St. Michael’s Harrison Crowe has claimed the biggest win of his young career, taking out the 2022 Australian Master of the Amateurs at Victoria Golf Club.
In a nail-biting finish, the 20-year-old, who led the tournament from the opening round, won by a shot from fast-finishing Victorians Andree Lautee and Konrad Ciupek, and it took a clutch birdie on the 72nd hole to claim the championship.
“I had Konrad chewing at my heels in my group and I knew a few of the other boys in the group in front were playing well so I had to really knuckle out towards the end,” Crowe said.
Crowe was in control early and looked to have all but extinguished any chances his opponents might have thought they had. However, one error on top of another on the 15th and 16th holes suddenly re-ignited the contest.
“I was cruising early though and I got it to two-under and 15 and 16 really unfolded me going double bogey-bogey.”
Crowe righted the listing ship with a par at the 17th before ensuring there would be no playoff with a birdie at the par-5 last after a clutch driver and four iron to just over 20 feet.
“There were nerves over that last tee shot for sure,” he admitted. ” But I nailed it and when I hit my four iron from ‘220 to the middle of the green I breathed a big sigh of relief, let me tell you.”
“I didn’t make it easy for myself out there today – especially towards the end. I snuck in there for a victory.
“To make birdie up the last to win was really special.”
Crowe becomes the first NSW Blue to win the coveted championship since Brendan Jones in 1999, and joins a list of previous winners, including Aaron Wise (USA – 2016), Nathan Holman (2012) Jason Day ( 2006), and last year’s winner, Lukas Michel.