Stubbs Last Man Standing at Asia-Pacific Amateur

Melbourne, Australia: Trips to Augusta National and Royal Troon await Australian Jasper Stubbs after a nerve-tingling finale to the 14th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).

In the first three-way play-off in the championship’s history, the Melbournian overcame Chinese duo Sampson Zheng Yunhe and Ding Wenyi.

All three players ended the championship with 72-hole totals of one-over-par 285 on Royal Melbourne Golf Club’s Composite Course - the highest winning score since the event was inaugurated in 2009.

While Stubbs closed with a 69, Ding carded a 70. Zheng, who led by four strokes overnight, signed for a 75.

Returning to the par-four 18th hole for the play-off, Zheng was eliminated at the first extra hole when his two rivals both holed putts for three – the first birdies of the day on the course’s most difficult hole.

At the second play-off, also the 18th, Ding sent his approach into a greenside bunker while Stubbs two-putted for what proved to be a winning par.

“This is really special – stuff I could only dream of,” said the 21-year-old Stubbs, who began the week in 476th position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

A member of Australia’s National Team, Stubbs was given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot of the championship on Thursday morning. “Lucky I got it out of the sweet spot and didn’t hit a cameraman,” he said after splitting the fairway with his drive.

He went on to shoot a 68 which was followed by consecutive 74s.

Stubbs is Australia’s fourth Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, joining Antonio Murdaca in 2014 at Royal Melbourne, Curtis Luck in 2016 in Korea and Harrison Crowe last year in Thailand.

Earlier this year, he finished third in the Mandurah Amateur Open and reached the Round of 32 in The Amateur Championship at Hillside in England.

He was due to fly to New Zealand tonight to defend the New Zealand Amateur Championship he won last year but has now delayed his trip by 24 hours. “It would be awesome to go back-to-back and win again in New Zealand,” he said.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur starting field comprised 120 of the top male amateurs from 37 nations across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Championship was created in 2009 by the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation in an effort to further develop amateur golf throughout the region.