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The semi-finals of the 2018 Junior Pennant season were played this afternoon at Sandringham Golf Club.
Box Hill took on Keysborough in the first semi-final clash this afternoon and despite some close matches it was Box Hill that came away with a convincing 5-1 win.
Number 1 player Michael Song led the way for Box Hill with a 2 & 1 victory.
Keysborough’s number 6 player Shanita Lal gave it her all for her team and recorded an impressive 3 & 1 win.
It was an enthralling finish to the second semi-final between Southern Royal Melbourne.
With three matches already in, Royal Melbourne was in the box seat when the number 3 and number 6 matches extended to the 18th hole.
However, Southern’s Cameron Lajosi held his nerve and closed out the number 6 match on the 18th to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
The number 3 match between Lachlan Robinson (Southern) & Grace Mak (Royal Melbourne) was an extremely tight tussle that had to be extended to a 19th hole to determine a winner.
Ultimately it was Robinson who came away with the victory after he made a very steady par on the par four 1st hole and levelled the contest at 3 apiece.
With the momentum, Southern selected Robinson for the sudden death playoff while Royal Melbourne made a tactical move to play Raphael Commins who would receive a stroke on the first playoff hole.
A drive right down the middle from Commins gave him a significant advantage after Robinson pushed his drive into the right trees.
Commins hit a steady approach onto the front of the green to really apply the pressure after Robinson hit his second shot off a tough lie into the greenside bunker.
It was going to take something special for Robinson from here, and he provided a spark with a terrific bunker shot that finished 6 feet from the pin.
Commins, with a long uphill putt to the back of the green, watched the ball narrowly trickle past the hole on his second putt for par.
Robinson meticulously lined up his par putt, knowing that it probably had to go in to for him to escape with a halved hole.
Robinson appeared to hit a solid putt with good pace but watched in disbelief as it lipped out of the cup.
Commins then finished the job for Royal Melbourne with a solid putt that showed no sign of nerves in front of many anxious spectators.
Congratulations to all players for showcasing a great standard of junior golf and for the spirit in which all matches were played.
The final will be played at Southern GC tomorrow and will commence at 1:00pm.
Click here for full results.
Click here for junior pennant finals photo gallery.