Declan Pereira and Isabella Leniartek won the respective boys’ and girls’ Nedlands Junior Masters titles in contrasting fashions on Monday.
Strong, gusty winds on both days of the competition produced a stern test for the 45 boys and 27 girls in the field, with only one player – Matthew McLaughlin, during his first round – matching par throughout the two rounds.
Mount Lawley’s Leniartek, aged 14, underlined her credentials with two steady rounds of 80 to win the girls’ title from home-club favourite Madison Ling, whose opening 79 was the best in the girls’ competition. Amanda Gan (Mount Lawley) was third, a stroke further back.
Much of the drama in the boys’ event took place on the final two holes as a bunch of the state’s top players vied for the championship.
After opening with a 76, Wanneroo’s Ollie Marsh produced consistent excellence on day two to work his way into contention. He held a slender advantage standing on the final tee and split the fairway with his drive only to lucklessly suffer a mud ball, which contributed to a closing bogey and a round of 73.
In the group behind, Lakeland Country Club’s Pereira holed a lengthy birdie putt on 17 to stay in the hunt with he and his playing partners Matt McLaughlin (Lakelands) and Josiah Edwards (Gosnells GC) all needing to birdie the last to force a playoff.
Declan Pereira chips in at the last to force a playoff
While McLaughlin and Edwards could only par, Pereira sensationally chipped in from the back of the green to send the championship into extra holes. He duly clinched the title on the first playoff hole with a nerveless par putt from 15 feet. McLaughlin, Edwards and Spencer Harrison (Royal Perth) tied for third, a shot back.
“I didn’t know that I needed to birdie the last to make the playoff,” Pereira told GolfWA. “It was great to see the chip go in and I’m really happy to get another win.”
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