Two Australians and two New Zealanders play US Amateur Championship
Queensland’s Harry Takis leads the Australasians in world ranking – image APAC
Four Australasians will look to add to the victories of Nick Flanagan, Curtis Luck and Danny Lee as US Amateur Champions from our part of the world when they play the game’s most prestigious amateur championship in Philadelphia later today.
Queensland’s Harry Takis and Sydney’s Kayun Mudadana will be joined by Hawke’s Bay’s Zackary Swanwick and Auckland’s Josh Bai in the field of 312 looking, initially, to play their way into the leading 64 who qualify for the matchplay phase of the event.
Takis earned his right to play the event courtesy of his 15th-place standing in the world men’s amateur rankings; Swanwick, as a result of being 20th in the same ranking; Mudanda, in 99th place, played his way into the field via Final qualifying; and Bai recently won the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst.
Takis, Swanwick and Bai are all playing collegiate golf in the US, Takis for San Diego State, while Bai and Swanwick are teammates at the University of Florida.
With 312 of the game’s best amateurs competing over 36 holes at both Merion Golf Club and the Philadelphia Country Club to earn their way into the leading 64, it is a demanding task just to reach the match-play phase of the event.
