The usually soft-spoken and mild-mannered Brad James, Golf Australia’s General Manager of High Performance, gets passionate when talking about the Asia-Pacific Amateur (AAC) and the opportunities it provides his players.
That might explain why the country has become a virtual assembly line of future superstars, and why the team is in a position to achieve something in that has never been done in the 14-year history of the Championship: win three straight titles.
“I firmly believe that if you want to compete in the jungle, you can’t train in the zoo,” said James, who joined the High Performance team as a Director in October 2010. “And I consider the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and professional tournaments and the chance to experience majors, as jungles.
“Winning the AAC is 100 percent a number one goal for us, because of the opportunities it provides. But it’s the learnings that come from it that excites me… going to different countries, traveling around the world, eating different foods, playing types of golf courses that you have never played before.
“I say this in a nice way, but you want the kids to lose their golf bags, you want them to have food that they don't like, you want them to miss the shuttle and run to the tee. You want them to have those real-life experiences before they turn professional.”
“The more setbacks these kids have, the better they are for their long-term development. So, we want these things to happen. I say, wow! What a learning environment that you just can’t replicate.”
James said the main reason he could think for the success of Australians in the AAC is because they are just innately ultra-competitive.
“I don’t know if there is a magic pill or anything like that. But culturally, Australia, in any sport, we tend to punch way above our weights. Being competitive is just in our water, whether it be soccer, cricket, [the] Olympics or 10-pin bowling. We love to compete, and we want to compete hard, and we love being part of a team.
“And that's probably one thing that we’ve tried with the AAC, even though it is an individual event. We have tried to make them feel part of a team and give them the support they’d get in a team event. We send a good manager, a physio, a coach, a media manager.”
Australia will have seven players in the field, led by Quinnton Croker, the Australian Men’s Amateur champion and recent winner of the Queensland Amateur Championship. However, the past two champions, Harrison Crowe and Jasper Stubbs, were not among the pre-Championship favorites, just showing the depth in the team.
James was cautiously optimistic about a third straight Australian victory.
“Unlike last year, we do not have the luxury of just walking across the road to Royal Melbourne [to] prepare for the AAC. Also, the conditions will be very different in Japan, but all the boys are motivated, and we expect to put up a good show,” he explained.
“Obviously, we're excited for the event. For Jasper and Harrison, and even Curtis (Luck) going back to 2016, the experiences they gained have just been incredible. It’s not just competing at the highest stage, but also having dinner with the superstars, the practice rounds and going to gym with other athletes, you can’t replicate that environment of playing in a major championship while being an amateur.
“That’s one of the advantages we have in golf which no other sport can provide. A young 18-year-old amateur can't walk on to the cricket field and play in an Ashes Test match or become part of the Australian football team, but a young golfer can walk into the cauldron of The Masters and The Open. And these young amateurs are so grateful for these opportunities that the tournament has created.”
Defending champion Stubbs may not have had the results he has wanted following last year’s AAC, but James feels he has grown as a player since hoisting the trophy last year.
“Not only has Jasper learned a lot about himself, but I think his coaches learned a lot about Jasper. And that is hugely important in his growth,” explains James.
“His physio has learned a lot about him, as has his performance team. Events like the majors can certainly bring out your strengths, but they also showcase the gaps in your development. And if you’ve got your team there, and I include the parents in this, it’s a great way to figure things out and get the plans in place for the future.
“So, I think it is important that it has helped both Jasper and the team see the big picture of what it takes to be good and what needs to happen over the next couple of years.”
Stubbs will attempt to become only the second player after Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama to win back-to-back AAC titles.
By Joy Chakravarty
