With wild six-shot comeback, amateur punches Masters ticket

Jasper Stubbs began the ultimate spherical of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur six photographs out of the lead. But by the tip of Sunday, the 21-year-old had invitations to each the 2024 Masters and the Open Championship.

Stubbs, a hometown favourite who lives simply two miles away from host web site Royal Melbourne, fired a final-round two-under 69, together with taking part in his remaining 12 holes 4 below, to erase the deficit and discover himself in a playoff with third-round chief Sampson Zheng and 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur winner Wenyi Ding at one over after 72 holes.

After birdies on the primary playoff gap eradicated Ding, Stubbs cozied a virtually 60-foot birdie putt to only a few inches on the Royal Melbourne composite course’s 18th to develop into the fourth Aussie winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

Thanks to the occasion’s sponsorship by Augusta National and the R and A, the win grants Stubbs an invite to the Masters subsequent April and an exemption into the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July. Those might be his first two main championship appearances.

“The Masters is something every kid’s ever dreamed of,” Stubbs instructed the Associated Press. “It’s the one tournament that every golfer wants to play in their life and now that that’s going to be the reality for me, I’m speechless, it’s life-changing. I’m really excited for April now and also for The Open.”

Stubbs was truly as many seven photographs again throughout the afterthought, at the same time as Zheng, who was up by 4 photographs to begin the day at three below, began slowly with a double bogey on the 2nd. However, the Australian began his run with a birdie on the seventh after which made extra at 11, 13 and 17.

His birdie strive from 35 ft on the final got here up simply quick as he completed at one over with Zheng nonetheless out on the course at even.

But Zheng three-putted the par-5 seventeenth for bogey after which did nicely to power the playoff with Ding and Stubbs by getting up and down out of a bunker on 18. A day after capturing an amateur-record 65 at Melbourne’s composite course, which final was within the worldwide highlight for the 2019 Presidents Cup, Zheng got here residence with a 75 in blustery situations.

Both Stubbs and Zheng made birdie putts from exterior 25 ft on the primary playoff gap, however the second time by means of, Zheng missed the inexperienced. He chipped to about 20 ft and when his par effort lipped out, Stubbs was all however assured the win.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf staff and lately returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Before becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He might be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.