WOLSTENHOLME JUST MISSES OUT ON TOP PRIZE IN AUSTRALIA
After five days of match play golf, Gary Wolstenholme just
missed out on the top prize in the New South Wales Amateur
Championship, losing to home player Won Joon Lee on the 37th
hole.
It was a day's play to be proud of for Wolstenholme even
though he did not secure the final victory. After the first
18 holes he was 2 down in spite of taking three birdies, including
one at the 16th which was becoming his 'favourite' hole of
the tournament having achieved five birdies there so far during
the championship.
The afternoon proved to be one of the most exciting finishes
the NSW Amateur has seen. The lead traded places between the
two players and they shared eleven birdies during the final
11 holes of the match. Wolstenholme took back the lead from
the Australian and was 1 up by the 4th hole of the afternoon
and held onto that slimmest of margins until the 8th when
he conceded the hole. By the 10th hole Lee had regained the
lead and was 2 up once he had birdied the 11th.
Wolstenholme's confidence seemed not to be affected as he
then birdied the 12th, 13th and 14th to go 1 up. Lee fought
back and birdied the 15th to square the match but the Englishman's
favourite hole was next and once again Wolstenholme birdied
the hole, for the sixth time this week, to take a one hole
advantage with only two to play.
The 17th was won by Lee and after both players took bogies
at the 18th they headed for the 37th hole of the day. On what
was to be the final hole, Lee drove the green before securing
a birdie to take the Championship title.
Wolstenholme's impressive performance concluded an excellent
trip for England's elite players who return form Australia
with the Lake Macquarie title, won by dam Gee and two runner
up places, both for Wolstenholme, in the NSW and the NSW Amateur
Championship.
Final match play scores for the NSW Championship can be found
at http://www.nswga.com.au/
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