THREE Warrnambool golfers have helped Victoria to a bronze medal at School Sport Australia (SSA) 12 and under championships in Brisbane.
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Will Mackenzie, Fraser Marris and Noah Best were part of the 12-member squad which placed third at Wynnum Golf Club.
The championships, which carry the Craig Parry Cup, are a state-versus-state stroke competition over 36 holes.
Each state is represented by eight boys and four girls. The best six boys’ scores and three girls’ scores on each day count towards their tally.
New South Wales took top honours ahead of Queensland and Victoria. But the Warrnambool trio returned home with their heads held high.
Noah finished with rounds of 85 and 84 on the par-70 course, with his second-round effort meaning he played better than his handicap of 15.
Will (85, 81) and Fraser (88, 83) also improved as the tournament progressed.
Victorian team manager Paul Schwartz said having three squad members from Warrnambool reflected well on the golfing community in the area.
“It’s an amazing achievement from a town of limited population compared to Melbourne and through the suburbs,” he said.
“All three boys were admirable in their efforts. I guess they’d all liked to have played better but they all improved by one or two shots from day to day.
“They were fantastic teammates, really good kids.
“They were always there giving support and they represented really good values in terms of sportsmanship and encouragement, team work and honesty.”
Schwartz said the boys, who are all members of Warrnambool and Port Fairy golf clubs, had bright futures in the sport.
“Will has a really nice swing and hits the ball pretty powerfully for a kid his age,” he said.“Fraser has a really good short game but he’s also a really solid ball hitter.
“And Noah was a pretty consistent straight hitter and thinks about his golf really well. He thinks about where he’s hitting balls.”
Schwartz encouraged them to keep up their interest in golf, but to make sure they were enjoying the sport at the same time.
“Most of the guys have their own coaches. You don’t want to get involved in the coaching side because you’d be stepping on toes,” he said.
“But I say to the kids make sure you enjoy your time, keep practising and think about what areas you can improve on.
“It might not be golf but how you prepare, how you think. Talk to your coach about those things. You might want to improve your routine or set-up.”
afawkes@fairfaxmedia.com.au
