By: Golf Australia
Golf Australia is pleased to announce the players selected for the 2014 National Squad.
Tier 1: Oliver Goss (WA), Minjee Lee (WA), Su-Hyun Oh (VIC), Brady Watt (WA).
Tier 2: Cameron Davis (NSW), Taylor MacDonald (QLD), Jayde Panos (WA)
Junior Squad: Hannah Green (WA), Lucas Herbert (VIC), Ryan Ruffels (VIC)
The new squad members are Cameron Davis and Taylor MacDonald.
Davis, 18, earned an invitation to this year’s Japan Open courtesy of a semi-final finish at the Japan Amateur Golf Championship in July and won the China Amateur Open in 2012.
MacDonald won this year’s Victorian Amateur Championship and Keperra Bowl and finished the season ranked second on the Australian Men’s Rankings System.
Panos is currently studying and competing for Oklahoma State University. U.S Amateur runner-up Goss is the other overseas-based player, competing for the University of Tennessee.
All four Tier 1 players are ranked in the top 10 on the World Amateur Rankings with Oh and Lee ranked 1 and 2 respectively.
The difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 selected athletes is based on selection benchmarks and criteria met by each athlete. Athletes will receive higher funding at the Tier 1 level for international competition. All other resources and opportunities are equal at both levels.
Golf Australia High Performance Director Brad James said the makeup of the 2014 squad had changed due to a number of players turning professional over the last 12 months and the unit would focus intensively on a smaller group of players.
“These players have been selected because they have demonstrated to us that they have the best chance of making substantial progress in their individual games over the next year and we have the support services in place to help them achieve that,” James said.
“This has been a successful year highlighted by significant individual performances and team victories. We are looking to consolidate and expand on what is clearly a winning culture in our program.”
“We will continue with our successful schedule of state, national and international camps which have proved both popular and invaluable for players, coaches and support staff during the year.”
The new squad takes effect from 1 December 2013.