Australia’s top-ranked amateur golfer says it’s impossible to ignore.
Harry Takis will be rewarded with a coveted berth at next year’s US Masters and British Open if he wins the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in New Zealand starting Thursday.
The 21-year-old from Brisbane also knows it’s a big if.
“Nothing is owed to you in this game,” Takis said on Wednesday.
“Everyone marks this event on their calendar at the start of the year – you only get a few chances to play in a major.”
Takis is among eight Australians to tee off at Te Arai Links, which lines the shores of the Pacific Ocean some 100km north of Auckland.
And he’s pragmatic about the prize of a spot at the US Masters and British Open.
“People say that they forget about it and don’t think about it,” he said.
“You can try and lock it away … but you go to bed every night and you think about it.
“Everyone thinks about it. It’s impossible not to.”
Takis is not only the top-ranked Australian but the top-ranked amateur in the field – 21st in the world.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself, regardless whether I’m ranked the worst player in the field or the best player in the field,” said Takis, who is based at San Diego State University in the United States.
“The guy that won the US Am this year was ranked 95th in the world.
“It’s cool to get all the publicity that comes with being the highest-ranked player in the field, but everyone starts at even par.
“You can make a quad on the first hole out here and it keeps you on the back foot for the rest of the week.”
Takis finished fourth in last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, held in Dubai, after making his debut at the 2023 edition of the tournament staged at Royal Melbourne when he tied for 41st.
“My first year playing this, I felt like an imposter; I didn’t really feel like I was good enough to be there,” he said.
“We had a big team of Aussies and I think I was the youngest by a couple years.
“Royal Melbourne was a beast that week. I got beat up.
“I’m a lot more comfortable in my golf game and I know that I can obviously hang with the best of them out here.”
Four Australians have previously won the Asia-Pacific tournament: Antonio Murdaca (2014), Curtis Luck (2016), Harrison Crowe (2022) and Jasper Stubbs (2023).
This article was made possible with support from the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships.
