NSW Team Captain Olivia Wilson is quietly confident of a good showing from the Golf NSW women’s team at next month’s Australian Interstate Series to be held at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
“I think it’s the best team we’ve had for four or five years,” Wilson said. “I’m looking forward to it. We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience.”
Wilson, who is an eight-year veteran of the Interstate Series, was unanimously elected to captain the team for the fifth straight year. It’s an accolade she’s proud of.
“Golf has been good to me. It’s a real honour to lead this team.”
In the eight years that Wilson has been involved in the team she’s managed to rub shoulders with plenty of New South Wales’ finest golf talent along the way.
“We won the Interstate Series the first year I was selected. Rebecca Artis (Flood), Justine Lee and Julia Boland were in the team,” she said.
Wilson, who grew up on the South Coast at Tomakin near Bateman’s Bay, discovered her love of golf through her grandfather Bob Weekes.
“Pa built a golf course attached to the family business. I started playing for a bit of fun, then I joined the cadet program at Catalina Country Club when I was about 10.”
Like most kids growing up on a golf course, Wilson had a sporting idol.
“I looked up to Laura Davies when I was a junior. I got to play in a NSW Open with her about eight years ago. Playing in a Pro event with your childhood idol was a pretty cool thing back then I thought,” Wilson said.
As for the team she’ll lead this year, Wilson sees a lot of potential in her young cohort, and feels that one or two are ready to jump to the next level.
“Look at Hannah Park. She’s only like 15 years old, and her performance at the Australian Juniors this week tell me she’s more than capable of playing in the Women’s team, so It could be a good year,” she smiled.