spain and France are drawn to Australia to compete against our home grown favourites. The spectacular Grange layout is a fitting venue for such a prestigious tournament, with its two internationally-rated 18 hole championship courses consistently ranked in the country s top 100 golf courses. The East Course, which was remodeled by Greg Norman Golf Course Design at a cost of $3 million, was completed in 2012 and will put plenty of pressure on players as they contest, first the 36-holes of stroke play qualifying, before the leading 64 Men and 32 Women proceed to elimination by match play. The 2014 Australian Amateur Championships promise to once again deliver the highest standard of play and will no doubt unveil future professional champions as they show their talent in South Australia from 14-19 of January.
Author: Audi Australia