Jager wins double Australian and New Zealand amateur golfing titles
22 Apr 2010
Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athlete and current Srixon Australian Amateur champion Matt Jager, has created history after winning the 2010 Lion Foundation New Zealand Amateur Championship at Hasting Golf Club on 18 April
By winning this tournament, the 21-year old Jager has become the second player in 19 years to claim the double Australia and New Zealand amateur golfing titles in the same year since Australia’s Lucas Parsons in 1991.
Jager claimed back-to-back New Zealand amateur championship titles — with nine birdies in the 36-hole final — in a comfortable 7 and 6 win over New Zealand’s Brad Kendall.
Jager was thrilled with the double championship titles.
‘It’s a pretty cool feeling,’ Jager said.
‘It’s really nice to get to hold both the Australian Amateur and New Zealand Amateur trophies in the one year.
‘I flushed it this morning and managed to put my foot down at the right time.
‘I had a couple of chances to run away with it but missed a couple of putts – I finished off with a birdie which was great.’
The last man to win back-to-back New Zealand Amateur titles was Auckland’s Terry Pulman in 1976 and 1977.
Joining the AIS program in 2008, Jager has quickly become Australia’s top — and the world’s number 4 — amateur by winning major national titles.
The AIS Golf program provides an elite development pathway for talented Australian players to gain experience in competition and improve their skills and game across the amateur and professional levels.
