Date: May 10, 2010
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Suzuki and Drewitt win Queensland Amateurs

Courtesy: Golf Queensland Brett Drewitt and Saki Suzuki are the 2010 Queensland Men&aposs & Women&aposs Amateur Champions after emerging triumphant in two tightly contested finals at Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club. Both matches finished on the 36th hole with Drewiit beating Tim Hart 1-up and Suzuki beating Jessica Park with the same score. The Men&aposs final turned out to be a wildly fluctuating affair, with Hart making all the early play to hold a seemingly unassailable 5-hole lead by the 19th. the afternoon&aposs round belonged to Drewitt however, who dug deep after last weekend&aposs play-off marathon at the Queensland Stroke Play Championships at Headland, to peg back Hart&aposs lead to be all square following an impressive birdie on the par-4 16th (34th). Remarkably Drewitt hit the lead for the first time on the penultimate hole courtesy of a monster birdie putt, and down the last it was Hart who faced a 15-foot birdie putt to take the match into extra time. Unfortunately it wasn&apost to be for Hart, whose putt slipped by the underside of cup to hand Drewitt the most unlikely of victories. “I didn&apost think I could putt it back, I was just trying to go out and try and beat him on the last 18,” said Drewitt of his comeback. “I was stoked to go one up going down the 18th.” Playing some flawless golf, Drewitt&aposs afternoon round featured seven birdies and several more birdie opportunities that he failed to convert. Admitting he was tired after finishing runner-up to Cameron Smith in the 8-hole playoff that ended last week&aposs Stroke Play, Drewitt did get some much needed help from friend and fellow New South Wales state squad member Matt Steiger who caddied for him in yesterday&aposs semi-final and today&aposs final. “I was definitely stuffed after last week but my drive to win kept me going and I don&apost think I could have done it without Matt on the bag,” he said. The 19-year-old, who plays and works at Long Reef Golf Club north of Sydney, now moves onto next week&aposs Keperra Bowl world amateur ranking event in Brisbane. The women&aposs final proved a far tighter contest than the men&aposs, with neither Saki Suzuki or Jessica Park pulling more than 2-holes clear throughout the day. While Park briefly held a 1-hole advantage at the start of the afternoon&aposs round, it was Suzuki who held a slight advantage heading into the final holes, holding a dormie 2-up lead on the 16th. The conclusion to the Championship wasn&apost without drama however, with Park playing a magnificent tee-shot to three-feet at the long par-3 17th to extend the match down the last. With both players making par at the last, Suzuki clinched the title 1-up. “It was hard today as both Jessica and I played really well,” said Suzuki following her narrow victory. The 18-year-old student from Robina High School, who moved to Australia from Japan three years ago, said she was delighted with her win following her second placing at the Australian Girl&aposs Amateur Championship in Tasmania earlier this year.