The Roar
The Roar

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Lucas Herbert sets a course record at the Australian Masters

Geoff Ogilvy, a former US Open Champ, is back in form. (Image: Flickr)
Expert
22nd November, 2014
1

Victorian amateur Lucas Herbert set the Metropolitan course in Melbourne alight yesterday with a record seven-under 65 in the third round of the Australian Masters.

The 18-year-old is poised to emulate another Victorian amateur Aaron Baddeley who was 18 when he won the 1999 Australian Open at Royal Sydney, beating the likes of Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, and Paul McGinley.

Herbert bogeyed the first hole, but strung together six birdies in seven holes to turn in five-under 32, and carded three more birdies and a bogey on his way home for his 65.

Today will be the biggest day in the careers of leader Paul Spago, who is eight-under, Michael Wright seven-under, and Herbert at six-under with Nick Cullen and James Nitties.

The 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy is at five-under, with the 2013 US Masters champion Adam Scott a shot further back. Both can count themselves lucky they still have a sniff as gale force winds struck both Spargo and Wright at the tail of the field late in the day.

At one stage Wright, the halfway leader, was four shots in front of Spargo, and they looked as though they were going to leave the field in their wake.

But Mother Nature lent a hand, so much so that there are 23 golfers within five shots, and 15 within four so it could well be a charge of the light brigade finish this afternoon.

That probability makes Ogilvy and Scott dangerous when push turns to shove, especially if they can sink a few putts.

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Both have been solid rather than spectacular.

But Herbert was spectacular, so too were two other Victorian amateurs – the 16-year-old Ryan Ruffles, and 22-year-old Todd Sinnott.

Ruffles has carded 75, 68, 72 to be one-under, playing the first two rounds with Ogilvy and Scott – Sinnott has shot 67, 71 77, he too is one-under despite his blow-out yesterday.

What has stood out with all three amateurs is the way they monster their drives way over 300 metres.

On the lighter side, pity Australia’s ODI opening batsman Aaron Finch will be on duty at the SCG against South Africa today and won’t be able to see Paul Spargo strut his stuff – you would swear they were identical twins.

Another Finch century and a first big tournament win for Spargo would be the daily double of the weekend.

Although there will be a few South African bowlers, and quite a few golfers who will have a major say in a different result.

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