The biggest Junior Masters event on the JNJG tournament calendar is set to get underway this long weekend, as Campbelltown Golf Club and Camden Golf Club play host to the prestigious Macarthur Junior Masters.
With a maximum capacity field of over 200 players, this weekend is going to be jam-packed with quality golf.
Coming off a win at the North Coast Junior Masters, Kiara Connolly-Jackson (Avondale) will be looking to go back-to-back in the Ford Junior Masters Series. Earlier this year, she made her debut for the Blues at the Australian Junior Interstate Teams Matches. She was a stand-out performer, winning four out of five matches. She started the year off with third-place finishes at the A.C.T Junior Championships and the Harvey Norman Sydney Week of Golf. The 2024 Master of the Masters Champion also had some impressive wins last year, including the Illawarra Junior Masters and the Greg Chalmers Junior Masters, proving that she is a top contender.
Looking to go one better than she did at the North Coast Junior Masters, Camilla Kim will set her sights on her first Junior Masters Title of the year. Kim finished in second place after a tight battle against Connolly-Jackson in Forster. This wasn’t the only close finish for the Australian Golf Club representative, she finished in a tie for second place at the Australian Junior Amateur in April. The NSW Junior State Team Member just represented Australia at the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior Championship, and was crowned the Sub-Junior Girl of the Year for the past two years due to consistent performances.
In her last ever JNJG event, Zoe Arcus of the Australian Golf Club hopes to finish her junior career on a high. The Webex Hunter Valley Junior Champion has built up quite the resume, winning the 2024 Harvey Norman Sydney Week of Golf, a top ten finish at last year’s Jack Newton International Junior Classic and top 15 finishes at the Australian Junior Amateur and the Avondale Bowl. Will she be able to add a Junior Masters title to her name?
Young gun trio Alicia Luo (Concord), Tsawm Laphai (Concord) and Mingming Lee (Monash) are back again to continue their winning form. The 12-year-olds have dominated the Ford Junior Masters Series to start off the 2025 season. Laphai kick-started the streak, winning the Murray River Junior Masters, followed by back-to-back victories for Lee at the Wagga Wagga and Blue Mountains Junior Masters and then Luo finished off by winning the Peter O’Malley Junior Masters. Will this trio be able to continue dominating the Ford Junior Masters Series at Campbelltown and Camden?
Last year’s Champion, Bo Chung (Concord), will be back to defend his crown. His win at this event last year was one of many that earned him a spot on the 2025 NSW Junior State Team. Last year, he shot a first-round 11-under-par to win the Illawarra Junior Masters and also had a dominant win at the Bonville Champions Trophy, firing the lowest ever four-round score in the event’s history. Watch out for a low round from Bo this weekend.
Fellow State Team and Concord Golf Club Member, Ti Fox, will be one to watch this weekend in Sydney’s South West. Fox started the year off with a bang, winning the A.C.T Junior Championships shooting a final round five-under-par 67 to win by one. He holds quite the resume with multiple wins in the last 12 months, including the Penrith Open, Camden Cup, Pymble Cup, Lakeside Cup, Strathfield Bowl and Richmond Cup. He also made it to the Semi-Finals of the NSW Amateur Championship. Ti has proved that he can go low and is one to beat.
The Australian Golf Club’s Sam Cascio will make his long-awaited return to JNJG after being out with an injury for over six months. Cascio has some history with this event, winning in 2023. He will be looking to add another trophy to his cabinet. Prior to his injury, Cascio won the 2024 Australian Junior Amateur and was a part of the winning 2024 State Team at the Australian Junior Interstate Series. He also made his debut at the Australian Open last year. Keep an eye on him this weekend.
There are multiple Ford Junior Masters winners in the field this week, including Shaylan Bennett (Everglades), Levi Park (Kooindah Waters), James Domazetovski (NSW) and Bill Eppelstun (Catalina). These four talented individuals won the Blue Mountains, Wagga Wagga, Brett Ogle and South Coast Junior Masters, respectively. Hot on their heels are Tom Skinner (Bonnie Doon), Blake Cranston (The Australian) and Matthew Xu (Eastlakes), who have been in fine form and knocking on the door of a Junior Masters victory.
Play is set to get underway at 7 am on Sunday Morning.
