Isabella Leniartek became the first golfer since 2005 to capture all three major GolfWA junior titles in a single season after a nail-biting victory in the Drummond Golf 54-Hole Junior Classic.
Leniartek matched the feat achieved by Kristie Smith 19 years ago when she added the Junior Classic title to the Cobra Puma Junior and Drummond Golf Girls Amateur Championship of WA crowns she won in July.
The Mount Lawley starlet had to work hard to complete the third leg of the trilogy, though after a back-nine collapse on her final round almost saw the opportunity go begging.
Leading by four strokes from Aileen Sirait (Gosnells GC) going into the final round at Bunbury Golf Club, Leniartek maintained the advantage over her rival as late as the 16th tee. That, however, was when the drama cranked up a notch.
Playing in the group ahead, Sirait made a rare birdie at Bunbury’s par-five 7th (her 16th of the day), while Leniartek dropped a shot to see her lead halved.
Showing nerves of steel, Sirait parred the final two holes to heap the pressure on Leniartek, who could only respond with bogeys of her own to leave the pair tied at the top and facing a playoff.
In a high-calibre showdown, the WA state teammates each went par-birdie-birdie before Leniartek broke the deadlock to clinch the title at the fourth extra hole.
The win is the culmination of a magnificent season of golf for the 15-year-old, whose game has gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months.
“Going into this year it was one of my goals to win all three Junior State Titles and I’m pretty proud that I’ve matched Kristie’s achievement to win all three events in the same year,” Leniartek told GolfWA.
“This is an indication to me that my golf is heading in the right direction and I will continue to work hard so my game can progress further.”
A good year got even better for Isabella Leniartek at the 54-Hole Junior Classic
Elsewhere in the field, it was a good week for Heejoo Cho (Royal Fremantle), who achieved her best result in a state championship by taking third place, three shots back.
Baoly Doan (Lake Karrinyup), Lilli Andrew (Bunbury), Chloe Veeran and Meihui Zhao (both Royal Perth) shared 4th position a further five strokes adrift. View the final girls leaderboard here.
Marsh back to winning ways
After a quiet season by his illustrious standards, Wanneroo GC’s Ollie Marsh threw down the gauntlet to his rivals on day one of the Classic as he scorched round Capel GC in just 64 strokes – eight under the card – to lead the field by five.
He didn’t have it all his own way on day two at Dunsborough Lakes, however, as Royal Perth’s Spencer Harrison fired a best-of-the-day 68 (four under par) to Marsh’s 72 to close the gap to a single stroke.
Harrison has been the form player of the year in WA boys’ golf in 2024, but Marsh was not to be denied a fine victory as he closed with a two-under-par 70 at Bunbury GC on day three to Harrison’s 73.
With a 10-under-par championship total, Marsh ended up four clear of Harrison, with Nate Johnson (Joondalup CC) the best of the rest in third, nine shots further back. View the final boys’ leaderboard here.
His win means 16-year-old Marsh has also completed the clean sweep of major GolfWA junior titles having previously won the WA Boys Amateur in 2022 and the Cobra Puma Junior Championship in 2023.
Ollie Marsh has now won all three of GolfWA’s major junior championships
