Date: January 17, 2012
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Australian Amateur – Round 1 Qualifying

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1 Scores Defending champion Ashlee Dewhurst (Tas) holds the lead after the opening round of qualifying at the Australian Amateur Championship in Melbourne. In hot and windy conditions, Dewhurst finished with a 1-under par 72 at Woodlands Golf Club to hold the lead. Victorian Breanna Elliott finished at even par at Huntingdale Golf Club to be one shot behind Dewhurst, tied with England s Charlotte Thomas. Japan s Rio Watanabe is at 1-over par in fourth place while Queenslander Jaimee Dougan is in fifth place. The final round of qualifying takes place on Wednesday before the women’s field is cut to 32 for the elimination match play section beginning Thursday. AUSTRALIAN MEN S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1 Scores New South Welshman Matthew Wittenberg and South Australia s Ben Hollis lead the field following the opening round of qualifying for the Australian Men’sAmateur Championship. The pair, who fired 3-under par 69s at Woodlands, hold a two stroke lead over National Squad member Jake Higginbottom (NSW) who shot a 1-under par 71 at Huntingdale Golf Club. Fellow National Squad member Ryan McCarthy leads a group of five players in fourth place at even par including junior National Squad member Oliver Goss (WA) and the best of the internationals is Vaughan McCall (NZ). Queensland s Cameron Smith, Woodlands member Nathan Holman and NSW s Daniel Bringolf are among seven players at 1-over par. The final round of qualifying takes place on Wednesday before the men’s field is cut to 64 for the elimination match play section beginning Thursday.