Taylor Macdonald wins Wayne Grady Cup
July 2nd, 2012Taylor Macdonald has shown why he plays off a handicap of +6 by taking out the 2012 Wayne Grady Cup held at Virginia Golf Club on Sunday 1st July. Macdonald finished with scores of 66-69-135 to hold off the fast finishing Daniel McGraw by a single shot. It was the narrowest margin of victory since the event began in 2009.
The 20-year-old Macdonald is one of Queensland’s top amateurs and a worthy champion. As a junior, he notched up wins in the Gary Player Classic and the Greg Norman Junior Masters. He was a member of the Queensland men’s team in 2011 and 2012 and recently won the E.G. Oxenford Plate at Redcliffe with a sensational round of 65.
He had a strange start to the day however. Thinking the shotgun began at 7:30am, MacDonald casually turned up a half-hour beforehand. He was surprised to learn it was actually a 7am start and his group was waiting for him on the 1st tee. Without a warm up or a practice putt, he chalked up 6 birdies en route to a first round of 66 (5 under). It gave him a two shot lead over fellow Queensland team members Daniel McGraw and James Gibellini.
With the course still wet after heavy midweek rain, MacDonald’s length off the tee was a huge asset. He was continually bombing drives down the centre of the fairway and it left him with some short approaches to Virginia’s long par 4s. Three birdies in the afternoon saw him post a round of 69 – good enough for the victory.