Illawarra juniors star at junior golf championship

The tournament featured 54 promising under 12s to under 18s male and female junior golfers playing 18 holes at Wollongong GC on Thursday, plus 18 holes on Friday at The Grange.

  Juniors from as far as Canberra and Mollymook; up to Belmont and also the South West Sydney Institute of Sport plus an entrant from Townsville competed at the time-honoured event.

In a field of 48 boys, Heaton shot the best round on both days to finish at 7-over 149 to win the overall gross title by two shots from The Lakes’ Jayden Brown.

The Links Shell Cove’s Jamie Krzyszczak finished as District runner-up with a two round total of 156.

Vasquez was outstanding in the girls division, shooting the best round of 74 at Wollongong on day one and equal best round 81 at The Grange for a combined score of 155.

 Mollymook’s Kelsey Bennett pushed Vasquez hard to finish on 158, while Belmont’s Brianna Robards shot a fine 81 to match Vasquez on day two.

 Among the other highlights was The Links Shell Cove’s Jack McDonald picking up a massive 47 stableford points on day two.

 McDonald plays off 26 and with also 32 points from day one was the top stableford player in the boys 14s-18s division.

William Buckley was having one of his best rounds before Thursday’s storm ended his round after 14 holes at Wollongong.

 The Grange junior was playing off the maximum 36 handicap but had picked up 37 stableford points in just 14 holes.

The Collegians Junior Illawarra Masters is a  revamp of the former 90-hole five day junior event which was held across the Illawarra for more than three decades.

The tournament will be hosted by Port Kembla and Kiama golf clubs in 2017.

 Illawarra have a host of promising juniors with one of the next major local events on April 3 with the Jack Newton Junior Golf ‘Juniors on the Move’ tournament.

 The event will target juniors who may not be experienced at 18 hole tournament play and will be held over nine holes at The Grange.