Tournament Preview
Field of 270 for 2015 Subaru NSW Junior Golf Championships
Two hundred and seventy eager junior golfers will converge on the Illawarra region next week for the annual Subaru NSW Junior Golf Championships. In conjunction with the Golf NSW and as part of the Jack Newton Junior Golf Tour, the second of the year’s four majors sees some of the best juniors from across the country battle it out for the title of the NSW Junior Boy or Girl Champion.
This year The Links Shell Cove and Wollongong Golf Club will host the four-day event. It will take place from the 30th June – 3rd July. The format of play for the first two days will see the competitors playing one round at each course. A cut will then be made after 36 holes with the top half going on to contest the Championship Cup playing their final two rounds at The Links Shell Cove, while those who miss the cut will playoff for the Championship Plate at Wollongong.
Up for grabs at this event are not only the overall State Championships but also Age Championships, Country Junior Championships, Champion of Champions and the Inter-District Teams Championship. In the field of 270, 44 juniors are playing off plus figure handicaps so the standard of golf will be phenomenal.
International and interstate competitors will join our NSW boys in the field this year. Blake Windred (The Australian) will be leading the charge for NSW. Fellow junior interstate teammates Jason Hong (Concord), Isaac Noh (The Australian), Corey Jones (Pymble) and Joseph Trinder (Pymble) will be players to watch. Also rounding out the NSW/ACT contingent will be the in form Josh Armstrong (The Lakes) and Corey Rae (Cromer). All of these players have recorded some outstanding results this year and will be hoping to keep the silverware in our state. They will be going up against some tough competition including Matias Sanchez (VIC), Konrad Ciupek (VIC), Charlie Pilon (Qld), Jack Thompson (SA), and Kiwi’s Sam Vincent and Henry Spring.
NSW girls will tee it up alongside some tough interstate competitors. The current Australian Girls Amateur Champion Celina Yuan goes in as the favourite to capture the Girls Championship for NSW. Doey Choi (Concord) and Hannah Park (Dunheved) will also be hoping to keep the Championship title in our state. Local Shell Harbour resident Stefanie Hall (The Australian) will be using her local knowledge to her advantage and will be hoping to secure the win for the Illawarra. Interstate girls Soobin Park (VIC), Ella Adams (SA), Becky Kay (QLD) and Karis Davidson (QLD) will be doing their best to take the victory back to their home states.
NSW JNJG members will also be vying for the coveted State Age titles which will secure them a seat on the bus to the Bonville Champions Trophy. In the 12 and Under Division keep an eye on Cammeray's Yuka Lin in the girls division. While in the boys division Jeff Fan (Avondale), Harvey Remfrey (Ballina) and Leo Soldo (Bonnie Doon) will all be out to secure the title.
The 13 Years will be hotly contested with June Song (Avondale) and Belinda Ji (Concord) going head to head in the girls. Harrison Crowe (St Michaels), Tom Heaton (Port Kembla) and Lachlan Jones (Dubbo) will battle it out in the boys event.
Three times Junior Masters Champion Hannah Park (Dunheved) and Avondale's Grace Kim will be hoping to take out the Girls 14 Years division. The boys in the same age group will be a tough clash with Jye Pickin (Avondale), Ethan Chambers (Bonnie Doon), Aidan Powter (St Michaels) and Kaine Andres (Everglades) all possibilities at taking out the title.
Doey Choi (Concord) goes in as the favourite in the Girls 15 Years division but she will have to watch for challenges from Amy Chu (The Australian), Stef Hall (The Australian) and Chloe Thornton (NSWGC). The Boys 15 Years division will be a challenge amongst Chris Fan (Avondale), Harry Doig (Ryde-Paramatta), Kyle Underwood (Ballina) and Luke Ferrier (Pennant Hills).
Perhaps the toughest division to predict a winner will be the Boys 16 Years. Jason Hong (Concord), Corey Rae (Cromer), Corey Jones (Pymble), Josh Armstrong (The Lakes), Jordie Garner (Pennant Hills) or Isaac Noh (The Australian) will have to put together four solid rounds of golf to emerge the champion. The favourite in the Girls 16 Years would have to be Celina Yuan (The Australian) but she will have a challenger in Northern Rivers Junior Masters Champion Maddie Trew (Coolangatta Tweed Heads).
In the Girls 17 Years division Eleka Moore (Ballina) and Lucy Harris (Muirfield) will be hoping to secure a victory. While Blake Windred (The Australian), Jakub Gancarz (Yowani), Joseph Trinder (Pymble) and Darcy Boyd (Toukley) will be vying for the title in the Boys 17 Years.
Jack Newton Junior Golf would not be able to run events like this without the hard work put in by the host venues. Staff at The Links Shell Cove and Wollongong Golf Clubs are busy readying their courses for one of the region’s largest tournaments.
“Supporting our game at a grass roots level is something that we are particularly proud to be involved in,” said General Manager of Wollongong Golf Club, Leigh Hingston. “If last year’s tournament is any indication, we are once again going to be treated to some outstanding golf," Hingston added.
Last year saw the Overall Girl’s Champion Shelly Shin go on to become the number one ranked amateur in Australia. Shelly then took out the World Amateur Team Championship in Japan partnered with Minjee Lee and Su Oh, within six months of her success at Wollongong.
Other top competitors including Brad McIntosh, Nick Flanagan, Brendan Jones, Jake Higginbottom , Nikki Garrett and James Nitties all cut their teeth at the State Age Championships and there is no doubt that this years field will also play host to some promising future stars.
“Our game relies heavily on the development of our juniors and with a field of almost 270, this is a fantastic opportunity to foster some of the very best talent,” said Robby Stephenson, General Manager of The Links Shell Cove. “It is not often that a field of this calibre assembles in the Illawarra, and the talent that is on show during this tournament are quite likely to be the household names of tomorrow,” Stephenson said.
It is going to be an exciting week of golf at two beautiful Illawarra courses. The annual JNJG Junior AM is also being held on Monday 29th June at Port Kembla Golf Club. JNJG would like to thank those who have registered for the event and offered sponsorship for the entire week. It is fantastic to see the support for junior golf development in the region.
JNJG would like to wish everyone safe travels as they head to Wollongong. We are looking forward to a fantastic week and some great golf!!
Round One and Two Draws – Click here
Live Results – Click here