Golf Vic Vol 60 No 3 2019

captain and number one for the final Blake Collyer was being obliterated 6&5 by Blues’ gun Blake Windred, who shot six-under through 13 holes in the final. This left the rest to pick up the pieces but fortunately for Victoria, Kyle Michel at number two had a great win over Australian Amateur runner-up Nathan Barbieri 4&3 to remain undefeated for the week, Sanchez at number three overcame Armstrong, debutant and Victorian Amateur champion Andre Lautee smashed Jordie Garner 6&5 and Brereton picked up a win as well. At 4-4, the title was Victoria’s as the top seed and the Blues were left to their regrets, of which there were plenty, judging by the response on social media. “A few of them posted about losing on a countback and it shouldn’t be done like that,” said Collyer, the victorious captain. “In the end, they’re the rules, they knew from the start or at least, two matches in. They had to win five. The teammanagers were told at the start of the week that they needed to play by ability order. If they’d played Blake Windred at (number) one all week like he should have been, the result could’ve been different.” Collyer, Kyle Michel, Lukas Michel and Sanchez are the four players who were members of all three Victorian teams that created the hat-trick. “It’s awesome to do it three times,” said Collyer, who won five matches in Tasmania himself. “We’ve had a core of guys, and then we’ve added people along the way, and then we lost some to turning professional. But it shows the strength of golf in Victoria.” Kyle Michel’s week was extraordinary, the Shepparton player starting out at number three, jumping up to number two and never deviating. He won six matches and halved with Blake Windred in the round- robin encounter with NSW, reaching an estimated 36-under par for the event. NSW player Harrison Crowe and Tasmanian veteran Craig Hancock were the only others to go undefeated through the week. “When we had our presentation, I was the lowest number of the players selected or the most experienced,” said Michel. “I thought I needed to take that on my shoulders and run with it and I think I did that.” Cole, also his personal coach, believes Michel is improving rapidly. “Kyle’s really got probably the best wedge game and short-game play in the state,” said the coach. “He’s been building, and he’s become a pretty good player in the last 12 months.” Collyer felt that Victoria’s victory in the men’s had come in a different manner in 2019, noting the terrific debuts of Kingston Heath’s Lautee (five wins including a big one in the final, as well as a half against NSW in round robin), Victoria’s Ciupek (three wins from three in round robin) and Metropolitan’s Didone (three wins in the anchor position at number seven). “Probably New South Wales had just a little stronger team,” said Collyer. “But we had a strong belief we could go three in a row. Previously our strength was (numbers) four to seven. This year was a bit different. Kyle and I were quite strong in the two and three, and then we got a couple of wins from the other spots. So, all round, everyone contributed throughout the week.” The Victorian women, meanwhile, had pulled off a giant-killing victory over New South Wales in their event at Royal Hobart, with number one Stephanie Bunque being prominent. But, ultimately, with three wins from five matches, they finished third behind the Blues and Queensland. As for the junior girls in Queensland, it was an unexpected victory, again over New South Wales which brought a powerful team to City Golf Club in Toowoomba in April. Victoria’s team of Imogen Jones, Matias Sanchez added a third Interstate Series to his long list of amateur achievements. Kyle Michel was undefeated throughout the Interstate Series. 8 Golf Victoria