What is the Sydney Metropolitan Junior Pennant?

The Junior Pennant in the Sydney Metropolitan area is a six person team match play event for boys and girls combined. The format for 2024 has all members playing handicap match play. Clubs competing in this competition will be divided into divisions. Play amongst the division will produce a winning team who will then compete against other division winners in the quarter finals, semi-finals and the final. The overall metropolitan winner will then compete in a state final series against the teams from District Golf Associations around NSW to find the overall State Junior Pennant Champions.

The NSW Golf Association first ran this event in 1952 due to a lack of junior tournaments. At the time the Junior Championship was the only event on the calendar specifically for juniors and it was a 36 hole individual stroke event. During this founding year five teams of five players participated in the event. In 1954 the format changed and a second division was added. Teams in Division One had unlimited handicap restrictions, meaning all five players could be off scratch, while in Division Two, two players had to be off six or less with the remaining three players on a handicap higher than six.

The Bankstown team were the first official recorded winners of the event taking out the 1953 Championship. Fifty nine years later the same club captured the title in 2012 over Cronulla at the Liverpool Golf Club.

2023 Final

Stonecutters Ridge Claim Victory in Junior Pennant Final

Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club have claimed victory over Cronulla Golf Club in a close encounter at Lakeside Golf Club Camden on Sunday afternoon.

On a bright and sunny day in Sydney's South West, the Junior Pennant final got underway with plenty of spectators from both clubs in attendance. Each match on paper was close after handicaps determined only a few shots to be given in each match.

Zayne Meinke got Stonecutters Ridge off to the perfect start with a 2up victory over Thomas Kelly, before Reid Springett responded for Cronulla with a 5&4 victory over Cooper Ison.

Savannah Webb put Stonecutters Ridge 2-1 up with a strong victory over Theo Fedes. It would be a nervous watch for the two captains after their match concluded with the remaining three matches all locked up.

Incredibly, the final three matches all went the distance and it showed just how closely contested this final was.

Jake Hughes and Jack Gillett finished their match all square after 18 and put Stonecutters Ridge up 2.5 to 1.5.

Needing victory in at least one of the final two matches to keep their hopes alive, Christian Climie squared his match with Sean Sammons, meaning it all came down to the final match on course between young-gun Beau Cain and Marie-Claire Domingo. Just like the previous matches, the pair could not be separated and Stonecutters Ridge only needed a halve to claim victory.

Marie-Claire held on and halved her match with the young Cronulla junior to give Stonecutters Ridge a 3.5 to 2.5 victory and securing their spot at the State Junior Pennant Finals at Newcastle in January.