Nick Cullen, in the Gold Jacket, with the 2014 Masters trophy! Photo Credit: SMP Images.

Congratulations to Nick Cullen, the Champion of the 2014 Australian Masters at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne. Nobody came close to Cullen’s 66-69 weekend performance at the first of Australia’s Big Three golfing competitions. But several golfers, namely Adam Scott (68), Josh Younger (69) and James Nitties (70), came close to matching his 9-under par 279 tournament score. Scott, four strokes back of third round leader Paul Sparg0 to start the day, had a six-birdie day, just what he needed to win, but it was offset by two bogeys on Nos. 7 and 10. Younger, three back, birdied two of the last three holes, including the difficult 18th, but ran out of holes. Nitties, tied with Cullen to start the day, played steady with three birdies and one bogey, needed one more birdie down the stretch and ended up parring the last six holes. Surprisingly, Nitties’ playing partner Geoff Ogilvy shot a Sunday 75 and did not contend. In the end, it was Cullen’s dramatic sand save on the last, that was the difference and led to the biggest win of his career.

Paul Spargo, walking with his caddie, unfortunately did not march to victory on Sunday at the Masters. Photo Credit: SMP Images

The final pairing of third round leader Paul Spargo (73) and joint first and second round leader Michael Wright (80) did not seem like the pairing either wanted or needed after some difficulty with slow play and being put on the clock during Saturday’s third round. While Spargo was three-putting for bogey on No. 10, Cullen was going birdie-birdie on Nos. 11 and 12 to take a two stroke lead that he never fully relinquished. Rhein Gibson had the Sunday best round of 65 which tied amateur Lucas Herbert’s Saturday round for low tournament round. Gibson had three bogeys, eight birdies and an eagle to finish three strokes back.

Nick Cullen and Lucas Herbert congratulating one another after a pairing that worked for them both! Phote Credit: SMP Images

I walked the back nine starting with the final Spargo/Wright group and then catching up with the Cullen/Herbert (a) on the par-3 13th hole. I went ahead to see Ogilvy and Nitties par the par-5 14th, the hole that Gene Sarazen, who won the 1936 Australian Open at Metro, labelled one of the best holes in the world. I waited to watch Cullen three-putt for par while Herbert pitched up and made the putt for birdie to get within four strokes. Another Cullen three-putt for bogey on No. 15 and a Herbert birdie on the short par-4 16th narrowed the gap to two strokes between the two playing partners. By this time Scott had posted his 8-under total and Nitties and Younger in the two groups followed suit. Both Cullen and Herbert parred the par-4 17th, Cullen from a divot in the right rough. The young amateur’s final undoing was the 18th which he double bogeyed after driving left and being forced to chip out to the fairway. Interestingly, Scott’s double bogey on the 18th (his 9th hole played) on Thursday, his only one of the tournament, looking back seems quite  pivotal. Of course, the final pivot point and his stepping up to victory was Cullen’s long bunker save to tap-in distance of the hole. As it should, the 18th at Metro, provided a lot of excitement during Masters week. However there were four people, who would have liked to had a chance to produce a little bit more.

Nick Cullen’s champion interview moderated by PGA Australia’s Olivia McMillan.

Nick Cullin’s champion interview in the media center was quite interesting. Here is a guy that has been missing out by a stroke and now all of a sudden wins his biggest prize by a stroke. What changed? His twin brother Dan, a former Australian cricketer who has bowled to the best batsmen in the world and got them out, was the catalyst with some good advice after Nick lost a big chunk of change but still tied for the win with a three-putt on the last in a recent pro-am. “He (Dan) said it didn’t matter, you won and that’s the main thing. You’ve just got to win. So after that,” explained Nick. “it probably took me a week or two to realise that he was right, but after that, I realised it wasn’t about the money or anything else. It was about trying to win. That’s why you should play a sport; you want to win and you want to be your best. Since then, I’ve just been trying to win. And to win the Australian Masters is pretty awesome.”

What does Nick Cullin love about golf? “Probably the thing I love more than anything about golf, it’s up to you. It’s only you. If you play well, if you work hard, you think the right things, you do the right things, you get results. There’s no one else that can do it. It’s up to you. No one can carry you through.”

Watching him play the back nine I was impressed how he hung in there especially after three-putting two holes in a row, one (the 14th) for par and the next (the 15th) for bogey. I thought his pairing was good and the amateur’s mini-run at the end was critical to Cullin maintaining the one stroke advantage and ultimately turning it into a win. So I asked him this question:

The Metropolitan Golf Club was a formidable test of golf with her well bunkered greens sharp edges.

Q. After the two 3 putts, one for par and one for bogey, three holes to go, what were you thinking? Were you looking at the score boards, and how important was your pairing (with amateur Lucas Herbert)?
NICK CULLEN: He played great down the stretch. He’s a great kid and he was really good. He was sort of saying, let’s make some birdies and sort of encouraging I guess, and we were sort of giving each other little fist pumps and everything all day. So he was really good to play with, really enjoyed it.
The two 3 putts, I don’t know how long it was, like 16 or 17 feet (short) on the par 5, hit two good shots. Sort of miss hit the putt a fraction. Hit a really good second putt, didn’t go in. That’s golf.
The next hole, hit two really good shots. Same thing, the wind picked up, it stopped at the front and I thought I hit a good first putt. Came up short. Thought I hit a decent second putt and miss read it a little bit, didn’t hit it quite hard enough. But that’s just golf. I made a bunch of putts earlier and putted really well, and nothing changed. Didn’t quite hit it hard enough or whatever. But I’m still putting great.
So, you’ve just got to remember that. You’ve got to stay in the process. You can’t change it once it’s done. When I won the Indonesia Open, I was leading by four, and then I made a triple bogey on the 14th in my last round. So I guess there’s not much I can do that would be worse than that. And in that situation, I just sort of said, well, you’re still tied for the lead and you’re still playing well. There’s no reason why you can’t win it. Was lucky enough to win there and it was the same sort of thing here. Had a couple of 3 putts and it’s not ideal, but you just trust your process and hit good shots coming in, you’ve still got a chance and that’s all you can do.

With 2014 Australian Masters Champion Nick Cullen.

Experience, determination, perseverance and a touch of luck brought the Australian Masters’ trophy to Nick Cullen. He joins a lot of great players who have won this tournament including the last four winners—Tiger Woods, Stuart Appleby, Ian Poulter and Adam Scott. That’s why I am calling Nick Cullen, Melbourne’s Metro Masters Man!

Up next is the Australian Open this week at The Australian Club in Sydney, followed by the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane.

My nine nights in Melbourne have been wonderful, especially the socializing and networking at the Masters tournament. Here are some more highlights:

Pam and Andy, still the smiling Mr. & Mrs. Will Call on the final day of the 2014 Masters.

With IMG’s Annie Ryan (L) and Cox Marketing’s Sally Wright (R). Always smiling and welcoming to the Media Center.

With Georgie Cox of Cox Marketing Solutions who did a great job running the Media Center at the Masters!

With Mark Hayes, Media Manager for Golf Australia.

With Olivia McMillan (L) and Bronwyn Slatter (R), Communications Coordinators with the PGA Australia.

With Golf Link’s Rod Morri (hat), Craig Fordham (Orange) & Joey Ratcliiffe (R).

Golf Link show with host Rod Morri (L) and analyst Bruce Young (R). Two great guys and boy do they KNOW golf!

The question was answered- Nick Cullen!

Michael Wright faltered a little bit in Round 3 but is playing in the final group on Sunday with a good chance to win. Photo Credit: SMP Images.

Traditionally, Saturday is moving day for US PGA TOUR tournaments, no difference ‘Down Under’ on the PGA TOUR Australasia at the Australian Masters competition. There are lots of other differences like the next day 16-hour time difference, the long days of sunshine (Melbourne sunrise at 5:54 am, sunset at 8:18 pm), and the different terminology when you absentmindedly drive on the wrong side of the road (that’s a bugger), but when it comes to golf, the next-to-last day is the day to make the move to position oneself for victory come the final round on Sunday. Unfortunately movement goes in both directions, up and down the leader board.

Looking back to the four first round leaders who came out of the gate (Melbourne Cup terminology, similar to the Kentucky Derby), Michael Wright has fared the best after three rounds, though his two-stroke lead going into Saturday’s third round is now a one-stroke deficit. The other three first round leaders failed to reverse second round deficits with third round surpluses—Steven Bowditch (67-75-73), amateur Todd Sinott (67-71-77) and Stephan Allan (67-73-79). Both Geoff Ogilvy (T6, three strokes back) and Adam Scott (T8, four strokes back) shot 71 and are still in contention. All three Americans are under par through three rounds with Zack Blair (70-75-69) and Boo Weekley (72-72-70) together at T24, six strokes back and Kyle Stanley (69-73-73) one more stroke back at T32.

Paul Spargo leads the Masters going into the final round, can he remain steady and win? Photo Credits: SMP Images.

The biggest mover in the right direction was amateur Lucas Herbert who posted a tournament low round of 6-under 66 about the same time the leaders were teeing off. Like the U.S. Masters, the Australian Masters seems to showcase up and coming amateurs. But it was Paul Spargo’s steady one-under par 71 playing in the final group with Wright that earned him the  lead going into Sunday. The final twosome for Saturday will stay the same for tomorrow’s Sunday round. With Scott and Ogilvy in the hunt it is sure to be an interesting second nine at Metropolitan Golf Club on Sunday afternoon in the Australian Masters!

With Natalina Morelli (L) and Linda Higgins (R) of Blitz Publications & Multi-Media Group.

While Saturday was moving day for the professional golfers, it was socialization and networking day for me with a unique, one-time opportunity to get to know some of my media mates in the media center and out in the exhibitors’ village near the clubhouse. I was drawn into the tent of Blitz Publications & Multi-Media Group when I saw the Golf Magazine motif and met Natalina Morelli, Group Manager – Marketing & Operations, and Linda Higgins, Marketing & events Manager. They are Australia’s #1 health, fitness and sports lifestyle publishing and multi-media company. Golf Magazine is a sister publication of the USA-based Time Inc. Golf Magazine and targets the more than 1.3 million golfers in Australia. No Golf Channel in Australia but there is Golf Magazine!

With Gary Lisbon, golf travel specialist, photographer and author of Great Golf Down Under 1 & 2.

Right across the MBGreen (Mercedes Benz putting competition for the 2015 Mercedes Trophy) on the other side of the Exhibitors’ Village I found GOLF Select, a golf holiday specialist and organizer for corporate golf days which are big in Australia. I met Gary Lisbon, the owner and managing director, with a passion for golf course photography. Gary’s latest initiative has been the recent release of Great Golf Down Under 2 which is a sequel to the sold out original edition. The first book, published in 2008, was 225 pages, 250 images from 75 golf courses. Book No. 2 has 304 pages, 400 images, from 122 golf courses. All ‘Down Under’ in Australia and New Zealand which is where I am and where I am going! Gary, my newest hero, has played nearly all of the world’s top 100 golf courses.

With Matt Ridge and pointing to The Kinloch Club which is where I hope to be celebrating the New Year of Golf!

GOLFSelect is a golf holiday specialist, as their website states, and their relationships with Australia’s best golf courses, plus their extensive international network of golf travel partners, allows them to organise unique and never-to-be-forgotten golf holidays both within and outside Australia. I was drawn to the picture of a group of Americans at The Kinloch Club on the North Island of New Zealand. As ‘Journey Fate’ would have it I met Matthew Ridge, GOLF Select’s Golf Holiday Manager who had just returned from New Zealand with the group in the picture! In fact he took the picture! Since mid-December and the start of the “Golf Journey to New Zealand” is not too far away I was very happy to converse with Matt about the GOLF Select trip and golfing opportunities in New Zealand!

With Brendan James, we tried mugging his cover shot but he blinked first and looked at the camera. Or maybe the picture was taken too early?

One of the nicest guys I met at The Australian Masters is Brendan James, the editor of Golf Australia, the magazine of Golf Australia, the organization which is the governing body for golf in Australia. Like America’s U.S.G.A., they conduct the country’s national open tournament, the Australian Open which is next week in Sydney at The Australian Golf Club. GA manages the Rules of Golf and the national handicap system. They are engaging people and growing the game we love.  Their customer is the 1.25 million golfers in Australia with a third of them being golf club members and the other two thirds casual golfers playing mainly public golf courses, of which there are many Down Under in Australia! Brendan’s December cover highlighting next week’s Adam Scott vs. Rory McIlroy rematch is awesome. Last year, Rory beat Adam down the stretch to avert Scott from winning the Australian Trifecta- the Masters, PGA & Open.

What an exciting day on Saturday at the Australian Masters at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne! I can’t wait until tomorrow to see who wins and gets the gold jacket at this prestigious tournament! And of course I hope to continue to socialize and network as the “Golf Journey to Australia & New Zealand” continues into the New Year of 2015! Getting excited about that too! Happy Thanksgiving America!

http://www.andygolftraveldiary.com/round-3-moving-day-at-t…/

Here’s my Saturday, Round 3 post for the Australian Masters at the Metropolitan Golf Club… a little behind in my posts… it’s already Day No. 25 of the ‘Journey to Australia’ and I have only posted to Day No. 9… having a great time and learning so much about golf and life in Australia!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/23/14)

Three of my volunteer friends- Barry, Doug & Andy (Pam went home early) signaling Day 3 of the Masters!

With Boo Weekley who was hanging out in the Exhibitor Village after Round 3.

Boo Weekley hanging out with Stephen Bowditch and having a friendly chat with Rules Official No. 5.

The 18th green complex at the Metropolitan Golf Club, all ready for the 2014 Masters competition.

The Australian Masters is being played at The Metropolitan Golf Club, one of eight golf courses that are are considered to be vintage sandbelt creations located within 20 minutes of downtown Melbourne (or as it is refer to it here in Australia, the CBD, Central Business District). Officially included in the “Sandbelt Melbourne Classic Golf” along with ‘Metro’ are Commonwealth Golf Club, Huntingdale Golf Club, Kingston Heath Golf Club, Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Victoria Golf Club,  and Yarra Yarra Golf Club.

The 161-meter (member tees) par-3 5th hole at Royal Melbourne, a real beauty!

So far this week I was invited to play two of the golf courses and humbly accepted the invitations at Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. Both golf courses were spectacular and being hosted by and playing with members a unique and memorable experience. There is no better way to be introduced to Sandbelt Melbourne Classic Golf. I was intrigued by the experience and wanted to know how Australian professional golfers like Adam Scott characterize playing sandbelt golf so I asked him the following question in his post-round interview (courtesy of IMG, after following an opening 73 with a 68):

Adam Scott seems to always give a heartfelt, honest and informative interview. Photo Credit: SMP Images.

Q. You’ve obviously been very successful here in the Melbourne Sandbelt. What in your mind is unique about Sandbelt golf, and what, if anything, going into the weekend do you prepare differently playing here versus in the U.S.?

ADAM SCOTT: In the way you approach the Sandbelt, it’s not unlike links golf. It’s very hard to just go out and attack. Positioning your golf ball is key to doing that. You have to get it in the right spot off the tee to have the right chance to attack a pin. Because if you just go out there and fly away at everything, hit driver everywhere and try to throw it at pins with 6 irons, you’re going to end up having big numbers.

On the 128-meter (members tee) par-3 10th hole at Kingston Heath Golf Club. I was smiling even before I made the ten-footer for a deuce!

So, it is much like links golf where you kind of position yourself around the golf course with the ball running. Some of the irons are running 300 yards which is very much like an Open Championship, so you have to be aware of that. And whereas in the States, I guess the ball pretty much stops where it lands. I mean, it’s rare that you see 20 yards of run, and here, you can see 60. So you really have to control your golf ball extremely well to have a nice looking scorecard here.

I agree wholeheartedly as I did not control my golf ball well at either golf course and my scorecard did not look pretty. But there were pockets of perfection such as a deuce on the 10th hole, the original, very first hole created at the Heath and the 15-footer sand save on the last at Royal Melbourne to win the match for my host partner against another member and his guest. Sandbelt golf is very similar to links golf in the Home of Golf on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland except you can only experience the “Excellent & Elegant Eight” right here near Melbourne.

Geoff Ogilvy was in good form in Round 2 and in position at T7, only six players ahead of him on the leader board at the end of the day. Photo Credit: SMP Images.

The cut is the low 60 and ties here on the PGA Australasian Tour. There were exactly 60 golfers at the plus-1 score of 145 but 66 golfers made the cut? How could that be? Three amateurs made the cut (Todd Sinnott T3, 67-71, Ryan Ruffles T30, 75-68 and Lucas Herbert T50, 75-70) and they are not included in the 60 count so six more players at plus-2 146 will get to play on the weekend. All three Americans in the field made the cut lead by Kyle Stanley (T20, 69-73) with Boo Weekley at T36 after a pair of even par 72s and Zac Blair at T50 (70-75).

Michael Wright (67-68) from Queensland is the leader with a two-stroke lead over South Australian Paul Spargo (70-67. Well-known Australians still in the hunt at the halfway point in the 2014 Masters are Geoff Ogilvy (T7, 69-1), Adam Scott (T12, 73-68), Steven Bowditch (T20, 67-75), and Robert Allenby (T30, 70-73). Notables missing the cut and likely heading up to Sydney for next week’s Australian Open include Scott Gardiner, Rod Pampling, Greg Chalmers and Stuart Appleby.

Michael Wright was one of four first round leaders. The good-natured Queenslander shot a 68 in Round 2 to take a 2-stroke lead in the Masters.

I found a question posed to Michael Wright quite interesting:

Q. You’re obviously a believer in the power of the mind. Do you meditate or is this something new that you’ve brought to your game over the last few years?

MICHAEL WRIGHT: No, I’ve tried meditating and I’m no bloody good at it. But I ain’t doing it near as much as I probably should.

I’ve had a few sports psychs over the years and they have all encouraged me to do it and pushed me to do it, and I try and push myself. But I’m just hopeless at it. I can’t look at a dot for more than, I don’t know, a couple seconds without something coming in. I’m a shocker when it comes to meditation. But breathing is maybe I am meditating, like I’m conscious of my breath and that sort of calms me, I do a bit of that on the course. Maybe call that meditation. Some people would, I don’t know. But yeah, the actual art of meditating, I’m a shocker.

Meditation and yoga are keys for me, it’s all about flexibility and relaxation and being prepared for hopefully another game of Sandbelt Melbourne golf for me before heading north back to Sydney.

Life, it’s all about the golf and golf, it seems to me, is all about life.

Halfway through the 2014 Australian Masters… in the Sandbelt Melboure area of Australia… able to experience it for myself at Royal Melbourne & Kingston Heath and see the pros play some sandbelt golf!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 11/22/14)

My volunteer mates in the car park signaling it is Round 2 of the 2014 Australian Masters.

The gold Mercedes. Not sure if the winner gets the car along with the gold jacket?

American Boo Weekley was the ‘Rest of the World’ favorite to win outright this week at Metropolitan Golf Club. After two rounds he is T36 and nine strokes behind Wright.