Yang Gunn is the U.S. Amateur champion from South Korea who plays at San Diego State. And he figures to have a home-field advantage when the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship gets underway at Royal Melbourne.
Yang spent his teenage years on the fabled sand belt courses in Melbourne.
"This is one of the best tournaments in the world," Yang said. "I'm really excited about being here and kind of competing on my home soil. I grew up here, and I really love the way they play golf here on the sand belt. It's like links golf."
It's the first time the 72-hole tournament has been held outside Asia since it began in 2009.
Others in the field include 2012 champion
Guan Tianlang of China. The winner gets a spot in the Masters next year and is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the British Open. Yang already is exempt into both as the U.S. Amateur champion.
The real home-course advantage belongs to 16-year-old Ryan Ruffels, the Australian junior champion and a member at Royal Melbourne. And he is well aware of the spoils that go to the victor this week.
"All week I've been holing putts out on the 18th green pretending that it's the putt to get into the Masters," Ruffels said. "It's something we're all aware of, whether we say we're thinking about it or not."