Sarah Hammett is dominating the competition at the Jack Newton International Junior Classic, holding an impressive eight-shot lead over her rivals. The talented Queenslander showcased her skills with a remarkable bogey-free round of five under par at Cypress Lakes.
“I’m feeling really good about my game. I got off to a slow start today, didn’t really hole any birdie putts, didn’t hit it that close. But then on the back nine I turned it around and gave myself heaps of opportunities and managed to roll five in and ended up having a good round,” she said.
Having maintained her lead for three rounds, the sixteen-year-old is determined to give her best in the final round.
“I feel really good. I have a lot of confidence in myself knowing that I’m playing well and shooting these scores. I’m just going to go out there tomorrow, have fun, make as many birdies as I can, and we’ll see what happens.”
“I think winning would be massive. There’s so many people playing in this event so being able to win would just mean a lot.”
Hammett says the tournament has been enjoyable and loves the opportunity to test her skills against the world.
“It’s a really good event, a really great atmosphere and it’s great to meet new people from lots of different countries. It’s also good to see how your game compares to most of the juniors around Australia and internationally.”
In the second position behind Hammett is Ann Jang from NSW GC, with a score of five under par, followed by Michelle Bang of Concord in third place at four under par.
In the boys’ division, two Queenslanders are tied for the lead, setting the stage for a competitive final round. Campbell Kerr maintains the top position at eight under par, but Kai Komulainen has now joined him.
“I’m feeling pretty good. I had a good round yesterday and just brought that momentum again into today,” Komulainen said.
“I had a really good start. I was six under through the first ten holes with five birdies in a row on holes six to ten which was really good. I made a couple of mistakes coming in but I’m still pretty happy with my score.”
After making his way up the leader board over the past few days, he says he’s happy to have a chance to win the tournament.
“This is where I wanted to be, it was my goal for the week. I want to win so I’ve put myself in a position to do that. I feel comfortable and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“I’m just going to take it one shot at a time and play my own game. That’s something I’ve recently learnt.”
Kerr shot two under par today and said he’s glad his strategy has been paying off.
“I’ve had a good round today, I’m happy with how I played. I was off to a slow start, but I managed to keep it together for the back nine and get a few birdies in,” he said.
“I’m really happy with where I’m placed and how I’ve been playing all week, under par for three rounds is pretty solid. I’ll look to continue it tomorrow and just focus on myself and not get too caught up in how everyone else is going.”
Three are currently tied for third, those being Riley Millers of Avondale, and two New Zealanders, Robby Turnbull and Cooper Moore.
After round three of the Jack Newton International Sub-Junior Classic at Rydges Resort today, Jaya Dornan from Bali now leads the boy’s division with a total score of 217 and Camilla Kim continues to be on top in the girls, with a total score of 213.
The final round of the tournament will begin at 6:10 AM on Friday.
