Men: Match play scores & tee times
Women: Match play scores & tee times
Medallist Kevin Yuan needed overtime, but he finally got the job done this morning to advance to the round of 16 at the Australian Amateur Championship, presented by Swinging Skirts.
It took a lovely chip from Yuan to finally subdue Welshman David Boote after the pair had played 20 epic holes in their morning clash at Yarra Yarra.
“It was a big grind,” said Sydneysider Yuan as he raced to grab some lunch before his afternoon match.
“We were neck and neck throughout the 18 holes and I think if we’d played another 36 holes we’d still have been all square – that’s how close our level was and the match was.
“I’m really happy to finish it out and keep going this afternoon.”
Boote had edged clear with a winning par on the 16th, but allowed the 2015 semi-finalist back in when his par putt on the 17th slid agonisingly by.
The Welshman looked in trouble on the 19th when he pulled his tee shot way left, but calmly scrambled a par to force a second extra hole.
But when he went via the cape playing the 20th, Boote’s time was up. He almost chipped in from 15m for what would have been a career par, but it hit the pin and stayed up.
Yuan, of The Australian Golf Club, coolly chipped down from the back fringe and the par and match were conceded.
But the task doesn’t get any easier at Yarra Yarra with the No.1 seed to tackle British Amateur champion Scott Gregory for a spot in the last eight this afternoon.
It was a big morning for Golf New South Wales with Travis Smyth finally subduing Isaac Noh after a solid tussle, while another all-Blues match ended with Harrison Endycott ending Dylan Perry’s hopes 1-up with a 2m birdie putt on the 9th (their final) hole. Canberra’s Josh Armstrong also up-ended American hopeful Andrew McCain 2&1.
The West Australian contingent was also a force with Min Woo Lee, Robbie Armstrong and the impressive Kiran Day all advancing, with only Haydn Barron falling, to Queensland’s last male hope, Shae Wools-Cobb.
Jack Singh Brar joined English mate Gregory in the last 16, while their fellow Brits Robert Macintyre (Scotland) and Evan Griffith (Wales) also moved safely through.
Victoria will have a quarter-finalist with Zach Murray drawn to play Matias Sanchez this afternoon.