Kathryn Norris clinched her second girls’ Drummond Golf Junior Championship of Western Australia title while Josh Greer’s stunning finished earned him the boys’ trophy at Cottesloe Golf Club on Sunday.
Norris, who won this title two years ago, fired a three-under 69 in the morning to pave the way for a five-shot victory ahead of last year’s champion Kirsten Rudgeley.
The battle for the boys’ title was far closer but it was Greer who stood tallest down the stretch as he made three birdies over the final four holes to snatch the win.
LEADERBOARDS: Drummond Golf Junior Championships of WA
The Joondalup member, who reached the final of the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship in July, sealed his late run with a 35-footer for birdie on the last, which he celebrated with a fist pump and a tap to his heart.
Greer finished four-under for the day, after defying windy conditions in the afternoon to shoot a 68, and hold off the chasing pack which was led by The Vines’ Adam Brady, who could at least console himself with the boys’ nett title.
Jose De Sousa, who held a one-shot lead after the morning’s round, finished in third place at one under.
Georgia Garner-Dart won the girls’ Sub-Junior title, with Hayley Carter claiming the nett award, while Gareth Steyn (Lakelands) won the boys’ Sub-Junior trophy with 12-year-old Gary Abraham the nett winner.
Norris, 16, made her intentions clear from the very first hole as she birdied the par-four first this morning en-route to a front-nine 33 to be three-under at the turn.
The Mandurah member did not blot her card until the par-five 14th and even then she quickly picked up the dropped shot two holes later to take lunch in a commanding position six shots clear of Rudgeley (Wanneroo) and Brooke Price (The Vines).
The afternoon was therefore a practice in consistency for Norris, who effectively avoided danger for the most part, as the sea breeze blew hard across Cottesloe’s exposed coastal layout.
Norris’ 75 was only better by Rudgeley and Yeah-jin Lee (Royal Perth) in the afternoon but their rounds of 74 were not enough to bridge the gap. Lee’s round was enough for her to claim third place, a stroke behind Rudgeley, with Royal Fremantle’s Abbie Teasdale just behind in fourth position.
Norris’ victory ensured she joined Hannah Green, who this year booked her place on the LPGA Tour, as the most recent multiple winners of the trophy.
While Norris led from the start Greer, 16, had to make up a three-shot deficit in the afternoon and even then he left his run late.
Playing partner Jose De Sousa had led the 36-hole event at lunch, just ahead of Brady (The Vines) and Lucas Ferri (Cottesloe), and extended his advantage with birdie at the short par-four first.
But the Gosnells member left to door open for his challengers with a mixed front-nine, which included two birdies and five bogeys, and both Greer and Brady made their moves.
Brady reached the turn in 35, to lead Greer by a single stroke, and The Vines member restored that advantage with four holes to play when he birdied the par-five 14th.
But that was to be the start of Greer’s fine late run as he levelled matters at the 15th before picking up another stroke at the next to lead on his own for the first time during the afternoon.
The pressure remained firmly on, however, with De Sousa also now making a late charge with a couple of late birdies.
Greer responded to the challenge in fine style as he found the right side of the fairway on the 18th before pitching onto the green where he would find perfectly weight on his long putt to secure his second GolfWA tournament title of the year after winning the men’s Foursomes Amateur Championship of WA title alongside Connor McKinney in August.
Drummond Golf Junior Championships of WA list of winners:
- Girls champion: Kathryn Norris (Mandurah); Boys champion: Josh Greer (Joondalup).
- Girls Nett champion: 1. Hayley Carter (Mount Lawley), 2, Ruby Fry (Mount Lawley); Boys Nett champion: Adam Brady (The Vines), 2. Jake Anderson (Royal Fremantle).
- Girls Sub-Junior champion: Georgia Garner-Dart (Lake Karrinyup); Boys Sub-Junior champion: 1. Gareth Steyn (Lakelands), 2. Tom Addy (Joondalup).
- Girls Sub-Junior Nett champion: 1. Mai Julius (Melville Glades); Boys Sub-Junior Nett champion: Gary Abraham (Gosnells), Lachlan Hall (Joondalup).
