NSW GC Make History in Nail-Biting Junior Pennant Victory
(9:00am - Monday 5th December 2022)
New South Wales Golf Club has made history, claiming it's first ever Sydney Metropolitan Junior Pennant title with a nail-biting playoff victory over Liverpool Golf Club on Sunday afternoon.
With almost 30 Team Titles to their name, including 13 Men's Major Pennants, 10 Women's Grade and 5 Eric Apperly Shields, you'd be fogiven for thinking the club would have added a Junior Pennant title at some stage in their history, however the final piece of the puzzle had eluded them, until now.
On a bright and sunny day in Sydney's South West at Lakeside Golf Club Camden, the Junior Pennant final got underway with plenty of spectators from both clubs in attendance. Despite a significant handicap advantage on paper, it wasn't all smooth sailing in the final, as the gallant Liverpool Golf Club gave the La Perouse club an almighty scare.
Jack Harrod got Liverpool off to the perfect start with a 6&5 victory over Lilli Kremmer, before Ann Jang responded for NSW with a 6&4 victory over Jaden Hoang-Ngo. Jang got off to incredible start in the match, racing out to a 5up lead after starting with six birdies in a row.
Noah Reitsma put Liverpool 2-1 up with a dominant victory over Kayun Mudadana, before Julian Callao made it 3-1 with a last hole victory over James Domazetovski.
Needing victory in the final two matches to keep their hopes alive, Lucas Naumovski pulled one back for NSW with a 3&1 victory over James Hoang, meaning it all came down to the final match on course between two JNJG regulars in Zak Marsh and Blake Hodges. The two close mates, both members of the Western Sydney Academy of Sport, went down the last with Hodges getting the crucial point needed for NSW to extend the match, tieing things up at 3-3.
Each team then selected a player to contest the playoff, with Ann Jang and Noah Reitsma chosen after impressive victories earlier in the day.
After playing the first playoff hole conservatively, both players were left with short-ish par putts on the tricky sloping green. Reitsma was up first, narrowly missing as his ball hit the lip and stayed out, leaving Jang with just over three feet for the title. Like she's done many times before, the 2021 NSW Junior Champion calmly knocked the putt in, securing the pennant for NSW.
Final Score
NSW 3* - 3 Liverpool
*NSW won on the first sudden death playoff hole.
