NATHAN Mann and Ben Koopman were soaking up more information and working on their short games at a Tamworth Golf Club-sponsored NIAS Golf Squad session yesterday.
Today the two 16-year-old golfers head off to Dubbo to represent the North West in a State CHS Golf Carnival. They are part of the eight-player squad to be managed by Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School's Gary Armstrong over the three days.
Koopman, 16, hails from Barraba but started at Tamworth's Oxley High School earlier this year. The Year 10 student plays off a handicap of 5 and won this year's NSW Junior Sand Green Championship at Narromine. He's been playing recently, losing the Barraba Junior Open to NW teammate Mann by a shot.
"I shot 75," Koopman said yesterday.
"I got him on the last hole," Mann added.
Mann, a Year 10 student at Tamworth High School, plays off 3 and had a 74 around Barraba in that junior open. He parred the last hole to snare the one-shot win over his good mate. Koopman is one up on Mann though, having played in the North West side at The Coast, in Sydney, last year.
"It's my first time," Mann said. However it's not their first time playing Dubbo. "We were both down there for the Baker Trinder Shield a few years ago," Mann said.
Yesterday the Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation's manager of coaching and development, Khan Pullen, was in Tamworth helping NIAS head coach Scott Roworth run the two-day camp.
"The JNJGF is involved with 10 regional academies across the state," Pullen said.
"We fund and support these programs.
"It's going pretty well.
"We have 115 kids in the regional academies and provide some quality coaching for them as well as giving them an opportunity for testing and information about sport science."
Roworth said the NIAS squad tries to meet once a month as well as giving "them work to do on their game". He said not only do Mann and Koopman go to the State CHS Carnival but also have State Age Championships in Sydney coming up.
"They'll be playing some tough courses; Terrey Hills, The Australian, The Lakes and Concord. Four great tests.
"They are fully aware it's going to be tough.
"If they can shoot four rounds in the 70s they will be very happy."
