BY STEVE KEIPERT at ROYAL MELBOURNE

From Adelaide to Augusta - South Australian teenager Antonio Murdaca will contest the Masters next April after a peerless display at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club earned him a ticket to golf's most exclusive major.

Murdaca's seven-stroke victory in the sixth edition of the championship was the young event's most dominant performance to date. He was the only player to break par each round in a week that saw only 11 golfers in red figures. It was an excellent tournament for the Australians with Melburnians Todd Sinnott and Ryan Ruffels finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Comfortable going up the last: Murdaca fires his approach into the 18th green knowing he has won. PHOTO: Dave Tease/AAC Comfortable going up the last: Murdaca fires his approach into the 18th green knowing he has won. PHOTO: Dave Tease/AAC

Armed with an eight-shot edge overnight, 19-year-old Murdaca saw his lead trimmed to five late on the front nine before he rolled in a lengthy birdie putt on the difficult 10th hole. He may be an amateur but Murdaca closed like a pro, embarking on a mistake-free stretch of play on the inward nine that put the result beyond doubt. A closing 71 pushed Murdaca to 13-under-par, with Japan's Mikumu Horikawa finishing second at six-under after a 69. Both players earned entry into final qualifying for next year's Open Championship at St Andrews but only the South Australian left Royal Melbourne guaranteed a start at the Masters.

"I just can't wait. The atmosphere, playing Augusta, it's a dream come true," Murdaca said. "It's just so exciting to think about. Next year I'm looking forward to something big so I'm going to be working hard."

Murdaca's outstanding play may have sucked the excitement out of the outcome but his dominance made him a compelling figure to observe. Short in stature but powerful in the way seemingly all young players are these days, the champion mixed power with precision and the patience that is a prerequisite around Royal Melbourne. These skills will stand him in good stead around Augusta National next April.

Antonio Murdaca is congratulated by the other Australian players after his win. PHOTO: Brett Crockford/AAC. Antonio Murdaca is congratulated by the other Australian players after his win. PHOTO: Brett Crockford/AAC.

Ranked as the 168th-best amateur in the world starting the week, Murdaca will become the fifth Australian amateur to contest the Masters in recent years, following in the footsteps of Aaron Baddeley (2000), Nick Flanagan (2004), Bryden Macpherson (2012) and Oliver Goss (2014).

The week began with Murdaca sitting below the radar among the ten-strong Australian contingent. The focus was squarely on the Victorians given their experience on and knowledge of the Composite course, which suited the low-key Adelaidean perfectly. The platform for his phenomenal scoring came on a breezy Thursday afternoon. Murdaca's 69 after an opening double-bogey demonstrated poise and patience and allowed him to remain in touch with the early leaders before enjoying an early tee-time the next day, when he recorded a 68. The positive momentum flowed to a Saturday 67 that built a huge cushion and allowed Murdaca to cruise in the final round.

The tournament was a win for the host club and host nation as much as for Murdaca.

The largest congregation of Augusta National members to ever leave the hallowed club witnessed a championship venue that has long held an affinity with their own. One suspects the 16 green jackets had that notion reinforced during a week in which the field grappled with the tricky Composite course greens in much the same manner as golfers do at Augusta. Club chairman Billy Payne was effusive in his praise of not just the golf course but the staff, service and the club's ability to stage the Asia-Pacific Amateur. When quizzed on a likely timeframe for the championship to return, the often diplomatic Payne said, "I certainly have a view.

"I have been talking to my fellow members about the experience we're having and what we have seen here. I think it would be appropriate to say that what we have discovered in Royal Melbourne wildly exceeds our expectations. It is one of the greatest golf courses in the world ... I know I speak for every gentleman here in a green jacket; we have found a place that we would like to call a second home."

  •  For our extended coverage of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and more news from the world of golf, be sure to read On The Green Express – Golf Australia’s new online weekly magazine, published every Tuesday.

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