Date: December 11, 2016
Author: Golf Victoria

Elmassian, Micheluzzi win Port Phillip

Elizabeth Elmassian from New South Wales and Victorian Men’s State player David Micheluzzi from Metropolitan have won the respective 2016 Port Phillip Women’s and Men’s Amateur titles following the final rounds of the 72-hole Championship were played at Commonwealth today (Sunday 11 December).

In fine and sunny conditions but with a southerly breeze making scoring difficult, 20-year-old Micheluzzi sealed the Men’s Championship with a final round of one-over 74 on the superbly presented Commonwealth layout for a 72-hole total of one-under 289 to win by two strokes from defending Victorian Amateur Champion Cameron John who charged home with a last round 67 for 291. Lukas Michel from Metropolitan and Queensland’s Charlie Dann finished joint third on 292.

By contrast in the Women’s Championship, 20-year-old Elmassian led from start to finish in recording a record breaking 11-stroke victory from Queensland’s Rebecca Kay. The New South Wales Women’s State Team member consolidated her opening two rounds at Kingston Heath which including a superb second round of five-under 69 to lead by six strokes at the halfway mark.

Runner-up in the 2015 Australian Women’s Amateur, Elmassian showed the women’s field no mercy with a morning round of four-under 69 at Commonwealth before closing with a 77 for a four round total of seven-under 287. Runner-up Kay closed with a 76 for 298 while Commonwealth’s Alexandra Hilliard was a further stroke behind in third position on 299 after a final round of 75.

The Men’s Port Phillip Amateur commenced in 1976 and has been played annually over that time at Kingston Heath and Commonwealth within Melbourne’s Sand Belt. The 72-hole Championship boasts former winners such as Mike Clayton (1977 & 1980), Brad Hughes (1987 & 1988), Craig Spence (1994), Stephen Allan (1995) and Scott Gardiner (1999). The Women’s Port Phillip Amateur commenced in 2012 with Metropolitan’s Su-Hyun Oh winning in both 2012 and 2013.

Following the appreciated support of the Commonwealth and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs, the Men’s Victorian Amateur Championship qualifying rounds have been held in conjunction with the Port Phillip Amateur from 2008 onwards. This arrangement was consolidated further with the Women’s Victorian Amateur Championship qualifying rounds being played concurrently with the Port Phillip from 2012.

The leading 32 men’s players and the leading 16 women’s players from the Port Phillip Amateur will now progress to the match play rounds of the 2017 Men’s and Women’s Victorian Amateur Championships which will be played at the Woodlands Golf Club.

Women player’s with scores of 319 (+25) or better have progressed to the Women’s Championship while men with scores of 309 (+19) have moved through to the Men’s Championship. While sixteen players exactly filled the women’s qualifiers, a play-off was required between five men for the final four positions with Harrison Whykes, Darcy Brereton, Liam Reaper and Richard Cahill all surviving to reach Woodlands.

The first round of the men’s match play will begin at Woodlands tomorrow morning at 7.30am with the first round of women’s matches take to the course at 12noon. Both titles culminate with respective Men’s and Women’s 36-hole finals on Wednesday 14 December.

To view full results & photos from the Port Phillip Open Amateur, click here.

Round of 16 Women's & round of 32 Men's Victorian Amateur Championship draws can be viewed via the tournament homepage.