Nathan Barbieri carries Australia’s hopes into the final day of the Australian Amateur Championship in Melbourne after he prevented an all-overseas showdown in the men’s decider at Woodlands Golf Club.
The New South Welshman advanced to Sunday’s 36-hole decider by pipping German Jannik de Bruyn 1-up.
He will meet Ireland’s Conor Purcell, who recorded the same slender winning margin over de Bruyn’s compatriot Michael Hirmer.
Barbieri was the only one of four Australians to survive beyond Saturday’s quarter-final draw as visiting players zeroed in on the silverware.
He had little difficulty accounting for Singapore’s Donovan Lee 5 and 3 while Kyle Michel and Justin Warren both succumbed on the final green to Purcell and Hirmer respectively.
Blake Windred, the No.2 seed, was the other homegrown casualty when he lost 3 and 2 to de Bruyn.
Barbieri admitted he felt close to heading for the exit against de Bruyn until he rallied after a pep talk from caddie Jordie Garner.
“I was on the 14th tee thinking I was cooked … I wasn’t hitting many good shots and I’d just come off three bogeys,” he said.
“I just kept talking to Jordie, I was due to make some magic happen so I’m very proud of myself for not giving up.”
After squaring the contest heading the the last, Barbieri was accurate off the tee, while de Bruyn faltered.
“Unfortunately he hit two shots right and that was it really,” he said.
In the women’s title race Tsubasa Kajitani (Japan) and South Korea’s Hong Yaeeun contest the decider after recording back-to-back victories.
Kajitani ended Queenslander Cassie Porter’s aspirations with a convincing 5 and 4 victory in their quarter-final before she eliminated compatriot Riri Sadoyama in the semis.
Yaeeun claimed two Australian scalps enroute to the final, beating Isabelle Taylor (Qld) 4 and 3 and then Victorian Steph Bunque on the 18th.
Bunque made the semis by beating New Zealand’s Carmen Lim 2 and 1.
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