South Australian golfers Anthony Murdaca and Stephanie Na have returned solid interstate performances over the weekend, with Murdaca finishing tied-second at the Lake Macquarie Amateur Championship and Na finishing tied third at the Bing Lee Samsung NSW Women&aposs Open Open. Having held the first round lead after carding an excellent opening round 67, the 15-year-old Murdaca from The Grange Golf Club finished with a four round total of 8-under par 280 (67, 71, 68, 74) to tied finish second at the national ranking event with current Australian squad member Cameron Smith. The Lake Macquarie, held at Belmont Golf Club, was won by twenty-year-old Western Australian Brady Watt, who carded a solid final round 2-under par 70 to go with earlier round of 68, 69, 69 and a four round total of 12-under par 276. South Australia&aposs representatives at the event, Chris Austin and Brad Moules, finished in ties for 20th and 27th respectively with four-round scores of even and +1. Meanwhile at Oatlands Golf Club, Stephanie Na took another significant step forward in her fledgling professional career with an excellent third place finish at the Bing Lee Samsung NSW Women&aposs Open Open. Na, the most recent South Australian female amateur player to join the professional ranks, fired a three-round total of 208 (70, 69, 69) to finish the tournament three shots adrift of Sweden&aposs Caroline Hedwell. In what proved to be a dramatic finish, Hedwell completed victory in her first professional tournament by holing a 14-foot downhill putt on the last hole to hold off New Zealand amateur sensation, 13-year-old Lydia Ko. Click here for all scores from the 2011 Lake Macquarie Amateur. Click here for all scores from the 2011 Bing Lee Samsung NSW Women&aposs Open Open.
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