The South Australia boys’ team has won the 17/u age event at the Pacific School Games, which took place in Adelaide last week.
Incomparable to any other international school sport championship, the PSG provides opportunities for over 4000 school-aged students in 17/u and 12/u age categories to participate in eleven different sports at the highest level, including golf.
The winning 17/u SA Team included the following players – Frank Vucic (Cardijn), Will Arnold (Westminster), Jack Buchanan (Henley HS), Jack Tanner (Sacred Heart), Nick Thompson (Henley HS) and Kyle Hayter (Victor Harbor)
The week started for the players with a 36 hole individual event at The Grange. Nick Thompson was the best placed South Australian finishing tied 7th.
The five round team event then commenced with the opening two Match Play rounds held at Mount Osmond Golf Club. SA defeated WA 3.5-2.5 and then QLD 4-2 to get off to a flying start.
SA then squared with VIC 3-3 on Thursday morning before defeating ACT 4-2 in the afternoon in matches played at West Lakes Golf Club.
It all came down to the final round at Kooyonga, with SA coming up against NSW. SA were sitting on 7 points and NSW on 6 points with the winner guaranteed the title.
SA got off to the perfect start with Will Arnold and Nick Thompson both winning 2/1 at number six and five respectively. NSW then won match four, but Jack Tanner then hit back at number three with another 2/1 win to put SA ahead 3-1. NSW claimed match one, 3/2 which left Frank Vucic at number two battling it out with Corey Lamb to try and win the contest outright.
A tied contest inevitably would have been enough for SA to win the championship on total games, but Vucic halved his match to give SA the win against NSW 3.5-2.5 to see SA win the overall championship on 9 points and by a clear margin of three.
The SA Girls 17/u team was represented by – Charley Jacobs (Maitland Lutheran), Caitlin Peirce (Concordia), Amelia Whinney (Reynella East), Shakira-ann Kuys (Caritas), Matilda Miels (Bordertown HS) and Jade Kinita (Henley HS)
Charley Jacobs placed fourth in the girls 36 hole gross event, while the girls team came fourth overall.
In the 12/u competition SA was represented in the boys by Charlie Nobbs (Victor Harbor PS), Billy Martin (Victor Harbor PS), Hudson Brown (Grange PS), Joel Bryant (Tennison Woods), Archer Charles (St Michaels College), Mitchell Angel (Kingston SE AS), Josh Grundell (Henley Beach PS) and Mitchell Kingston (Pinnaroo PS).
Nobbs, Angel, Brown and Kingston won the best nett 4 player ambrose on the opening day.
The following girls represented SA in the 12/u and competed admirably – Raegan Denton (Fulham North PS), Armani Marsters (St Joseph's Murray Bridge), Rebekka Stutley (Unley PS) and Zoe Manton (Scotch College).
12/u matches were hosted by Glenelg, Adelaide Shores, Mount Osmond and North Adelaide.
The PSG also marked the first occasion an indigenous 12 & under representative golf team competed. The team was a national team with five of the eight players from South Australia, one from WA, VIC and QLD.