|
REVENGE IS SWEET
Jack Newton was host to the inaugural State Final of the Encourage Shield competition recently staged at the magnificent Newcastle Golf Club. In perfect summer conditions teams from the Central Coast, ACT and Sydney Metropolitan battled each other in this handicap match play event for the right to call their club the first State Champions of the Encourage Shield.
The Encourage Shield Competition this year was administered by Jack Newton Junior Golf for the first time in 2009 as part of the state junior golf pathway. The event was started in the early seventies and in 2009 attracted 60 teams from across the metropolitan area with the Dunheved Golf Club defeating the Hurstville Golf Club in an exciting final at the Woollaware. The Central Coast and the ACT districts conducted similar competitions with Toukley and Gungahlin Lakes taking out the honours respectively and representing third districts in the finals.
Dunheved (4.5) defeated Gungahlin Lakes (1.5) in the first semi-final with Hurstville winning a nail biting playoff to defeat Toukley and set up a revenge match with Dunheved. After a three all result at the completion of the regular matches, Hurstville’s Daniel Reale and Toukley’s Robbie Hogan contested the sudden death playoff. Both young boys played superbly with Daniel prevailing on the 3rd hole at 8.15pm.
The final also proved to be a nail bitter. The result was not determined until the last putt of the event with Hurstville’s Brendan Mudaliar halving his match for a 3.5 to 2.5 win. Martin Johnson, manager of the Hurstville team was delighted. “For our players to be involved in the Metropolitan and State final exceeded our expectations. The team had a wonderful introduction to both Jack Newton and the State Of Origin players. This is a great event and I urge all clubs to involve their junior players.”
CEO Peter Van Wegen explained that Jack Newton Junior Golf’s involvement in the event was essential in expanding the metropolitan competition and providing a focus to network and introduce Encourage Shield competitions in each district in NSW. “We see this event as a state competition which sits perfectly in the development pathway. We are very keen to have a team representing all districts in NSW. We are currently in discussion with the Stuart Appleby Junior Golf Foundation to develop a competition to reward the winners of the State Final in years to come” he said.
The Hurstville team was represented by Daniel Reale, Reece and Hayden Johnson, Brendan Mudaliar, Liam Nardo and Mathew Smith with parents Martin Johnson and Tom Reale managing the team. Dunheved was represented by Jeremy Licuanan, Darcy Krassen, John Young, Dylan Rankmore, Johnathan Stankowski and Ben Wilkinson with Gilbert Licuanan and Glen Sewell managing the team.
|
;)
;)
