" />Hannah Green has been at home in Perth, churning out the hours in the gym and tweaking her swing. Now the member of Golf Australia’s elite amateur squad is ready to play again, and the opportunity comes in the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada this weekend.
“I haven’t done much travel in the past few months to play, so I’m really excited to go,’’ Green told golf.org.au this week. “I’ve been working on my swing, so hopefully I can get a good result.’’
Green, 17, is a member of the Australian team that also includes South Australia’s Jenny Lee, 18, and Queensland’s Karis Davison, 15.
Ironically Lee and Green played against each other in a semi-final of the Australian amateur championships last year, with Lee winning.
“I’m quite close with Jenny, and I’ve seen Caris play too,’’ said Green.
The world junior is being played from Saturday at Angus Glen Golf Club in Ontario, with 15 countries competing.
Green’s most recent big tournament was Golf Australia’s interstate series at Canberra in May, when Western Australia triumphed behind the brilliant Minjee Lee.
She shares the same coach as Lee in Ritchie Smith, and they have been working on swing plane issues in recent times. “I’ve been trying to get stronger in the gym, and working on playing stuff over the last couple of months,’’ she said.
“I’m trying to get my swing more on plane, and it’s been working. Generally I come back over the top and hit a slice, but sometimes there’s a pull or a hook in there. Going to the gym helps as well. I can see the results in the gym but progressing with distance as well with my clubs. With my driver I can probably hit it 20 metres longer now.’’
Lee, 18, has turned professional in the past few weeks, and even at that tender age the likes of Green is following her progress. “When I get to play with her it’s great. She makes the game look so easy, and seeing her at practice seeing how determined she is and how long she practises for, the good results she had, it’s good for me.’’
Green plays out of Mt Lawley Golf Club, and was introduced to golf at 10 by her father Tau, a nine-handicapper. She has a brilliant junior record which includes the national amateur semi-final, a victory in the Australian section of the Aaron Baddeley world junior, and the WA 72-hole strokeplay championship.
She has completed year 12 studies and is focussing on golf. “I hope to turn professional in a few years’ time. I want to do what Minjee’s done and progress my way up there. I didn’t really want to go to college or university right now, I just want to see how far I can get in golf.’’