Australia’s amateur golfers continue to shine in the northern hemisphere summer, but that golden win remains elusive.
There were three Aussies in the top 10 of the Southern Amateur as it finished overnight in South Carolina, but none could go with the five birdies and eagle of eventual champion Jimmy Stanger, of Florida.
Still, Golf Australia high performance director Brad James said the performances were encouraging with the US Amateur and other key events in the American schedule still ahead and Cameron John's win in Scotland already in the books.
“The guys are doing really well, especially to have such consistency in big events,” James said.
“It’s hard to win one of these, but when you see we have so many knocking on the door, you get the feeling it’s going to happen soon.
“The scoring in these high-calibre events is impressive – it’s great to see so many rounds in the 60s on such tough courses.”
Queenslander Anthony Quayle (69) and Victorian Brett Coletta (72) were tied sixth at six under after four rounds on the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach.
Quayle fired an incredible 23 birdies for his week, but couldn’t keep the bogeys away long enough to contend, eventually finishing six shots adrift.
Coletta, similarly, fired 17 birdies and two eagles for the week, but made a couple of key mistakes early in the back nine today that dashed his hopes.
The ultra-consistent Cameron Davis (70), of Sydney, didn’t play an above-par round all week and finished tied eighth at five under.
Daniel List, who splits his time between Western Australia and England, fired a 69 to finish T18 at three under, while New South Welshman Harrison Endycott (71) continued his great run with another four rounds at par or better to finish T20 at two under, although a closing double-bogey cost him dearly.
Victorian David Micheluzzi (68) kept up his good form with a dazzling run to start his round with four birdies and an eagle in a six-hole stretch to push into red figures with nine to play. But he also cooled off late and finished T33 at one over par in total.
The only Aussie to stumble on the final day was Sydney’s Austin Bautista, who couldn’t find a birdie in his 79 that left him 46th at five over.