[Photo: Golf Australia supplied]
When asked which country is the team to beat at this week’s World Amateur Team Championships (Eisenhower Trophy), Declan O’Donovan confidently answered with “us”.
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“I think we’re going to be the team to beat,” said O’Donovan in Singapore ahead of a second practice round at Tanah Merah Country Club on Tuesday morning.
“The boys are all in great form, and I really feel like this week is going to be a lot of fun.
“I want us to put ourselves in pressure situations, and being at the top of the leaderboard is definitely going to do that.”
The Sydneysider’s confidence may appear at first a little overzealous. However, the results that he and his two teammates, Queenslanders Billy Dowling and Harry Takis, have produced this year support his claim completely.
Just a few months ago, O’Donovan claimed the biggest win of his amateur career — and he’s had a few — at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and before that, Takis claimed the Singapore Open Amateur Championship in commanding fashion.
While not recording a win, Dowling registered three top-10s in four events in the United Kingdom this year, including runner-up at the Scottish Men’s Open Championship.
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All three young men have proven this year that they have the game to compete with the world’s best, and this week get the chance to combine forces and represent their country as a team.
This year marks the 34th Eisenhower Trophy, which has been held biennially since 1958, and has had some of the biggest names in Australian golf compete.
Australia have hoisted the trophy on four occasions, the last time in 2016 when Cameron Davis, Harrison Endycott and Curtis Luck were all promising amateurs ahead of a move into the pro ranks.
“It’s a huge privilege,” said 20-year-old Dowling.
“I remember seeing the team two years ago in Abu Dhabi. You look at it and think, Wow, what a squad and every year previous.
“It’s a huge honour just to represent your country and be selected to come over here and try and get the job done for your country.”
The team have been on the ground at Tanah Merah Country Club since Sunday, and have been busy familiarising themselves with the hot and humid conditions, which are not too dissimilar to Queensland.
“We’ve settled in pretty well. It’s been quite hot and humid, but I think we’ve done really well at preparing,” said Dowling.
“I feel like a big part of the course is the greens. The fact that the greens are so big, they almost play into smaller greens because of the sections that you have to get into, with all the slopes and how they feed off.
“Off the tee, it’s not too bad, just a few bunkers that are in range, some water hazards. I’d say the biggest part of the course and the most important thing will be the second shots and the approaches into the greens.”
The 72-hole Eisenhower Trophy begins on Wednesday with the top two scores from each country counted towards the team score each day.
Follow the live scoring HERE.
Team Australia
Harry Takis
Age: 20
Home club: Royal Queensland Golf Club
WAGR ranking: 117
Billy Dowling
Age: 20
Home club: The Brisbane Golf Club
WAGR ranking: 262
Declan O’Donovan
Age: 22
Home club: Avondale Golf Club
WAGR ranking: 315
