A ‘best-ever’ finish for Claire Shin and withering charges from NSW state teammates Harrison Crowe and Jye Pickin were the highlights of the final round of the 2023 Australian Amateur Championship at New South Wales Golf Club today.
Shin, who turned 18 only yesterday, carded a two under par 72 to finish at six under total for the 72-hole championship, a result she gleefully said was her best-ever finish in a four-round event.
Japan’s Hizuki Yamamoto was the winner of the Women’s even, carding a final round 73, to hold on by shot from her countrywoman Saki Baba and fast finishing Queenslander, Justice Bosio.
“I think I did really good,” Shin beamed after signing her scorecard. “I’ve never played under par for four rounds so this is my best record.”
With Sydney’s traditional Nor’ Easter finally arriving to make things interesting, Shin was methodical in her approach to the challenge.
“I really relied on my yardage book today and really tried to hit the ball lower.”
Shin’s highlight of her round was unquestionably her three on the Par-five 12th, where she holed a bomb for eagle.
“I got on in two and was on the right, it was longer than ten metres,” She beamed.
With High School out of the way, the St. Michael’s member intends to head overseas this year, ultimately with the goal of one day getting to the LPGA tour.
“I want to the LPGA one day.”
OF the other NSW Representatives in the women’s field, Belinda Ji saved her best for last, storming home with a course record-equalling final round 68 to finish the week in a tie for 6th.
The course record could have been all hers, with Ji getting to seven under late in her round. A final hole bogey put paid to a new record, however, but her finish would leave her hopeful of much better results in next week’s Avondale Amateur or the NSW AMateur in two weeks at Pennant Hills.
Pickin, Crowe Share Low Aussie Spoils
A four-under-par 68 from Avondale’s Jye Pickin and a barnstorming six-under 66 from NSW Open Champion Harrison Crowe were the highlights for the NSW contingent in the final round of the Men’s Amateur.
The pair finished tied as the low Aussies in the field at nine under, five shots behind the overall champion, Kazumi Kobori from New Zealand.
Earlier in the day, it was looking like a different story for Pickin, with the tall Novocastrian storing around the front nine in five under to grab a share of the lead.
He failed to consolidate several solid birdie chances on the back nine, and when he dropped a shot on the 16th, his challenge was all but over.
Crowe, on the other hand, who had been out of sorts for much of the tournament, finally found some of the form which took him to an NSW Open Championship and an Asia-Pacific Amateur Crown in 2022.
The Australian Golf Club’s Jeffrey Guan made a promising start; however, an unplayable ball on the sixth hole saw his move falter early.
Guan’s Australian Golf Club teammate, Harrison Glenday carded a final round 69 to finish tied 14th.
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