Story courtesy of Mark Hayes, Golf Australia
It’s New Zealand versus Glenelg after day one of the boys’ Australian Junior Championship in northern Tasmania.
Kiwi Markopolo Fullepp and compatriot Henry Spring hold a two-shot buffer after firing four-under-par 68s on the testing Ulverstone layout.
Remarkably, Adelaide’s Glenelg Golf Club offers both of Fullepp’s nearest competitors with Jackson Kalz and clubmate Lachlan Barker tied third after impressive 70s – and they were joined late in the afternoon by yet another Kiwi, Daniel Hillier.
Fullepp, who touts himself as a global player on his homepage and represents The Grand Golf Club in San Diego, began with an eagle and closed with a birdie in a quality round marred by just two bogeys.
Spring, of Whakatane, was ultra-consistent and completed the day’s only bogey-free round just before dusk fell.
The South Australian duo was almost as impressive, with both carding just one bogey to highlight their consistency on the tight course.
“I played pretty solid all round. All aspects of my game were on point and I putted good,” Kalz said. “I put it close (couple of times) and executed the shots I needed to, so I’m pretty stoked.”
Barker, like his clubmate a key component of South Australia’s team for next week’s boys’ interstate series, was equally rapt with his opening round.
“Key around this course is keeping it in play which I managed to do for the most part. I only had one bogey and that was a three-putt (on the eighth), so I really kept it in play,” Barker said. “If I had holed a few more putts it could have been anything, so it’s a really solid start to the tournament.”
A few other pre-event fancies didn’t fare as well with national squad junior member Louis Dobbelaar among the casualties.
The young Queenslander was uncharacteristically erratic in shooting a triple-bogey and two doubles en route to an 80 that puts his title hopes in grave jeopardy.
Canberra’s Josh Armstrong dropped all five of his shots to par on the fifth and sixth holes as part of his 77, while Perth’s Fred Lee endured three consecutive double-bogeys in his 76.
Top-ranked Queenslander Charlie Pilon fought back well to record a 73 to keep him in the hunt, not dissimilar to Victorian Cameron John who turned in the same score.
His fellow national squad member Min Woo Lee, of Perth, made two late bogeys in his 74.
A cut to the top 60 and ties will be made following tomorrow’s second round.
Glenelg Golf Club has a record contingent representing the Club in the event being played in Tasmania this week. Brodie Whitbread was the best of the remaining Glenelg contingent with an impressive 1st round 1-over 73 to be tied 14th whilst 14 year-old Jack Buchanan and 15 year-old Liam Kennewell sit in a tie for 38th place with 4-over par rounds of 76.
In the Girls’ Amateur being played at Devonport Golf Club, Glenelg’s Charley Jacobs fired a 7-over par 81 to be in a tie for 58th place whilst Emma Sutton struggled, recording a 12-over par 86 to be in 72nd place.
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About the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation
Through the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation, we have identified junior golf as one of our key areas of importance.
As a result, the Club has focused on funding the ongoing development, training and promotion of junior golf with proceeds raised through the Foundation as a part of the Junior Golf & Elite Player Development project. This results in an outstanding, fully funded Junior Development Program at Glenelg Golf Club.
Click here for more information on the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation.
Click here for more information on the Club’s Junior Development Program
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