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Travis Smyth of St. Michael’s Golf Club has been elected as Captain of the Golf NSW Men’s Team for the Golf Australia Interstate Series to be held in Brisbane next month.
“It’s a huge privilege just to be part of the team, and a bigger honour to be the Captain,” Smyth said. “It’s pretty cool how all the guys voted for me. It gives me a lot of confidence.”
Golf NSW High Performance Manager Dean Kinney is thrilled to see Smyth rewarded with the role of Team Captain.
“Travis has matured as a golfer enormously. It recognises his commitment to his golf game and the team in general, combined with the high regard his team mates hold him in,” Kinney said.
Smyth is looking forward to the challenge of the upcoming series and he believes that the rapport with one another that the team has developed should play a key role in their success.
“We all get along really well. We drive off each other. Out of the three years I’ve been in the team I feel more confident this year than I have in any other year,” Smyth said.
In a team that contains names like Endycott, Davis, Bautista and himself, there’s no shortage of talent. The performances over the recent summer of golf from himself and his team mates means plenty in Smyth’s eyes.
“It’s was great to see the guys perform so well over the summer. We’ve all done great things. I was runner-up in the Australian Amateur, and Harro (Harrison Endycott) has just gone ballistic since then. That’s the reason I think we're going to do awesome in Brisbane this year,” he said.
Smyth is also honoured to be following in the footsteps of a couple of close friends who were also Golf NSW Team Captains, Lincoln Tighe and Jordan Zunic.
“Yeah Lincoln and Jordan, we’re all from the South Coast – same area, same club. We all represented NSW at the elite amateur level, so it’s an honour to be recognised with the Captaincy like they were. It’s pretty cool.”
The remainder of 2016 is shaping up as a busy year for Smyth, with the British and US Amateur Championships on his schedule followed by the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Korea. After that may have a tilt at the professional ranks.
“If I don’t happen to win the British Amateur, the US Amateur or the Asia-Pacific Amateur, I’ll probably turn professional and try my luck on the Australasian Tour, then most likely go to the PGA Tour of China Tour School at the end of the year.
“At the moment though, the goal is the Interstate Series. I’m training hard and working hard. Hopefully the results will come. I’m really proud to be leading the team into this year’s Series.”