[Photo: AAC Golf]

Phoenix Campbell finished as top Australian at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan on Sunday, in what is a two-tournament finale to his unpaid career as he readies to turn professional.

Campbell looked every bit a pro as he closed the prestigious amateur event with a 68 at the par-70 famed Taiheiyo Club in Gotemba to finish two-under-par (278) – enough for top Australian honours among seven who teed up.

Campbell finished 10 shots behind the winner, Wenyi Ding, the Chinese superstar who recently left Arizona State University. “To finish as the top Aussie is a nice achievement,” said Campbell, who will play his last event as an amateur at next week’s Japan Open. “There’s a bit there to work on for next week but, overall, I’m pretty pleased with the week.”

Ding was clutch down the stretch with a nervy, five-foot par putt at the par-5 18th to win and avoid a playoff. Ding was 12-under (268), while countryman Ziqin Zhou was one shot back in second place at 11-under (269).

Campbell was the best of the Australians by three shots, while reigning Australian Amateur champion, Quinnton Croker, and Victorian Tony Chen T-19 finishing at one-over. “The conditions were tough and the golf course setup and the media, learning how to carry yourself on the golf course even when things are not going right – there are definitely learnings you can take from every AAC and I got a lot out of it this year,” Croker said, who heads to the US soon to tee up in the first stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school in Florida.

Defending Asia-Pacific champion, Jasper Stubbs, was five-over and T-32 alongside Western Australian, Connor Fewkes. Queenslander Billy Dowling was six-over and T-37 while Lukas Michel 14-over and T-53.

Stubbs will turn pro immediately and tee up at next week’s WA PGA on the Australasian tour at Kalgoorlie.

“I never really felt like I could get anything going,” he said. “As soon as I’d make a couple of birdies, I’d give them straight back, and that’s how the whole week sort of went. It’s been a cool week trying to defend. Unfortunately, not the week I was hoping for, but still a special week.”