Seattle Redhawk Invitational – Washington State, USA

Posted on April 29, 2017 by SUNGRL

The Iowa State Cyclones travelled to Seattle in Washington State to play in the Seattle Redhawk Invitational which was played at Chambers Bay, the course used for the 2015 US Open.  As you can imagine the team were pretty excited to be playing here.

The excitement was further added to when they won the tournament by a shot – Freshman Tripp Kinney had an eagle on the par 5 18th hole which played a crucial part in the win.

The victory adds to ISU’s season titles at the Badger Invitational and the National Invitation Tournament, marking the first time in 20 years (1996-97) the Cyclones have tallied three tournament victories in a season.

Nick tied for 15th shooting rounds of 73, 71 and 73.

In Nick’s own words…..

Getting a team victory was so sick!  I think this was the first time that we all went there knowing that we had the goods to dominate the others teams. It was so cool to see Tripp finish the way he did, he deserved it after all the work he put it

I enjoyed stepping it up a notch before the event. I told the blokes that my intensity in the week leading up to the event was really good.  I put more emphasis into handling adversity because I knew that would happen a lot at Chambers Bay.

I beleive I embraced the adversity really well out there. I got a few dubious bounces that could have really affected me but my mindset going into the event ensured that I wasn’t going to let that dictate the way I approached things. I think this whole mindset radiated throughout the team – coach Chad mentioned that he could see it affecting some of the other teams but not us. We were there on a mission!

I drove the ball really well out there. It was easy to hit fairways but I felt like my control over the golf ball with the big dog in hand was much improved.  It was the first event in a long time where I didn’t have any wasted shots off the tee! I hit 80% of the fairways and had a 98% success rate with good drives which is pretty nice.

My speed control was also phenomenal! I think I only had one 3 putt which I was very proud of.   In saying that my putting numbers weren’t the greatest – I had placed a bit more emphasis on holing putts from 5 to 15 feet but unfortunately that didn’t happen.


Chambers Bay Golf Course

Chambers Bay Golf Course was opened for play in June 2007.  It was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr.

Just as the game of golf itself has a rich history, so does the land on which Chambers Bay was created. The Chambers Creek Properties is comprised of more than 950 acres located along the shores of the Puget Sound in University Place, Washington. While Pierce County’s ownership of the property has been fairly recent, the making of the surrounding land began to take shape more than 200 years ago.

The area first found use as a rock quarry stemming as far back as the Steilacoom Indian Tribe and the first European settlers in 1832. Over the years the Chambers Creek Properties area has been used as a location for a paper mill, a major industrial center, multiple lumber companies, a railroad center, a sand and gravel mine, a bus barn, a regional wastewater treatment plant, a preservation and recreational area, and today, as a world class 18-hole championship golf course.
What is Links Golf?

Many golfers use “links” and “golf course” interchangeably. But the term “links” is actually a specific type of golf course. Linksland describes the sandy windswept dunes and fertile farmlands found between the North Sea and the Scottish town of St. Andrews where the game was first developed 500 years ago. Some of the most notable examples of traditional links courses include St. Andrews Old Course, Royal Troon Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links and Ballybunion Old Course.

True traditional links courses, including Chambers Bay, share several geographic characteristics:

A links course is built along a major body of water

A links course usually has very few trees, if any

A links course resides on sandy soil that drains easily

A links course has a natural open layout where the native landscape, wind and rain play a major factor

A links course features ground contours that provide remarkable inherent undulations and slopes in the fairways and greens

A links course rarely has any internal water features

A links course’s rough areas feature pure seaside grasses

The golf traditionalist can appreciate the almost mystical quality that comes with playing a links course. Experiencing the game’s highs and lows while traversing rugged dunes and natural seaside beauty sets links golf apart from its inland cousin. Some believe that links golf embodies a spirit, a state of mind, an attitude or a feeling; at Chambers Bay, we tend to agree.

Silver Signature Sanctuary

Chambers Bay was certified on August 14, 2007 by Audubon International as a Silver Signature Sanctuary, the first golf course in both the state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest. Signature certification is awarded only to new developments which are designed, constructed, and maintained according to Audubon International’s precise planning standards and environmental disciplines. Chambers Bay and its dedicated staff continue to manage and protect water quality and wildlife habitat on the property as part of an ongoing commitment to the environment.

The US Open 2015

The 2015 U.S. Open Championship was marked by its many firsts. It was the first U.S. Open in the 115 year history of the championship to be played in the Pacific Northwest. The first U.S. Open played on fine fescue putting surfaces. The first Open since Hazeltine in 1970 to be contested on a new course. The first Open in which a hole was played as a par-4 one day and a par-5 the next, where the range in tee placements on a single hole could extend its length by 100 yards or greater. The first Open televised by Fox Sports, revolutionizing the way the game is viewed. And the last Open where the anchored putting stroke was within the Rules of Golf.

21-year-old Jordan Spieth walked away as the youngest player, and only the sixth in history, to win both the Masters and the US Open in the same year.

The US Amateur 2010

As the first U.S. Amateur in history to be played on a public course, and the first ever hosted in the state of Washington, Chambers Bay delivered on its promise exactly the way the USGA hoped it would. The firm and fast layout of the links-style course requires skill and careful course management rather than sheer power from players. The same is true of its caretakers, whose approach is beautifully simple – less waste of water and other natural resources, reduced usage of chemicals, and greater reliance on sustainability. When it comes to course conditioning brown is both beautiful and brutal, and links-inspired golf is the principle of working with nature, not against it.

For the 36-hole championship match held on the last day, more than 5,000 spectators followed the final twosome of Peter Uihlein, the Oklahoma State star, and David Chung, the Stanford junior. They were appropriately the No. 1 and No. 4 ranked amateurs in the world. On his 21st birthday, alongside the railroad tracks and banks of Puget Sound, Uihlein won the Amateur on the 16th hole, defeating Chung 4 and 2 for the title in its 110th version.

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ASU Thunderbird Invitational – Arizona, USA

Posted on March 26, 2017 by SUNGRL

The Iowa State Cyclones played in the Arizona State University (ASU) Thunderbird Invitational in Arizona on the 18th and 19th March.  The team finished sixth out of sixteen teams with Nick finishing tied for 12th with rounds of 68, 69 and 72.  Nick has carded a sub-70 round in eight of his last 11 rounds.

In Nicks own words……..

I still have plenty to work on – my putting within 5 feet was rock solid but from 10 feet plus it is still not as sharp as I would like it to be.  I hit a lot of quality mid iron shots with a high draw which I couldn’t really hit before.  In summary I feel like I played well enough to compete but couldn’t quite get things going due to my 80 to 140 yard range shots being a bit off.



ASU Karsten Golf Course

The ASU Karsten Golf Course is a 7,002-yard, par-70 classic Pete Dye design reminiscent of a Scottish links course. ASU Karsten has attracted the attention of prominent NCAA golf events and coveted tournaments such as the Phoenix Thunderbirds and PING Invitational. Managed by OB Sports Golf Management, the ASU Karsten Golf Course is also home to the Arizona State University (ASU) men’s and women’s NCAA golf teams, both multiple national championship winners. 

The Thunderbirds

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. Consisting of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members, The Thunderbirds host the Waste Management Phoenix Open; the best attended golf tournament in the world, which to date has raised more than USD100 million for Valley charities, including The First Tee of Phoenix. With its unmatched fan participation and rich history dating back more than 80 years, the Waste Management Phoenix Open has gained legendary status for being a unique stop on the PGA TOUR. 

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General Hackler Championship – South Carolina, USA

Posted on March 17, 2017 by SUNGRL

The Iowa State men’s golf team played in the General Hackler Championships at the Dunes Golf Club in Myrtle Beach on the 11th and 12th March.  The tournament was restricted to 36 holes after bad weather saw the last round cancelled.  The team finished 11th out of 15 teams with Nick finishing tied for 27th with rounds of 78 and 69.  The field consisted of nine teams currently ranked in the GolfStat top 50.

In Nick’s own words…

We had a week lead up to the Hackler in Myrtle Beach after landing back home from Arizona. We were very aware of the amazing accomplishment the week before but were also cautious at the same time. In the fall – we had won our first event of the year and then had one of our worst performances the event after, it’s an easy trap to fall into and we were adamant that it wouldn’t happen again.

In that week, we really encapsulated what it means to pay the price. We went straight back to work and even had a couple of morning practice sessions before our 8am classes. It was our mission to prepare like the week before and give ourselves the best chance to go back-to-back.

Unfortunately, things didn’t eventuate the way we had envisioned. We got off to a really poor start, most of us doubled our first holes and we weren’t able to recover. I was a little shocked at our scores in all honesty. We knew the golf course was challenging but there aren’t any excuses to be in the position we found ourselves in after the first round. The second round was much better but because the third round got rained out, we found ourselves towards the bottom of the leaderboard.

 We had a couple of team meetings to talk about what had happened and there were some common themes that we are going to look into in a bit more depth, however, poor performances can also come out of the blue and we are cognizant of the fact that its golf and stuff like this happens.

 We fly straight to Arizona for a golf tournament we won last year and feel very comfortable around. The tournament starts on the weekend but because it is spring break, we get to spend the whole week down there! It’s going to be awesome, average of about 35 degrees each day with not much wind and plenty to do. Time to slip, slop, slap and get back to work with the lads!

The Dunes Golf Club at Myrtle Beach

The Dunes Golf Club began in 1947 as a dream by local Myrtle Beach businessmen and women at a small fishing cabin located on Singleton Swash overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. On a cool October day, these visionaries discussed the possibilities of constructing a private golf club on the 200+ acres surrounding the “Chapin Cabin” site.  

After much discussion, hard work, a few setbacks, and some fortunate breaks, the Dunes Golf Club was incorporated in May of 1948. A little known architect named Robert Trent Jones was commissioned to design the layout and 65+ years later, there is no doubt that Robert Trent Jones is regarded as one of the all-time greatest golf course architects ever to have touched the earth.  

Now after six decades of history and tradition, the Dunes Golf and Beach Club stands as a “Top 100 Golf Course” in virtually every major magazine ranking. The Club has played host to many PGA Tours, Senior PGA Tours, Women’s, Amateur, National, and State events.  

The course has seen some minor renovations throughout the years but has retained the original essence of the design, proving that the excellence of the layout would stand up to the numerous industry changes over the decades. The Dunes Club currently has over 750 members and is private. 

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National Invitational Tournament – Arizona, USA

Posted on March 17, 2017 by SUNGRL

The Iowa State men’s golf team played in the National Invitational Tournament hosted by Arizona State University that finished on the 28th February.  The tournament was played at the Omni Tucson Catalina Golf Course in Arizona.  

The team won the tournament beating the hosts by 5 strokes with a three round total of 832.  This is their second title this season.

Nick finished in a tie for second with rounds of 66, 68 and 69.  This is his 16th top 10 finish and his total of 203 tied for the third lowest 54 hole score in school history.  The team score of 832 ties for the second best 54 hole tally in school history.

Iowa State head coach Andrew Tank had the following to say after the victory “This is a really special win for the program.  Our guys have been putting in a lot of work and it’s great to see it pay off.  We had a poor start to the spring after a succesful fall.  The kids stepped up this week and they have been working harder.  To go wire to wire is very rewarding.  It says a lot about the guys on our team.  With our starting five, you never know who is going to be the guy to go low.  We feel everyone is capable of shooting in the 60s.  That’s what you need to compete at this level.”

Nick’s team mate and fellow countryman Denzel Ieremia also finished in the top 10 by tying for fourth on 204.  He also shot three rounds in the 60’s – 68, 67 and 69.

In Nick’s own words….

After a quick turnaround from Palm Springs, we made our way down to Arizona for the National Invitational Tournament hosted by the University of Arizona. We went down there with a specific purpose – we knew we were playing well and that good things could happen if we prepared well enough. There was still a bit of pain among the lads from the week prior, we knew that if we got ourselves in the same positon as last week (leading with a few holes to go) then we knew how to handle ourselves and how to execute. There was an extra level of intensity and purpose among the guys – we were hungry.

 We prepared for this event like no event before. We truly knew what we were there to do – absolute commitment to our plans and executing them with grit and fight. We ticked off all the boxes and gave ourselves the best chance to play well. I was really proud of our preparation leading into the event.

A cool moment we shared was after the 36-hole day – where we sat around the dinner table with a small margin at the top of the leaderboard. A common theme that went around the table was that our job had just begun; we were in a position we wanted to be in AND NOW it was time to live up to our philosophies and express ourselves – when everything was on the line and people were chasing us. We handled the extra pressure amazingly because we were prepared for it – there was no surprise or confusion among the guys that we were in that position, we had worked for it and we wanted it.

Looking back on the team victory – I can comfortably say that the best thing about the whole week was the way our team operated in the days leading up to the event. Our preparation was world-class and something we will try to replicate throughout the rest of the spring. 

Roll Clones.

 

Omni Tucson National Catalina Golf Course

The Catalina Golf Course is the host to over 30 PGA Tour events and is the annual host of the University of Arizona Invitational.  The course has been selected as one of Golf Digest’s “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America.”  It is parkland style with 8 sparkling lakes and 80 bunkers. The 18th hole iss considered to be one of the finest and most challenging finishing holes on the PGA Tour.

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The Prestige at PGA West – California, USA

Posted on March 16, 2017 by SUNGRL

The Iowa State men’s golf team played in The Prestige at PGA West from the 20th to the 22nd February.  The field consisted of seven teams currently ranked in the Golfstat top 50.  As of the 14th March Iowa State are ranked 50.

The team finished in a tie for 6th with Nick finishing in a tie for 12th.  Nick had rounds of 69, 69 and 74 for a total of 212.  The winner, Jared Du Toit from Arizona State University had a total of 204.

In Nick’s own words…

The Prestige at PGA West is always one of my favorite events. We stay at the most magnificent resort; the La Quinta resort. The place is like golf heaven; courses are scattered all over the area and the surrounds are breathtaking. We are truly spoiled throughout the whole week – we get a glimpse into the life of a successful touring pro.

We played really solid and gave ourselves a chance to win the whole thing with 6 holes to go. It is quite a big event in the grand scheme of things and so it was quite a cool position to be in! Unfortunately, those last 6 holes ending up being our undoing and our resulting tie for 6th didn’t really capture how well we had played.

I had quite a cool experience with 6 holes to go – I was the last one in our team to go through this point and so I saw the leaderboard and our one shot margin at the top!  It was a really cool moment because I reflected on the hard work we had all put in and how proud I was of our team. We truly capture what it means to be one unit working towards a common goal.

PGA West Greg Norman Course

There are six courses at PGA West and the Greg Norman course is the newest and the only Greg Norman designed course in the Coachella Valley.  It was built in 1999.  It is aptly described as being very “challenging but fair.”  Sporting only 68 acres of lush manicured turf, 102 white crushed marble bunkers and shark blue water coming into play on 9 holes this is a true “Outback” experience.

Resting in a prehistoric ocean bed 40-feet below sea level and surrounded by an immense crescent of terra cotta mountains, the course teems with purple, white and yellow wildflowers, while the mix of tall and short native grasses produce different shades of green running almost to silver. 

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Arizona Intercollegiate – Arizona, USA

Posted on January 30, 2017 by SUNGRL

The Iowa State Cyclones started their spring season in Arizona at the Arizona Intercollegiate on the 23rd and 24th January.  Due to Iowa being covered in snow the team also traveled to Arizona the weekend before to play some qualifying rounds for the upcoming tournament.

They played 54 holes over three different golf courses:

Arizona State University’s (ASU)  Karsten Course – this golf course opened in September 1989 and is home to ASU’s mens and ladies golf teams.  No tax dollars or university funds were used to build the golf course, only private funds. The largest single contributor to the project was Karsten Solheim, founder of PING golf equipment. Over the last 20-plus years, more than 1 million rounds have been played on the Pete Dye designed course, including 52,000 by the ASU men’s and ladies golf teams. The golf course was built by the Sun Angel Foundation, is owned by Arizona State University and is managed by Lyon Golf.

Desert Mountain – there are six different Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses at Desert Mountain.  There are extensive golf practice facilities with are multiple pitching, chipping, putting and bunker areas, and four separate practice ranges with target greens.

Raven Golf Club – etched into a rugged mountain slope with sweeping panoramic vistas of the surrounding valley and the Phoenix skyline, Raven Golf Club Phoenix’s par-72, 7,078-yard championship layout is an anomaly among traditional desert layouts.  More than 6,000 mature pine trees traverse lush rolling fairways and expansive, multi-tiered greens, with a unique assortment of bunkers and water features creating both strategic diversity and a stunning backdrop for golf.  The course was designed in 1995 by Gary Panks and David Graham to blend seamlessly with its pristine natural surroundings.

Nick shot a combine 5 under par to come out on top in qualifying.  

In Nick’s own words….

We had a great weekend down in Arizona prior to the Arizona Intercollegiate. It was more of a training trip where the local guys could get back onto grass and qualify (for the team) against us Internationals who have been at home over Xmas break. The mornings were spent practicing with the afternoons reserved for qualifying. It was so much fun catching up with the guys after a month away! We really have become a close knit group.

Arizona Intercollegiate 
The Arizona Intercollegiate was played at the Sewailo Golf Club over three rounds.  The Cyclones finished 10th out of 18 teams.  Nick finished tied for 42nd with rounds of 75, 75 and 77 giving him a total of 227.  The winner, Wyndham Clark from Oregon shot a total of 209.  

In Nick’s own words…..

Due to the timing of things, we all got to spend an extra day down in Arizona for a total of  four days : )  If not already spoiled, the coaches decided to surprise us and take us to the Dove Mountain Golf Course – the venue of the 2008-2014 World Matchplay. I remember watching this event growing up, to be able to play it was such a treat. The young fellas (Conner, Tripp and Sam) were feeling adventurous and decided to take on the older lads (Ruben, Denzel and myself). Let’s just say experience and maturity was the winner on the day.

The Arizona Intercollegiate is one of our more favorite events; we stay at a great place and walk to the golf course each day. There is a real hype among the teams; it is the first event of the spring for all of us and we were all fizzing to be out there again!  We knew in the forecast that the weather was going to be below average with winds up to 35km/h and chilly!  We made a great effort to embrace the circumstances and bring the ‘artists’ in us out to play.

Unfortunately, the guys didn’t play that well and were all pretty disapointed with the end result. We knew that we were close but couldn’t quite get the momentum going in our favor. The highlight was Denzel’s 5 under in the final round.  My game was solid throughout but I continued to shoot myself in the foot and miss the critical key shots. In my post event meeting with the coaches we talked about how my game has been trending very nicely with some noticeable functional improvements. It was just one of those weeks where I was a little off at the wrong times and paid the full price for it. Nothing to be concerned about; just a little bump in my upward trend.

We have 3 weeks to prepare for our next event; the Prestige at PGA West. The guys are all excited to get back to work at our facility and be as prepared as we can be. We are all achieving fantastic in the classroom and are working hard in the gym so there is nothing that’s holding us back! 

Sewailo Golf Club – the Pascua Yaqui Tribe knew they wanted to work within the land and honor its natural gifts and wonders when it came to designing a golf course in Tucson. They hired fellow native American, Notah Begay, a Navajo and Pueblo who has made his name both as a player on the PGA Tour, a commentator on NBC television and The Golf Channel, and as a noted golf course designer, to help carve the world from the high sonoran desert just south of the resort. Sewailo, meaning “flower world” in the Pascua Yaqui language, blends the native landscape with picturesque lakes and streams. This challenging course measures 7,400 yards from the championship tees, with 5 different tee boxes on each hole to allow for players of all abilities. It is known as one of the finest golf courses in Tucson and the state of Arizona.



The Golf Club at Dove Mountain –  Jack Nicklaus took advantage of the High Sonoran Desert setting to integrate strategy, variety and fair shot values into this 27 hole golf course.  The course blends naturally among noble saguaros and the surrounding Tortolita Mountain Range and has elevations ranging from 2,300 to 3,200 feet to challenge even the most seasoned pro. 


 

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Bridgestone Golf Collegiate – North Carolina, USA

Posted on November 22, 2016 by SUNGRL

Nick played in the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate at the end of October on the Grandover Resort East Course in Greensboro, North Carolina.  This was the last Iowa State University (ISU) team tournament for the 2016 fall season and they went out in style finishing runner up in their second straight tournament with a 54 hole 838 tally (287-272-279).  ISU’s 838 ties for the fourth-lowest score in school history.  In doing so they defeated three teams ranked in Golfstat’s top 40 (Northwestern, Liberty, Purdue).

Nick had rounds of 76, 72 and 65 and tied for 23rd out of 84 individuals.  Nick, who missed the last two tournaments, fired a scorching final round of 65 that was blemish free. It ties for the lowest 18-hole round of his great career.  

See the article below summarising ISU’s fall achievements. 

History of the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate 

The Bridgestone Golf Collegiate is in its 12th year in 2016 and is bigger and better than ever at the Grandover Resort East Course for the fifth straight year. 

After serving as a spring tournament in 2005 and 2006, the tournament moved to October in 2007, serving for many teams as the final stop on their fall schedule. Each year, the tournament field seems to grow stronger. In 2010, the field featured five teams ranked in the top 50 by both Golfstat and Golfweek’s Sagarin ratings. The year prior, Louisville, Mississippi State, Duke, Michigan State, Memphis, Michigan and Pepperdine played in the tournament – all of which advanced to the NCAA tournament in the spring of 2008.

The Grandover Resort Golf Courses were designed by world renowned golf architects David Graham and Gary Panks and built amidst 1,500 acres of oaks, pine and dogwood covered hills, the courses provide a blaze of color and assure golfers they are in the Carolinas, America’s heartland of golf. 

Cyclones End Fall Season in the Top 50

Article from Iowa State University Men’s Golf Website – 10th November 2016

The Iowa State men’s golf team concluded fall competition on Oct. 31, finishing 50th in the final Golfweek fall rankings.
The Cyclones had an outstanding fall, winning one tournament title (Badger Invitational) and finishing runner-up twice (Pinetree Intercollegiate and Bridgestone Collegiate).

The tournament title at the Badger Invitational was Iowa State’s 37th championship in school history, dating back to 1969. The Cyclones won by 10 strokes (852), led by Denzel Ieremia and Nick Voke, who both placed in the top 10.

The Cyclones’ best performance, however, came at the Bridgestone Collegiate where the team fired its fourth-best 54-hole total in school history (838). It included a second-round 272, which is the second-lowest 18-hole mark in school history, two strokes behind the 2014 performance at the NCAA Regional tournament.

Ieremia had a phenomenal fall season for the Cyclones, leading the team in stroke average (70.00) while placing in the top-10 in three of the four tournaments, including his first career tournament title at the Pinetree Invitational. He is currently ranked 64th nationally in the Golfweek individual rankings.

Senior Ruben Sondjaja also had a strong fall campaign with a 70.27 stroke average and two top-10 finishes. He finished runner-up at the Bridgestone Collegiate with a 205, tying his lowest career 54-hole total. Sondjaja finished with five a team-high five sub-70 rounds and is currently ranked 92nd nationally by Golfweek.

Voke missed two tournaments in the fall, but the senior still proved to be the one of the Cyclone leaders. He fired a blistering 65 in the final round of the Bridgestone Collegiate, tying for the best Cyclone round of the season and second-best in school history. He has 15 career top-10 finishes, tying for third in school history, and a career 72.04 stroke average, which is on pace to break the school record.

Freshmen Tripp Kinney and Sam Vincent made immediate impacts with stroke averages of 72.82 and 75.64, respectively. Both played in every tournament and Kinney placed in the top-20 in three out of the four outings.

Iowa State will return to action on the links on January 23rd at the Arizona Intercollegiate.

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Asia Pacific Amateur Championships – Korea

Posted on October 14, 2016 by SUNGRL

Nick was one of six New Zealand amateurs to be selected to play at the Asia Pacific Championships in Korea between the 6th and the 9th October.  This is the third time that Nick has played in this tournament.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is an annual amateur golf tournament. It is played at various locations throughout Asia-Pacific. It is organized by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and was first played in 2009. It was organized in conjunction with the Masters Tournament and The R&A, organizers of The Open Championship. The winner receives an invitation to the Masters and, along with the runner-up, gains entry to International Final Qualifying for the Open.  It is also considered an “elite” event by the World Amateur Golf Ranking in that any player that makes the cut is eligible to be ranked. Only the U.S. Amateur, British Amateur, and European Amateur have this distinction.

Invitations for the championship are sent to the leading players from the 40 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) affiliated organizations. Each organization is automatically provided with two positions, which are to be filled by their highest-ranked players from the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

If there is only one or no players from a member organization in the Ranking, a member organization is able to nominate one or two players accordingly, provided the player/s have a handicap of 5.4 or less.

The remainder of the field is filled by taking the next highest ranked players from the WAGR with the maximum number of players allowed from any organization being six. The only exception is for the host country, which is allowed to nominate an additional four players.

This year’s tournament was played at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Korea.  The Club is situated within a modern residential development in the Songdo International Business District.  Songdo is an ambitious multi-billion dollar “smart city” project which lies just over an hour’s drive from Seoul, on the shores of the East China Sea and it utilises more than 1,500 acres of reclaimed land along the Incheon waterfront.

A substantial amount of soil was shifted to shape the fairways here and the course is set out in two returning nines, named Urban and Links, with holes on each circuit routed around sizeable housing components.

Water hazards form an integral part of the strategic test and over half the holes on the card feature ponds or lakes that come into play either off the tee or close to the green.

The Presidents Cup tournament was played on this course in October 2015.  The Presidents Cup is a series of men’s golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup.  The tournament is held every second year and is hosted alternately in the United States and in countries represented by the International Team.

Nick finished eleventh with rounds of 71, 72, 71 and 77 finishing on three over par for the tournament.  The winner was Curtis Luck from Australia who finished on twelve under par.  Luke Toomey, Nick’s team mate finished in third place on nine under par.  All of the New Zealand team made the cut and played all four rounds of the tournament.  

Nick hit his driver really well in the first two rounds but unfortunately this dropped off a bit in rounds three and four. He also missed a lot of easy up and downs although made a lot of hard ones.  The conditions in the final round were pretty tough with the wind getting up early.  This was reflected in the scores with very few players being under par.  It was a hard fought week that has given Nick a lot to think about and to work on back in Iowa.

From left to right – Nick Coxon, Ryan Chisnall, Luke Brown, Daniel Hillier, Nick Voke and Luke Toomey

Media Coverage

NZ Golf – Day Four

In what was a dramatic final day, Curtis Luck of Australia has come from behind to win the 2016 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and New Zealand’s Luke Toomey finished third at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.

Luck now the now holds the two biggest prizes in amateur golf after winning the US Amateur earlier in the year as his golfing CV builds at pace.

The day started as a two horse race with Luck starting the final round seven shots behind, but with the 54 hole leader Brett Coletta making two double bogeys half way through the round, the door opened for his fellow Australian who pounced and won the tournament by one shot after a 72 hole birdie.

This also left the door slightly ajar for New Zealand’s Luke Toomey who was making a run on his own with an impressive round of six under (66). This rocketed him up the leaderboard to finish in third alone in what has been a successful week for the 23 year old.

“I’m just bloody stoked and it’s satisfying to know the hard work is starting to trend nicely,” said Toomey.
The Waikato number one kept the faith after holing a 35-foot putt for birdie on 12 and for the first time this week carded a bogey free round which included six birdies. Although he left his run slightly late this positive result will do him the world of good.

“I came here with the intention to do something special but I probably didn’t make those birdies quick enough. I’m not going to think of the what-ifs, I’m just proud of what I did achieve today.”

Toomey’s finish matched Ben Campbell in 2011 as the best by a New Zealander in the tournament’s seven-year history. Campbell finished third behind Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.

Nick Voke was next best Kiwi in 11th place on three-over. Tournament debutant Daniel Hillier finished tied for 15th on six-over, followed by another first-timer Luke Brown (eight-over), Nick Coxon (13-over) and Ryan Chisnall (16-over).

All players showed character and fight throughout the week, but what was most impressive was the way they conducted themselves off the course. They were a hit with many, especially all the local caddies.

It was a special week for the large New Zealand contingent inside and outside the ropes as we prepare to host this amazing event in 2017 at Royal Wellington. To have the world’s best amateurs and the world’s most powerful golfing bodies in our back yard will be something very special.

NZ Golf – Day Three

The New Zealand contingent of golfers will require something special if they are to get close to winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship after another solid, yet not spectacular day.

Luke Toomey is now the leading Kiwi at three under par, a whopping 11 shots behind Australian Nick Coletta. In difficult winds Toomey carded a two under round of 70 to sit in eighth spot alone.

“It hit it really nicely today, gave myself plenty of chances and hit some good putts that just slipped by, but two under on a day like this was pleasing,” said Toomey.

 Nick Voke is one shot behind Toomey and once again produced a very colourful scorecard which was highlighted by an eagle on the par four, 14th that got his round back on track.

It was a tough day at the office for Nick Coxon who was the leading Kiwi through 36 holes. After a solid start things turned to custard as the 20 year old found himself in bunker trouble recording a double bogey on the par three eighth. Deciding his fate was a run of four bogeys on the final stretch, from holes 14-17 which dropped him out of contention finishing at two over par (T16).

Once again the Australians are perched at the top of the pops with Coletta showing no signs of slowing down. He couldn’t match his opening rounds of five under, but in tough conditions he managed a round of four under which included a par save after hitting a water hazard on the par four 14th.

The 20 year old will be joined in the final group by his roommate for the week Cameron Davis who is trailing by two shots. Davis is the more experienced of the duo, but is it enough to chase down his exciting friend and fellow countrymen in what looks to be a two horse race.

Finally visiting our other Kiwi golfers, Daniel Hillier was showing comfort throughout his round before a tough double bogey, bogey finish which left him at four over for the day, three over for the tournament and in a tie for 20th.

Luke Brown finished one over for the third round to be placed in a tie for 26th. He too had a double bogey on the card after what was looking to be another solid round for the Northland number one.

Ryan Chisnall rounds out the six strong New Zealand side, just one shot behind Brown at six over after an even par round today.

This young side is building vital experience every day and as we are on the eve of the final round, many will be thinking of shooting the lights out, but also Royal Wellington next year and how well this week will be preparing them for that challenge on their home turf.

NZ Golf – Day Two

All six New Zealand golfers have made the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) hosted by the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club with Nick Coxon once again finishing as the best Kiwi at four-under par.

The 20-year-old from Riverside Golf Club finds himself in a tie for seventh and within striking distance at the biggest tournament of his career, which if won results in an invitation to the Augusta Masters and to The Open Championship final qualifying.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Coxon who had a nervous finish which included three tee shots (two provisional’s) on the 16th, however with the help of the 20 strong Kiwi gallery, they found his first ball to get away with a bogey five.

After this hole it was clear his driver was at sixes and sevens which forced him to play his new three iron off the par five 18th highlighting he was far from in control. He managed to get out of there with a par save and was happy to be in the clubhouse with a respectable number to sign off.

“Yeah it’s good to get in the hut! It got a bit shaky at the end and I was pretty lucky to make five back on the sixteenth considering I had three tee shots, but all in all it’s pretty solid,” said Coxon.

“The driver was kind of going all over the shop, so I didn’t know what I was going to get, but the three iron was pretty trusty so I thought I would just whack that down there.”

Coxon knows the challenge that lies ahead as we reach moving day in Korea.

“I will have to shoot a couple of good ones to catch Brett I think, but you never know.”

Waikato’s Luke Toomey once again showed he has no issues banking birdies after making three throughout his round, although his bad holes will be haunting him heading into the weekend as his three bogey’s resulted in him posting an even-par 72 .

The 23-year-old is in positive spirits as he looks to go low on moving day at the AAC.

“It leaves me with really no option but to come out and unleash tomorrow which can be a really good thing. I’m really excited and I’ll go guns blazing,” said Toomey.

Toomey finished the day one-under par for the tournament and is not alone on that number with two other Kiwi’s in the form of Daniel Hillier and Nick Voke joining him.

Voke had an extremely colourful scorecard that included an eagle mixed with bogey’s either side of it and a double bogey on the par five 15th. He then showed tremendous fight making back-to-back birdies on the final two holes to salvage his round.

Wellington’s Daniel Hillier had his regular gallery of Royal Wellington members following his round throughout the morning. Finishing at two-under, Hillier made six birdies and four bogeys to prove this Jack Nicklaus designed course challenges you every hole.

It’s hard to look past the large Australian contingent as they dominate the leaderboard with three of the top four players coming from across the ditch.

Brett Coletta leads the field with a ten-under par total after two matching rounds of five-under (67). He will be going head-to-head with his higher ranked team mates Cameron Davis (nine-under) and 2016 US Amateur Champion Curtis Luck (five-under).

Due to strong winds forecast later in the day tomorrow, there has been much discussion on the starting time of round three and the tournament team has decided there will be a two tee start to ensure play is done before dangerous winds hit Incheon, Korea.

All in all, to have four Kiwi’s in the red and inside the top fifteen at this level is a hugely positive start to the tournament. Now is the time when the men are separated from the boys and Masters glory gets ever closer.

Enjoy your moving day.

NZ Golf – Day One

Waikato’s Nick Coxon is flying the flag for New Zealand and sits in a tie for fifth after round one of the 2016 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship shooting a round of three under, 69.

It was a day of ‘what if’s’ for the six strong Kiwi side with plenty of birdies on every card, but all players found it tough to negate the bogeys.

To make Coxon’s round all the more special, he arrived on the range to find a crack in his go-too three iron and played the round without it. The 20 year old then opened his account with a double bogey to continue his bad run of luck on the opening morning.

He then responded with five birdies to show class and mental strength that proved he is able to play at this high level of golf.

“I just had to try and steady the ship with a couple of birdies and I managed to do that. I was confident after that and kept playing solidly which was good.”

“It was good fun and a solid start, it’s just nice to get underway and in pretty good fashion,” said Coxon.

“I just took my chance when I needed to and made a few birdies and I’ll try to keep it going.”

Coxon almost found the scenario comical when asked about his faithful three iron.

“I was about to tee off and I looked at the face on my three-iron and there was a crack right at the bottom of it. So I just had to go without it. There were two tee shots where I really wanted it but I managed.”

His casual demeanour was a calming factor in a great opening performance against the best amateur golfers in the world.

“Everyone’s got two arms and two legs so we’ll be all right.”

The day of what if’s was highlighted by more than just Coxon. Luke Toomey and Nick Voke both finished on one under par with Toomey making six birdies coupled with two doubles in a round where he was so close.

They may only be at one under par and six shots back from Australian Cameron Davis, but they still sit in a tie for 10th which shows most struggled on day dot.

Northland’s Luke Brown also made his quota of birdies with five throughout the round. However, they were matched with five bogeys to end the day flat with the card. In his debut Asia-Pacific Amateur, this was a great start for the 21 year old.

Also on debut, Daniel Hillier made his way around the Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at one over par. Once again there were more positive signs before back to back bogeys on 13 and 14 slowed his round down, but at the ripe age of 18 this is a very positive start to his campaign and this experience alone can only do his favours leading into next year’s event, hosted in his home city of Wellington.

Ryan Chisnall had a day to forget and even with a glorious eagle on the 18th to finish the day, his round of six over par will be tough to swallow for the Eisenhower rep.

NZ Golf – Pre Tournament 

This week six of New Zealand’s leading amateurs will play in the world’s biggest individual stroke play event, The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. The winner of this prestigious tournament will receive an invitation to play in the 2017 Masters at Augusta National.

Nick Voke (Manukau/Iowa State), Luke Toomey (Riverside), Ryan Chisnall (Greenacres), Nick Coxon (Riverside), Daniel Hillier (Manor Park) and Luke Brown (The Pines) all have the opportunity to create history at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Korea this week.

With New Zealand being awarded hosting rights for the 2017 tournament at Royal Wellington a large part of this year’s tournament is one big reconnaissance mission as well. This may be the biggest tournament to have ever been played in our country and provides an amazing opportunity as the home nation with an extra four players able to be selected (10 total).

This event is treated no different to a world leading professional event and you can certainly see it. The effort and precision gone in to make this feel like the ‘Mini Masters’ is simply superb and with a good contingent of Kiwis here, it will do wonders for not only our players, but for anyone involved in next year’s tournament.

The above combination of New Zealand players provides a great mixture of youth and experience this week, especially after a successful Eisenhower Trophy campaign recently where Voke, Toomey and Chisnall finished an impressive sixth place on the world stage.

This will be Voke’s third AAC making him very experienced, which will play a massive part as he feels this is his best chance to be there late on Sunday afternoon.

“I guess previous years it was a fantasy, but coming into this year it’s probably the first time I have got a legitimate chance, but with that comes a little expectation and added pressure, so it will be nice to see how I go with those obstacles,” said Voke.

“It may be an individual tournament, but it definitely has that team feel to it. We are all wearing the same uniforms and all representing the same country, so there is that element which will help make you step up.”

His determination was clear and Voke is certainly one to watch as the week progresses in Korea.

“To play for what we can, put everything on the line and compete against the best there is now better feeling in golf. This is why we practise, this why we do what we do week in week out so we are pretty excited for round one.”

This week has been made all the more special being played at the 2010 established Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, which already has some rich history after hosting the Presidents Cup last year. This featured our very own Danny Lee who played in his first Presidents Cup against a strong American outfit.

Lee sent through his best wishes to the players today with some great insight on how to play the course and how to handle yourself on the big stage which will no doubt motivate our boys.

To show the magnitude of the AAC, the event is broadcasted to over 160 countries with Sky Sport having LIVE coverage throughout New Zealand starting Thursday.

Continuing under its banner of ‘Creating Future Heroes’, the AAC will feature 120 players from the APGC’s 39 member associations and will be played over 72-holes of stroke play, with a cut for the leading 60 players plus ties.

Asia Pacific Website – Pre Tournament 

New Zealand’s Eisenhower Trophy representatives Nick Voke (21), Luke Toomey (23) and Ryan Chisnall (21) are among the players looking to upset the established order at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which has been dominated by four nations since its inauguration in 2009.

South Korea (2009, 2013), Japan (2010, 2011) and China (2012, 2016) have each produced two champions, while Australia’s Antonio Murdaca won at home in 2014.

This week the Australian trio who romped to victory in the World Amateur Team Championships in Mexico two weeks ago head a powerful six-strong team in Incheon. Hosts South Korea boast 10 players including 2014 US Amateur Champion Yang Gunn and China field seven headed by defending champion Jin Cheng.

Voke, though, believes there’s a good chance for a player from a ‘new’ nation to get his hands on the prestigious trophy.
New Zealand finished sixth in the Eisenhower Trophy – second among APGC nations – and Voke believes he and his teammates have a solid chance over the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club’s 7,062-yard layout.

“There’s definitely the possibility of a new nation winning this year. I was talking with Luke about how winning the tournament and getting the invitations to the Masters and Open qualifying used to be more of a fantasy than anything else. I think this year is the first time it’s more of a possibility than a fantasy for us,” said Voke, who finished 20th in the Eisenhower Trophy individual standings, a stroke behind Toomey.

“It also helps that three of us were together in Mexico recently and are in pretty good form. It’s probably even more fun here because there’s six of us, all wearing the same uniforms each day. Although it’s an individual competition there’s still a team feel to it and we wish everyone on the team success so I’m sure you’ll see a couple of us on the leaderboard.”

As he prepares for his third Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, having finished 19th last year and 33rd in 2013, Voke concedes that one nation does stand out as the team to beat.

“Australia are the favourites, as much as I hate to admit it! They’ve got a really strong team and the blokes have a lot of international experience,” said Voke, now in his fourth and final year at Iowa State University.

“Cam [Davis] and Curtis [Luck] just finished one-two at the Eisenhower Trophy and Curtis is the US Amateur champion. Although they’re the favourites, I think there are a lot of guys this week with the potential to compete – including myself.”

Lloyd Jefferson Go, the Philippines’ top-ranked amateur, is another with the “potential to compete”, having tied for eighth in Hong Kong last year. Based in New Jersey, the 21-year-old Seton Hall University senior enters his fourth championship as the reigning Big East Player of the Year and individual champion.

“I’m feeling pretty good about my form coming into this. I’ve been playing pretty well the past couple of years,” said Cebu-born Go, who also played in South Korea last year, finishing seventh at the World University Games in Gwangju.
“I think everyone has a chance to win. I guess the Australians would be the favourites because they just won the World Amateur but if anyone from any country plays well they can win.”

Kevin Yu Chun-an, Chinese Taipei’s top-ranked amateur, is also one to watch as he embarks on his freshman year at Arizona State University. Now 18, Yu finished joint fourth in Hong Kong last year, when he also won the AJGA’s Junior Players Championship and the Western Junior Championship.

KK Limbhasut, Thailand’s top-ranked amateur, has been a standout player at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) since 2014 and heads a strong six-man team that includes Sangchai Keawcharoen and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai, seventh and 12th respectively last year.

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World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) – Eisenhower Trophy – Mexico

Posted on September 22, 2016 by SUNGRL

Nick has just competed in the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) in Mexico.  He was in the New Zealand team with New Zealand’s other top amateurs Ryan Chisnall and Luke Toomey.    The winner of the WATC receives the Eisenhower Trophy.  

The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer.

The Eisenhower Trophy began in 1958 with the first event staged at the Old Course at St Andrews and recent tournaments have featured teams from around 75 countries. It is a Stroke Play event, in which the best two individual scores from three players in each team count towards the final score. Up until 2002 it was the best three of four scores.

New Zealand’s best finish in the Eisenhower was in 1992 when the team of Phillip Tataurangi, Michael Campbell, Grant Moorhead and Stephen Scahill won the event in Vancouver, Canada. Tataurangi was also the leading individual. Campbell finished second.

 Teams Record (up to and including the 2014 event): 

The Eisenhower Trophy has been won by 10 different teams:

15 wins: United States

4 wins: Great Britain & Ireland (last competed as a combined team in 2000)

3 wins: Australia

1 win: Japan, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Netherlands, Scotland, France

Nick is extremely proud to be representing NZ at the WATC playing for the Eisenhower Trophy.  He says it is a privilege to wear and represent the Silver Fern.  There are two non playing team members travelling with the guys – Jay Carter (Coach) and Aaron Walsh (Manager).  They have created a great team culture and the boys have a tight bond having played a lot of golf together over the years.  NZ Golf put a video together for the boys with contributions from each of their families showing where they have come from and that they are not alone out there.  Nick said it was a very powerful experience.  They were also gifted a pounamu (greenstone) each which is a great connection back to the land of Aotearoa. 

The 2016 tournament is being played over two golf courses in Playa Del Carmen in Cancun, Mexico – the Mayakoba El Camaleón Golf Club and the Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.  There are 71 countries participating with three per team.


Day One

The NZ team were scheduled to play on the Mayakoba course on the first day teeing off the tenth at 11.20am.  This became 12.20pm after the morning field had a lightening and thunder delay.  They were teamed up with the Swedish and Chilean teams with each group of three having a representative from each country.

A slow start saw Nick two over after nine holes.  He then went on the birdie train having five birdies in a row on holes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 putting him at three under.  Unfortunately a soft bogey on the par five 7th saw him drop back to 2 under where he finished the day.  He hit the ball really well off the tee with no errant shots.  He also putted well with no three putts with most of his first putts that missed being a tap in.  He finished tied for 23rd out of 213 competitors.

The NZ team finished Day 1 tied for 29th on one over.  Nick’s teammates Ryan Chisnall and Luke Toomey finished on four over and three over respectively.  The best two scores of the day count.

There was some lightening and thunder in the distance in the afternoon but it never came our way so the afternoon round went well and they got through in under four and a half hours.

NZ Golf Daily Update – Day One

Nick Voke has led the way for the New Zealand Men’s team at the World Amateur Teams Championship in Mexico today.

Playing their first round at the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club, the stronger of the two resort courses, the men currently sit in a tie for 29th spot 11 shots behind round one leaders Scotland.

Voke led the way for the kiwis individually signing for a well compiled two under par 69 that included seven birdies and five bogeys. Starting his round on the tenth hole Voke made the turn at two over par and started a gusty fightback on his final nine holes. From the second hole Voke caught fire, setting himself up for his 69 with five birdies in a row.

In the teams competition where the leading two scores count Luke Toomey had the kiwis other score with a three over 74 while Ryan Chisnall had a non counting 75.

Voke, who is playing in his first Eisenhower was pleased with his opening round. “It went pretty good, it’s a special feeling to go around with the silver fern on your chest, so a real treat to be honest and great to put up a solid number for the boys.”
“I was playing pretty good on that first nine, just things weren’t really going my way and I could have got down in the dumps and gone the other way and got even worse, but with the team culture here were have a real emphasis on being tough and dealing with adversity so I was in a really good frame of mind”, added the Iowa State player.

Voke acknowledged that there was plenty of work to do tomorrow. “ Were all coming in here in pretty good form and the Iberostar Golf Course is a nice track with a few more birdie opportunities so were looking forward to staying patient and unleashing.”

The New Zealanders will have the benefit of an early start tomorrow and will play the slightly easier Iberostar Golf Club with their eyes on climbing the leaderboard and getting back into contention.

If you look carefully you can see the Iguana sitting on the rock watching proceedings : )

Day Two

Today the team teed off early on the Iberostar course still in the same pairings from the first round with the Swedish and Chilean teams

Nick had a much more solid day today shooting a four under 68 – he had three birdies, one eagle and only one bogey.  On the par 5 14th he hit his second shot just off the back of the green and then sunk a fifteen foot putt for eagle.  He had a couple of errant drives – one on the par 5 16th where he went into the bush on the left down into a ravine full of foliage.  He managed to hit a wedge out landing on the other side of the fairway.  He then hit his three wood 225 metres missing the green to the left leaving himself a downhill chip over a bunker.  He then holed a 20 foot putt to make a par.  

He made great par saves on the next two holes.  On the 8th which is a long par 4 he hit his three wood slightly right into the rough leaving himself on an uphill lie.  He hit his next shot a little short, chipped up and left himself a 15 foot putt which he made to save par.  He hit his drive straight down the middle on the 9th but left himself a long putt which he hit to within 5 feet and made a par.

Individually he is tied for 5th on 6 under.  The leader is Cameron Davis from Australia who is on 10 under.

Luke and Ryan also had better rounds today with Luke finishing on 2 under and Ryan on 2 over.  The team score after two rounds is now 5 under putting them in a tie for 12th with France, Thailand, Spain, Singapore, Mexico and Sweden.  Australia lead the pack at this stage on 19 under with their top two players on 10 under and 9 under.

Nick’s shots of the day were a high drawer 5 iron on the par 3 third which he hit to 8 feet – he then holed the putt for a birdie.  His second shot on the 14th with his three wood was hit very pure and rolling in the 12 footer from off the green for eagle was the icing on the cake.

NZ Golf Daily Update – Day Two 

The New Zealand Men’s golf team made a big move at the World Amateur Teams Championship today, charging up the leader board, putting themselves in contention for a top finish in Mexico.

Nick Voke had the low score once again for the New Zealanders with a four under par 68 at the Iberostar Golf Club. He was well supported by Waikato’s Luke Toomey who finished with a two under par 70, while Ryan Chisnall had a non-counting 74. The kiwi’s six under par second round total saw them make one of the day’s biggest moves as they climbed from 29th place on the leader board to be in a tie for twelfth, just outside the top ten and in a great position to make a charge on the weekend.

The kiwis will be trying to chase down an old adversary over the weekend, with Australia leading the way on 19 under par. Their current dominance of the tournament highlighted by team members Cameron Davis and Harrison Endycott lying first and second in the individual standings.

After bogeying his first hole, Voke again showed his character to make three birdies and turn at two under par. A back nine without blemish and an eagle on the par five 14th hole saw Voke climb to fifth place in the individual standings.

Toomey also showed a liking for the Iberostar course and the 14th hole as he followed Voke’s lead eagling the 14th hole. Four further birdies in his round gave the team the second under par score they were looking for. While Ryan Chisnall again had the non-counting score he played his last 14 holes in two under par, which will give him confidence leading into the all important weekend rounds.

Voke was again pleased with his play in Mexico. “I played solid today and limited my mistakes and got myself out of trouble well, making some good par saves, so I really got the most out of my round. The boys got up today which is good, six under is a solid score and we’re really excited about the next few days.”

Toomey is also looking forward to the weekend after an interesting day today. “It’s exciting for tomorrow to know I had two under today and left a lot out there and I don’t think it’s one thing or the other. Once those six foot putts drop, it could be three or four better, so really excited about tomorrow.”

One of the key moments of Toomey’s round today was calling a penalty on himself on the 11th hole. After accidentally dropping his club it landed on his ball causing it to move. While no one else saw it he called the penalty on himself, something he believed ended up giving him some great karma for the rest of the round.

“I got up and down for bogey on the hole and felt like things would go my way after that and then I made a 25ft putt on the next hole, and an eagle on 14 and a birdie on 16, so really proud of myself.”

All three will be looking to continue their improved performances tomorrow as they look to make inroads to the Australian lead.

Day Three

The NZ team played the Iberostar course again today with the team pairings being seeded based on their positions on the leaderboard.  This seeding saw them teamed up with the local Mexican team and the team from Thailand.  Understandably the Mexican team had a lot of supporters on the course which made for a good atmosphere.

Today was a hard day at the office for Nick – he was not feeling 100% but he hung tough.  Two three putts on the 11th and 17th saw him at 2 over.  He had no errant tee shots and his second shots were pretty accurate – he didn’t putt badly but nothing was falling.  He hit a great second on the 6th and made the 4 foot putt for birdie.  On the par 5 18th he hit his second shot just to the left of the green.  A great chip saw him with another four foot birdie putt which he made getting him back to even par.  

He was unlucky on the par 5 16th – he hit a great tee shot followed by a great 2 iron 225 metres.  This second shot was about 2 feet from being on the green – it rolled back into the bunker from where he hit a great bunker shot and two putted for a par.

At the end of day three he is tied for 14th on 6 under.

Luke had a fantastic day shooting a 6 under.  This combined with Nick’s even par got the NZ team to 11 under – they are now tied for 7th with Thailand, Spain and Norway.  Australia have a commanding lead at 32 under with Ireland in second place at 16 under.

NZ Golf Daily Update – Day Three

The New Zealand Men’s golf team has continued to climb up the leaderboard at the World Amateur Teams Championship in Mexico today, lying in a tie for seventh after the third round.

 With their title aspirations gone with Australia racing away from the rest of the field, the young kiwi team will be eyeing a medal finish tomorrow. Australia are miles ahead on 32 under par however the second placed Irish team are on 16 under, only five shots ahead of the New Zealander’s. 

Australia’s dominance today was underlined by U.S Amateur Champion Curtis Luck shooting 9 under par. It would require something very odd to happen for Australia not to take home the Eisenhower Trophy tomorrow. 

Waikato’s Luke Toomey led the way for New Zealand today with a fine six under par 66. Starting on the 10th hole Toomey was quick out of the blocks with birdies on his first two holes. A further birdie on the 14th followed by his second eagle of the week on the par 5 16th hole with a bogey on 18, saw Toomey turn four under par. Three more birdies on the front nine with a solitary bogey saw Toomey sign for the best round of any of the kiwi’s this week. 

Nick Voke was again solid in the third round following up his composed play in the first two rounds to fire an even par round for the second counting score. Voke again was required to fight back after turning two over par. He managed to salvage his score on the final nine holes to give the kiwis a fighting chance for a placing heading into the final round. 
While Toomey lead the way for the kiwi’s he was quick to acknowledge the importance of his team mate in the team’s event.

“Every shot matters from everyone in the team so Nick’s two birdies at the end there were just key for the team and I’m just really proud to be a contributor for team New Zealand” said Toomey.

“Today was one of the most complete tee to green rounds I have ever played, it was just really solid. My chipping and short game was good and I holed some really good putts, just really proud of the way I played today.”

The highlight of Toomey’s round was a three wood to the par 5 16th hole. A shot Toomey believes was the best shot he has ever hit adding “you probably hear it all the time with people saying that’s the best shot you have ever hit, but it genuinely was the best shot I have ever hit. It was to a severely sloped three tiered green and I had 223 metres from the rough into the wind and I had two square metres to land it on and I played a nice high fade to land in the little square I hoped it would, leaving me a 15 footer which I rocked in for eagle.” 

The young New Zealand trio will be hoping for more magic like that as they look for solid finish tomorrow.

Ryan Chisnall teeing off on Day Three

Day Four

The final round for the top half of the field was played at the Mayakoba course and the New Zealand team were paired with Thailand again and the Spainish team.  Nick hit his first tee shot left into the trees and unfortunately took two to get out – a double bogey to start was not ideal.  Again he hung tough and demonstrated his playing maturity that has continued to develop by fighting hard to get back to even par with two birdies on the fifth and the sixth holes.

He three putted the 14th to put him back to one over and his short birdie putt on the 17th just lipped out.  His second shot on the 18th was long and looked to disappear into a hole in the rough – a great chip left him with a 4 foot putt for par.  He finished one over for the day – his only over par round for the week and his only non counting score for the tournament.

His teammates Luke and Ryan played well with Ryan having a great run on the back nine which saw him finish on 3 under.  Luke got to four under at one stage but a couple of tough holes on the back nine saw him slip back to 1 under where he finished for the day.  The combined scores of Luke and Ryan of 4 under put New Zealand at 15 under.  They finished tied for 6th with the USA – a fantastic effort.

Individually Nick finished in a tie for 20th on 5 under par.

NZ Golf Daily Update – Day Four

The New Zealand Men’s Golf Team has finished in a commendable tie for 6th place at the World Amateur Teams Championship in Mexico today.

With winners Australia effectively having the title wrapped up after the third round the kiwis were eyeing a medal finish today, which in the end only eluded them by three shots with England claiming second spot and Austria and Ireland sharing the bronze. The kiwis shared sixth place with golfing powerhouse the United States, highlighting how tough this competition is, and what a great week it has been for the young New Zealand team.

Australia streaked away from the competition today with Cameron Davis firing a three under par round to finish on 17 under par as the leading individual. Team mate Curtis Luck was close behind on 15 under and in second place individually, underlining Australia’s dominance of the event.

Playing a few groups in front of the leaders Luke Toomey again sparked the kiwi team and their quest for a medal early in his round with four birdies on the front nine lifting the New Zealanders momentarily into a podium position. 

Unfortunately for Toomey he couldn’t continue his fine form dropping three shots on the back nine, however he still signed for a one under par 71.

After having a quiet week it was Ryan Chisnall who lead the way for the kiwis today leaving his best till last. Turning at even par and watching Toomey dropping a few shots on the back nine, Chisnall found crucial birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to ensure a well deserved top ten finish for the team. 

Nick Voke had the non-counting score in the final round with a one over par 72, his first over par round of the week.

The team with Rachel & Steve from NZ who supported us all week 
The boys all dressed up for the closing ceremony.  Left to right – Dean Murphy (CEO New Zealand Golf), Nick Voke, Luke Toomey, Aaron Walsh (Manager), Ryan Chisnall, Jay Carter (Coach), Murray Ward (President New Zealand Golf)

Closing thoughts from Nick…

What a week in Mexico for Team NZ!  We were thrilled to have improved our position every round and truly throw ourselves into the mix for a medal.  Our preparation for the event was fantastic and we decided to live in the scary space of letting go and unleashing to truly find out what we had.  Coach Jay encouraged us before that final round to have no regrets and to leave everything out on the golf course – I loved this and I think we lived it.  I had a different mindset at this event compared to others – during my last nine holes of a long and gruelling week I reminded myself where I was and what uniform I had on.  It was the last nine holes of the Eisenhower trophy – this really lifted my spirits and I found an extra gear to fight for every shot.

I think the team did a great job of overcoming adversity and embracing the idea of being tough bastards.  I had plenty of opportunities to moan about things beyond my control and fixate on the negative (something a younger me would have done) but having this new grit enabled me to come back after slow starts and really get the most out of each round.  My favorite example was during the third round.  I was striking the ball really well but couldn’t get anything to go my way and drop.  I continued to remind myself that I was playing well and that the more patience I showed would ultimately help me to shoot the best possible score – I played the last four holes in two under to really set the team up for the last round.  This resilience is going to be a huge thing going forward and will be the key to my consistency.

I hit the ball very well off the tee and didn’t lose a golf ball all week.  The high bomb fade was my go to shot all week and it performed well under pressure.

WATC Tournament Summary

Cameron Davis and Curtis Luck each shot 3-under 68s and Australia tied the 72-hole scoring record in winning their fourth World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) at the par-71, 6,771-yard/6,187-meter Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club. The Australians won by 19 strokes to claim the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time since 1996.

“It’s great for the game of golf back home,” said Australian captain Matt Cutler. “It started two years ago when the women won the Espirito Santo (Trophy). We got a taste of competing and winning internationally. They executed the plan perfectly this week. They had a determination to get it done.”

The Australians, who also won World Amateur Team titles in 1958 and 1966, posted a record score of 38-under-par 534, tying the total established by the USA in 2014. Their victory margin was the third-largest in championship history.
England won the silver medal at 553, behind a final-round 6-under 136. Austria and Ireland shared the bronze medal and were one stroke back at 554.

Australia’s Davis, the lone player in the field to shoot all four rounds in the 60s despite the hot and humid conditions, turned in the lowest individual score at 17-under 269. He birdied three consecutive holes on the inward nine and had six during the final round.

“This is by far the best I have played in such a big tournament,” said Davis, who finished second in both the Asia-Pacific Amateur and Australian Amateur last year. “It was just an honor to be in this tournament in the first place and representing my country, but to come away with a win is pretty special.”

Luck, the 2016 U.S. Amateur champion, followed Friday’s sparkling 9-under 63 at the par-72, 6,888-yard/6,386-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club with six birdies and three bogeys during his fourth round. He finished at 15-under overall after posting two non-counting scores in the opening two rounds, as only two of the three-man team scores are used toward the total each day.

“We came out with a pretty good strategy around both courses,” said Luck, who also captured this year’s Western Australian Open and is No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™. “We did a really good job in the practice rounds of setting out where the pins would be and fortunately we pretty much got them all right. We did things extremely professionally.”

England registered its best finish in a WATC after tying for sixth in 2006 and 2014. Alfie Plant, who won the 2016 Lytham Trophy and was last year’s English Amateur runner-up, fired a 5-under 66 and holed a 9-foot birdie putt at the par-4 18th to vault his team into second place. Jamie Bower added a 1-under 70.

“Once I knew I had to make the putt for birdie, I just went through my routine to make sure you make the best putt you can, and it just went in,” said Plant, who made seven birdies on the day. “It’s been a great week, we’ve recorded our highest finish in the event as a team, and I’m playing good golf as well. It’s great to get up on the stage for a medal.”

Added English captain Kevin Tucker, “We’re absolutely delighted, the good thing is that all three players have contributed twice. Alfie’s done a great job with the two low scores, and Jamie and Scott (Gregory) have both produced twice. It’s the first time England has medalled, we’re over the moon.”

Austria also earned a medal for the first time as their best performance was tie for fifth in 2002. Matthias Schwab, who is No. 5 in the WAGR™, birdied the last three holes for a 4-under 67, while teammate Markus Maukner chipped in with a 70. Schwab set up his birdie at No. 16 with a 7-iron, struck a 54-degree sand wedge to within 15 feet at the next hole and sank a 10-foot putt at No. 18.

“My two teammates had the same goals, just try to shoot the best they can,” said Schwab, who tied for third at this year’s NCAA Championship as a member of the Vanderbilt University team. “Everyone brought their A game or close to their A game, and that’s reason enough for us to be in the top four. The goal is to make a medal or at least fight for one.”

Ireland slipped from second into a tie for third due to the squad’s difficulties on the final hole, but still captured their first WATC medal. Jack Hume, a member of the winning 2015 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team, was bitten by a double bogey after earlier making six consecutive birdies on the outward nine. Hume settled for a 3-under 69. Stuart Grehan, who had a 1-over 72, and Paul McBride, who had a non-counting 73, made bogeys on the closing hole.

Victor Hovland fired a 6-under 65, the lowest round of the championship at Mayakoba El Camaleon, and playing captain Kristoffer Ventura added a 71 as Norway was fifth at 17-under 555. The team’s previous best finish was a tie for sixth in 2012.

“I’m pretty satisfied, said Hovland, who carded a bogey-free round. “I knew we had to try and shoot some low scores out there to try and win a medal. It was a good time to contribute a score to the team. It means a lot for us to do well.”

New Zealand and the USA tied for sixth at 557. Ryan Chisnall, of New Zealand, shot a 68 after scoring in the mid-70s in the first three rounds, while teammate Luke Toomey had a 70. Chisnall, who was the co-medalist at the 2015 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie, holed birdie putts of 25- and 20-feet at Nos. 16 and 17, respectively.

“We really wanted to get on the podium this week, so the last three holes were really important,” said Chisnall, who finished third at the Mexican Amateur in May. “It was very pleasing for me. It’s a big event and very important for our nation.”

The USA struggled to an even-par 142 and failed to medal in this championship for the first time since 1998 when the team was seventh. Brad Dalke, last month’s U.S. Amateur runner-up, had a 70, while Stanford University All-American Maverick McNealy shot a 72. Scottie Scheffler, a junior at the University of Texas, posted a non-counting 73.

“It was a difficult day for all of them,” said USA captain Paul Caruso. “I guess it is unusual that that happens and all three of them did not have their best today.”

Poland was eighth for its first top-10 WATC finish. Adrian Meronk, who is a playing captain, carded a 69, his third round in the 60s during the championship. Mateuz Gradecki had a 72. The two players, who were teammates at East Tennessee State University, competed in their third WATC together.

Mexico, the host nation, tied for 16th at 564. Alvaro Ortiz, a junior at the University of Arkansas, and Isidro Benitez, each shot an even-par 71.

Twenty-six of the 71 teams had 72-hole scores under par. The field recorded 35 sub-par individual counted scores in the fourth round.

The WATC is a biennial international amateur competition conducted by the International Golf Federation (IGF), which comprises 147 national governing bodies in 141 countries and 22 professional members.

The competition, which is being held for the 30th time, is rotated among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe-Africa. This year’s event is being hosted by the Mexican Golf Federation. The teams will play for the Eisenhower Trophy.

The IGF is the international federation for golf for the International Olympic Committee and conducted the 2016 Olympic golf competition in Rio de Janeiro. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total (72-hole) is the team’s score for the championship.

The 2018 World Amateur Team Championship will be played 5-8 Sept. at Carton House Golf Club in Maynooth, Ireland, approximately 30 miles from Dublin.

For more information see http://www.igfgolf.org

Mayakoba El Camaleón Golf Club

The Mayakoba course was designed by Greg Norman’s design company and opened in 2006.  The only PGA sanctioned event is held here in November each year.  Just like the chameleon from which the course takes its name, this Riveria Maya layout winds its way in two large 9 hole loops through an ever changing landscape of thick tropical jungle and mangrove forest, with a number of man made lagoons and canals coming into play on all but three of the holes.  There are also a number of subterranean caves (called denotes) incorporated into the course design.

The OHL Classic at Mayakoba is a PGA Tour golf tournament which was played for the first time in the week of February 19–25, 2007. It is the first PGA Tour event to be played in Mexico this century.

From 2007–2012, it was an alternate event played the same week as the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, and a counting event for the FedEx Cup, but like other alternate events it only counted for half points. In 2008, the prize fund was US$3.5 million (with a first prize of $630,000), making it the richest golf tournament in Mexico.  Fred Funk won the inaugural 2007 event at the age of 50 years, 257 days, making him the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event in 32 years.  Graeme McDowall of Northern Ireland won the event in November 2015.

Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club

Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club is a gorgeous course designed by P.B. Dye and was ranked by Golfweek Magazine as top 16 Caribbean & Mexico Courses in 2012. Home of the Canadian Tour and host site of the PGA Tour Monday Qualifier.  It was opened in 2005.

Playa Paraiso Golf Course characterised by its vertical movement and distinctive natural rockwork making this course a true and one of a kind in the Mexican Riviera Maya.

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Badger Invitational – Wisconsin, USA

Posted on September 16, 2016 by SUNGRL

Nick is now back into his College golf commitments after the summer break which saw him play a number of US Amateur events as an individual.  The first event of the season was the Badger Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin.  The event was played on the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wisconsin which was recently named the third-best “Campus Golf Course” in the country by Golfweek.  University Ridge plays host to the American Family Insurance Championship each June. Kirk Triplett won the 2016 Champions Tour event, shooting a 17-under par score of 199.

The Iowa Cyclones won the event by 10 shots with two of the five man team finishing in the top ten.  Nick finished tied for eighth with rounds of 70, 72 and 72 giving him a total of 214.  He was six shots off the winner who finished with a total of 208.  This is Nick’s 15th top ten finish in his college career.

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