Day 24: Round 3: Moving Day at the Metro Masters!

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. 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! 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! 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. 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! 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)