With one of the biggest prizes in amateur golf on the table, it’s no wonder the Australian contingent was eager to get an Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship edge.
So when their Golf New Zealand counterparts and the host Royal Wellington Golf Club put out the welcome mat to the six young Aussie men at the weekend, they jumped.
Said Australia’s top-ranked amateur Travis Smyth of the visit: “We've got a strong team and we get to play these amazing golf courses, and a lot of the Asia-Pacific countries don't get exposed to this kind of weather. We're very happy that we're here a month early.”