What is the Sydney Metropolitan Encourage Shield?

The Encourage Shield is an annual handicap match play competition for teams of juniors from Golf Clubs in the Sydney Metropolitan Region.

The objective of the Encourage Shield is to provide young golfers with the opportunity to test their skills and learn match play competition in an environment that is fun, supportive and free of undue interference.

The competition is handicap match play over 18 holes. Each contest will comprise of six individual matches. Each Individual match counts for one point.

Boys and girls are eligible to play and may play off their current daily handicap which has a maximum for boys at 36 and maximum for girls at 45.

The Encourage Shield is an excellent opportunity for those juniors who are not yet at Junior Pennant level. It gives them a chance to learn the art of Matchplay so in the future when they are taking the step into Junior Pennant they are prepared.

Oatlands Claim 2023 Encourage Shield

Oatlands Golf Club have won the 2023 Encourage Shield with a nail-biting victory over Camden Golf Club on Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Golf Club Camden.

The top two ranked teams cruised through the Semi-finals and it was set to be a tight encounter with both teams evenly matched in each contest.

Braxton Andrews got Camden off to a fast start with a 3&2 victory over Noel Bae. Jack Weaver gave Camden a two match advantage after taking Donovan O'Connor all the way down 18 to notch a 2up victory. Oatlands responded with Jerry Qin, in fine form during the finals series, claiming a 6&5 victory over Jonah Williams.

With the number one and two matches all locked up going through the turn, each club took one victory aside from these matches. Alicia Luo defeated Ollie Birken 4&2 while Zelden Bell put Camden 3-2 up with a 4&3 victory over Ricky Fang.

The contest would go down to the final match between Jeremy Liew and Kade Graham. A valiant effort from the Camden junior to take the Oatlands captain to the 18th hole to force a results. However, Jeremy Liew held his nerve to square the contest 3-3 with a 1up victory in front of a big crowd.

With the contest now tied up, the teams selected a player to go back down the 1st in a play off. Camden and Oatlands both selected their number one players, Ricky Fang for Oatlands and Zelden Bell for Camden.

Ricky Fang had the honours but after his drive, it looked like the door opened for Bell as he found the left side of the fairway. Blocked out by trees, Fang wouldn't have a clear sight to the green for his second. Bell continued what he had delivered all day by ripping one straight down the middle and putting himself in prime position. Fang cleverly found the right edge of the green leaving himself a tough up and down. After a superb drive, Bell unfortunately could not capitalise and left his second shot short and with the undulating greens of Lakeside it would be a difficult putt.

Fang's short game was put to the test and he delivered with an amazing chip to leave himself a putt for par. Bell's first putt was not hit with enough venom and then his second fell past the hole. It left Fang with two putts to win, however, he only needed one as he knocked in his par to secured victory for Oatlands.

After falling short in the final 12 months ago, a resilient Oatlands side went one better this year. Oatlands will now represent all Sydney Metropolitan Clubs at the State Encourage Shield Finals, set to be played at Newcastle in January.