History was made at the Dubbo Golf Club on Sunday as Orange's James Conran shot a 14-under 128 to take out the Macquarie Cup.
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It was the lowest score in the Cup's more than 70-year history, the 20-year-old shooting twin 7-under 64 rounds - despite three bogeys - to beat his nearest rival, local hope Michael Wherritt, by four shots.
It was a special achievement for the 20-year-old who has played golf "since I can remember", and only returned to the sport when "I couldn't really figure out anything else in life I wanted to do".
"I tried uni, tried working, it didn't really work out for me so now I'm back playing golf and it's going pretty good," he said.
"I played here a lot as a kid but I've never had too much success in Dubbo ... I wasn't expecting much ... Now I'm holding a trophy."
Conran's win was comfortable - but it didn't start that way.
He bogeyed the fourth hole on Saturday to sit at 3-under after the opening nine and "just wasn't holing any putts".
But, aside from a bogey on 15, he was in top form and five more birdies helped him to a three shot lead over Dayne Gardiner at the end of the opening round.
Sunday then started with a sign of things to come as Conran opened with an eagle on his first hole.
He went on to shoot another 64 to secure the 2019 Macquarie Cup in a performance many of his rivals described as one of the best they had seen.
It was a result he hadn't expected which, in a way, has been the key to Conran's success in the past year.
He made the cut at the NSW Open and also progressed to the match-play rounds of the NSW and Australian Amateur Championships. Next month he'll make his NSW debut at the Australian Interstate Teams Matches at Royal Hobart and Tasmania Golf Clubs.
"I might have been putting too much pressure on myself to go out there and play my best every time," Conran said. "Now ... I'm catching up with my mates and I'm just trying to play and have more fun."
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Dubbo golf professional Craig Mears praised the "excellent" standard of play across the weekend.
More than 20 clubs were represented, he said, with players travelling from as far as Kapunda in South Australia.
Dubbo's Deb Murray won the Ladies Rose Bowl, while Ben Amor won the handicap division of the Macquarie Cup and Phil Reynolds won the Fairways Cup for 2019.
"The course is in great nick," Mears said.
"Michael Wherritt and the team have done a fantastic job."
