Date: April 16, 2007
Author:

Australian Boys’ Interstate matches tee off in Perth

Australia&aposs eight states and territories are ready to lock horns this morning as the 2007 Australian Boys&apos Interstate Teams Matches get underway at Royal Perth Golf Club. Hot on the heels of last week&aposs Australian Boys&apos Amateur Championship, the Teams Matches will decide which state or territory currently boasts the best crop of junior golfers. Each team will field six players in the round robin tournament that will be decided in singles match play format over the next three and a half days. Every team will play each other once and the winner will be whoever sits atop the table after all matches have been played. Although each team consists of six players, just five points will be on offer in each match which allows team managers to rest a player in every round. Queensland is the defending champion having won the tournament at City Golf Club in Toowoomba last year but holding onto the title will not be an easy task given the amount of talent that will be on show throughout the event. Western Australia is expected to perform strongly on home soil led by Boys&apos Amateur Champion Jason Scrivener. The 17-year old played superb golf to win the title at Cottesloe Golf Club last week and will be hoping to maintain his form to help his state claim the teams title. Queenslander Boyd Watts who won the 2006 Australian Boys&apos Amateur takes his place in the state team this year among a squad stacked with talent including captain Tarquin McManus and Daniel Nisbet who qualified for the semi-finals of last month&aposs Australian Amateur Championship. New South Wales as always will provide stiff competition and is headed by captain Tim Hart. Alex Katholos is in hot form having finished equal-fourth in last week&aposs Australian Boys&apos Amateur while Boys&apos Junior World Champion Matthew Giles will also be a massive hurdle for opposition players to overcome. Heavy rain in Perth over the past 24-hours has made it heavy going underfoot and if conditions remain like this, players will feel confident attacking the pins and we could very well be in for some spectacular golf. The performance of Queensland and New South Wales in recent years has been nothing short of complete dominance with either state claiming 11 of the last 14 titles. South Australia won at Thirteenth Beach in 2005 and other than a joint victory by Western Australia and New South Wales in 2000, the streak of dominance stretches back over a decade to when Victoria won in 1996. Will history repeat itself in 2007, or will one of Australia&aposs other states buck the trend to become the Boys&apos Interstate Teams Champion? Stay tuned to www.golfaustralia.org.au for information, scores and draws throughout the tournament. Squads for the 2007 Australian Boys&apos Interstate Teams Matches Australian Capital Territory Jackson Stuckey (C) Nick Cochrane Jason Farrell Cameron Haines Kris Hellier Will Hogan Jim Jackson (Manager) New South Wales Tim Hart (C) Matthew Giles Matthew Gleeson Alex Katholos Lincoln Tighe Brendan Smith Tony O&aposRourke (Manager) Northern Territory Kevin Marques (C) Hayden Bennett Patrick Chau Jack Day Ben Keogh Taylor Wills Nathan Campfield (Manager) Queensland Tarquin McManus (C) Eagle Chang Daniel Nisbet Kris O&aposSullivan Mark Song Boyd Watts Tom Crothers (Manager) South Australia Justin Crowder (C) Chris Brown Sam Gava John Hayes Brad Moules Daniel Speirs Kym Garrick (Manager) Tasmania Jack Carswell (C) Lesley Chamberlain Andrew Hendry Joshua Hill Alex Males Ryan McCarthy Peter Watson (Manager) Victoria Brandon Rave (C) Lachlan Cain Matthew De Montignie-Dudic Bryden MacPherson Kris Mueck Jake Stirling Michael Church (Manager) Western Australia Jason Scrivener (C) Aidan Bae Corey Caulfield Rob Gibson Adam La Spina Brady Watt Michael Montgomery (Manager)