Today was the day the golf world farewelled Tony Gresham, one of the sport’s most legendary amateur exponents.
Gresham died this week aged 84 after a career that featured no fewer than seven Australian blazers as part of Eisenhower Cup teams, a couple of PGA Tour of Australasia wins – as an amateur – and myriad scoring records, some that may never be broken.
He loved amateur golf with a passion, so it was fitting that an event he held so dearly played out in such an extraordinarily positive way – almost as the sport’s indirect valediction.
In fact, on a day of many noteworthy feats, Declan O’Donovan became the first repeat winner since Gresham’s heyday in 1977 Colin Kaye remarkably beat Phil Wood in consecutive years.
Back then, while not common place, it was far more regular to see repeat champions as so many of the protagonists remained career amateurs – as opposed to the general rush of the emerging modern stars to turn professional yesterday.
O’Donovan, 21, played what might have been the most consistent ball-striking week of his young career – particularly the later match play rounds – to overcome St Michael’s tyro Daley Loumanis 4&2.
The Avondale star had been 2-up at the lunch break – remarkably having not missed a green in regulation in the morning round – and threatened to gap his former NSW state team roommate when he won the 19th hole and peppered the flag for the following half-hour.
But it was if all the gilt-edged birdie chances he’d squandered suddenly began to weigh on his shoulders.
Loumanis swooped and when he almost holed out from the 27thfairway, he’d suddenly squared a match he had no right to lead.
It took a couple of holes to kickstart from that point, but when O’Donovan rediscovered his magic – and finally tamed the putter – he roared home with four birdies in five holes from the 30th to quell the uprising.
When he rammed in a birdie on the par-3 34th hole, he was a stunning 10 under despite missing countless chances.
It was sublime golf.
Extraordinarily in four NSW Amateur appearances, O’Donovan has now reached the round of 16, the quarter-finals and twice been victorious.
Gresham would have loved that.
Immediately behind, a Brisbane teenager who has only played golf for six years put on an extraordinary show of her own.
Grace Rho, an 18-year-old from Royal Queensland, was mercurial against the steady Shyla Singh – the 2023 champion – to go to lunch all square.
But having lost the 21st hole to cede the lead, Rho was staring at big trouble when she short-sided herself behind a bunker on her approach to the 22nd hole with Singh inside 3m for two.
From light rough and with a matchbox for a landing zone target, Rho played a shot that would not have looked out of place at the pointy end of a men’s major championship – that is, it flew soft, high and REALLY spun in a matter of just a few metres.
Her par was conceded, Singh missed her birdie try and the momentum swung in one breathtaking moment.
Rho might never win another event; she might go on to win a handful of majors.
Regardless, this was the shot – and just as importantly the mindset – of a champion in the making. She repeated the dose a couple more times when the chips were down, showing glimpses to those lucky enough to see them, that there’s something truly special in those hands.
Before her bogey on the first hole of today’s final, she’d almost unbelievably played 66 holes without a blemish.
And she followed that with no fewer than 10 birdies in 34 holes of today’s final to win 3&2.
It’s a special combination for someone whose hands have only been on golf sticks for a comparative millisecond.
Gresham would have loved that, too.
