Nominee Name: Katelyn Rika MYGolf Centre: Gove Country Golf Club State: NT Age: 11 Favourite Golfer: Karrie Webb because she’s Australia s top player and she works hard at golf The first MYGolfer from the Northern Territory to receive this award, Katelyn Rika has been playing golf since 2010 when her cousin Maciu and Uncle Kenny asked her to play golf every Sunday at the local course. At the time, Katelyn never thought she would like the game so much and even consider making it a life-long sport. Her attendance has always been 100 per cent and she always stays back for more practice after sessions. In regards to her MYGolf achievement level, Gove has just started the program and the juniors are finalising their assessment, however Katelyn already has a GOLF Link handicap which she achieved at nine years of age. Katelyn has also been competing in the adult competitions most weekends and in various junior tournaments across the NT. Katelyn s attitude is always positive. She listens to good advice and her game has been consistently improving at all levels. Her favourite club is the driver because she loves to smash the ball, which regularly flies down the middle of the fairways. Katelyn aims to learn more about the rules of golf by continuing to play the weekend competitions with different adult members. In a relatively short time, Katelyn has achieved some incredible goals: Runner-up in the U10s at the 2011 Palmerston NT Mid-Year Junior Clinic Won the Gove U12 Ladies Shield in 2011 U12 Gross Champion Trophy in the inaugural Alice Springs Junior Open Finished 7th in the 2012 Gove Open her first competition against adults Won the 2012 LJ Hooker Junior 9-hole Open Awarded the 2012 Club Junior Champion Shield Earlier this year, Katelyn defended her Alice Springs Junior Open title and also took out the overall boys and girls nett prize Became the first junior to claim the combined men’s and women’s nett champion trophy at the 2013 Gove Open Katelyn s results, in particular her win at the Gove Open this year, has been inspirational to the rest of the juniors at the club. Not satisfied with her already impressive list of achievements, Katelyn is already planning for the annual LJ Hooker Junior Open to be held in mid-November at Gove Country Golf Club. She will also be training hard to defend her Under 12 s Gross Winner Trophy at the Alice Springs Junior Open in January 2014. Katelyn is passionate about golf because it challenges the mind and tests her skills to all levels. She plays her best by freeing her mind and trusting in her ability to hit the best shots she can in a game. The pressure of competition never seems to faze her and during every challenge, she has been able to achieve personal bests. Living remotely in Arnhem Land has posed plenty of challenges for Katelyn and her golf, particularly when it comes to the travel involved to compete in any major events. Thanks to the support of her parents and club however, Katelyn has not had to miss out on any experiences or opportunities to continue developing and enjoying her golf. Katelyn s golf journey is just beginning and whilst she dreams of one day playing as a Professional, for now she is quite happy to continue working on her game and playing golf at her local Gove Country Golf Club. Congratulations to Katelyn on her achievements proof that no matter where a junior lives in Australia, they still have the opportunity to experience and enjoy the game of golf! To nominate a MYGolfer from your Centre for October, download and submit the Nomination Form by Thursday 24th October.
Author: Sarah Kennedy / Golf Australia