Blake McGrory edges past Adam Mollis at the Queensland Men’s Stroke Play Championship
Blake McGrory is leading the Queensland Stroke Play Championship by one shot over Adam Mollis in the Queensland Men’s Stroke Play Championship at Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club.
McGrory was the only player among the 156 strong field of contenders who was able to break Par. He scored one-under to lead the first round of the tournament forcing Mollis to trail behind with even Par. Sam Daley is at the third spot with one-over.
Cameron Smith, the highest ranked Amateur player participating in the event, scored two-over to trail the leaders by three shots. The Australian star golfer is currently tied for the fourth spot with Daniel McGraw and Tim Hyland. Smith is the current champion
of the Australian Amateur Stroke Play and also the Australian Boy’s Championship.
Tim Hart continues to pose serious challenges to the top golfers in the circuit and scored three-over, 75 to close the first round at joint seventh along with Kevin Marques, Nicholas Smits and Maverick Antcliff. Hart won his first amateur title last month
at the Federal Amateur where he scored seven-under to lift the cup. He was also the only player who was able to break Par at the difficult Red Hill Golf course.
Hart had previously been unlucky as he finished runners up at no less than six tournaments that he played including 2009 Mandurah Easter Amateur, the 2008 NSW Amateur Championship, the 2009 Federal Amateur, 2009 Victorian Amateur, 2010 Queensland Amateur
and the 2010 Port Phillip Amateur.
In the absence of top ranked Australian amateurs Matt Stieger and Ryan McCarthy, the players in the field are comparatively evenly poised to clinch the top slot. Stieger and last year’s winner of the Queensland Men’s Stroke Play, Brett Drewitt decided to
participate in the South Australian Amateur Championship at Adelaide while McCarthy is still recovering from a surfing accident.
The halfway cut will be forged following Wednesday’s second round which will include the top 50 plus ties to enter the third round. Top 16 from the tournament will head into the Queensland Men’s Amateur Championship which will be played at the Arundel Hills
Golf Club, starting from May 3.
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