Avani Prashanth brings in top-six finish at Melbourne amateur event

By Rahul Banerji

Two-time national women’s amateur champion Avani Prashanth took a top-six placing at the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship in Melbourne this week.

The 16-year-old from Bangalore overcame a lack of practice, an unfamiliar course, and tough first-day conditions to finish on five-over 297 (79-75-68-75) at the par-73 Southern Golf Club.

It gave Avani a share of sixth place alongside New Zealand’s Eunseo Cho and Kate McFarlane of Australia, but some way behind the leading five.

Nishna Patel did not make the 54-hole cut with cards of 82, 77 and 75. Consequently, India were not ranked in the concurrent Masters of the Amateurs World Cup.

In fact only the top three finishers – Japan, New Zealand and Chinese Taipei – were ranked in the team event with both their entrants surviving the cut.

Japan scored a double at the top with Yuna Iraki taking top honours with a 12-under 280 (67-74-68-71) ahead of Mamika Shinchi (73-73-69-71, 280).

Fiona Xu (New Zealand), Caitlin Peirce (Australia), and Hsin Chun Liao (Chinese Taipei) finished in that order behind the two Japanese toppers.

Start to finish

The men’s event was won by England’s John Gough, the wire-to-wire leader finishing in 15-under 273 (64-74-67-68). He was four shots up on Scotland’s Gregor Tait (67-71-68-71, 277).

The two Indians in the field, Shaurya Bhattacharya (75-74-71) and Aryan Roopa Anand (77-81-74), did not make it to the final round, the former missing the cut by just a shot.

As in the women’s event, only the top three — USA, Japan, and Australia – received rankings with none of the other men’s teams sending both members into the final round.

Action now shifts to the Australian Amateur Championship conducted by Golf Australia that will run from January 10 to 13 at the New South Wales Golf Club and St Michael’s GC near Sydney.

From the entrants who played at Melbourne, Avani, Aryan (both Karnataka) and Shaurya (Delhi) will be joined by Punjab’s Yuvraj Singh and Milind Soni of Telangana for the AAC.

Both the Melbourne and Sydney events will earn points counting toward the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Also read: Avani Prashanth retains All India Ladies Amateur title