Guyra Junior Open Day – May 18th, 2014
A record field of over 30 golfers descended on the Guyra Golf Club for the annual Junior Open Day. Guyra is a club with one of the highest representations in junior golf in the Northern Inland and it was appropriate that a high quality field assembled. Such high quality, that Darcy Carroll from Moree Golf Club was able to equal the local course record with a splendid round of 4 under par 69. A magnificent achievement at a course that Darcy had never seen until he teed it up on the first!!!!
The Junior Boys section of the Northern Inland Order of Merit competition has been very close since the start of the year and only 0.5 points separated Tom Gill (Tamworth) and Darcy at the start of the Guyra event. Darcy has now thrown out the challenge to all other Northern Inland Junior golfers – catch me if you can. Other good scores in the junior boys event were recorded by Andrew Brennan (Walcha) and James Shaw (Tenterfield). The improving Toby Cooper (Armidale) won the Junior Boys nett event with a great score of 66. Toby has lost a couple of shots off his handicap since the start of the year and we suspect maybe a couple more after this great round. Jake Ellis (Guyra), Tyson Burey (Guyra), Angus Bird (Inverell), Mitchell McPherson (Longyard) and Josh Hill (Tenterfield) also finished with nett scores better than par.
The Junior Girls event was again a two person field, however this time Bronte Walsh (Armidale) was able to turn the tables on Breanna Purse (Moree). This competition will continue until the end of the season I suspect. Rhys Deveney (Moree) was again able to take out the Cadet Boys event with a great score of 56. With this form we will probably see Rhys progressing to an 18-hole handicap by the end of the year. Runner up in the Boys Cadet event was Lachlan Fleming from Tamworth Golf Club.
It was lovely to see four young ladies contesting the Cadet Girls event with Tori Brazier (Guyra) and Annabelle Abrahamson (Moree) continuing their battle for NIOOM points. On this occasion, Tori was able to win the Cadet Girls event with a great score of 60 shots.
A fantastic field of eight boys and girls contested the 5 Hole Tyro event and I think the parents enjoyed the day as much as the young competitors. The emergence of these young players is perhaps a sign that the Jack Newton Junior Golf initiative of getting golf into the school sports programs is starting to pay dividends.
We now have a considerable break in the middle of the year before the next NIOOM event at Gunnedah on Sunday August 3rd. For those golfers who are still able to play in the colder months, keep up the practice and we look forward to renewing our NIOOM competition at Gunnedah.
Gerard Wilkinson JNJG Territory Manager Mobile: 0419 708 676
