Like the mouse that roared, a six-man junior team from Bega Country Club has marched all the way to victory in the State Final of the NSW Encourage Shield at Newcastle Golf Club on Tuesday.
The win is all the more remarkable considering that the six members of the team constitute the entire junior membership of the Far-South Coast club.
“They played really well to go all the way to the final and win,” says Club Bega CEO David Mitchell.
The team of James Moore, Blake Dowling, Harry Peterson, Cooper Jennings, Jack Roberts and William Ubrihien managed to get the better of the Northern Rivers DGA Representative Team 4 matches to 2 before defeating The Vintage Golf Club in the final 5 matches to 1.
More cause for celebration for the six young lads is knowing that they’ve now been invited to compete in a Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation Junior Masters event this year.
“They deserve this. They’re good kids really.”
“It’s a testament to the Junior Development Officer Wayne Ubrihien too. He drives them everywhere and does a great job.”
The tight knit group of six have sharpened their game with plenty of golf during the summer school holiday break. It's not unusual to see them on the course together three or four times a week.
So how does a country town the size of Bega end up with a State Shield winning golf team?
Mr Mitchell puts it down to a few thing; quality mentoring and the friendly family environment.
“All their families play. They all enjoy it,” says Mr Mitchell. “With their parents and Wayne’s (Ubrihien) mentoring they have really taken to the game and come a long way.”
“Let’s hope they keep it going,” Mr Mitchell says.