Born-and-bred South West Rocks golfer Dale Brandt-Richards finished 19th in the Australian Open last week.
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The 27-year-old rubbed shoulders with the likes of 2015 US PGA Championship winner Jason Day and 22-year-old American sensation Jordan Speith in the tournament held at the Australian Golf Club.
Brandt-Richards got off to a slow start on day one shooting 2 over but in round two he lit up the Rosebery course with 5 under par, equalling the lowest score of the day.
"That was my best day to make the cut," he said.
"I pulled off a pretty cool shot on the 6th hole where I holled out from 94 metres and it got the shot of the day."
From that point the emerging player was steady without losing too much ground, hitting even par and 2 over to finish with 1 under.
Rising Australian star Cameron Davis was the eventual winner with 11 under par, including a 7 under final round to clinch the $1.25 million dollar payday.
“He just killed it,” Brandt-Richards said.
“He was only one shot ahead of me going into the final round and he ended up winning it.
“You’re always trying to win, but it’s my best result in a big tournament so far.
“It was good to play such a high quality golf course – it was pure.
“That position is going to push me up the order of merit a bit and help me secure my card for next year.”
Brandt-Richards is currently honing his skills on the Australasian tour but has aspirations of ultimately progressing to the USPGA tour.
“If I can get on the Asian tour next year and play well there and try to get into Europe, then get some starts in America – that's the best place you can play in the world,” he said.
“It’s a tough tour to get on but that’d be the dream.”
The ambitious golfer has been based at Mona Vale Golf Club in Sydney for eight years but visits his father in South West Rocks several times a year and hasn’t forgotten where he comes from.
“I played there (South West Rocks Golf Course) since I was 10,” he said.
“A lot of the older men sort of took me under their wing and taught me the etiquette of golf mainly and the rules.
“I sort of grew up there.”