Ballyliffin, Ireland: Australian Jasper Stubbs has edged his way into the match play phase at The 129th Amateur Championship.
Winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last year, Stubbs finished the 36-hole stroke play segment in Ireland on three-over-par 146, the qualifying mark for the leading 64 players and ties.
Along with fellow Australian Declan O’Donovan, Stubbs was among 19 players who had to compete in a sudden-death play-off for 18 places in the match play stage. Both made it through with bogey-fives on the 397-yard first hole of The Old Course at Ballyliffin.
In today’s Round of 64, Stubbs, 327th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), will face English teenager Oscar Lent, while 780th-ranked O’Donovan takes on Welshman Tomi Bowen.
The only other Asia-Pacific player to advance to the match play phase was Chinese Taipei’s Kent Hsiao.
US-based Hsiao, 540th in the WAGR, finished tied 21st in stroke play following two rounds of 72. His reward is a clash with Gaspar Glaudas of France.
On a chilly, breezy day which added plenty of menace and mischief to the golfing examination, it was Scotland’s Connor Graham who stood firm to finish as the leading qualifier.
The 17-year-old from Blairgowrie, who led the 288-strong field after an opening 65 on Ballyliffin’s Old Course, fortified his position at the top with a one-under-par 71 over the Glashedy Links.
With a seven-under aggregate of 136, Walker Cup player Graham finished three strokes clear of Norway’s Michael Alexander Mjaaseth.
South African Ben van Wyk, the leading qualifier in last year’s Championship, rose up the leaderboard into third place on three-under with a 67 on the Glashedy Links.
Graham, a former winner of The R&A Junior Open, will now look to carry his growing momentum into the match play phase as he aims to become just the fourth player after Philip Parkin, Warren Bladon and Matteo Manassero to win the qualifier and go on to capture the title.
Richard Teder of Estonia, last year’s quarter-finalist at Hillside, Walker Cup player Jack Bigham and recent St Andrews Link Trophy champion Sebastian Cave all progressed.
Notable players to miss out included the highest ranked player Christiaan Maas of South Africa, former Walker Cup players Matthew McClean and Liam Nolan as well as the R&A Boys’ Amateur champion Kris Kim.
The Asia-Pacific players who failed to progress from stroke play were:
148 – Alexander Yang (Hong Kong, China) 75-73
151 – Jake Riley (Australia) 75-76; Ryan Ang (Singapore) 72-79
152 – Kai Komulainen (Australia) 73-79
154 – Adam Coull (Australia) 77-77; Billy Dowling (Australia) 82-72; Harry Takis (Australia) 81-73
155 – William Bowen (Australia) 77-78; Abel Eduard (Australia) 78-77
156 – Kade Webber (Australia) 80-76
157 – Lincoln Morgan (Australia) 80-77; Reo Maruo (Japan) 77-80; Phoenix Campbell (Australia) 79-78
The winner of Saturday’s 36-hole final will secure exemptions into The 152nd Open at Royal Troon next month, the US Open, and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament.
The first Amateur Championship was held at Hoylake in 1885 where 44 players from 12 clubs competed. Some of golf’s greatest names have triumphed in the event, including Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia.
The final two days of this year's event will be broadcast live on R&A TV.
