Lawry Flynn finishes best Amateur

Shooting successive rounds in the 60s, Lawry Flynn has labelled his four rounds in the 2021 Isuzu Queensland Open as ‘up there with the best’ of the major tournament performances in his career.

Announcing that he plans to turn professional at the end of the year, The Brisbane Golf Club’s 2017 Club Champion beat some of the biggest names on the Australasian PGA Tour to finish tied eighth, and leading amateur at 14-under the card.

He shot rounds of 68-69-69-68 at Pelican Waters to beat fellow BGC member and current Club Champion, Louis Dobbelaar, by two strokes for the prized gong. Another BGC member, three-time Junior Champion Sam Slater, finished tied 41st at minus six, and fifth best amateur.

A record BGC representation of nine members qualified to play the 2021 Isuzu Queensland Open on the Sunshine Coast from Thursday, with four – Lawry, Louis, Sam and Aaron Wilkin (-6) making the cut for the weekend. Brett Rankin and Jake McLeod plus a trio of amateurs, Sam Howse, Chris Somerfield and Conor Whitelock, failed to make the cut.

But it was another Flynn-Dobbelaar stoush in Sunday’s final round that captured the imagination of BGC members as their scores fluctuated throughout the final round. The contest between the good mates was much like the 2020 Club Championship match-play final, which Louis won 5&3 in a high-quality and gripping 36-hole contest with the victor 12-under the card when the match ended after 33 holes.

Lawry (206) started Sunday’s final round at Pelican Waters three shots ahead of Louis who was four under the card and equal with his clubmate until his lone slip-up of the day, a bogey at the par-four 15th. And despite carding nine birdies in his final round, double bogeys at 10 and 14 stopped Lawry’s charge up the leaderboard, and had the pair equal with four to play.

But the 2021 Queensland Open’s leading amateur did what he had done earlier following his double bogey, and rolled in birdie putts at 16 and 17 to seal the result.

“In that company, and on a course which was certainly not easy, I believe my golf was some of the best I have played in a big-event,” Lawry quipped after his win.

And he said his game was ‘on’ from the start, carding five birdies in the first eight holes to illustrate his intention to chase the lead, and a win.

“The two double bogeys – one a brain fade and the other trying to play too safe – cost me big time,” he said.

“I was happy with the way I played, with the overall result and particularly my iron play. To perform as I did in such company and in such a major event is very satisfying.”

Although the best result from the 14 professional tournaments he has played was third in the Northern Territory PGA Open in 209, he rates this his most gratifying outcome. But come 2022 he expects to be teeing it up permanently in professional events, and will tackle the PGA Tour of Australasia Q-Schools from next month.

“I had intended turning pro earlier, but Covid put those plans on hold,” he said. – TONY DURKIN