Brown to take on elite amateurs

SEOUL MAN: Luke Brown will represent New Zealand at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Seoul. PHOTO/SIMON WATTS

Luke Brown will join New Zealand's other top-ranked amateur golfers when they travel to Seoul for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).

Brown, ranked 282nd amateur in the world, will head to Korea alongside Nick Voke (105), Ryan Chisnall (114), Luke Toomey (126), Nick Coxon (163) and Daniel Hillier (201).

The AAC is played annually at different venues throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Organised by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation in conjunction with the Masters Tournament and the R&A, the champion receives an invitation to the Masters and, along with the runner-up, gains entry to The Open Qualifying Series for The Open Championship.

The tournament is broadcast to more than 150 countries across the world and has special interest this year in New Zealand with Royal Wellington awarded hosting rights for the 2017 tournament.

The Kiwi side has a great mix of experience and youth with Voke, Chisnall, Toomey and Coxon all part of the 2015 side that impressed in Hong Kong.

It is also an exciting opportunity for debutants such as Brown, who had a strong summer.

The Northland No1 has recently been touring Europe, gaining vital experience on the international scene. He has an exciting, aggressive nature to his game and on his day, he could go deep.

Since its inauguration in 2009, the AAC has produced an impressive list of winners, including two-time champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who has risen to world number 19.

Continuing under its banner of "Creating Future Heroes", the AAC will feature 120 players from the APGC's 39 member associations and will be played over 72 holes of stroke play, with a cut for the leading 60 players plus ties after 36 holes.

The Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A created the championship in 2009 to help develop golf in Asia and provide a focal point for the amateur game in an area of the world where the game's growth has massive potential.