A plethora of Ballarat and state-wide talent are set to hit the Ballarat Golf Club course for the inaugural Ballarat Junior Masters on April 5, 6.
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Ballarat Golf Club women’s champion Sophie Byrne is the standout local girl while Rory Brennan is one to keep an eye on for the boys.
Jasper Stubbs will make the trip to Ballarat, the Huntingdale Golf Club member plays off a 1.3 handicap and is a rising star. While Konomi Matsumoto, from Victoria Golf Club, plays off 2.4 and is another talented entrant.
“We’re talking about some of the best kids in golf going around,” Ballarat Golf Club general manager Michael Phillips said.
“The advantage (our) kids have is they play here regularly.”
Eight days out from the tournament, Ballarat Golf Club has received 60 entries – with plenty of promising golfers among them.
Originally it was hoping for 40 or 50 entries, but to have already exceeded that, and a likely 70-plus by the time day one comes around, is extremely positive.
In a bid to better fit-in with the state team’s Western Australia campaign, the dates were shifted and unfortunately will clash with some other events around the state.
The LaTrobe Junior Open, the Cranbourne Junior Open, Golf Victoria Rookie Series and the Portarlington Junior Aggregate also taking similar days on the calendar, but despite the array of options for young golfers, Ballarat has attracted strong numbers.
“It’s been fantastic for us to get the numbers we’re getting.
“That is absolutely fantastic, we’re rapt with those sort of numbers for the first event.
“We’ll build on this, no doubt this will become a yearly event, we’ll find some free space in the school holidays so it doesn’t clash with anything else.”
There will be a players’ lounge and member benefits while the top-ranked boy and girl at the conclusion of the event will win an all-expenses paid trip to the respective men’s and women’s Australian Opens.