Eight outstanding athletes have been selected for the Golf NSW High Performance Squad for 2025.
The squad represents some of the state’s most promising golfing talent and features a mix of regional and metropolitan-based players, with three members—Jake Riley, Ella Scaysbrook, and Australian Amateur Champion Jye Halls—hailing from regional areas across New South Wales.
Defending NSW Amateur and Avondale Amateur Champion Declan O’Donovan headlines the contingent after several exceptional performances throughout the Australian Summer of Golf, including his successful defence of both his NSW and Avondale Amateur titles.
Jye Halls, who scored the biggest win of his young career in the Australian Amateur in January, has also been selected.
The pair will be joined by Kayun Mudadana, who impressed as the Australian Junior Runner-Up and South Australian Classic Champion in 2024.
The squad also includes Concord GC pair of Coby Carruthers and Blake Phillips, both recently selected to represent NSW at the 2025 Interstate Teams Matches, while Jake Riley earned his position through standout performances in competition over the past 12 months.
On the women’s side, Rachel Lee enters the program as the reigning 2025 Australian Women’s Amateur Champion, while Ella Scaysbrook joins as a National Representative who, at just 20 years of age, has already secured a professional tournament victory on the WPGA Tour.
Golf NSW High-Performance Manager Khan Pullen was delighted to announce the 2025 Squad.
“All of the athletes have been delivering impressive performances at both State and National competitions, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with them and their support networks,” Pullen said.
“I’m confident that with the resources provided through the Golf NSW High-Performance Program, they will continue to develop the essential skills needed to elevate their game to elite levels.”
The Golf NSW High-Performance program has been the catalyst responsible for starting the careers of several of Australia’s current stars, including PGA Tour winner Cameron Davis, LPGA winner Grace Kim, two-time LET tour winner Stephanie Kyriacou, as well as other notable athletes, including Asian Tour winner Travis Smyth, Harrison Endycott, and 2022 NSW Open Champion, Harrison Crowe.
Two recent high-performance alumni who have dovetailed their achievements via the program into representing on the world stage are Kelsey Benett and Jye Pickin.
The pair were the first two inductees of the new Golf NSW Futures Program, established late last year by Golf NSW, becoming a vital pathway to professional success for selected recipients.
Through the Golf NSW Futures program, the pair recently received support to assist them in their transition onto global professional tours, With Bennett notably securing her Ladies European Tour (LET) Card in December.
This financial backing has proven instrumental in helping NSW’s emerging talent navigate the challenging leap from amateur excellence to competing on the world stage.
