Louis Dobbelaar and Grace Kim win at Cypress Lakes
(8:00pm - Friday 6th October, 2017)
Louis Dobbelaar (Queensland) has survived a final round scare to win the Boys Division at the 2017 Jack Newton International Junior Classic at Cypress Lakes.
Starting the final round with a seemingly comfortable five shot lead, Dobbelaar got off to the perfect start with a birdie on the first hole to extend his lead. Three holes later, after a bogey and a double bogey, the tournament was a contest once again. New Zealander Hiroki Miya was flying on the front nine and when Dobbelaar dropped another shot on the 9th, the Kiwi and Queenslander were sharing the lead at -5.
But as it proved all week and perhaps fittingly in the end, the difficult 10-11-12 hole stretch was where the tournament was won and lost. Dobbelaar steadied with a birdie and a par on 10-11, whilst Miya dropped out of contention with a bogey and a double of his own. Dobbelaar was comfortable again in the lead, but no one had accounted for the in-form and improved Adam Thorp (Federal).
Playing in the second to last group, Thorp had made the turn in three under par and when he got through the tough back nine stretch of 10-11-12 dropping just the one shot, the Canberra boy went about posting a score that could prove hard to catch. Birdies on the 14th and 17th saw the 17 year old sign for a round of the day 68 and the clubhouse lead all on his own at -3.
Playing in the final group, Queenslander Lewis Hoath and Hiroki Miya could only manage 73s to finish the tournament at -1 whilst 15 Year Old Tom Heaton (paired with Thorp) birdied three of his final five holes to recover from a slow start to finish inside the Top 5 and claim the 15 Years Age Division. So that left overnight leader Dobbelaar as the only one who could catch the A.C.T junior, and a bogey on the 17th left Dobbelaar just the one shot in front. But showing just why he is highly regarded Australia wide, Dobbelaar hit a superb approach over the big tree that hung across the edge of the 18th fairway to about four feet and made the birdie putt to win by two.
Dobbelaar became the first boy in Jack Newton International Junior Classic history to win the Sub-Junior and Junior double, after claiming the Sub-Junior title at Cessnock in 2015.
Boys Leaderboard - Click Here
Whilst there was plenty of action at the top of the Boys Leaderboard, no one could go close to catching the red-hot Grace Kim (Avondale) in the Girls Division. Starting the final round with an 11 shot advantage, Kim knew that pars on the final day were a good score. Showing maturity beyond her years, the 16 year old did just that, recording just one birdie, one bogey, and 16 pars in the final round to cruise to the title. Incredibly, over the 72 holes on the testing Cypress Lakes layout (which had already been made longer than the normal Girls course), the Avondale junior only made four bogies, one on each day, making it impossible for those chasing behind her waiting for a mistake.
Steph Kyriacou (St Michaels) finished in second spot after a final round 70 that left her at two under for the tournament, one shot clear of the fast-finishing Gabbi Ruffels (Victoria) who flew out of the blocks on Friday and at one stage was five under par through just seven holes!! Hannah Park (NSW GC) and Isabelle Taylor (Queensland) shared fourth position, finishing the tournament where they started at Even Par.
But the win capped off an amazing year for the Sydney-sider, who has now tasted victory at National Ranking events in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia inside the last 12 months.
Girls Leaderboard - Click Here
In the International Teams Challenge, Queensland's Cassie Porter paired up with Boys Tournament winner Louis Dobbelaar to take home the title, a combined five shots clear of JNJG team-mates Hannah Park and Harrison Crowe, with the team representing NSW (Steph Kyriacou and Jye Pickin) finishing a shot further back in third.
International Challenge Leaderboard - Click Here
Jack Newton Junior Golf would like to thank all 372 players who took part in the biggest Junior Tournament in Australia, with 9 countries and every state and territory Australia wide being represented really making the event, the "International". JNJG would also like to thank tournament sponsor Callaway Golf South Pacific, and all the staff, greenkeepers and volunteers at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club for playing their part in such a big and wonderful event.
For any feedback or questions about the event, please email JNJG Tournament Manager Dale Hughes (dale@jnjg.com.au) or call 02 9567 7736.
Kim Cruising Home As Kiwi Makes Charge at Dobbelaar
(4:30pm - Friday 6th October, 2017)
With 9 holes to play, Grace Kim (Avondale) holds a commanding nine-shot lead at the Jack Newton International Junior Classic. Kim has been steady in the final round, one birdie and one bogey meaning the rest of the field is going to need to do something special to catch her. They're trying hard, with eight of the current top 10 players under par for the final round in perfect scoring conditions at Cypress Lakes.
Louis Dobbelaar (Queensland) has seen his lead vanish as New Zealander Hiroki Miya makes a final round charge. The boys now share the lead at five under par as they turn into the back nine, with Lewis Hoath (Queensland), Adam Thorp (Federal - A.C.T), Josh Greer (Western Australia) and Harrison Crowe (St Michaels - NSW) all still within reaching distance.
Live Scores - Click Here
Final Round Underway at Cypress
(6:30am - Friday 6th October, 2017)
The final round of the 2017 Jack Newton International Junior Classic got underway at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club at 6:30 on another beautiful morning in the Hunter Valley.
Louis Dobbelaar (Queensland) will take a five shot lead into the final round in the Boys Division whilst Grace Kim (Avondale, NSW) leads the Girls by 11 shots with 18 holes to play. There will be live scoring for the final few groups every couple of holes once they tee off from 1:30pm and you can follow all that action by clicking here.
Also, in case you missed it on the Ch 9 News last night, NBN ran a story on the Jack Newton International Junior Classic. Watch how some of our leading kids handled the media in the interviews here - http://www.nbnnews.com.au/2017/10/05/top-golfers-in-the-hunter-for-jack-newton-international/
Kim and Dobbelaar Close in on Title
(8:00pm - Thursday 5th October, 2017)
Overnight leaders Grace Kim (Avondale) and Louis Dobbelaar (Queensland) have one hand on the Jack Newton International Junior Classic Trophy after dominant performances on a long day at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
Dobbelaar leads by five strokes after his second consecutive "round of the day", a three under par 69 in hot conditions in the Hunter Valley. Dobbelaar took control of the tournament late, making four birdies on the bounce from the 14th hole. A bogey on the last stopped the impressive Queenslander recording back to back 68's, but will take a commanding lead over New Zealander Hiroki Miya and fellow Queenslander Lewis Hoath heading into the final round.
Miya was solid again, backing up his opening rounds of 71 and 72 with another round of 71. Sharing second with him is Hoath, the 16 year old starting great before dropping shots around the difficult holes around the turn. To his credit, Hoath responded with birdies on the 16th and 17th to keep his Jack Newton International Junior Classic title-dreams alive.
Boys Live Scores - Click Here
In the Girls Division, Grace Kim continues to star. For the third straight day, Kim had the best round of the entire Girls field, proving once again she's the hottest player in the country right now. Kim dropped only one shot (also for the third consecutive day), and takes an 11 shot lead into the final round. Queenslander Isabelle Taylor matched Kim with a 70 on Thursday to move into a share of 2nd with Stephanie Kyriacou (St Michael's).
Girls Live Scores - Click Here
Round Four Draw - Click Here
Grace in Cruise Control at Cypress
(1:00pm - Wednesday 4th October, 2017)
To put it simply, Grace Kim (Avondale) is on fire.
The 16 year old scorched around the Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club resort with a five under par 67 in the second round of the Jack Newton International Junior Classic. After taking a one shot lead into the second round after opening with a 68 on Tuesday, Kim reeled off six birdies alongside just one bogey to open up a commanding six shot lead over the rest of the field.
Hannah Park (NSW GC) sits in second, the only other girl with back to back under par rounds after firing a 70 on Wednesday morning in the warm conditions. Belinda Ji (Concord) and New Zealand visitor Juliana Hung sit a shot further back in a tie for third, Hung impressing with two eagles and four birdies in her round of 70.
The shot of the day belonged to South Africa's Noluthando Mdanda, who had her first ever Hole-In-One on the 3rd hole. She'll remember her trip to Australia for a while!!
Girls Live Scores - Click Here
The boys division is much tighter, with Queenslander Louis Dobbelaar holding a one shot lead after a four under par 68 early on Wednesday morning. Dobbelaar had four birdies and an eagle in his second round and whilst many players got to better than -4 at different stages of the second round, none of them could hold on. Overnight leader Tom Heaton (The Australian) was one of them, making four birdies in his first seven holes to take the lead at -7. But Heaton struggled late, finishing with four consecutive bogies, to drop out of the lead and into third place at -2.
Lewis Hoath (Queensland) was the best of the afternoon players in the warmer conditions, shooting a three under par 69 to jump up the leaderboard and into second place. The only other players currently in red figures are Brad Doherty (Oatlands), Harrison Crowe (St Michaels) and New Zealander Hiroki Miya.
Boys Live Scores - Click Here
Round Three Draw - Click Here
JNJG Stars on top at International
(7:00pm - Tuesday 3rd October, 2017)
It may be star-studded International Field, but it was some home grown JNJG Talent that leads after the opening round of the JNJG International at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
Grace Kim (Avondale) continued her amazing recent form as she looks for her first Major JNJG title with an opening round of 68. Kim had five birdies and made only one bogey to lead playing partner Gabbi Ruffels (Victoria) by a single shot. Ruffels had the shot of the day, which was nearly the shot of the year, when her drive on the Par 4 7th nearly went in for a hole-in-one. The Victorian tapped in for an eagle to briefly get to -4 herself, before settling for a three under 69. Belinda Ji (Concord) shares second after her own round of 69, whilst eight girls in total finished the opening round in red figures including Liyana Durisic (Malaysia) and Alice Kweon (ANK Korea).
Girls Results - Click Here
There were also six boys under par on the opening day, with JNJG Stars Harrison Crowe (St Michaels), Tom Heaton (The Australian), Lachlan Jones (Dubbo) and Adam Thorp (Federal) leading the way. The boys fired matching rounds of three under par 69, but all did it very differently. After starting on the 10th, Crowe picked up three birdies in a row from the 5th to finish really strong, whilst Heaton also finished strong with a bogey free 32 on his back nine. Lachlan Jones started hot, picking up birdies on the 1st and 2nd and A.C.T representative Adam Thorp also started on fire, picking up four birdies in his opening eight holes. West Australian Jose De Sousa and Kiwi visitor Hiroki Miya were the other two players under par.
Boys Results - Click Here
Round Two Draw - Click Here
Play Underway at Cypress Lakes
(7:00am - Tuesday 3rd October, 2017)
The opening round of the Jack Newton International Junior Classic is underway, with players out on course at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club.
Round 1 Draw - Click Here
Live Scores - Click Here
Round 2 Draw - Click Here
Round 1 Draw - Out Now
(3:00pm - Monday 2nd October, 2017)
The draw is out now for the 2017 Jack Newton International Junior Classic. Not long to go now until the biggest junior event of the year!!
Round 1 Draw - Click Here
Tournament Leaderboards - Click Here
Practice Day Underway at International
(11:00am - Monday 2nd October, 2017)
More than 370 of the best junior golfers from around the world are currently having practice rounds and working on their game ahead of tomorrow's opening round of the 2017 Jack Newton International Junior Classic, supported by Callaway.
There's some other things happening on course today so make sure you come down to Cypress Lakes from 2:30 for the official start of the tournament.
2:30pm > 5:30pm - Long Drive Competition
3:00pm > 5:30pm - Tournament Registration
6:00pm > 6:30pm - Opening Ceremony
Round One Draw - Click Here
Tournament Preview - Record Field for International
(3:00pm - Friday 29th September, 2017)
A record field of more than 370 players will take part in the Jack Newton International Junior Classic, beginning on Tuesday 3rd October at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club and Cessnock Golf Club. The tournament, brainchild of Australian golfing stalwart and JNJG founder Jack Newton, was first held in 1986 and provides a competitive environment for the most promising talent from right around the globe.
More than 235 local players from the NSW and A.C.T will be taking part in the tournament whilst a record 136 Interstate and Overseas players have entered the this year, meaning the tournament will certainly live up to it’s name of the “International”. Teams will be flying in from far and wide with players from Canada, Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa and South Korea looking to take the trophy back home with them. Every state and territory in Australia is also represented, including Tasmania for the first time in many years, meaning 17 teams will be competing in the International Challenge this year, a 2-person aggregate teams event held in conjunction over the four rounds.
The tournament is a permanent fixture on the junior golfing calendar, holding both Australia Junior Ranking and World Amateur Golf Ranking Status, and is proudly supported for the first time by major sponsor, Callaway. Jack Newton Junior Golf is thrilled to welcome Callaway as a sponsor of junior golf in NSW for the first time and looks forward to a long and positive relationship.
“The Jack Newton 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 as an amateur. Baddeley is a winner on the PGA tour and an enthusiastic supporter of junior golf around the world. Other international superstars that claimed the Jack Newton International Junior Classic in their junior days are current PGA / European Tour Players Steven Bowditch, Andrew Dodt, Brett Drewitt, and Ryan Ruffels (2-time Sub Junior Champion). Current LPGA Tour stars Minjee Lee, Su-Hyun Oh and Thidipa Suwannapura were all recent champions in the event whislt Ladies European Tour Champions Nikki Garrett and Rebecca Artis and multiple Japanese Tour winners Brendan Jones and Nikki Campbell also tasted success at the Jack Newton International Junior Classic.
Defending champions Josh Armstrong (A.C.T) and Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Thailand) have exited the junior ranks in 2017, with Armstrong using his win at the International Junior Classic last year to launch a brilliant 12 months. Armstrong followed up his win in the final event of his JNJG career with another victory in the WAGR Avondale Medal, and did enough in other big amateur events around the world to gain a start in the Junior Presidents Cup, held in the US just last week. With the defending champions out of contention, it opens the door for two new players to put their name on the International Junior Classic trophy for the first time.
The tournament begins on Monday 2nd October with the annual long drive competition and tournament registration from 2:30pm, as well as the draw for the opening two rounds being revealed. The official Opening Ceremony begins at 6:00pm at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club, where the International and Interstate competitors will be officially welcomed to the tournament by Jack Newton himself.
Draw - Click Here (available at 3:00pm on Monday 2nd October)
Tournament Leaderboards - Click Here
