Forbes MYGolfers rub shoulders with greats at Emirates Australian Open

Ten junior golfers from Forbes in country NSW took on the best that Sydney could offer in early December. The touring group, hosted by Country Junior Golf and Eddie Emerson, arrived in Sydney after a five hour drive from Forbes. With no local golf professional in Forbes, Country Junior Golf has been assisting the Forbes Juniors with coaching camps during the school holidays. To kick start the tour a coaching clinic was held at St Michael s driving range on Friday morning. A brief rest to have lunch at St Michael s and the juniors prepared for a golf challenge they would usually only read about in Golf magazines. Thanks to the efforts of Eddie Emerson of Country Junior Golf the juniors were invited to play at St Michaels (9 Holes) and NSW Golf Club (18 Holes). What a great experience for the juniors and thanks again to St Michael s and NSW Golf Clubs for providing access. With recharged legs the juniors arrived early at The Lakes on Saturday to see Tom Watson tee off starting his third round of the Australian Open. What a great experience it was to see the pros at work, warming up on the greens and driving range. An autograph from Peter Senior when he was on the driving range tuning his game before tee off turned into a precious memento on Sunday afternoon when it became the winner s autograph. Graduate of the JNJG program, James Nitties stopped for a chat as he walked off the 18th green and reinforced the importance of short game practice. Thanks to Eddie, the juniors had the chance to rub shoulders with many of the big names of golf including current players, coaches and past greats. With a wealth of knowledge from the two days in the city the touring party started the trip home. What better way to finish than to stop at Orange on the way home and tee off in the Wentworth Junior Classic, putting into practice the skills & tips from the pros. Thanks again to Country Junior Golf, JNJG, St Michaels & NSW Golf Clubs and Golf Australia for supporting our trip with tickets. A special thanks to Eddie and his team of supporters that make dreams of country kids a reality.