Local talent will take centre stage when the Greg Chalmers Junior Masters returns to Shelly Beach Golf Club this weekend. Featuring the defending champion, former Junior Masters winners, NSW Junior Interstate representatives and some of the state’s most exciting junior golfers, the field promises another thrilling edition of the Junior Masters Series.
Defending champion Ava Prince returns to Shelly Beach Golf Club looking to successfully defend her Greg Chalmers Junior Masters title. A member of Toukley Golf Club who also represents Bonnie Doon, Prince claimed her maiden Junior Masters victory at Shelly Beach 12 months ago during a standout season that also included back-to-back Regional Academy Games titles. Competing in her final Greg Chalmers Junior Masters, the Central Coast local will be determined to finish on a high with another victory on home soil.
Joining Prince among the local hopes is Kiara Connolly-Jackson, who is a member of Kooindah Waters Golf Club and represents Avondale. The former Master of the Masters winner heads into the event after an impressive fourth-place finish at the NSW Junior Championships. Connolly-Jackson has represented the NSW Junior Interstate Team for the past two years and has been a key member of its success. A Junior Masters title is one of the few achievements missing from her résumé this year, and there would be no better place to claim it than in her hometown.
Fresh off the biggest victory of her career, Tirzah Cho from New South Wales Golf Club looms as one of the biggest threats for this year’s Greg Chalmers Junior Masters title. Cho arrives at Shelly Beach brimming with confidence after capturing the NSW Junior Championships just a few weeks ago, having also recorded a fifth-place finish at the Jack Newton Age Championships the week prior. With her game in outstanding form, she will be one of the players to beat this weekend.
The Boys’ field also features two former Junior Masters champions. Lennox Cleary (Long Reef Golf Club) claimed the Illawarra Junior Masters in a thrilling playoff, while Harrison Preece (The Vintage Golf Club) captured the Peter O’Malley Junior Masters last year. Both will be chasing a second Junior Masters crown this weekend.
Another leading contender is local standout Ryan Hooke, who enters the championship as the lowest-handicap player in the field at +1.2. The Wyong product will be joined by fellow local Lucas Binns, also from Wyong, with both players eager to make the most of their hometown advantage.
Another player to watch this weekend is Isaac Riches from Armidale. The talented youngster has enjoyed an impressive run of form, recording top-10 finishes at both the Jack Newton Age Championships and the NSW Junior Championships. After consistently featuring among the leaders in recent weeks, Riches shapes as a genuine contender and will be hoping to break through for his maiden Junior Masters title at Shelly Beach.
Play gets underway on Saturday at 12:00pm with a shotgun start.
