It has been widely spread that the future growth of the game of golf is in the hands of our youth. Golf Clubs need to not only accept the youth and their cultures but embrace the young up and coming golfers of today.
The week down at the Srixon Australian Stroke Play and Amateur Championships the youth of today were the marquee players. In the women's stroke play event that concluded last week, 6 of the top 10 girls were under the age of 18. This was highlighted by a 13 year old New Zealander claiming the title. The women then moved on to the match play component where normally experience wins out. In this event 5 of the last 8 girls remaining were under the age of 18, with 14 year old Western Australian Golfer, Min Jee Lee qualifying for today's final.
In the men's event, 17 year old Cameron Smith from QLD was crowned the winner of the stroke play championship in a playoff. Although the numbers in the men's event was not as staggering as the women's event, it was extremely prevalent in the field that took to the course last week that the junior boys are closing the gap between the boys and the men. In the final of the match play today two young men, 20 year old Matthew Stieger from NSW and Ben Campbell of New Zealand will battle it out.
Not only is the future of the game in the hands of our youth but the game itself is becoming a game at the elite level for the youth. We must do everything we can to support them!
