Scaysbrook, Egea, Claim Thrilling NSW Junior
(6:00pm - Friday 7th July 2023)
Ella Scaysbrook (The Australian) and Taj Egea (Wolston Park) have hung on to claim dramatic one shot victories in the 2023 NSW Junior Championships at Ocean Shores Country Club.
Scaysbrook defeated Rachel Lee (Avondale) by one shot in a thrilling finish to the NSW Junior Girls. The 17 Year Old from Newcastle opened with a course record 65 and led from start to finish, holding off the fast-finishing Lee.
Despite Lee’s withering final round run, Scaysbrook managed to keep calm and collected, coming home victorious. “I’m feeling good. It was a very stressful win, but I got there in the end. Rachel played amazing today,” she said. “I was just trying to keep the process, stay positive and confident with everything. Just hit the shots that I needed to basically.”
After leading the tournament all week, the 17-year-old won by one shot, with a final score of nine under par, 280. “It was pretty solid, I had even today so it was alright. I’m very happy with where my game is.” Lee came in second place with a total score of 281 after the thrilling finish to the tournament, with Bundaberg’s Kate McFarlane finishing third at one under par.
Scaysbrook had a week to remember, also claiming the Girls 17 Years JNJG State Age Championship, the Girls Country Junior Championship and was a key member of the Newcastle DGA team that won the Inter-District Championship. Elly Peterson (RACV Royal Pines) claimed the Girls 16 Years Division, with Lee crowned Girls 15 Years Champion as well as finishing as the Overall Runner Up. Seoin Kim (The Brisbane GC) was far too good in the Girls 14 Years, with Camilla Kim (The Australian) dominating the Girls 13 Years Division.
Egea has won the NSW Junior Boys after a clutch 12 foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. Egea beat fellow Queenslander Chase Oberle (Brisbane) by one shot, with Riley Millers (Avondale) the best of the New South Welshman a shot further back.
Egea began his round two shots in front, but his lead soon slipped away when Brisbane Golf Club’s Chase Oberle took over the lead by two with just three holes remaining. Egea, however, wasn’t to be denied, and the plcuky teenager managed to fight back with a birdies on the 16th to get himself within one, before nailing a clutch 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th to seal a nail-biting one-shot win and the biggest crown in his young career.
“I started pretty slow. I was one over through nine and then I got to two over through the mid-section of the round, but I brought it home pretty strong with a couple of birdies,” he said. “I’m feeling great, I’m still living in the moment. It’s a good feeling.”
The 17-year-old said it was nerve-racking watching his lead disappear through the round, saying that he felt his game could’ve been better. “I didn’t have my best stuff today, so I was just taking what I had and seeing what I could do with it, so it was nice to get the win.” The highlight for the day was taking home the win with his final putt. “Holing the 12 footer on the last was definitely the best.”
Egea’s final score was 288 (+1), with Oberle coming in second with his score of 289.
Egea also picked up the Boys 17 Years Division, whilst a playoff was required to separate Dujuan Snyman (Sanctuary Cove) and Harry Whitelock (Royal Canberra) in the Boys 16 Years. Snyman rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to seal the win. Oberle picked up the Boys 15 Years Division as a consolation, with Bo Chung (Concord) and Thai Ngo (Royal Queensland) crowned champions in the 14 Years & 13 Years respectively.
JNJG would like to send a massive thank you to both host clubs, Ocean Shores CC and Byron Bay GC for their amazing hospitality this week.
We'd also like to send a massive thank you to Tournament Major Sponsor Ping and JNJG Tournament Sponsors Golf Fanatics and Tour Tee for their amazing support of the NSW Junior Championships and JNJG State Age Championships.
Final Round Underway as the Wind Blows at Ocean Shores
(7:00am - Friday 6th July 2023)
The final round of the NSW Junior Championships is underway with the sun shining and wind gusting across the testing Ocean Shores layout.
Ella Scaysbrook (The Australian) and Taj Egea (Wolston Park) lead heading into the final round and you can follow all the lives scores on the links below!
Scaysbrook, Egea, Hold Final Round Lead
(5:30pm - Thursday 6th July 2023)
Ella Scaysbrook (The Australian) and Taj Egea (Wolston Park) will sleep on the 54 Hole lead as they look to claim the NSW Junior Championship for the first time. Scaysbrook leads NSW Junior State Team member Rachel Lee (Avondale) by five, whilst Egea leads South African born Queenslander Dujuan Snyman (Sanctuary Cove) by two strokes.
A thrilling third round at the NSW Junior Championship saw the top of the boy’s leaderboard chopping and changing, but Wolston Park’s Taj Egea still sits in the lead heading into the final round. “It was a bit of a fight back today but nice to claw my way back,” he said.
It was a shaky start to the day for the 17-year-old, opening his round with two bogeys and a double to quickly drop to four over for the day. “I just hit a couple of loose shots and it added up pretty quickly, so I had to go into defense mode, but I got it back.”
He’s now sitting in prime position for tomorrow, the Queenslander focused on securing the win. “It’s a great spot to be in so I’m ready to go. I’ll just try to hole putts, make as many birdies as possible,” he added. “It would be great to win, a good step in my junior career and for college applications for the future. It would be nice to add this to the resume.”
Sancutuary Cove’s Dujuan Snyman jumped up a massive seven spots into second place, shooting a phenomenal bogey free round of four under par today. Third place is currently shared by three boys. They are Bonnie Doon’s Samuel Cascio, Brisbane’s Chase Oberle and Avondale’s Riley Millers.
In the girl’s division, there’s almost no competition for The Australian’s Ella Scaybrooks, who is now sitting a substantial five shots ahead of everyone else. Shooting two under par today, the 17-year-old is ecstatic with how she’s playing and is hopeful heading into tomorrow.
“I’m feeling really confident with my game. It’s a great feeling being in front,” she said. “I try not to look at my scores but it’s hard not to when you’re live scoring. I like to know though; it doesn’t add any pressure.” She said she won’t be changing her game tomorrow and will try to stick to her processes and stay positive to take home the win. “Two wins in a row would be really good and with it being my last junior championship, it would be a good thing to do.
Sitting behind Scaysbrook in second place is Avondale’s Rachel Lee after shooting four under par during her third round. Tied for third is Bundaberg’s Kate McFarlane and Royal Queensland’s Grace Rho.
The fourth and final round of the NSW Junior Championship will be played at Ocean Shores Country Club tomorrow, with players set to tee off at 6:45am.
"Tour Tee" Tee Times - Final Round
Play Underway on Moving Day
(6:45am - Thursday 6th July 2023)
Play is underway in the third round of the 2023 NSW Junior Championships at Ocean Shores CC and Byron Bay Golf Club. The final two rounds of the NSW Junior will be played at Ocean Shores, with those missing the cut competing for the JNJG State Age Plate Division at Byron Bay.
Will Ella Scaysbrook (The Australian) and Taj Egea (Wolston Park) continue to lead the way or will someone chase them down on moving day?
Taj Takes the Lead at NSW Junior Championships
(5:00pm - Wednesday 5th July 2023)
While Byron Bay Golf Club proved too tough for many of the leading players today, the course was no match for Queenslander Taj Egea. Only one of four players to shoot under par during round two, the 17-year-old Brisbane based golfer managed to bag five birdies and finish with a score of 67.
“I was looking at the live scoring and I saw everyone was having a rough day, so I thought it was a great day to capitalize on that and it was nice to get it done,” he said. “I’m feeling great, it’s nice to be in the lead of a state championship.”
Starting the day off in tenth place, he was happy to make major moves up the leaderboard. “It was always my goal today to move up as far as I can and it’s always nice to shoot a low score like that.” Egea says it’s a good boost to his confidence levels heading into the final two rounds at Ocean Shores with a four-shot lead. “I feel great. It’s definitely the place to be but I’ll definitely have to play some good golf to beat the other players.”
Moving up in to second place today was Royal Canberra’s Harry Whitelock, this year’s Peter O’Malley Junior Masters Champion. His final score for the day was 73, sharing second place with Elijah Rohas-Smith of Surfers Paradise. Whitelock's 36 Hole total of two over par was enough to claim the Country Junior Championship and Junior Champion of Champions.
In the girl’s division, Newcastle’s Ella Scaysbrook had a tougher day but still managed to hang onto her three shot lead. Playing at Byron Bay, she had a shaky couple of holes to finish on par with a score of 73.
“I was feeling confident coming into today, but I had a rough few holes in the middle but I got it back,” she said. Her highlight for the day was the few birdies she hit to begin her round, and she says she’s sticking to her processes during the rest of the tournament. “I’m feeling confident for the next two rounds, I’m still hitting it good. Everything is good”
In second place for the girls is Safina Kyprianou of Brisbane after shooting 70 at Ocean Shores today, with Avondale’s Rachel Lee coming in third after her round of 73.
The NSW Junior Boys Cut fell at +19, with the top 5 Boys in the 13 Years & Under Division also qualifying for the final two rounds at Ocean Shores.
Play begins at 6:51 AM on Thursday Morning.
Round 2 Underway as The Cut Looms Large
(8:00am - Wednesday 5th July 2023)
The second round of the 2023 NSW Junior Championships is underway at Ocean Shores Country Club and Byron Bay Golf Club. Players have swapped courses from the opening round as the 36 Hole Events, including the NSW Champion of Champions, NSW Country Junior Championship and NSW Inter-District Team Championship, conclude today.
All players will be striving to make the 36 Hole Cut, with Ella Scaysbrook (The Australian) and Sam Adams (Coolangatta Tweed Heads) leading the way after the opening round.
The Cut
NSW Junior Girls
- There will be no cut in the Girls Division
- All Girls will play the final two rounds at Ocean Shores on Thursday & Friday.
NSW Junior Boys
- At the completion of 36 Holes, there will be a cut in the Boys Division.
- The top 75 Boys, Plus Ties, Plus anyone within 10 shots of the overall leader will make the cut and play the final two rounds at Ocean Shores on Thursday & Friday..
- In addition to the Overall Cut in the NSW Junior Boys, a minimum of five (5) players from each age division, regardless of their overall position, will make the cut and play the final two rounds at Ocean Shores on Thursday & Friday.
- The remainder of the Boys Division who miss the cut will qualify for the Plate Division, playing the final two rounds at Byron Bay on Thursday & Friday.
- The Plate Division will also be played over four rounds, meaning the scores from the first two rounds will carry over to the final two rounds.
Scaysbrook Takes Control with Course Record 65
(5:00pm - Tuesday 4th July 2023)
Ella Scaysbrook (The Australian) has taken control of the NSW Junior Championships with a course record seven under par 65 at Ocean Shores Country Club. The 17 Year Old was flawless in the opening round, making seven birdies without dropping a shot, to open up a commanding three shot lead. Despite the rain pouring down during the opening round, Scaysbrook was on fire.
“I played really good actually. Didn’t miss any shots really and I didn’t have any three putts which was good. And bogey free which is nice,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting seven under, but I was confident in my game.”
Coming in confident off her win at the NSW CHS School Championships two weeks ago, Scaysbrook is hoping to keep up the pace and bag a second win in her final NSW Junior Champs. “My plan is to keep the process, keep doing what I’m doing and stay positive,” she added. While she managed to keep her cool during the inclement conditions today, she’d much prefer a drier day tomorrow. “It was tough. It was raining the whole day. There were a few breaks, but it was pretty consistent.”
Coming in behind Scaysbrook is Japan's Haruhi Nakatani of Coolangatta Tweed Heads with a four under par 68, with Safina Kyprianou of Brisbane GC in third after shooting a two under par 71 at Byron Bay Golf Club .
Tied for 4th place after an opening round of one under par is Grafton local and Coffs Harbour member Hollie Fuller, who said the rain was a challenge for her. “I was a bit nervous through the last few holes but I started off strong so that helped me out. I’m pretty happy with myself, I can’t complain.”
Leading the boys division is another local, Sam Adams from Coolangatta Tweed Heads. The 17-year-old shot an impressive four under par 68, putting him in front by two shots. “I’m feeling good. There’s a lot of golf ahead so I’m glad to get a good start,” he said. “I just wanted to post an alright score and when the putts started dropping, I was getting pretty happy.”
Adams said the front nine was a grind in the rain, but he managed to pull it together with five birdies on the back nine. One thing he was excited about was beating his twin brother Ben Adams, who also competed today. “There’s definitely going to be bragging,” he laughed.
In second place is Queensland's Ethan Anderson (Virginia GC) with a two under par 70, with Elijah Rohas-Smith (Surfers Paradise) the only other player to break par with a one under 71.
Players will swap courses for Round Two tomorrow, with play set to begin at 8:00am with the sun hopefully shining.
NSW Junior Underway in the Rain
(8:00am - Tuesday 4th July 2023)
The opening round of the NSW Junior Championships is underway at Ocean Shores Country Club and Byron Bay Golf Club.
12 months on from the floods that impacted the event in 2022, the rain has returned to the Northern Rivers with cool and damp conditions expected throughout the opening round.
"Tour Tee" Tee Times Released for NSW Junior
(9:00am - Monday 3rd July 2023)
The "Tour Tee" Tee Times for the opening two rounds of the 2023 NSW Junior Championships have been released! Players will play 18 Holes at both Ocean Shores CC and Byron Bay GC over the opening two days before the Cut is made.
Tournament Registration is also now open in the clubhouse at Ocean Shores CC. Come and see the JNJG Team to collect your yardage books, grab your gifts from our wonderful sponsors, and most importantly, find out your "Tour Tee" Tee Times for Round 1 and 2.
Rising Stars Set to Shine at NSW Junior Championship
(1:30pm - Thursday 29th June 2023)
Many of the country’s most accomplished junior golfers will converge on Ocean Shores Country Club and Byron Bay Golf Club in the NSW Northern Rivers next week to compete for glory in the time-honoured NSW Junior Championship.
A strong field of 215 boys and girls will battle it out over four days vying for the twin Championships. This year will see a remarkable 74 players on a handicap of scratch or better.
Reigning Girls Champion Sarah Hammett of Emerald Lakes will return to defend her crown. The 16-year-old, who won the 2022 NSW Women’s Amateur and finished a close third in the 2023 Women’s NSW Open at Tuncurry in March, is at the top of her game. Hammett is Australia’s third highest-ranked female amateur golfer, behind US college-based Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and fellow Queenslander Justice Bosio.
The girls’ contest is far from a one-player show, though. Current Australian Junior Champion, and recent North Coast Junior Masters winner, Ann Jang of New South Wales Golf Club will aim to add a second NSW Junior title to her 2021 Victory at Lynwood Country Club.
Avondale’s Rachel Lee, who won the Macarthur Junior Masters earlier this month and helped both NSW Interstate Teams to victory, will also be in the mix, while Ella Scaysbrook of The Australian Golf Club, coming off her success at last week’s NSW CHS Championships, will also be looking to add another title to her name too.
2022 Boys Champion Coby Carruthers won’t defend his crown having exited the junior ranks, leaving the chase for the Jack Newton Cup wide open.
Could Bonnie Doon’s Samuel Cascio continue his winning streak after claiming the Macarthur Junior Masters and the NSW CHS Championship titles in the last few weeks with a third major victory, or will Ethan Anderson of Virginia Golf Club on a handicap of +4.6 be the player to beat?
Winning Junior Interstate team members Toby Farrar (The Australian), Shashank Koirala (The Lakes), and Chun-Ta Wu (Long Reef), who have all been triumphant at Jack Newton Junior Golf events this year, will also be players to watch out for throughout the week.
Known for unearthing future golfing sensations, many of Australian Golf’s finest players, including Peter O’Malley, Matt Jones, Jan Stephenson and Sarah Kemp, have previously won the title. Recent winners include the 2023 PLAY TODAY NSW Open Champion David Micheluzzi (2014), PGA Tour Winner Lucas Herbert (2012), and Challenge Tour regular Jordan Zunic (2010).
Besides Hammett and Jang, recent winners of the girls include LPGA player Karis Davidson (2015) and June Song (2017), who was a pivotal member of this year’s all-conquering NSW Interstate Series Team.
This year’s host venues are the picturesque Ocean Shores Country Club and Byron Bay Golf Club. The challenging yet fair courses will provide the ideal backdrop for the 72-hole Championship.
All players will complete at least one round at both host venues, with a cut taking place after the second round, with the final two rounds to be played at Ocean Shores.
The 2023 NSW Junior Championship begins on Tuesday morning, with play set to start at 8:00am. The draw for the opening two rounds will be revealed to all players at Tournament Registration on Monday.
