Min-A Yoon and Jasper Stubbs have come out on top at the 2019 Junior Vic Open after an epic finale at Barwon Heads Golf Club.
Yoon, the recent Port Phillip Amateur champion, marked herself as the one to watch from the word go, leading the girls’ event wire-to-wire for one of the biggest wins of her young career.
The Korean teen navigated Barwon Heads Golf Club and the 13th Beach Golf Links Beach and Creek layouts for a total of 14-under par, a staggering 13 shots clear of runner-up Kiwi Rose Zheng.
The win is still sinking in for Yoon who has earned an exemption to play alongside the world’s leading LPGA and ALPG professionals at the $3 million ISPS Handa Vic Open next February 7-10.
Enjoying her second visit to Australia, Yoon speaks little English but identified course management as the key to her victory.
“I didn’t play a practice round, just had a look around in the cart, so I tried to focus on strategy and course management, every hole,” she said.
It was a contrasting finish in the boys’ championship with seven players within three shots of the overnight leader, Tyler Duncan, heading into the final day.
Queenslander Duncan, who won the Victorian Junior Masters back in January, failed to bring his best on the final day, making the turn at 6-over which opened the door for the rest of the competition.
The call was answered by South Australian William Arnold who all but snatched the title, if not for a double bogey on the 18th which ultimately sent the boys competition to a playoff.
Locked at 1-under for the week, Arnold, fellow South Australian Jack Buchanan and Victorian Jasper Stubbs headed back up the 18th to decide the championship.
Buchanan was knocked out on the first playoff hole before Stubbs closed out the title on the 74th hole of the week, a par good enough to defeat Arnold.
Quick thinking to recruit his sister Piper to his bag ahead of the playoff could’ve been the trick for Stubbs.
“I had my sister on the bag. She’s been in spots like this before so she knew what to do and I knew what to do.”
The next time Stubbs returns to Barwon Heads will be to redeem his start at the ISPS Handa Vic Open.
“I was thinking of pre-qualifying so not having to is pretty nice!”
“It’s been an event I’ve wanted to play for a couple of years so it should be really good to get down there and play with the top players in the world.”
And the Huntingdale member says he won’t be phased by the real possibility of being the youngest player in the field of European Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia stars.
“It’s just a good learning curve,” he said.
“By me earning my spot, I’m pretty happy going there no matter what I shoot,” he said.
For final scores please click here.