Australian Trying To Prove Himself

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Shoal Creek, Ala. –As soon as Bryden MacPherson stepped off the plane, the humidity greeted him like an Evander Holyfield punch to the lungs. Welcome to Alabama in July.

The 17-year-old Australian is making his first appearance in the U.S. Junior Amateur and traveled half way around the world to do so. For this? To play in this arresting, sticky stuff that pushed the heat index well past 100 degrees Monday?

MacPherson

Geez, even the snakes stayed underground to cool off.

“I’m hoping to sweat a little bit less tomorrow,” said MacPherson after registering a 1-over 73 in the first round of stroke play Monday, leaving him eight shots out of the lead.

More torturous still was that he’s performing while carrying his own bag. He must be a glutton for punishment.

Don’t get the wrong impression. Heat he can handle. After all, the Melbourne product normally endures summers that top 120 degrees. It’s just that he got acclimated to the balmy San Diego climate at the World Junior Championships before coming here.

And the question begs again: why is he here? The answer lies in the U.S. Junior Amateur’s prestige as a worldwide affair.

“It’s pretty big over there,” said Australia’s second-ranked junior player. “It’s probably the best junior tournament in the world.”

He paused.

“No, it is the best junior tournament in the world and I’ve only been here two days. The best because of the strength of the field.”

MacPherson isn’t the only foreign-born player here. But he is the only Australian. In all, there are seven different countries represented this week.

Coming off a third-place team finish at the Junior World Cup in Japan, MacPherson thought he was close enough to the United States to try and qualify, so he made the 10-hour jaunt to Los Angeles. He had the predilection to try and qualify at Los Angeles Country Club until learning it was full. It might have been a blessing because, had he gotten in, he would have had no time to familiarize himself with the course. There was no time for practice rounds. Instead, he went to Spring Valley Lake Country Club in Victorville, Calif., where he wound up as the medalist. He said he was able to get in two practice rounds, clearly making a difference.

If he has any expectations this week, it’s only to make it into match play. It would allow him to gauge his game as he makes his way through the Victorian Institute, which has produced the likes of pros Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvie. The purpose of the institute is to prepare serious players for a life as a professional golfer. Players retain amateur status but receive access to everything a pro would get: world-class instruction and other perks. The difference is that they receive money for travel when competing in tournaments. That’s how 2003 U.S. Amateur champion Nick Flanagan, now on the PGA Tour, made his way to the U.S.

MacPherson counts this as his second trip to the U.S. He’s impressed by the food, puzzled by Americans’ duty to tip.

“You get everything here a month before Australia does,” he said. “Like movies, all the movies that are out now here will be coming to Australia next month. The U.S. is the source of everything.

“There is so much [food]. The portions are so big.

“This tipping thing is screwing with me a little bit. In Australia, you just pay what you owe and that’s it. Here it’s $4 here and $4 there, and it’s hard to factor that in sometimes.”

Should he advance into match play on Wednesday, a caddie may be part of his repertoire. And if so, that might be one tip he can stomach.

Ken Klavon is the Editor of New Media. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.