The past two months have been magical for Curtis Luck.
It started in late August for the 20-year-old from Perth, Australia, with his run to the U.S. Amateur title at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., earning him exemptions into next year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England, as well as an invitation to compete in the 2017 Masters.
A few weeks later, he helped his country win the World Amateur Team Championship by a whopping 19 strokes at El Camaleon Golf Club & Iberostar in Cancun, Mexico.
Luck’s good fortune continued this weekend in Incheon, Korea, as he overcame a seven-stroke deficit in the final round to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, Korea. Luck carded a bogey-free, 5-under 67 in the final round on Sunday to edge countryman and 54-hole leader Brett Coletta by a stroke.
Luck became the second Australian in the eight-year history of the championship to hoist the trophy, joining 2014 champion Antonio Murdaca.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur champion earns a Masters invitation, along with exemptions from local and regional qualifying for the U.S. Open and Open Championship, respectively, but Luck already had locked up spots in all three majors next year with his victory at Oakland Hills. He also receives an exemption into the U.S. Amateur and the Amateur Championship conducted by The R&A, for which he was previously exempt.
Among those to send congratulatory messages to Luck was eight-time USGA champion Jack Nicklaus.