VIS golfer Ben Eccles has made a positive start to his professional career at the 2015 Australian Masters held at the Huntingdale Golf Club. — Victorian Institute of Sport

Victorian Institute of Sport golfer Ben Eccles has made a positive start to his professional career at the 2015 Australian Masters held at the Huntingdale Golf Club in Victoria. Soaring through to the final round, 20-year-old Eccles finished in T57 with a final score of 9-over 293.

Eccles announced his decision to swap his amateur status for the professionals following a stellar, title winning performance at the 2015 NSW Open Championships. The young gun flew past the professionals to finish with an even par72 and enter the history books as only the fifth amateur to win the coveted trophy since 1931.

Several major highlights of Eccles’ amateur include winning the 2013 NSW Amateur Championship, finishing in third position at the 2015 Victorian Open and being named captain of the Australian Interstate Title winning men’s Victorian team.

Eccles was joined at the Australian Masters by fellow VIS athletes, Ryan Ruffels and Brett Coletta who both finished in T83 with identical scores of 6-over 148.

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The Victorian Institute of Sport acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land we live and work on, the people of the Kulin Nation and recognise their continuing connection to this land and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.