Date: April 09, 2013
Author: Golf Australia

Australian Junior titles set for sizzling start

under 200 of Australia’s best junior golfers will tee off in the Australian Junior Championships in Western Australia tomorrow.

The championships are held concurrently with the Australian Girls’ Amateur to be played at Mount Lawley Golf Club in Perth and the Australian Boys’ Amateur to be played at Pinjarra Golf Club near Mandurah from 10-12 April.

In the Girls’ Amateur, 2013 Australian Amateur Champion and World Number 3, Minjee Lee (WA) will be one of the favourites, coming off a 20 stroke victory in the Rene Erichsen Championship in South Australia.

She won’t have it all her own way with defending champion and World Number 4, Su-Hyun Oh (Vic) looking to make it back-to-back victories. Mount Lawley’s own Hannah Green may also be hard to beat on her home course, while NSW based Korean Shelly Shin, currently Australia’s number one ranked junior, will also feature.

In the Boys’ Amateur, 2012 runner up and current number one ranked junior Viraat Badhwar (Qld), goes in as favourite but will face strong competition from Lucas Herbert (Vic) who finished runner up in the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Heritage Classic, National Squad Member Ryan Ruffels (Vic), and Anthony Murdaca (SA), the youngest ever winner of the Championship when he won aged 14 in 2010.

With both champions gaining an exemption into the respective Australian Opens, the events are sure to bring out the best in Australia’s junior golfers.

Following the conclusion of the Junior Amateurs, state teams will remain in Western Australia for the Interstate Teams Matches. The Girls’ will move to The Western Australian Golf Club and play for the Burtta Cheney Cup, while the Boys’ will head to Bunbury Golf Club for their Teams Matches.

Entry is free for spectators.