With wild six-shot comeback, novice punches Masters, Open Championship tickets

Jasper Stubbs began the ultimate spherical of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur six pictures out of the lead. However by the top of Sunday, the 21-year-old had invites to both the 2024 Masters and the Open Championship.

Stubbs, a hometown favourite who lives simply two miles away from host website Royal Melbourne, fired a final-round two-under 69, together with enjoying his last 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 Novice 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 turn into the fourth Aussie winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

Due to the occasion’s sponsorship by Augusta Nationwide and the R and A, the win grants Stubbs an invite to the Masters next April and an exemption into the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July. These can be his first two main championship appearances.

“The Masters is one thing each child’s ever dreamed of,” Stubbs informed the Related Press. “It’s the one event that each golfer desires to play of their life and now that that’s going to be the fact for me, I’m speechless, it’s life-changing. I’m actually excited for April now and likewise for The Open.”

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

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

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

Each Stubbs and Zheng made birdie putts from outdoors 25 ft on the primary playoff gap, however the second time via, 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 College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf crew and lately returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than 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 may be reached at [email protected].