Canberra teaching Professional Matt Millar will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the UNIQLO Australian Masters at Huntingdale tomorrow.
The 39-year old is enjoying a rich vein of form this year, with a win in the New Zealand PGA Championship and a brace of other top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish in the NSW Open Championship to Victorian Ben Eccles just last week.
Millar took advantage of a red hot putter today as he compiled a 3-under par round of 68 in extremely trying conditions to lead by a shot from playing partner Andrew Evans of New South Wales.
“It’s pretty tough out there. Sandbelt golf gets quite demanding when the wind up like this,” Millar told Ch7 after his round.
Millar managed to bag four birdies on a tough windy day, two on each nine and a solitary bogey on the 13th in one of the rounds of the day.
Holding his nerve and making a bunch of clutch putts as the leaders fell around him was what his round was about.
“It’s all about keeping your ball in play and trying to make some putts, which happened today,” he says.
Millar had spent around 10 years on Tour in Europe and Japan plying his trade with limited success. About 18 months ago he decided to step back from international tournament golf, taking a teaching role back home in Canberra with his young family.
“I’ve got a great young family, and I’m home a bit more, but I’ve been playing in Australia.”
Besides his young family who’ll be at home cheering dad on, there’ll be a lot of members on the edge of their seats tomorrow at Gold Creek Country Club riding along with him as he attempts to take his first major win on the Australasian PGA Tour.
For Millar though, there may be another career decision to be made if he gets to wear the gold Jacket.
"Its been an amazing year this year – it starts to make you wonder doesn’t it?