WODONGA’S Zach Murray is hoping to continue his sizzling form in the Victorian Amateur Championships at The Victoria Golf Club this weekend.
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In one of the best rounds of his career, Murray fired an equal course record 63 in the Commercial Albury Inland Tournament on Sunday to finish seven shots clear of Nathan Schneider.
He shares the course record with Euan Walters.
Murray birdied the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 11th and 14th holes.
“I think I was six under after 11,” Murray said.
“I birdied the first three holes pretty comfortably, then missed a 15-footer straight up the hill on five, then missed a six-footer on eight and hit the flag on nine.
“I was on fire for a while there.
“I played solidly until the 18th, then I hit my drive way right into the scrub.
“Thankfully I chipped out and got up and down from 50 metres to par the hole.
“It’s always good to go bogey free.”
While Murray’s 63 is his best score at Albury, he has fired nine-under at Wodonga and eight-under at Kingston Heath.
He had to be content with a 38 on the final nine holes of the annual inland tournament.
Murray (63, 38) was followed by Schneider (71, 37) and Andrew Grove (74, 35).
“I lost a bit of concentration on the last few holes when I had a reasonable lead,” he said.
“It was good to play well though.
“I feel as though I’m hitting the ball pretty well at the moment.”
Murray, who made the cut in the Australian Masters at Huntingdale last month, has a hectic schedule ahead.
After the Victorian Amateur Championships, he will turn his attention to the Master of the Amateurs, Australian Amateurs, Victorian Open and Victorian PGA.
He has also been invited to play in the Bonallack Trophy in Turkey in March.
The trophy models itself on the Ryder Cup, but includes a European team and a side representing Asia-Pacific.
Europe leads the series 6-2.
Murray will be joined in the Asia-Pacific side by fellow Australian Brett Coletta.
“It’s a pretty busy time coming up,” he said.
“After the Victorian amateurs, I’ll take a couple of weeks off for Christmas and then get stuck right back into it.
“It’s a hectic couple of months ahead.”
