Bang and Fletcher Win Illawarra Junior Masters
(3:00pm - Friday 14th April 2023)
Michelle Bang (Concord) and Ryan Fletcher (Lynwood) have won the 2023 Illawarra Junior Masters at Kiama Golf Club.
Bang cruised to a six shot victory in the Girls, with Fletcher winning the boys by one stroke in a nail biting finish.
After a wet and windy first round at Links Shell Cove, the sun finally shone upon the South Coast for the final round. Michelle Bang began the morning at Kiama with a three shot lead, but her Concord campatriot, Amy Squires, and Avondale junior, Robyn Keen who accompanied Bang in the final group were not going to make the task easy. With bogey's on the 4th and 6th hole, Bangs lead was reduced to one shot. Squires looked likely to be the one that would push Bang all the way. There were no mistakes early, as Squires made eight pars in a row and was keeping right on Bangs tail.
The par 3,13th, proved to be the most difficult hole for the final group. No one was able to make par or better, Squires' small blip on the challenging par 3 moved Bang into a comfortable position with six holes remaining. Bang capitalised only a few holes later by making birdie on the par 5, 15th. The lead stretched to six shots as the flag went in on the 18th and Bang recorded her first Junior Masters title of the season.
There were only a few shots that separated a handful of boys at the start of the final round. Steven Robertson (Ryde Parramatta) moved into the lead early with birdies on the 4th and 8th hole. Fletcher was unable to repeat the start he made in Round 1 that moved him cleared on the leaderboard. It was three hole stretch that he would have to push aside, as he bogeyed the opening holes. Zac Oyston (Wollongong) levelled Robertson with a birdie on the 10th and then took the lead by making another on the 11th. Oyston posted three over, 69 final round and became the clubhouse leader finishing the tournament four over par.
Fletcher matched Oyston with birdies on the 10th and 11th too but fell victim to the tough par 3,13th that troubled the girls earlier. His double bogey set up an exciting home stretch for the neutrals. However, he showed great resilience by quickly making up for the 13th hole and moved back to one shot on top of the leaderboard with a birdie on the 14th. The Lynwood Junior closed out with four pars on what would have been a nerve-racking finale and claimed victory by one shot.
Zac Oyston, finished second overall and first in the Boys 14 & 15 Years. Joey Eason (Campbelltown) ended up winning the Boys 13 Years division comfortably. While Annoushka Maikap's (Stonecutters Ridge) par was just enough for her to claim victory by one shot in the Girls 14 & 15 Years. Ava Prince (Toukley) recorded her second age division win of the season in the Girls 13 Years.
In the U12 Tour, Jaydan Costello (Crookwell) cruised to victory in the Boys 10 Years and Under. While the Boys 11 and 12 Years came down to wire, with Vincent Zhao (Bonnie Doon) taking the win by two shots. Liliana Cheng (Cammeray) recorded two solid rounds and won the Girls 11 and 12 Years.
Junior Masters - Final Scores
JNJG Under 12 Tour - Final Scores
Play Underway at Kiama in Final Round
(7:00am - Friday 14th April 2023)
The final round of the 2023 Illawarra Junior Masters is underway at Kiama Golf Club.
Michelle Bang (Concord) held a comfortable lead in the Girls Division as the Boys Division looked set to go right down to the wire!
Junior Masters
JNJG Under 12 Tour
Challenging Conditions in the Illawarra Sets up Thrilling Final Round
(8:00pm - Thursday 13th April 2023)
It's three way tie at the top between Lachlan Venables (Toronto), Ryan Fletcher (Lynwood) and Harry Gourlay (Mollymook), as the trio shot even par (70) and will share the overnight lead with the tournament moving to Kiama on Friday. While Michelle Bang (Concord) withstood tough links conditions, finishing 71 (+1) and heads into the final round with a three shot lead.
There were mutiple boys who made a charge at somepoint during the first round at Links Shell Cove. With many pushing for a maiden Junior Masters title, the leaderboard was compact throughout the day. Fletcher set the pace early, with three birdies inside his opening five holes. Gourlay was consistent, finishing with a clean scorecard, consisting of one birdie and a bogey. However, it was Venables with a chance to take the solo lead going into the final round, with an eagle putt on the 18th that unfortunately lipped out. The leaders will need to keep the pace in the final round, being closely monitored by 10 other boys who are within four shots of the lead.
Michelle Bang bounced back after opening her round with two bogey's by making birdie on the 5th. Bang continued to move up the leaderboard with a birdie on the 11th and finishing with another on the 17th. Fellow Concord junior, Amy Squires, only three shots behind, concluded her round with a birdie on the 18th. Bang will be joined by Squires and Robyn Keen (Avondale) in the final group on Friday morning.
Jayden Costello (Crookwell) came in even par on the back nine, shooting an impressive 77 (+7) in the U12 Tour, while Lilianna Cheng (Cammeray) played consistent golf in the opening round of the tour.
Round 2 will commence at 7:00am with the tournament moving to Kiama GC for the final round.
Junior Masters
JNJG Under 12 Tour
Round One Underway at Links Shell Cove
(7:00am - Thursday 13th April 2023)
The opening round of the 2023 Illawarra Junior Masters and JNJG Under 12 Tour Event is underway at Links Shell Cove.
Local Junior Aksel Thomsen (Wollongong) is off to a flyer, picking up birdies on his opening three holes!
Junior Masters
JNJG Under 12 Tour
2023 Illawarra Junior Masters and U12 Tour
(4:00pm - Wednesday 12th April 2023)
The Illawarra Junior Masters and U12 Tour will take place together for the first time this season. The U12 Tour will feature at this years Junior Masters, with the first of their 36 hole events to be played this week on the South Coast.
Despite the 2023 Australian Junior Championships and Junior Interstate Series in Tasmania attracting some of the best juniors from across the state, the Illawarra field remains strong and has seen more than 100 juniors register for the event. Defending Champion Ann Jang (NSW) is among the field in Tasmania and former JNJG junior, Cameron Jackson, bowed out with a win in his last ever junior tournament, giving an opportunity for many to claim their first Junior Masters title this week!
A long awaited return to Links Shell Cove will finally be over come Thursday morning as they host Round 1. After adverse weather conditions throughout the South Coast of NSW last year reduced the tournament to just one course. The final round of the tournament will take place on Friday at Kiama GC.
Junior Masters
U12 Tour
