[Picture: Asia-Pacific Amateur]
Leading amateurs from 21 countries teed off on Tuesday in the first round at the 2026 Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship at Southern Golf Club.
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From Tuesday to Friday (January 6-9), a field of 171 players will compete for the coveted green jackets awarded to the men’s and women’s champions after 72 holes of strokeplay, with a 36-hole cut.
Follow the action throughout the week here: Live Scoring
Competitors will face a stern test on Melbourne’s famed Sandbelt, with forecast temperatures exceeding 40C adding to the challenge at Southern Golf Club.
One of Australia’s leading amateurs Harry Takis isn’t fazed by the conditions.
“I’m really looking forward to it – I’m from Queensland, so I’m used to the hot weather,” Takis said. “It should be a fun week.”
After finishing third at last year’s Australian Master of the Amateurs, Takis looms as one to watch following a strong 2025, highlighted by being the leading amateur at the Singapore Open and claiming victory at the Singapore Open Amateur Championship. He also finished fourth at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai.
The Australian Master of the Amateurs has long been proven a pathway to professional success.
Past champions including Jason Day (2006), David Micheluzzi (2018), Stephanie Kyriacou (2019), Sahith Theegala (2020) and Harrison Crowe (2022) have gone on to thrive on the professional stage, while the event’s alumni also includes the likes of Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, Marc Leishman and Ryan Fox.
