105-415: The Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia . It has been played annually since 1894, except for the war years, and is organised by Golf Australia . Having traditionally been a match play event, from 2021 it has been a 72-hole stroke play event, having last been played as a stroke play event in 1907. Originally played as the "Victorian Golf Cup" at Melbourne Golf Club ,
210-487: A cup , the hole that receives the ball. Each hole on a course has a teeing ground for the hole's first stroke, and a putting green containing the cup. There are several standard forms of terrain between the tee and the green, such as the fairway, rough (tall grass), and various hazards that may be water, rocks, or sand-filled bunkers . Each hole on a course is unique in its specific layout. Many golf courses are designed to resemble their native landscape, such as along
315-435: A "bogey golfer" (handicap around 20) would be expected to play than a "scratch golfer" relative to their handicap. The goal is to play as few strokes per round as possible. A golfer's number of strokes in a hole, course, or tournament is compared to its respective par score, and is then reported either as the number that the golfer was "under-" or "over-par", or if it was "equal to par". A hole in one (or an "ace") occurs when
420-421: A backpack, and often bags have retractable legs that allow the bag to stand upright when at rest. The golf swing is outwardly similar to many other motions involving swinging a tool or playing implement, such as an axe or a baseball bat. However, unlike many of these motions, the result of the swing is highly dependent on several sub-motions being properly aligned and timed. These ensure that the club travels up to
525-415: A ball that has stopped on it; "doglegs", which are changes in the direction of the fairway that often require shorter shots to play around them; bunkers (or sand traps); and water hazards such as ponds or streams. In stroke play competitions each player plays their ball until it is holed no matter how many strokes that may take. In match play it is acceptable to simply pick up one's ball and "surrender
630-549: A complete round; with most holes having a par of 4, and a smaller number of par-3 and par-5 holes. Additionally, courses may be classified according to their play difficulty, which may be used to calculate a golfer's handicap . The two primary difficulty ratings in the U.S. are the Course Rating, which is the expected score for a zero-handicap "scratch golfer", and the Slope Rating, which is a measure of how much worse
735-455: A full 18. In sudden death, a player who scores lower on a hole than all of their opponents wins the match. If at least two players remain tied after such a playoff using a pre-determined number of holes, then play continues in sudden death format, where the first player to win a hole wins the tournament. Hugh MacNeil Hugh MacNeil (26 October 1860 – 14 September 1924) was a New Zealand cricketer , golfer and businessman. Hugh MacNeil
840-581: A golf club at a small ball with the aim of sinking it into a hole. The game is thought to have been introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages. Another early game that resembled modern golf was known as cambuca in England and chambot in France. The Persian game chowkan is another possible ancient origin, albeit being more polo -like. In addition, kolven (a game involving a ball and curved bats)
945-420: A golf course, and which club is used to accomplish the shot, are always completely at the discretion of the golfer; in other words, there is no restriction whatsoever on which club a golfer may or may not use at any time for any shot. Golf balls are spherical, usually white (although other colours are allowed), and minutely pock-marked by dimples that decrease aerodynamic drag by increasing air turbulence around
1050-410: A golfer sinks their ball into the cup with their first stroke from the tee. Common scores for a hole also have specific terms. In a typical professional tournament or among "scratch" amateur players, "birdie-bogey" play is common; a player will "lose" a stroke by bogeying a hole, then "gain" one by scoring a birdie. Eagles are uncommon but not rare; however, only 18 players have scored an albatross in
1155-453: A great deal of difference in how well the ball is hit and how straight it travels. The general goal of a player making a full swing is to propel the clubhead as fast as possible while maintaining a single "plane" of motion of the club and clubhead, to send the clubhead into the ball along the desired path of travel and with the clubhead also pointing that direction. Accuracy and consistency are typically stressed over pure distance. A player with
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#17327931944281260-439: A higher degree of loft and a comparatively shorter distance. The actual physical length of each club is longer or shorter, depending on the distance the club is intended to propel the ball. Golf clubs have traditionally been arranged into three basic types. Woods are large-headed, long-shafted clubs meant to propel the ball a long distance from relatively "open" lies, such as the teeing ground and fairway. Of particular importance
1365-453: A higher launch angle and a more forgiving nature. A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs that meet these parameters are usually called "conforming".) Violation of these rules can result in disqualification. The exact shot hit at any given time on
1470-406: A men's major championship. One of the rarest feats in golf is the condor, which has never occurred in a professional tournament. Only five condors have been verified to have ever occurred, although none of the courses involved were professionally accredited. There are two basic forms of golf play, match play and stroke play. Stroke play is more popular. Two players (or two teams) play each hole as
1575-409: A metal head primarily consisting of a flat, angled striking face. Traditionally the clubhead was forged from iron; modern iron clubheads are investment-cast from a steel alloy. Irons of varying loft are used for a variety of shots from virtually anywhere on the course, but most often for shorter-distance shots approaching the green, or to get the ball out of tricky lies such as sand traps. The third class
1680-587: A number of overseas winners, Marcel Schneider won in 2012, Tae Koh in 2014, Connor Syme in 2016, Keita Nakajima in 2018 and Conor Purcell in 2019. From 2021 the event has been played as a 72-hole stroke play event. The 2021 championship was originally planned to be played in Melbourne in January but was rescheduled to February at Kooyonga Golf Club . Louis Dobbelaar won the championship by two strokes from Jeffrey Guan . Jack Thompson led by 5 shots at
1785-483: A player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an effort to improve everyone's playing experience. Penalty strokes are incurred in certain situations and are counted towards a player's score as if there were extra swing(s) at the ball. Either one or two strokes are added for most rule infractions or for taking relief from various situations, with
1890-461: A protest, having accidentally driven from outside the teeing ground at one hole. The 1906 event had followed the same format as that in 1904. As in 1904. it was won by a player who had performed relatively poorly in the Open, Ernest Gill beating Clyde Pearce 5&4 in the final. From 1908 only the leading 8 amateurs qualified for the match-play, with all three rounds played over 36 holes. Generally,
1995-513: A round. At some courses, gas or electric golf carts are used to travel between shots, which can speed-up play and allows participation by individuals unable to walk a whole round. On other courses players generally walk the course, either carrying their bag using a shoulder strap or using a "golf trolley" for their bag. These trolleys may or may not be battery assisted. At many amateur tournaments including U.S. high school and college play, players are required to walk and to carry their own bags, but at
2100-408: A score of 328, six ahead of Peter Anderson and Walter Carre Riddell. In 1903 the event returned to Adelaide Golf Club, played from 25 to 27 June. The format was revised, there being a 36-hole stroke-play qualification stage after which the leading 8 played match-play with a 36-hole final. Dan Soutar led the qualifying and went on to beat Jim Howden 3&1 in the final. The first Australian Open
2205-402: A score of 360, 13 ahead of his brother Jim . The Australian Golf Union was formed in 1898 and organised their first championship meeting at Royal Sydney Golf Club , the main event being the amateur championship on 26 and 27 May 1899. Harry Howden and New Zealander Charles Gillies were level after the first day on 157. Howden led by a stroke after three rounds after Gillies had taken 11 at
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#17327931944282310-500: A sea coast (where the course is called a links ), within a forest, among rolling hills, or part of a desert . Golf is played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known as stroke play , or the lowest score on the most individual holes in a complete round by an individual or team, known as match play . Stroke play is the most commonly seen format at all levels, especially at the elite level. The modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland . The 18-hole round
2415-400: A separate contest against each other in what is called match play . The party with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both players or teams are equal the hole is "halved" (or tied). The game is won by the party that wins more holes than the other. In the case that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the number of holes remaining to be played, the match
2520-469: A straight drive that travels only 220 yards (200 m) will nevertheless be able to accurately place the ball into a favourable lie on the fairway, and can make up for the lesser distance of any given club by simply using "more club" (a lower loft) on their tee shot or on subsequent fairway and approach shots. However, a golfer with a drive that may go 280 yards (260 m) but often does not fly straight will be less able to position their ball advantageously;
2625-452: A stroke; it is fundamentally important in being able to play a stroke effectively. The stance adopted is determined by what stroke is being played. All stances involve a slight crouch. This allows for a more efficient striking posture whilst also isometrically preloading the muscles of the legs and core; this allows the stroke to be played more dynamically and with a greater level of overall control. When adopting their stance golfers start with
2730-706: A trophy valued at ten guineas . MacNeil won the New Zealand Amateur golf championship in 1894 and was runner-up in 1896 and 1900. After moving to Australia he won the New South Wales Amateur Championship in 1898 and 1899. In 1902 he won the Australian Amateur championship. The 1902 Victorian Amateur Championship was played concurrently with the Australian Amateur, so that he also became
2835-479: A typical par-3 hole is less than 250 yards (230 m) in length, with a par-4 hole ranging between 251–450 yards (230–411 m), and a par-5 hole being longer than 450 yards (410 m); for women these boundaries are lower, and for professionals they are much increased. The rare par-6s can stretch well over 650 yards (590 m). These distances are based on the typical scratch golfer's drive distance of between 240 and 280 yards (220 and 260 m). Although length
2940-416: Is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games , cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping with the varied terrains encountered on different courses is a key part of the game. Courses typically have either 9 or 18 holes , regions of terrain that each contain
3045-426: Is about two hours for a 9-hole round and four hours for an 18-hole round. Playing a hole on a golf course is initiated by putting a ball into play by striking it with a club on the teeing ground (also called the tee box, or simply the tee). For this first shot on each hole, it is allowed but not required for the golfer to place the ball on a tee prior to striking it. A tee is a small peg that can be used to elevate
3150-670: Is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records . The oldest surviving rules of golf were compiled in March 1744 for the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, later renamed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers , which was played at Leith , Scotland. The world's oldest golf tournament in existence, and golf's first major, is The Open Championship , which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland, with Scottish golfers winning
3255-412: Is deemed to be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the match is over and the winning party is deemed to have won "6 & 5". At any given point, if the lead is equal to the number of holes remaining, the party leading the match is said to be "dormie", and
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3360-424: Is known as "conventional". There are many variations of conventional including overlap, where the golfer overlaps the off hand index finger onto off the dominant pinky; interlock, where the offhand index finger interlocks with the dominant pinky and ring finger; double or triple overlap and so on. Recently, "cross handed" putting has become a popular trend amongst professional golfers and amateurs. Cross handed putting
3465-520: Is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive expenses that comply with strict guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of Amateur Status. In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf etiquette . Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, pace of play, and
3570-441: Is still there today. Every round of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order. A "round" typically consists of 18 holes that are played in the order determined by the course layout. Each hole is played once in the round on a standard course of 18 holes. The game can be played by any number of people, although a typical group will have 1–4 people playing the round. The typical amount of time required for pace of play
3675-444: Is the driver or "1-wood", which is the lowest lofted wood club, and in modern times has become highly specialized for making extremely long-distance tee shots, up to 300 yards (270 m), or more, in a professional golfer's hands. Traditionally these clubs had heads made of a hardwood, hence the name, but virtually all modern woods are now made of metal such as titanium, or of composite materials. Irons are shorter-shafted clubs with
3780-407: Is the putter , which evolved from the irons to create a low-lofted, balanced club designed to roll the ball along the green and into the hole. Putters are virtually always used on the green or in the surrounding rough/fringe. A fourth class, called hybrids , evolved as a cross between woods and irons, and are typically seen replacing the low-lofted irons with a club that provides similar distance, but
3885-439: Is the idea that the dominant hand is on top of the grip where the weak hand is on the bottom. This grip restricts the motion in your dominant hand and eliminates the possibility of wrist breakdowns through the putting stroke. Other notable putting styles include "the claw", a style that has the grip directly in between the thumb and index finger of the dominant hand while the palm faces the target. The weak hand placed normally on
3990-450: Is the primary factor in calculating par, other factors are taken into account; however the number of strokes a scratch golfer should take to make the green remains foremost. Factors affecting the calculation include altitude, gradient of the land from the tee to green, and forced " lay-ups " due to dog-legs (sharp bends) or obstacles (e.g. bunkers, water hazards). Getting the ball onto the green in two strokes less than par, and hence meeting
4095-407: Is typically positioned more to the "front" of the player's stance (closer to the leading foot) for lower-lofted clubs, with the usual ball position for a drive being just behind the arch of the leading foot. The ball is placed further "back" in the player's stance (toward the trailing foot) as the loft of the club to be used increases. Most iron shots and putts are made with the ball roughly centered in
4200-406: Is used to transport golf clubs and the player's other or personal equipment. Golf bags have several pockets designed for carrying equipment and supplies such as tees, balls, and gloves. Golf bags can be carried, pulled on a trolley or harnessed to a motorized golf cart during play. Golf bags usually have both a hand strap and shoulder strap for carrying, others may be carried over both shoulders like
4305-578: The PGA Championship . While the modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland , the game's ancient origins are unclear and much debated. Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of paganica , in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. One theory asserts that paganica spread throughout Europe as the Romans conquered most of the continent, during
Australian Amateur - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-631: The United States Golf Association (USGA). With the aim of simplifying the rules, in 2017 the USGA and R&A undertook a complete rewrite. The new rule book came into effect in January 2019. The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Essentially, anybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction, or played golf for money,
4515-410: The "general penalty" defined as two-strokes, and disqualification for severe or repeated rule breaches. Examples include: Golf clubs are used to hit a golf ball . Each club is composed of a shaft with a lance (or "grip") on the top end and a club head on the bottom. Long clubs, which have a lower amount of degree loft, are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer distance, and short clubs
4620-528: The 1877–78 and 1893–94 seasons. He made his highest score in the match against Canterbury in 1882–83, when he top-scored in each innings for Otago with 58 and 24, as well as taking four wickets. Otago nevertheless lost by four runs. He took his best first-class bowling figures of 6 for 25 to dismiss the visiting Tasmanians for 40 in 1883–84 and set up Otago's victory. MacNeil achieved his greatest performances in two non-first-class matches against touring Australian teams , when Otago fielded 22 players against
4725-423: The 1897 event was decided by 72 holes of stroke-play, played on 13 and 15 October. Harry Howden retained the trophy with a score of 348, 33 strokes ahead of William McIntyre . Howden led by 12 after the first day and extended this by a further 21 on the final day. The 1898 event was again decided by stroke-play. Harry Howden was three behind the leaders after the first day but pulled away on the final day and won with
4830-419: The 1970s, although he only won once. He beat Chris Bonython at the 40th hole in 1977 but lost to Ray Jenner in 1973, Peter Sweeney in 1976 and Mike Clayton in 1978. Bonython and Terry Gale were other multiple finalists in the 1970s, Gale winning in 1974 and losing to Bonython in 1975. New Zealander Brent Paterson reached the final in 1983 but lost to Wayne Smith , and it was not until 1985 that there
4935-549: The Amateur Championship that year. Matt Jager was the only winner of the stroke play who went on to win the Amateur Championship, winning both in 2009. In 2012 the format returned to that used from 1959 to 1970, with the leading 64 players qualifying after 36 holes of stroke-play. Match-play rounds were over 18 holes except for the final, which was over 36 holes. Two courses were used for the stroke play stage, each player playing one round on each course. The 2010s saw
5040-460: The Australians' 11. Against the 1877–78 Australians , when he was 17 years old, he made the highest score on either side with 28 in a low-scoring draw. He repeated the feat in 1880-81 , this time with 44 in the second innings, and also took 5 for 28 with the ball in the Australians' first innings. This time the Australians won, by 44 runs. For making the highest score in the match he received
5145-509: The King that he playit with". To many golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews , a links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. In 1764, the standard 18-hole golf course was created at St Andrews when members modified the course from 22 to 18 holes. Golf is documented as being played on Musselburgh Links , East Lothian, Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which
5250-539: The Open and amateur, a feat he repeated in 1939. His only defeat in this period came in the 1937 quarter-finals where he lost 2&1 to Doug Davies . Harry Williams , the 1931 winner, won again in 1937. When the championship resumed in 1946 it was played at Royal Sydney , after the Australian Open that had been played there. However, the Open no longer acted as a qualifying event and the amateur championship became match-play only with 18-hole matches except for
5355-484: The Open finished on a Saturday and the three rounds were played from Monday to Wednesday. In 1908, for scheduling reasons, the final was not played until the Saturday. The Tasmanian Clyde Pearce , having already won the Open, beat Neptune Christoe 10&8 in the final. In 1909 Pearce reached the final again but lost at the 37th hole to Michael Scott . Scott won his fourth title in 1910, beating Jim Howden 10&8 in
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#17327931944285460-640: The Scots language and the Old English word hlinc ("rising ground, ridge"): traditionally these are coastal sand dunes but sometimes open parkland. This gave rise to the term "golf links", particularly applied to seaside courses and those built on naturally sandy soil inland. The first 18-hole golf course in the United States was on a sheep farm in Downers Grove, Illinois , in 1892. The course
5565-432: The balance in muscles. Putting is considered to be the most important component of the game of golf. As the game of golf has evolved, there have been many different putting techniques and grips that have been devised to give golfers the best chance to make putts. When the game originated, golfers would putt with their dominant hand on the bottom of the grip and their weak hand on top of the grip. This grip and putting style
5670-442: The ball by taking their stance to the side of it and (except when the ball lies in a hazard) grounding the club behind the ball. The golfer then takes their backswing, rotating the club, their arms and their upper body away from the ball, and then begins their swing, bringing the clubhead back down and around to hit the ball. A proper golf swing is a complex combination of motions, and slight variations in posture or positioning can make
5775-590: The ball comes to rest, the golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary using shots that are variously known as a "lay-up", an "approach", a "pitch", or a " chip ", until the ball reaches the green, where the golfer then " putts " the ball into the hole (commonly called "sinking the putt" or "holing out"). The goal of getting the ball into the hole ("holing" the ball) in as few strokes as possible may be impeded by obstacles such as areas of longer grass called "rough" (usually found alongside fairways), which both slows any ball that contacts it and makes it harder to advance
5880-425: The ball in line with the desired path; that the clubface is in line with the swing path; and that the ball hits the centre or "sweet spot" of the clubface. The ability to do this consistently, across a complete set of clubs with a wide range of shaft lengths and clubface areas, is a key skill for any golfer, and takes a significant effort to achieve. Stance refers to how the golfer positions themselves in order to play
5985-559: The ball in motion, which delays "boundary layer" separation and reduces the drag-inducing "wake" behind the ball, thereby allowing the ball to fly farther. The combination of a soft "boundary layer" and a hard "core" enables both distance and spin. A tee is allowed only for the first stroke on each hole, unless the player must hit a provisional tee shot or replay their first shot from the tee. Many golfers wear golf shoes with metal or plastic spikes designed to increase traction, thus allowing for longer and more accurate shots. A golf bag
6090-482: The ball may "hook", "pull", "draw", "fade", "push" or "slice" off the intended line and land out of bounds or in the rough or hazards, and thus the player will require many more strokes to hole out. A golf stroke uses the muscles of the core (especially erector spinae muscles and latissimus dorsi muscle when turning), hamstring , shoulder , and wrist . Stronger muscles in the wrist can prevent them from being twisted during swings, whilst stronger shoulders increase
6195-413: The ball slightly above the ground up to a few centimetres high. Tees are commonly made of wood but may be constructed of any material, including plastic. Traditionally, golfers used mounds of sand to elevate the ball, and containers of sand were provided for the purpose. A few courses still require sand to be used instead of peg tees, to reduce litter and reduce damage to the teeing ground. Tees help reduce
6300-412: The bounds of the legal tee area, fairway , rough and other hazards , and the putting green surrounded by the fringe with the pin (normally a flagstick) and cup. The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty, or to allow for putting in the case of the green. While many holes are designed with a direct line-of-sight from the teeing area to the green, some holes may bend either to the left or to
6405-570: The championship four times: Harry Howden between 1896 and 1901, Michael Scott between 1905 and 1910 and Jim Ferrier between 1935 and 1939. The last repeat winner was Doug Bachli who won his second title in 1962. The championship is reckoned to start in 1894 when the Royal Melbourne Golf Club founded the "Victorian Golf Cup", open to all amateurs in Australasia. The 1894 contest was played on 5, 7 and 9 November with
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#17327931944286510-481: The championship was decided by 72 holes of stroke play. Additional source: From 1959 to 2020 the winner of the stroke play stage was the Australian Medallist . Qualifying was generally over 36 holes. However from 1996 to 2005 it was played over 72 holes. Two courses were used from 1986. Source: In 1960, Les O'Shea and Eric Routley tied for first place. There was an 18-hole playoff to determine
6615-601: The championship was taken over by the Australian Golf Union in 1899. In its early years, a variety of formats were used but from 1908 to 2020 it was a match play event, generally with a stroke play qualifying stage. The winner receives the Challenge Cup, donated by Lord Forster , the Governor-General of Australia , and first presented to Legh Winser , the 1921 winner. Three players have won
6720-477: The committee may designate a maximum score possible for a hole for the same reasons, while formalizing the surrender or "pick-up" rule. The total distance from the first teeing ground to the 18th green can be quite long; total yardages "through the green" can be in excess of 7,000 yards (6,400 m), and when adding in the travel distance between the green of one hole and the tee of the next, even skilled players may easily travel 5 miles (8.0 km) or more during
6825-467: The days of the week when the Open and amateur were played but from 1930 they became standardised with the Open finishing on a Saturday and the Amateur being played from Monday to Thursday of the following week. The period from 1935 to 1939 was dominated by Jim Ferrier who won four times in the five years, 1935, 1936, 1938 and 1939. In 1938 he became the first player since Clyde Pearce in 1908 to win both
6930-463: The earliest majors . Two Scotsmen from Dunfermline , John Reid and Robert Lockhart, first demonstrated golf in the U.S. by setting up a hole in an orchard in 1888, with Reid setting up America's first golf club the same year, Saint Andrew's Golf Club in Yonkers, New York. A golf course consists of either 9 or 18 holes, each with a teeing ground or "tee box" that is set off by two markers showing
7035-402: The famous headline "Toogood Was Too Good For Toogood". Harry Berwick was another two-time winner, in 1950 and 1956, beating Bill Edgar in the final on both occasions. 1958 had seen a return to the earlier match-play-only format with 18-hole matches except for the final, but it had not proved popular. In 1959, 36-hole stroke-play qualifying was introduced with the leading 64 players playing in
7140-497: The final in 1969 but lost 6&5 to Bob Shearer . There had been some criticism that the existing format was not producing a high calibre of winners, and the format was revised. In 1971 the number of qualifiers was reduced to 16, with all the match-play contests over 36 holes. The change was not immediately successful since only one of the six members of the Australian team for the upcoming Commonwealth Tournament qualified for
7245-411: The final. Alan Waterson beat Jim Pendergast 2&1 in the final. From 1947 the Open and amateur were generally played at different clubs, although they were often played in the same city with the amateur either immediately before or after the Open. Harry Hattersley won his second championship in 1947, 17 years after his first. In 1952 both Open and Amateur championships were held at Lake Karrinyup ,
7350-434: The final. In 1911 the three match-play rounds were scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Scott had returned to Britain and Jim Howden won his second title, beating Claude Felstead 4&3 in the final. In 1912 the event was won by Hector Morrison , who beat Gordon Burnham , a member of the Governor-General 's staff, 3&1 in the final. The 1913 tournament was originally planned to be played at The Australian, but
7455-515: The final. In late 1921 it was announced that Lord Forster , the Governor-General of Australia , had given a Challenge Cup, to be held by the winner until the following championship. The cup was presented to Legh Winser , the 1921 champion, by Archibald Weigall , the Governor of South Australia , at a ceremony at Adelaide Golf Club in April 1922. Ivo Whitton had won the Open in 1912 and 1913 but it
7560-471: The first century BC, and eventually evolved into the modern game. Others cite chuiwan (捶丸; "chui" means striking and "wan" means small ball) as the progenitor, a Chinese game played between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. A Ming Dynasty scroll by the artist Youqiu dating back to 1368 entitled "The Autumn Banquet" shows a member of the Chinese Imperial court swinging what appears to be
7665-480: The first time either had been held in Western Australia . The format for the amateur championship was revised with a 36-hole stroke-play qualifying event with the leading 32 players playing in the match-play stage. Bob Stevens led the qualifiers with a score of 141 and went on to win the title, beating Bill Higgins 7&6 in the final. Peter Heard won in 1953, having previously won in 1951. The format
7770-566: The fourth hole. The pair were still level with nine holes to play but Gillies came home in 37 to Howden's 48 to win with a total of 314, 11 ahead of Howden, who still took second place. The Victorian Golf Cup continued in 1899 and later, and despite some initial confusion, became established as the Victorian Amateur Championship . Unlike the earlier Victorian Golf Cup, the AGU championship meeting moved each year and in 1900 it
7875-475: The hole" after enough strokes have been made by a player that it is mathematically impossible for the player to win the hole. It is also acceptable in informal stroke play to surrender the hole after hitting three strokes more than the "par" rating of the hole (a "triple bogey" – see below); while technically a violation of Rule 3–2, this practice speeds play as a courtesy to others, and avoids "runaway scores" and excessive frustration. Alternatively, in competition,
7980-494: The hole. The primary factor for classifying the par of a relatively straight, hazard-free hole is the distance from the tee to the green, and calculates the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to require to reach the green with an additional allowance of 2 putts. As such, the minimum par of any hole is 3; one stroke for the tee shot and two putts. Par 3, 4 and 5 holes are commonplace on golf courses; far more rarely, courses may feature par-6 and even par-7 holes. For men,
8085-492: The interference of the ground or grass on the movement of the club making the ball easier to hit by elevating the ball from the playing surface. When the initial shot on a hole is intended to move the ball a long distance, typically more than 225 yards (210 m), the shot is commonly called a "drive" and is generally made with a long-shafted, large-headed wood club called a "driver". Shorter holes may be initiated with other clubs, such as higher-numbered woods or irons . Once
8190-413: The match is continued until the party increases the lead by one hole or ties any of the remaining holes, thereby winning the match, or until the match ends in a tie with the lead player's opponent winning all remaining holes. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead. The score achieved for each and every hole of
8295-478: The match-play stage. For 1972 the number of qualifiers was increased to 32, with all matches still over 36 holes. Colin Kaye won in 1972, the first time a medallist had gone on to win the event since stroke-play qualifying had been introduced in 1959. 18-hole matches were reintroduced in 1973, with only the final over 36 holes. The number of qualifiers remained at 32. The experienced Tony Gresham reached four finals in
8400-476: The match-play stage. In 1959 Jack Coogan led the qualifying but lost in the final to Bruce Devlin . Doug Bachli won in 1962, having previously won in 1948. The 1963 event was played soon after the 1963 Commonwealth Tournament in Sydney, resulting in an unusually large number of overseas entries. Two South Africans reached the final, with John Hayes winning a one-sided final. New Zealander Ross Murray reached
8505-446: The meeting was held at Royal Melbourne in 1905 and 1907 there was no separate match-play stage, the amateur championship being won by the leading amateur in the Open. In 1905 Dan Soutar , a professional, won the Open with a score of 337, 10 strokes ahead of the runner-up, Scott, who therefore became the amateur champion. In 1907 Scott won the Open championship with a score of 318 becoming both open and amateur champion. Scott had to survive
8610-583: The non-dominant side of the body facing the target (for a right-hander, the target is to their left). Setting the stance in regard to the position of the ball, and placing the clubhead behind the ball, is known as being at address; when in this position the player's body and the centerline of the club face are positioned parallel to the desired line of travel, with the feet either perpendicular to that line or slightly splayed outward. The feet are commonly shoulder-width apart for middle irons and putters, narrower for short irons and wider for long irons and woods. The ball
8715-507: The par calculation criteria, is called making "green in regulation" or GIR. Missing a GIR does not necessarily mean a golfer will not make par, but it does make doing so more difficult as it reduces the number of putts available; conversely, making a GIR does not guarantee a par, as the player might require three or more putts to "hole out". Professional golfers typically make between 60% and 70% of greens in regulation. Eighteen-hole courses typically total to an overall par score of 70 to 72 for
8820-426: The professional and top amateur level, as well as at high-level private clubs, players may be accompanied by caddies , who carry and manage the players' equipment and who are allowed by the rules to give advice on the play of the course. The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by The R&A , spun off in 2004 from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (founded 1754), and
8925-447: The putter. Anchored putting, a style that requires a longer putter shaft that can be anchored into the player's stomach or below the chin; the idea is to stabilize one end of the putter thus creating a more consistent pendulum stroke. This style has been banned on professional circuits since 2016. A hole is classified by its par, which gives an indication of the number of strokes a skilled golfer may be expected to need to complete play of
9030-476: The result decided by a bogey competition over three rounds. Louis Whyte won with a score of 6 holes down on bogey, 6 holes ahead of Mark Anderson . The same format was used for the 1895 event, which was played on 4, 6 and 8 November. Robert Balfour-Melville was even with bogey, 10 holes ahead of Thomas Hope . The Victorian Golf Cup had rapidly established itself as the main golf tournament in Australia, and
9135-554: The right. This is commonly called a "dogleg", in reference to a dog's knee. The hole is called a "dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards and "dogleg right" if it bends right. Sometimes, a hole's direction may bend twice; this is called a "double dogleg". A regular golf course consists of 18 holes, but nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a full round of 18 holes. Early Scottish golf courses were primarily laid out on links land, soil-covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. The word "links" derives from
9240-423: The round or tournament is added to produce the total score, and the player with the lowest score wins in stroke play . Stroke play is the game most commonly played by professional golfers. If there is a tie after the regulation number of holes in a professional tournament, a playoff takes place between all tied players. Playoffs either are sudden death or employ a pre-determined number of holes, anywhere from three to
9345-413: The stance, while a few mid- and short-iron shots are made with the ball slightly behind the centre of the stance to ensure consistent contact between the ball and clubface, so the ball is on its way before the club continues down into the turf. The golfer chooses a golf club, grip, and stroke appropriate to the distance: Having chosen a club and stroke to produce the desired distance, the player addresses
9450-436: The start of the final round but took 82 and was later disqualified for signing for an incorrect score. The 2022 title was won by Connor McKinney who holed a long birdie putt at the first extra hole in a three-way playoff. All match-play finals have been over 36 holes. A number of early events used different formats. The 1894 and 1895 events were bogey competitions , decided over 3 rounds. From 1897 to 1902 and in 1905 and 1907
9555-612: The stroke play stage was turned into a separate tournament, the Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship. The main difference was that there was a playoff in the event of a tie, whereas previously medalist honours were shared. There was a playoff in four of the six years the events was held. Danny Willett was the only overseas winner of the Stroke Play Championship, winning in 2008, while Norwegian Anders Kristiansen won
9660-408: The turning force. Weak wrists can also transmit the force to elbows and even neck and lead to injury. (When a muscle contracts, it pulls equally from both ends and, to have movement at only one end of the muscle, other muscles must come into play to stabilize the bone to which the other end of the muscle is attached.) Golf is a unilateral exercise that can break body balances, requiring exercises to keep
9765-428: The way to the final, but lost 2&1 to Sinclair, the runner-up in 1923. Sinclair retained the title in 1925 beating George Thompson 12&10 in a one-sided final. Whitton won the Open for the third time in 1926 and then reached the final of the amateur, but was beaten by Len Nettlefold , 2 up. Nettlefold won again in 1928 but otherwise there no multiple winners up to 1934. In the 1920s there had been some variation in
9870-441: The winner of the medal, O'Shea winning with a 74 to Routley's 76. The next tie was in 1963, when Routley was again involved, this time with Harry Berwick . On this occasion both players received medals. From 2006 to 2011, the stroke play stage was a separate championship, the Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, although it also acted as the qualification for the Australian Amateur. Additional source: Golf Golf
9975-443: Was another overseas winner when Boonchu Ruangkit from Thailand beat Peter O'Malley in the final. Another New Zealander, Phil Aickin , reached the final in 1987 but lost to Brett Johns . In the 1990s there were a number of winners who went on to have successful professional career. Lucas Parsons won in 1991 and was followed by New Zealander, Michael Campbell , in 1992 and Greg Chalmers in 1993. The centenary championship in 1994
10080-694: Was born at Glasgow in 1860, his parents' second son. The family migrated to Dunedin in New Zealand in 1865. He was educated at Otago Boys' High School and Christ's College, Christchurch . His father, also Hugh MacNeil, founded the retail company Briscoe and Co. Young Hugh spent his working career with the company, eventually becoming the governing director for Australia and New Zealand. He married Ellie Rutherford in Sydney in November 1884. MacNeil played eight first-class matches for Otago between
10185-564: Was created at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1764. Golf's first major , and the world's oldest golf tournament, is The Open Championship , also known as The Open, which was first played in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. This is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, the other three being played in the United States: The Masters , the U.S. Open , and
10290-463: Was held at Adelaide Golf Club on 28 and 29 June. Louis Whyte won with a score of 382, four ahead of Walter Carre Riddell . The championship returned to the Sydney area in 1901, being played at The Australian Golf Club on 11 and 12 July. Harry Howden won with a score of 352, 7 strokes ahead of Hugh MacNeil , although he had trailed by 5 after the first day. The 1902 championship was played at Royal Melbourne on 22 and 23 October. Hugh MacNeil won with
10395-646: Was held at Royal Sydney . The event was moved to March, having traditionally been held in the second half of the year, and was won by Englishman Warren Bennett . Mathew Goggin won in 1995, beating the US-based Jamie Crow in the final. In 1996 the qualifying rounds were extended from 36 to 72 holes, although the number of qualifiers remained at 32. David Gleeson won in 1996 and was followed by Kim Felton , Brett Rumford and Brendan Jones from 1997 to 1999. The early 2000s saw two Scottish winners, Jack Doherty in 2003 and Eric Ramsay in 2005. In 2006
10500-486: Was held in 1904 and acted as qualifying for the amateur championship. The leading 16 amateurs played in the match-play stage, over three days, with two 18-hole matches on the first day, followed by 36-hole semi-finals and final. Jim Howden beat Michael Scott 3&2 in the final, despite having finished 23 strokes behind him in the Open. The first Interstate team match was held in 1904, with New South Wales beating Victoria by five matches to two, with one match halved. When
10605-457: Was moved to Royal Melbourne because of a smallpox outbreak and the poor condition of the course, caused by wet weather. It was won by Audley Lemprière who beat Ivo Whitton 2&1 in the final, reversing the result in the Open, in which Whitton had won with Lemprière second. The championship restarted in 1920 using the pre-war format. Eric Apperly beat Tom Howard 4&3 in the final, while in 1921 Legh Winser beat Bruce Pearce 6&5 in
10710-405: Was not until 1922 that he won the amateur championship, beating Henry McClelland 3&2 in the final. He repeated his success in 1923 beating Harry Sinclair by the same score. There were 16 qualifiers in 1922, with four 36-hole matches, but the number reverted to 8 in 1923, before expanding again to 16 in 1924 where it stayed until 1939. Alex Russell had won the Open in 1924, beating Whitton on
10815-567: Was played annually in Loenen, Netherlands, beginning in 1297, to commemorate the capture of the assassin of Floris V , a year earlier. The modern game originated in Scotland , where the first written record of golf is James II 's banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction to learning archery. James IV lifted the ban in 1502 when he became a golfer himself, with golf clubs first recorded in 1503–1504: "For golf clubbes and balles to
10920-417: Was regarded as the amateur championship of Australia. The 1896 contest was held from 23 to 25 September and was decided by match-play with the final over 36 holes. Defending champion, Robert Balfour-Melville, met Harry Howden in the final. Howden was 4 up with 5 to play before Balfour-Melville levelled the match at the 35th. However Howden won the last to win by 1 hole. The match play format was not popular and
11025-538: Was revised for 1954 with the event taking place immediately after the Open. The leading 32 amateurs after the first two rounds of the Open qualified, all matches being over 36 holes. The six members of the Australian team that won the Commonwealth Tournament returned in time to play in the amateur championship but too late to play in the Open, and were excluded. The Toogood brothers met in the 1954 final, with Peter beating his brother John , leading to
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