Canberra’s Josh Armstrong and Castle Hill’s Jordie Garner are set to resume their matchplay duel from the recent Australian Amateur after both progressed to the Quarter finals of the NSW Amateur at Royal Canberra Golf Club today.
Armstrong defeated Josh Gadd in a tight battle in the morning round off 32 before he accounted for the Australian Amateur Medallist, Darcy Boyd in the afternoon match 7&6.
<image="2" align="left" />
Garner got to the semi-final courtesy of a tight one hole win in the morning match against Kiwi Logan Inia, before accounting for St. Michael’s Harrison Crowe 3&2 in the afternoon.
Avondale Amateur Champion Blake Windred is firming as the favourite to take the title after a dominant performance against England’s Matthew Jordan in the afternoon matches.
<image="3" align="left" />
Jordan had no answer for Windred who is in white-hot form at the moment and displaying a level of confidence on the golf course that is almost unbeatable.
“It feels like I’ve kicked the monkey off my back (after the Avondale win) and I can let it flow out there now,” Windred said.
“I want to win as many as I can,” he smiled.
<image="4" align="left" />
The English contingent’s day didn’t get much better when David Hague ran into a red-hot Kiwi, Charlie Smail.
Despite getting off to a horror start by losing the first four holes, Smail, who is the son of PGA Tour of Australasia and multiple Japanese Tour winner David Smail and former Japanese Ladies Tour player Sheree Smail, turned it around with an impressive eight birdies in his next twelve holes to take his match 2&1.
“I started off terrible,” he smiled. “I started to get a bit better. I birdied the 6th and 7th,”
“I got a bit hot on the back nine. I birdied 12,13,14, parred 15, birdied 16 and then parred the 17th for the win,”
“I’m pretty pleased. Mum was a bit worried after the first few holes though,” he grinned.
RELATED LINKS (click to view)
FIRST ROUND LEADERS: VASQUEZ, COX LEAD NSW AM
RECAP 2017: GREGORY WINS AN AMATEUR FOR THE AGES
RECAP 2017: ALL CLASS – SOMI LIFTS WOMEN'S AM TITLE
LIVE LEADERBOARD: MEN'S NSW AMATEUR MATCHPLAY SCORES
WOMEN'S NSW AMATEUR MATCHPLAY SCORES
Despite his impressive golfing pedigree, Charlie isn’t phased by comparisons to his father or the uncanny similarities of their swings.
“I don’t feel any pressure from following in his footsteps. I just go out there and do the best I can,” he smiled.
When asked about how much influence Dad had on his game, Smail Jr said his father had taken a back seat in his development until recently, preferring to let Charlie’s coach Reon Sayer do his work.
These days though, David’s interest in his son’s game has gone to a new level, and the pair gets to the course together quite frequently.
“Dad is always on the range with me now. He is helping out a lot,”
Smail Sr, who is playing in this week’s Vic Open, has been in contact nightly catching up on his son’s progress. There will be plenty of news tonight, and no doubt a little word or two of advice on the way.
“He phones every night. We are keeping him up to date.” Smail jr smiled.