Victoria’s Stephanie Bunque and Lukas Michel from Metropolitan have won the respective 2017 Port Phillip Women’s and Men’s Amateur titles following the final rounds of the 72-hole Championship were played at Kingston Heath today (Saturday 9 December).
As overcast and cool conditions cleared to a sunny afternoon, a south-westerly breeze still made scoring difficult throughout the final day of the iconic amateur event. In an exciting finale, sudden-death play-offs were needed to decide both the Men’s and Women’s Championships.
23-year-old Michel sealed the Men’s Port Phillip with a par on the second hole of the play-off after he tied with fellow Victorian State Team member, David Micheluzzi on a 72-hole total of nine-under 281. After sub-par third rounds from each player during the morning, both Michel with a closing 75 and Micheluzzi with a 74 battled gamely during the afternoon as the wind strengthened. Royal Adelaide’s Billy Cawthorne finished in outright third position after a final round of 69 for a seven-under total of 283.
The Women’s Championship was similarly decided on the second play-off hole when 20-year-old Bunque outlasted Stephani Kyriacou from St Michaels Golf Club in Sydney after both players had tied on a four-round total of nine-under 285. Kryiacou had valted into contention during the morning round with a new women’s Kingston Heath course record of eight-under 66 while Victorian Women’s State player, Bunque returned a 69 to set up the afternoon dual.
Bunque, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, and Kryiacou both closed with one-over 75’s to see the play-off eventuate. Avondale’s Grace Park, who led into the final round, finished in third position after a closing 78 for a total of five-under 289.
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 Commonwealth Golf Club beginning on Monday 11 December.
With Kyriacou unavailable to play in the match play rounds, women players with scores of 305 (+11) or better have progressed to the Women’s Championship while men with scores of 304 (+14) have moved through to the Men’s Championship. While sixteen players exactly filled the women’s qualifiers, a play-off was required between three men for the final two positions with Hamish Huffadine and Luke Park with both surviving to reach Commonwealth.
The first round of the men’s match play will begin at Commonwealth on Monday 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 13 December.
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