The time is now for Windred on #AusAm

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If they paid consistency in amateur golf, Blake Windred would already be a millionaire.

The Novocastrian, 21 last month, knocked on the door of a big win in recent years, but still only the Avondale Cup in 2018 to his name in the win-column.

But a closer look at his formline shows a man who is more than capable of bursting through this door during the men's championship for Australian amateurs in Melbourne this week

Remarkably, Windred, from Charlestown, has had no less than 14 top-10 finishes, most recently on the Australian Master of the Amateurs last week since the Avondale of 2017.

That impressive is the state player of New South Wales that that list contains two top-10 finishes on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, including his own Open title in November against a cracking field of professionals when he finished third at Twin Creeks.

So all the signals point to another daring Windred that can be seen this week in Spring Valley and Woodland in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne.

But if there is someone who knows that nothing is self-evident in the game, then it is the man himself.

Windred was fourth in the qualifying tournament last year by stroke on Lake Karrinyup, then hit in matchplay specialist and defended # AusAm champion Matias Sanchez in the first knockout round when the duo dueled during an epic 19-hole clash that was eventually won by the Victorian.

Windred also played his way to the game against the 2018 American Amateur before bumping into the birdie buzzaw of the newly crowned Australian Master of the Amateurs champion Chun An Yu

These are lessons with which the friendly young person has learned to deal.

"I think there's a lot you can not control when it comes into match-play conditions," Windred said today in Spring Valley.

"You have to be patient and let it happen If someone has nine birdies to beat you, you can not help but take off your hat and be a good sport."

In the same way, Windred, who today knew Spring Valley with a few NSW state medal teams James Grierson and Justin Warren, knows that it is probably time for him and his mates, as they will probably be at the end of their amateur career

"I think it's a good opportunity to show how far we've come and try to dominate the tournament, but you still have to play really good golf," said Windred.

"It is such a big field, it will still be very difficult to get some good scores and finish the top."

Both Windred and Grierson agreed that world No.7 and last year's number two, David Micheluzzi, are among the hardest to defeat this week, along with defending champion Keita Nakajima, from Japan.

"There are also a few Canadian boys, Joey Savoie, who is a great player, and Josh Whalen," Grierson said.

"Challengers can come anywhere in this field … that's the beauty of it."

The male field of 222 players has a large number of internationals, with squadrons from Japan, England, Germany and Wales to challenge the Australians. So impressive is the field that the handicap limit was set at 1.0.

The men's fields start on Wednesday at 7:30 on both courses. Admission is free for all spectators.