Audi quattro Cup National Final

After another year of exciting tournaments around the country, Australian Audi quattro Cup competition for 2017 stepped up a gear over the weekend with the staging of the national final. Once again the prestigious Capital Golf Club in Victoria was the venue for the hotly contested title of Australian champion and the chance to represent the country in the Audi quattro Cup international final in Mexico.

The tournament was the culmination of 23 separate tournaments and more than 2000 players took part in the first round events hosted by Audi dealerships throughout the year, to decide regional winners. Likewise played on some of the country’s finest courses, from The Lakes in Sydney, to Queensland’s Sanctuary Cove and Victoria’s Kingston Heath, these individual tournaments resulted in 22 pairs of outstanding golfers descending on the Capital Golf Club to play for the pride of winning the coveted title and set their sights on potentially becoming the third pair from Australia to win the international final.

Playing a modified foursome (or alternate shot) format, the teams took on the stunning but challenging Capital layout nestled in Victoria’s renowned sand belt. A thrill for any golfer to play, the Capital layout, designed by Australian golfing great, Peter Thomson, is testing in the extreme and each of the 22 pairs were forced to give everything to produce their best 18 holes.

At the conclusion of play, there were smiles all round – some perhaps happier than others with their fortunes during the day, but no one was any the wiser as to who had won. Players would have to wait until the official presentation dinner, held back in Melbourne that evening at the aptly named Eureka 89, on the 89th floor of the Eureka Tower overlooking the city.

Here, at a glittering post tournament event emceed by Audi Ambassador, Melissa Doyle, Sydney golfers Nestor Chan and Don Ho were named the 2017 Australian champions, with Gold Coast pairing of Jack Croukamp and  Steven Keleher taking second and Victorians Seng Tak Law and Yu Han Koon rounding out the top three.

“It was a great result to even get to win our first round and make it to the final,” says Nestor Chan. “Never mind to actually win it and go on to represent Audi Australia.”

The Audi Q7 owner has been playing for 15 years, but by his own admission, doesn’t get out as much as he’d like. His teaming up with Don Ho, also a 15 year veteran, was not a regular playing pair, but a fortuitous pairing after playing together only once before in an ambrose event 12 months ago.

“I gave Don a call out of the blue and asked him if he wanted to come and play The Lakes course,” Nestor recalls. “After all, it’s not a course you get on every day either. But we obviously didn’t have any thought to winning and qualifying for the national finals.”

His playing partner Don Ho echoes the sentiment:

“I feel elated, it’s fantastic. We got to come to Melbourne to start with, and then we got a bonus win as well,” says the Cabramatta Golf Club player.

“The Capital Club is very challenging, so we had to play really smart and safe golf and make sure we didn’t get into trouble,” says Nestor.

“You’ve got to know where to hit the ball,” says Don. “You don’t need to be ambitious in your shots, just play safe, which is what we tried to do. Hit straight and avoid the bunkers and try to get on for whatever we could achieve.” 

That strategy certainly paid off, although Nestor has no hesitation in giving his playing partner credit for his steady putting on the day.

“I’d have to say that Don is the better player,” says Nestor, “he’s the one who made the puts that won us the game.”

“We didn’t try to do anything big or clever,” says Don. “We didn’t try to hit long, but we concentrated on hitting straight,” he laughs.

The competition was certainly stiff and an announcement that former national and international winners were also playing (after the prerequisite three year layoff from winning) before the tee off did nothing to quieten nerves.

“I thought, ‘we’re up against it, we have no chance’,” Nestor laughs, but the pair kept it together and avoided the myriad traps around the Capital layout to take the trophy.

“It’s all surreal at the moment, but I’m looking forward to representing Audi Australia. We’re going to stay positive and we’ll definitely be practicing in the lead up [to Mexico], but I think it’s important to enjoy the experience,” says Nestor.

The fact that the pair have already beaten former international quattro Cup champions sunk in for Don only the day after the tournament, although he’s philosophical about their chances in Mexico.

“Golf is very up and down, but we’re happy that we were able to win … we’ll do our best in Mexico,” he says.

“The whole event to date has been a great experience, very well run,” says Don Ho. “I’m grateful to my playing partner, Nestor, and to Audi Australia for a really well organised event and the chance to try and go one better internationally.”

In addition to the winners in the tournament, special awards were also presented for ‘closest the pin’ and ‘longest drive’ on the day. Elizabeth MacDonald took the women’s award for closest the pin with Bryce Pickin taking the men’s. Pippa Sears was the longest driver out of the ladies’ players on the day, while former Australian and international quattro Cup winner, Jason Rubenstein was the men’s longest hitter in Melbourne. (Jason and playing partner Giora Friede won the title in 2012 and went on to take the international final in South Africa that year).

So, in just over two months the next challenge awaits Nestor and Don on the other side of the world at the breathtaking Quivira Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico. The pair will fly business class to Mexico to play at this stunning Jack Nicklaus-designed course against 50 other national champions from around the globe. To be held from December 1 to 5, national pride and the coveted international title will be on the line, with two days of play deciding the outcome.

Running along the clifftops overlooking the Baja Peninsula, the Quivira layout will prove as challenging as it is beautiful and Nestor and Don will have their work cut out if they are to become the third Australian pair to take on the world’s best and win.

Only time will tell, but given their performance in the Australian national final, Australia will be well represented in Mexico. Congratulations to all of the winners in this year’s Audi quattro Cup national final.