2016 Junior Pennant Final
At the prestigious The Lakes Golf Club on Sunday 4th December, Hurstville GC and Moore Park GC under 18 teams contested the final of the Junior Pennant for 2016. The weather was ideal with a bright sunny day and a 10-15km per hour “breeze” from the North East. The Lakes GC was a picture postcard, the greens were medium fast and the players had arrived early to take advantage of the excellent practice facilities there. At 12:30 the first group teed off on the tricky par 4, 1st hole.
The format for the event was handicap match play. Moore Park gave a few more shots than Hurstville, but overall it was, on paper, a relatively even contest. After 5-6 holes it was close in most matches, but Hurstville held a good lead in the number 5 match. The breeze was beginning to pick up and became a steady 18-20 kph. This was going to cause problems on the open back nine where the water really comes into play. At the turn, Hurstville lead narrowly but still it was anyone’s game.
The tight 10th hole took its toll on a few players, hitting straight into the wind with a deadly hazard on the right. The lead started to change. Three holes later it became evident that the Moore Park players were a little more experienced playing windy conditions and although close, they lead in 4 of the 6 matches. There was a brief recovery by the Hurstville number 1 and their supporters saw a possibility of a comeback. Up ahead, Hurstville’s number 5 had won a couple in a row to secure a win, but Moore Park had strengthened their lead in the 2, 3 and 4 matches. The Moore Park parents and supporters were starting to celebrate and were crowded around just above the 15th green. After the number 1’s had played the tough par 5, 14th hole, Moore Park had secured 2 more matches to lead 3 – 1. Shortly afterwards Moore Park’s number 6 player won on the 17th and the contest was all over, Moore Park winning the 2016 Junior Pennant 4.5 – 1.5
Nibblies and soft drinks greeted them at the Clubhouse and at the presentation, Hurstville were gracious in defeat and Moore Park exuberant with their win. It was the first team they had entered in the Junior Pennant for many years. Well Done MPGC.
Moore Park – Asst Manager Scott Johnson, David Nguyen, Grace Adams, Ly Hoang, Jeffrey Pullen (kneeling), Zac Sayers, Charlotte Huynh, Monica Johnson, Jonathon Boediman (kneeling), Kaine Andres, Team Manager - Merryl Johnson
Hurstville Golf Club – Leo Soldo, Jasmine Driscoll, Zach Senter, Brayden Taylor, Dylan Carter, Ryan Johnson, Portia Hill, Team Manager – Reece Johnson
