Round 3 Wrap
The 2015 Victorian Junior Masters was shortened to 54 holes today after hot weather and lightening tormented the Waverley Golf Club. The third round concluded at about noon before the players headed out for the fourth and final round before the dark clouds rolled in and suspended play after only 7 holes. With constant storms developing and the day slipping away players patiently waited for the heavens clear until the decision was made to abandon the final round.
Both Cameron John and Jaeil Song finished with a 3 round tally of 4 under-par. Song reeled in the Victorian during the third round shooting 67. With many eager spectators following the duo a playoff down the 18th kicked off the sudden death elimination. Both players tied with par’s on the 456m par 5 before shifting to the 1st hole where they tied again but with birdies 3. John made a downhill 12 foot pumped with added fist pump and was followed by an equally great 10 foot uphill putt under pressure. It took three holes and another birdie from John, this time on the 18th, to break the stale mate and claim victory in the 21st showing of the Victorian Junior Masters. Cameron John becomes the youngest player to win the Victorian Junior Masters at 15 years of age.
Western Australian Hira Naveed led the girls section wire to wire and outshined the balance of the field to finish on a six under-par total of 213. Rounds of 73, 70 and 70 placed her nine shots ahead of USA’s Haley Moore who reconciled after a disappointing opening round of 80 to shoot a course record 68 on Tuesday. The title will sit nicely alongside Naveed’s Tamar Valley win back in 2013 and her eight local victories in WA state ranking events in 2014.
Cameron John also won the Boys U16 Victorian Junior Masters finishing 10 strokes ahead of Jay Mackenzie from Ballina Golf Club (NSW).
Royal Queensland’s Louis Dobbelaar won the Boys U14 Victorian Junior Masters with 6 strokes between him and Jasper Stubbs from Bairnsdale.
Sheradyn Johnson from Commonwealth Golf Club won the Girls U14 Victorian Junior Masters by a whopping 19 strokes from Bairnsdale’s Piper Stubbs.
New Zealander Momoka Kobori won the U16 Girls Victorian Junior Masters by six strokes from the Australian Golf Club’s (NSW) Stefanie Hall
Round 2 Wrap
Western Australian Hira Naveed has continued her excellent form shooting a 3 under par 70 to extend her lead by five strokes. American Haley Moore smashed the course record today shooting a 5 under 68 to put herself into outright second place, though still 5 strokes behind Naveed. Victorians Olivia Kline and Seehee Hong are tied in third place just one stroke behind Moore to round out the final girls group for round 3.
Stefanie Hall from the Australian Golf Club (NSW) will take a four shot lead into the third round of the Under 16 Girls Junior Masters after shooting rounds of 74, 78 to be 6 over par for the tournament, Hall leads Northern Territorian now living in Victoria Alizza Hetherington by 4 strokes.
Sheradyn Johnson from Commonwealth Golf Club (Vic) has a convincing 10 stroke lead in the Under 14 Girls Junior Masters.
New South Welshman Joseph Trinder of Pymble Golf Club fired a 2 under par 70 to share the 36 hole lead with local Cameron John both players are 3 under par for the tournament. Adam Tsiamis from Medway has played consistently well so far this tournament with two rounds of 71 to sit just 1 stroke back from the leaders in outright third. David Han from Yarra Yarra golf club had the best boys score in round two with a 3 under par 69.
Cameron John also leads the U16 Boys Junior Masters 5 strokes ahead of Riversdale’s Henry Fewell who has had rounds of 74, 72 for a total of 146 2 over par.
Royal Queensland’s Louis Dobbelaar shot an impressive 75 during the second round to take the U14 Boy’s Junior Masters lead from Northern Golf Club’s Nathan Page. Dobbelaar now leads Bairnsdales Jasper Stubbs by 3 strokes and Nathan Page by four strokes.
Round 1 Wrap
The 21st Victorian Junior Masters kicked off today in absolutely perfect playing conditions for both the morning and afternoon players. A record field of 138 boy’s and 44 girl’s assembled at Waverley Golf Club in chase for the 2015 titles.
With an extensive honour roll of USPGA Tour winners and players the Victorian Junior Masters is arguably Australia’s leading junior golf tournament. Past champions include Aaron Baddeley in 1998, prior to winning 2 Australian Open titles, and Jason Day in 2005 who at the time was the World Junior Amateur Champion.
Three boys in Joseph Trinder (NSW), Harrison Whykes (VIC) and Adam Tsiamis (VIC) came in with rounds of one under-par 71 in the morning field and lead the way until local member Cameron John fired a stellar four under-par 68 to leap frog the trio and take the overnight lead. The 15 year old has been in fine form of late after narrowly missing out on claiming victory at the Greg Norman Junior Masters in December as well as the SAJG Signature Tournament where he fired a round of 68 to be edged out of top honours by one stroke.
In the girls section Western Australian Hira Naveed is poised at the top of the leader board after carding a level-par 73 to take lead over Stefanie Hall (WA) and Olivia Kline (VIC) by one shot. Kirsty Hodgkins (QLD) and Sehee Hong (VIC) were next best with 75 apiece.
With only a limited number progressing through to Wednesday’s final 36-holes, many will be eager to make up some ground on the leaders when the second round commences tomorrow morning. Fine weather is again predicted, with temperatures expected to reach into the mid 20’s.
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Click here to listen to the General Manager at Waverley GC talk to SEN about the tournament.
Click here to listen to the General Manager at Waverley GC talk to SEN about the tournament.