Micha and friends ready for Pinehurst

If you feel at home on foreign championship courses is half the battle, David Micheluzzi has already taken a big step towards this week's US Amateur Championship.

Victorian Micheluzzi is one of five Australians who will be joining the world-famous Pinehurst this week, desperate to join Curtis Luck, Nick Flanagan and triple champion Walter Travis as the only Australian champions of & # 39; the world's most prestigious amateur crown.

Others flying our flag in North Carolina are in Western Australia Karl Vilips, Canberran Josh Armstrong and New South Wales pair Jordie Garner and the in-shape Blake Windred.

But instead of being put off by the reputation and length of two courses, Pinehurst No.2 and Pinehurst No.4, Micheluzzi said the Aussies would have the chance to play on tracks that clearly resemble the Melbourne Sandbelt courses with which they all play so familiar.

"It's going to be hard, don't get me wrong," Micheluzzi said.

"But it is resilient and really sturdy and there are large crowns on a lot of green, so it really suits me and I also think the other Aussies.

"For me, it's going to play a lot at Royal Melbourne … and I really like that."

Micheluzzi has been honored to play in the top group through the USGA. World No.3, a member of Peninsula-Kingswood and home club Cranbourne, shares the first two qualifying rounds of a line game with world No.2 Conor Gough, England, and No.1 Cole Hammer, Texas.

"It's going to be fun, but it doesn't give me any stress at all," said the Melburnian.

"It may have been a problem once, but when you've played a few bigger events, you realize you're just doing your own thing and seeing how it goes."

Several Aussies will have local caddies, but Garner will have his bag lugged by Australian amateur runner-up and good friend Nathan Barbieri who stays in the city in the hope that his alternative status will come true with a late call-up.

The two courses together organize the grounds of the 119th American amateur on Monday and Tuesday. After 36 holes, the field is cropped from 312 players to 64 for match play. The first five rounds of match play – via the semi-final on Saturday – are played on track No. 2.

The 36-hole championship game on Sunday is being challenged for the first time for two courses – the morning round at No. 4 and the afternoon round back at No. 2

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