Golf Australia National Squad and Seabrook Golf Club member Ryan McCarthy was in action at the Western Amateur Championship at the weekend. The 22-year-old carded rounds of 75 and 73 around the Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Illinois for a four-over-par total of 148. McCarthy missed the cut for the final two rounds and the match-play section of the championship finishing in a tie for ninety sixth place after the second round. Former Tasmanian Junior Masters Champion Daniel Nisbet was the leading Australian in the event. The 21-year-old Queenslander and Golf Australia National Squad member carded rounds of 72, 69, 69 and 67. Nisbet s eleven-under-par total of 277 ensured equal sixth on the final leader board alongside Nevada s Kevin Penner and Peter Williamson of New Hampshire. Under controversial circumstances Nisbet was disqualified when he caddied in the play-off for fellow Australian and former Tasmanian Open champion Matthew Stieger. Rules officials observed Nisbet caddying on the fourth play-off hole as Stieger competed against Pedro Figueiredo for the final spot in the match-play field. Caddying was a clear violation of the conditions of the competition which had been distributed to all players when they registered for the championship. Stieger, who finished in equal thirteen position with rounds of 68, 73, 64 and 75, an eight-under-par total of 280, was also disqualified. Number one qualifier Chris Williams of Idaho defeated Texas Jordan Russell one up with a nerve-wracking, 30-inch par putt at the 110th running of the event. Williams, the number six-ranked amateur in the world, broke his own scoring record to claim medallist honours with a seventeen-under-par total of 271. Williams shot rounds of 72, 66, 66 and 67, one stroke better than his medallist performance last year at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Illinois. McCarthy and fellow Tasmanian Ashlee Dewhurst will now turn their attention to their respective US Men’sand Women’s Amateur Championships. McCarthy will participate in his third consecutive men’s championship next week at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado. While Dewhurst is one of seven ladies who teed off on Monday chasing the coveted women’s title at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio.
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