By Kath Gannaway
WARBURTON JUNIOR GOLF
WARBURTON’S junior golfers are proving a driving force for the club which started a junior program six years ago under member Des Ray.
Taking the MyGolf program out to local schools proved successful in introducing kids to what is still far from a mainstream sport for young people.
The program is endorsed by Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia as a 10-week introduction to the sport, and it’s reaping rewards in lifting the profile of the sport with new generations.
According to coach Tony Bickley, who runs the MyGolf program, it wasn’t long before the social enjoyment developed into a keenness to get involved in competition.
Mr Bickley said juniors were soon competing in primary school events and club competitions against adult players with handicaps evening out the playing field for the young beginners.
Mr Bickley said he has been astounded at the talent and the quick progression some of the players have shown in establishing themselves as highly competitive golfers.
Django Ward, who has since moved to Queensland, led the way winning a club competition, followed by Tom Jolly, 12, who won against the seniors after playing in just four competitions.
Django was 11 when he finished in the top 20 best juniors in the Victorian School Boys Championships last year and Harrison Baxter, at the same age, came 11th out of more than 80 young golfers hitting off in the 2016 championships last week.
Harrison, a student at St Brigid’s Primary School in Healesville, won two competitions in September, including the Farrier Plate, a highly-prized annual trophy competition.
Angus Smith who is in Year 7 at Upper Yarra Secondary College is an all-round sportsman fitting his golf in a busy schedule that includes playing cricket for Seville and football for Woori Yallock.
He has also claimed a competition win in the senior competitions.
Mr Bickley said the return of Tom Jolly after a winter break gave the club the numbers to hold a junior club championship for the first time in the club’s history with Tom, Angus and Harrison making the cut.
All three then qualified for the Easthills Trophy competition with Tom taking the trophy with a nett score of 201, the first time a junior has won the competition.
He also set a club precedent as a junior winning the C-Grade on Saturday, B-Grade on Sunday, achieving a record stableford score of 27 points on the Thursday and finishing off with a win in the B-Grade making four wins in a row against adult players.
Harrison is also making his presence felt winning the first junior club championships with a gross score that would put him in fifth place in the C Grade men’s.
Mr Bickley said it’s an exciting time for the club and for the young players, some of whom have their eyes set on a pro career.
The club is offering clinics three days a week with a school holiday program starting during the Christmas holidays and on Sunday afternoons.
Visit mygolf.org.au and search the Warburton postcode – 3799 – for more information on the program being run at Warburton.
