2016 Srixon International Junior Classic
Josh Armstrong and Virunpat Olankitkunchai Win Srixon International
(Friday 7th October, 2016)
Josh Armstrong (The Lakes) and Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Thailand) have won the 2016 Srixon International in drastically different circumstances on an exciting Friday afternoon at Cypress Lakes.
Armstrong, a long time JNJG Tour Player without a major victory to his name, played near flawless golf for the majority of the final round, running away to a nine shot lead. An eagle-birdie start built on the three shot overnight lead, and after 12 straight pars he stood on the 15th tee with the finish line in sight and a huge lead in hand. But it wasn't all smooth sailing over the closing stretch, a bogey on the 15th was followed by a triple bogey 7 on the 17th, and when his drive on 18 was pulled into the hazard left of the fairway, the job wasn't done just yet. The Canberra 17 year old recovered, and despite a triple bogey - double bogey finish, went on to record the biggest win of his JNJG career.
Victorian Andre Lautee shared second place with Fred Lee (Western Australia), the second year running that Lee, the Number 1 ranked Junior in Australia had finished in second place at Cypress Lakes. One shot further back in a tie for 4th was NSW pair Jones Comerford (Bonnie Doon) and Jye Pickin (Avondale), Pickin being rewarded for his good finish by claiming the Boys 16 Years Division. The round of the day and the only bogey-free round of the week belonged to the Boys 15 Years Champion, Cooper Geddes (Western Australia). His five under par 67 shot him all the way up the leaderboard and into the top 10, whilst at the same time cruising to an 11 shot win in his age division.
Whilst Armstrong was out in front and cruising for most of the day, Virunpat Olankitkunchai set about chasing down Girls Defending Champion Celina Yuan (The Australian) in the Girls Division. Yuan started the final round with a five shot lead but a after bogey on the 1st and another on the 3rd, the lead was down to two when the Olankitkunchai made a birdie of her own on three. Playing in her third Srixon International, the 17 year old Thai kept the pressure on with three more birdies in a row from the 6th, but Yuan responded, making birdies on six and eight herself. As the leading girls made the turn, they had broken away from the chasing pack and it had become a race in two, with Virunpat an incredible four under par on the front nine in the difficult conditions. Yuan extended the lead to three shots with a two shot swing on the 11th, but three holes later she found herself trailing by one after Olankitkunchai made another pair of birdies. From this point on it was always going to go down to the wire, and it was the Thai who kept her calm the best on the difficult final hole, making a clutch par to set up the victory.
Hannah Park (NSW GC) fired her best round of a super consistent week to finish third overall and claim the Girls 16 Years Division, whilst 15 year old Kathryn Norris (Western Australia) was impressive all week both on and off the golf course on her way to a four shot victory in that age division. It was a great week for the Thailand Team, with the pair of Pichaikool and Olankitkunchai combining to win the International Teams Challenge by two strokes, with West Australians Kathryn Norris and Fred Lee finishing in second.
Boys Championship
289 - J Armstrong (The Lakes).
292 - A Lautee (Victoria) F Lee (Western Australia).
Girls Championship
285 - V Olankitkunchai (Thailand).
288 - C Yuan (The Australian).
Boys 17 Years
Scr - J Armstrong (The Lakes) 289.
Hcp - N McConnell (Queensland 4) 292.
Boys 16 Years
Scr - J Pickin (Avondale) 293.
Hcp - J Smith (South Australia 3) 291.
Boys 15 Years
Scr - C Geddes (Western Australia) 295.
Hcp - M Yang (Pymble 6) 297.
Girls 17 Years
Scr - V Olankitkunchai (Thailand) 285.
Hcp - C Shin (Castle Hill 17) 279.
Girls 16 Years
Scr - H Park (NSW GC) 292.
Hcp - K Bennett (Mollymook 5) 291.
Girls 15 Years
Scr - K Norris (Western Australia) 294.
Hcp - M Woodley (North Ryde 14) 297.
Final Results - Click Here
Armstrong and Yuan Holding on at Cypress
(Thursday 6th October, 2016)
Josh Armstrong (The Lakes) and Celina Yuan (The Australian) will take handy leads into the final round of the 2016 Srixon International Junior Classic at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
Armstrong managed to bounce back on two occasions, and will take a three shot lead into the final round over Jay Mackenzie (Ballina). After making bogey on the 2nd and 3rd, Armstrong responded with three birdies in a row to make the turn at minus one. Four dropped shots in five holes saw the lead disappear, before closing with back to back birdies on 16 and 17 to sign for a 73 and regain the lead. Mackenzie was near flawless on Thursday, making six birdies and only dropping shots on three holes. Unfortunately for the 17 year old, one of those holes was quadruple bogey 7, going over the back of the green on the short 11th and finding the hazard.....twice. Only one shot further back and playing in the final group is Jones Comerford (Bonnie Doon) and the number one ranked junior in Australia, Fred Lee (Western Australia). Local Newcastle / Hunter product Jye Pickin holds a five shot lead in the 16 Years Division after a third round 73, whilst West Australian Cooper Geddes has taken the lead in the Boys 15 Years Division after a third round 73. The round of the day belonged to Jason Perkin, his two under par 70 one of five under par rounds.
Celina Yuan wasn't at her devastating best like she was on Wednesday, but a third round 71 was enough to extend her lead to five shots as she looks to go back to back at Cypress. The 17 year old started slow but made five birdies in a 10 hole stretch mid round to put one hand on the trophy. Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Thailand) has continued to charge up the leaderboard, a round of the day three under par 69 rocketing her into a share of second with Kathryn Norris (Western Australia). The 15 year old backed up her second round 67 with a third round 70, to stay in the hunt with one round to go. They'll be joined in the final group by Avondale's Grace Kim, who sits two shots further back after a one under par 71.
Play begins early on Friday at 6:40am, with the leaders set to get underway at 1:00pm.
Boys Championship
214 - J Armstrong (The Lakes).
217 - J Mackenzie (Ballina).
Girls Championship
212 - C Yuan (The Australian).
217 - V Olankitkunchai (Thailand) K Norris (Western Australia).
Boys 17 Years
Scr - J Armstrong (The Lakes) 214.
Hcp - L Haiban (Indonesia 11) 221.
Boys 16 Years
Scr - J Pickin (Avondale) 220.
Hcp - J Battle (Camden 15) 215.
Boys 15 Years
Scr - C Geddes (Western Australia) 228.
Hcp - B Arnott (Queensland 3) 221.
Girls 17 Years
Scr - C Yuan (The Australian) 212.
Hcp - C Shin (Castle Hill 17) 212.
Girls 16 Years
Scr - A Hetherington (Victoria) 219.
Hcp - S Johnson (Kiama 9) 219.
Girls 15 Years
Scr - K Norris (Western Australia) 217.
Hcp - S Martell (Queensland 13) 224.
Round Three Results - Click Here
Round Four Draw - Click Here
Defending Champ on Top After 66!!
(Wednesday 5th October, 2016)
Defending Champion Celina Yuan (The Australian) has found herself on top of the leaderboard once again after the second day of the 2016 Srixon International Junior Classic at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
The 17 year old shot a second round six under par 66, recovering from a slow start before making seven birdies in her final 12 holes to open up a four shot lead. Yuan wasn't the only player in red figures on day two, with playing partner Alizza Hetherington moving into second position after an equally fine 67. The Victorian made the turn at one over par, before making four birdies and an eagle on her back nine to close in just 30 strokes. That 67 was matched by West Australian Kathryn Norris, the 15 year old had six birdies of her own in round two to move into a share of 3rd alongside New Zealander Rose Zheng and overnight leader Chloe Thornton (NSW GC). The calm morning conditions saw another two girls take full advantage, with Seina Ishikawa (Japan) and Ella Adams (South Australia) also shooting under par rounds on day two.
A.C.T junior Josh Armstrong (The Lakes) leads the way in the Boys Division after back to back under par rounds. The 17 year old finished with a two under par 70 to leapfrog overnight leader Jye Pickin into the outright lead, and is the only player under par through 36 holes. Jones Comerford (Bonnie Doon) sits in second position, only three shots back at even par after a 73 on day two. Adam Nelson (Castle Hill) and Jay Mackenzie (Ballina) round out the final group and share third one shot further back.
The round of the day belonged to Isaac Noh (The Australian) who stormed back into contention with a five under par 67, whilst Jay Mackenzie did the same after finishing with a four under par 68. Fred Lee (Western Australia), Tanapat Pichaikool (Thailand), and Billy Watson (Long Reef) also fired Sub-70 scores on the second morning to keep their chances alive whilst the best round of the afternoon players was Terry Yoon (Queensland), who fired a 71 in the final group of the day.
Boys Championship
141 - J Armstrong (The Lakes).
144 - J Comerford (Bonnie Doon).
Girls Championship
141 - C Yuan (The Australian).
145 - A Hetherington (Victoria).
Boys 17 Years
Scr - J Armstrong (The Lakes) 141.
Hcp - A Nelson (Castle Hill 2) 141.
Boys 16 Years
Scr - J Pickin (Avondale) 147.
Hcp - J Pasitney (Canada 6) 144.
Boys 15 Years
Scr - Y Kurihara (Japan) 151.
Hcp - K Andres (Moore Park 6) 147.
Girls 17 Years
Scr - C Yuan (The Australian) 141.
Hcp - C Shin (Castle Hill 17) 143.
Girls 16 Years
Scr - A Hetherington (Victoria) 145.
Hcp - K Bennett (Mollymook 5) 147.
Girls 15 Years
Scr - K Norris (Western Australia) 147.
Hcp - R Zheng (New Zealand +1) 149.
Round 2 Live Scores - Click Here
Round 3 Draw - Click Here
Pickin Leads Huge Chasing Pack at Cypress
(Tuesday 4th October, 2016)
50 km/h winds swept across the NSW Hunter Valley throughout the opening round of the 2016 Srixon International Junior Classic, making scoring conditions extremely difficult on the first day. Over 300 players took part in the event, with 195 of those players competing in the Junior Division at the beautiful Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
One player who didn't find the wind too difficult was Charlestown local and Avondale GC member Jye Pickin, the 16 year old carding four birdies and an eagle in his opening round of two under par 70. After starting his round on the 10th, it didn't take Pickin too long to get rolling, making four birdies in his opening 10 holes to storm clear at the top of the leaderboard. In these conditions, dropped shots were bound to happen and they did in quick succession, four bogies in five holes over the closing stretch came either side of an Eagle TWO at the driveable 7th hole, which left the NSW boy with a one shot lead.
There were incredibly five players under par in the extremely difficult conditions, with 17 Year Olds Corey Jones (Pymble), Andre Lautee (Victoria), Josh Armstrong (The Lakes) and Jones Comerford (Bonnie Doon) posting impressive scores of one under par on what was a very tough day. Another player who was under par for the majority of the day was Adam Nelson (Castle Hill), who finished with an even par 72 despite a double bogey on the difficult 18th hole. He shares 6th place with Cameron John, the Victorian making seven birdies in the opening round and would have been on top had it not been for a quadruple bogey on the short 11th hole.
Further proof of just how difficult the day was, only two boys of the near 150 strong field managed to break their handicap, with Adam Nelson (Castle Hill -2) joined by Jamie Reay (NSW GC) who finished with a Nett score of 71.
The girls also battled bravely in the strong winds, and at the end of the day ACT Girl Chloe Thornton (NSW GC) and Victorian Gabriela Ruffels had a share of the lead. Thornton started steady off the 10th tee with nine straight pars, before makng two birdies and three bogeys on her back nine to finish with a one over par 73. That score was matched by Ruffels who had an up and down day, making six birdies (including three in a row at one stage), three bogeys and two double bogeys in her opening round. One shot back in solo third was Hannah Park (NSW GC), a bogey on her final hole dropping her out of a share of the lead. There's some big names in a share of 4th a further shot back including defending champion Celina Yuan (The Australian) and International stars Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Thailand) and Rose Zheng (New Zealand).
And finally in the International Teams Challenge, the ACT pair of Josh Armstrong and Chloe Thornton have opened up a five shot lead after the opening round. The pair combined for an aggregate total of even par 144, with the Australian Representative team of Charles Pilon and Celina Yuan in second place at +5.
Round two begins on Wednesday morning at 6:50am, hopefully with less wind!!
Boys Championship
70 - J Pickin (Avondale).
71 - J Comerford (Bonnie Doon) C Jones (Pymble) J Armstrong (The Lakes) A Lautee (Victoria).
Girls Championship
73 - C Thornton (NSW GC) G Ruffels (Victoria).
74 - H Park (NSW GC).
Boys 17 Years
Scr - C Jones (Pymble) 70.
Hcp - A Nelson (Castle Hill 2) 70.
Boys 16 Years
Scr - J Pickin (Avondale) 70.
Hcp - J Reay (Kiama 8) 71.
Boys 15 Years
Scr - C Geddes (Western Australia) 76.
Hcp - K Andres (Moore Park 6) 72.
Girls 17 Years
Scr - C Thornton (NSW GC) 73.
Hcp - C Shin (Castle Hill 17) 76.
Girls 16 Years
Scr - G Ruffels (Victoria) 73.
Hcp - K Bennett (Mollymook 5) 75.
Girls 15 Years
Scr - R Zheng (New Zealand) 75cb.
Hcp - S Martell (Queensland 13) 73.
Round One Scores - Click Here.
Round Two Scores - Click Here.
Internationals Dominate Long Drive Compeition
(Monday 3rd October, 2016)
304 Players.
10 Countries.
7 States and Territories from around the country.
The biggest Junior Tournament in Australia is set to begin in the NSW Hunter Valley on Tuesday with Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club hosting the 2016 Srixon International Junior Classic.
And the International tournament had a very International flavour to it on Monday with Amelia Garvey (New Zealand) and Tanapat Pichaikool (Thailand) claiming the 2016 Long Drive Competition. Garvey recorded an impressive 242m drive to easily win the Girls Division, whilst it was a much closer contest in the boys division with Pichaikool winning by 4m after he crushed his drive more than 285m!!
Aidan Powter (St Michaels) 269m and Onkanok Sousaiwan (Thailand) 229m claimed the 15 Years Division whilst Adam Nelson (Castle Hill) 281m and Isabelle Taylor (Queensland) 206m won the 17 Years contest.
Play begins on Tuesday morning at 6:50am, with 196 players competing in the Junior Division at Cypress Lakes.
Round One Draw - Click Here
Tournament Results and Live Scoring - Click Here
Tournament Preview
(Wednesday 28th September, 2016)
The 2016 Srixon International Junior and Sub-Junior Classic begins at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club and Cessnock Golf Club on Tuesday 4th October. A star-studded field of over 300 players, including more than 100 Interstate and Overseas competitors will head to the Hunter Valley looking to be crowned this year's Champion.
The tournament is the brainchild of Australian golfing stalwart, Jack Newton, and provides a competitive environment for the most promising talent from right around the globe. Whilst the majority of the field will be made up of NSW / ACT JNJG members, coming from every corner of New South Wales, the tournament has a distinct international flavour to it with 27 players from Canada, New Zealand, Hawaii, Thailand, China, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan making their way to the Hunter Valley to participate in the tournament. Throw in 85 of the best players Australia wide from every State and Territory outside of NSW and the ACT, and it's fair to say the tournament is one of the strongest Junior Events in Australia.
The tournament is a permanent fixture on the junior golfing calendar, holding both Australian Ranking and World Amateur Ranking Status, and is proudly supported by major sponsor, Srixon.
“The Srixon International Junior Classic is an important stepping stone for many of Australia’s young golfers,” said tournament host and founder, Jack Newton. “This event has been pivotal in founding the careers of Australia’s well-known international golfing stars providing them with a platform to make a successful transition into the senior ranks,” finished Newton.
Aaron Baddeley won the Jack Newton International in 1998, just two months prior to securing his first Australian Open victory. Aaron is a winner on the PGA tour and an enthusiastic supporter of junior golf
Other international superstars that have added the Jack Newton International Junior Classic in their list of achievements include Touring Professionals Steven Bowditch, Mathew Giles and Rick Kulacz along with LPGA Tour stars Minjee Lee, Su-Hyun Oh and Thidipa Suwannapura. Ladies European Tour Champions Nikki Garrett and Rebecca Artis and multiple Japanese Tour winners Brendan Jones and Nikki Campbell have also had success at Jack's Junior Tournament.
Celina Yuan will look to defend her 2015 Srixon International Title in the Girls Division, but will once again face some stiff opposition from some of the World's Best. Recent Victorian Junior Masters Champion Alizza Hetherington (Victoria) will also be competing in the event, whilst fellow Victorian Sheradyn Johnson has form in JNJG Major's, having impressed at the NSW Junior Championships only two months ago with a final round 69. West Australian 15 year old Kathryn Norris comes into the event after palying well in the Srixon International Sub-Junior Classic in previous years whilst regular JNJG competitor Ella Adams (South Australia) is playing her final Srixon International before she leaves the junior ranks. Big hitting New Zealander Amelia Garvey is coming back for her second Srixon International, looking to improve off her 18th place finish last year. Canada will be represented this year by sisters Heather and Meghan McLean, whilst the team from Thailand are always competitive, with Virunpat Olankitkunchai back for a third Srixon tournament after finishing 10th last year.
There's no defending champion in the boys division, with local Charlestown member Blake Windred now 18 years of age. 2015 Runner-Ups Lucas Higgins (Queensland) and Fred Lee (Western Australia) will both be back and looking to go one better in 2016, whilst Queenslander Jed Morgan is searching for back to back JNJG Major's after claiming the NSW Junior Championships in July. After recently being added to the Golf Australia High Performance program, Josh Armstrong (The Lakes) will take plenty of confidence into this year's event having finished in the top 20 here last year and he's joined by fellow A.C.T resident Luka Brucic, who last week won the 2016 Fayde Matchplay title at Mount Broughton. Victorian pair Cameron John and Andre Lautee will once again be competitive, whilst five members of the NSW Junior State Team which claimed the Australian Interstate Series in April are competing, including Corey Jones (Pymble), Jordan Garner (Pennant Hills), Jay Mackenzie (Ballina), Josh Gadd (Concord) and Isaac Noh (The Australian).
Whilst there is plenty of talent from within Australia looking for their first Srixon International, the overseas contingent in the Boys Division this year is the strongest the tournament has ever had! In the 30 year history of the event, there hasn't been a Boys International winner, and New Zealander Shaun Campbell, who is fast becoming a familiar face at the top of JNJG leaderboards, is looking to be the first. Hawaii are bringing their most accomplished team to date, headed by 17 year old Acey Yanagishita, with Canada and Japan once again sending strong representation. For the first time Indonesia is going to represented at the Srixon, with Luthfi Haiban playing tournament golf in Australia for the very first time.
The tournament begins on Monday 3rd October with the annual long drive competition and tournament registration from 2:30pm, whilst the official Opening Ceremony begins at 6:00pm, all at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
JNJG would like to wish all the juniors the best of luck for the week ahead and fingers crossed we finally get some good weather at a JNJG major, because we're due some luck!!!
