Ethan Chambers from The Australian Golf Club has a one-shot lead at the NSW Junior Boys Championships after firing a five-under par 67 at Toukley Golf Club.
The NSW youngster started with ten straight pars on a beautiful winter morning, before catching fire with birdies on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th holes to shoot to the top of the leaderboard.
Defending Champion Jed Morgan got his title defence off to a fantastic start, opening with a four-under par 68. Morgan briefly got to five under par, before his only bogey of the day at the par-three 6th.
Zach Maxwell was another Queenslander on fire at Toukley, finishing with an opening round 69.
The Czech Republic's Frantisek Pavek was one of the surprise packets on day one, with the 15-year-old also impressing with a two under par 70.
Sharing 5th place at even par after the opening round are Tom Heaton (The Australian), Lewis Hoath (Queensland), New Zealander pair Shaun Campbell and Kazuma Kobori, and ACT 14-year-old Lachlan Chamberlain, who was the best of the 12/13/14 year-olds who played the opening round at Shelly Beach.
In the Girls Championship, Queensland’s Cassie Porter posted the score of the day at Shelly Beach to hold a one-stroke lead after the opening round.
The 14-year-old Porter, who started on the 10th hole, got off to a flyer, with birdies on her first two holes. The fireworks didn’t end there, however, as she reeled off an incredible seven birdies in total including three over her final seven holes to finish with a four-under par 71 and a one-shot lead over Australian Girls Amateur Champion, Avondale’s Grace Kim.
Kim dropped just one shot to par in a steady display for her opening round of 72. Fellow Avondale member June Song and Queensland visitor Jade Longstaff are a shot further back after matching rounds of 73, while Isabelle Taylor finished with a one-under par 74 to cap off capped an impressive day for the Queenslanders, who currently hold three of the top five positions on the girls’ Leaderboard.
Round two is underway.