Ben Eccles leads early at Master of the Amateurs
Ben Eccles
MELBOURNE, Australia (Jan. 6, 2015) — Steady play sees Torquay golfer Ben Eccles with a three-shot lead after an opening round 66 at the 2015 Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
The 20-year old, who won the New South Wales Amateur Championship in 2013, got off to a good start with an eagle on the par five second hole.
Looking back on his impressive tournament opening, Eccles said: “It’s really nice to know that my best stands up against some of the best players in the world."
Queenslander Corey Crawford, Zach Murray, and Lucas Herbert from Melbourne and the UK’s Nick Marsh, the best performed international in today’s first round, all finished the day on 69.
American David Snyder, Takashi Ogiso from Japan and China’s Tianlang Guan with Australians Taylor McDonald and Fidel Concepcion all had rounds of 70 while world number four Will Zalatoris and fellow American Brian Campbell are among a group of ten players a further shot back.
After today’s near perfect conditions, a very hot day is forecast for tomorrow prompting organisers to call an early tee time (7:00 am).
ABOUT THE Master of the Amateurs
The Master of the Amateurs, a 72-hole medal play
Championship,
has rapidly become one of the
elite championships in amateur golf. Like The
Masters, the champion
receives a Green Jacket. Contestants
participate in the first round of the
championship with professional golfers in a
unique Am-Pro Invitational.
The Master of the Amateurs winner gets an
invitation to the Porter
Cup in the U.S. Likewise the winners of those
two tournaments receive invitations to the
next Master of the Amateurs tournament.
A qualifying round (see tournament
website for date and handicap requirement)
allows
three non-exempt players to earn invitations
into the prestigious field.
View Complete Tournament Information