Isabella Leniartek and Ollie Marsh overcame strong fields and torrid weather to win the respective girls’ and boys’ divisions at the Cobra Puma Junior Championships.
Over the course of the two-day event, The Western Australian Golf Club was lashed with torrential rain and blustery winds before bitingly cold conditions prevailed on the afternoon of the closing round. This placed the onus on scrambling and sensible shot-making, which both champions served up en route to victory.
Mount Lawley’s Leniartek, aged 14, kept her head in the trying conditions to post rounds of 73 and 72 for a cumulative one-under-par total and a four-stroke victory over clubmate Erina Tan.
It marked a breakthrough in Leniartek’s fledgling career as she stepped up to win a major individual junior event for the first time.
“This definitely helps my confidence,” Leniartek told GolfWA. “All the girls work so hard and are such good players, so to come out on top is awesome.
“I played a lot of good irons today, and made some long putts on the way home, but I’m most pleased with how I was able to stay focused on my game while having fun at the same time.”
Mount Lawley players rounded out all the top four places on the girls’ leaderboard, with overnight leader Valerie Khuu claiming third, a shot behind Tan, and Amanda Gan fourth a further stroke back.
Proud moment: Isabella Leniartek scooped the biggest win of her career to date
Another title for relentless Marsh
In the boys’ field, a frantic day saw the lead exchange hands several times before overnight leader Marsh (Wanneroo) stamped his authority on proceedings.
Marsh’s level-par opening round of 70 gave him a solid foundation to build upon, but he was three over for his round after nine holes and made double bogey on 10 to surrender his advantage.
He steadied the ship and played his final eight holes in level par for a 75, while rival Josiah Edwards – who made an early charge – faded on the back nine to fall out of contention.
Home-club favourite Bailey Pilapil fired a best-of-the-day 71 to storm up the leaderboard and claim second place, three strokes behind Marsh, with Edwards (Gosnells), George Barclay (Joondalup) and Nate Johnson (Joondalup) sharing third a shot further adrift.
Even a torrential downpour late in his round didn’t put Ollie Marsh off his stride
For 15-year-old Marsh, it was the latest triumph in a standout season that had already seen him win the WA Men’s Amateur Championship and the City of Perth Amateur Championship in March.
“It took me a while to adapt to today’s conditions,” Marsh told GolfWA. “After I made the double on 10, I told myself that I had to find my focus and scramble and I played much better on the way in.
“I’m super-stoked to win this event,” he continued. “The Cobra Puma is one of the biggest junior events of the year and was definitely on my bucket list of competitions to win. Anytime you’re in contention to win an event like this is a great experience.”
You can view the final leaderboards here.
As a result of their wins, Leniartek and Marsh will now be invited to represent GolfWA at September’s Jack Newton Junior Classic in NSW.
Attention now turns to the Drummond Golf Junior Amateur Championship, which takes place at Wanneroo GC on July 10-11. Erina Tan and Ollie Marsh are the defending champions.
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