McKibbin through to Australian Amateur quarter-finals
Tom McKibbin (Ireland) on his debut in the Home International Matches at Lahinch Golf Club last year. Picture by Pat Cashman
Holywood’s Tom McKibbin is through to Saturday’s quarter-finals of the Australian Amateur Championship in at Royal Queensland in Brisbane.
The Co Down international (17) beat Australia’s Jackson Bugdalski 4&3 in the third round, then went on to defeat another Australian, Lawry Flynn, by one hole in the last 16.
He will now face Queensland’s Louis Dobbelaar for a place in the semi-finals tomorrow afternoon as he bids to follow in the footsteps of Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell, who became the first Irishman to win the title last year.
McKibbin tied for 16th in stroke play qualifying on three-under-par after rounds of 72 and 68, five strokes behind Australia’s Andrew Lautee.
The quarter-final line up sees New Zealand’s James Hydes take on England’s Ben Jones, McKibbin face Dobbelaar, an all Australia clash between Jediah Morgan and Elvis Smylie and Billy Cawthorne against England’s Charlie Strickland.
Reigning Australian Junior champion Smylie (17) needed extra holes to keep his title dreams alive, sending Kiwi Mako Thompson home with a birdie on the 19th before beating Ryan Peake by one hole to set up his last-eight clash with Morgan.
Dobbelaar progressed to the weekend thanks to a 2&1 victory over England’s Matthew Lamb as Strickland claimed a gritty 4&2 win over Harry Bolton.
England’s Ben Jones beat Jack Trent on the 19th as top seed Lautee lost 3&2 to Hydes of New Zealand.