Open day for future stars

Excitement is building ahead of next month’s Treendale Bunbury Junior Open at the Bunbury Golf Club, which will host some of WA’s biggest rising stars.

Held on January 8, the 18-hole tournament has accommodated some of the best young players in WA over the years, who have gone on to dominate in senior events — including Curtis Luck, Oliver Goss, Min-Jee Lee and present WA Open champion, Hayden Hopewell.

Ahead of the tournament, a number of South West juniors have been fine-crafting their games under the watchful eye of former LPGA pro golfer Shani Waugh.

One player of particular promise, Bailey Hampson, told the South Western Times he was benefiting greatly from his recent workshops through the South West Academy of Sport, which had helped him mentally prepare for major events.

Equally, impressive duo Ava O’Brien and Leonie McAdam said they were looking forward to the tournament, with the pure goal of finding a balance between playing competitively and having fun.

Bunbury Golf Club junior co-ordinator Peta Van Wyk is hopeful the event will gain plenty of traction heading into the festive season period.

“We are really trying to raise its profile this year,” she said. “In improving it, we will offer all players a free breakfast,” she said.

“Because the players come down from Perth and even as far as Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. So we were keen to do something a bit unique.

“We have a pretty good program of juniors within our own club.”

But older players will not be having all of the fun, given the tournament is also a part of Golf WA’s Smarter Than Smoking junior tour.

This means a number of nine and five-hole events will be run concurrently with the major tournament, in the formats of Stableford, Modified Stroke and Tiger Tee.