GolfWA has announced its player roster for April’s Junior Interstate Teams Matches, with a batch of rising stars set to compete in state colours for the first time.
The annual interstate matches are a highlight on the national golfing calendar, and WA has home advantage in 2024 with the contest to take place at Royal Fremantle from April 15-18.
Seven of the 10 players in the WA combined team will be competing in the interstate series for the first time, with three new caps in the boys’ team and four in the girls’.
WA will be captained by Gosnells GC’s Josiah Edwards – Australia’s Number 1 ranked boy golfer in 2023. Intriguingly, Edwards’ younger sister Halia, aged just 12, has also been called up to make her state debut. The duo will become the first siblings to represent WA in the interstate series since Minjee and Min Woo Lee in 2014.
Alongside Edwards, the boys’ team features Wanneroo GC’s Ollie Marsh, a two-time competitor in the junior interstates and the reigning WA Men’s Amateur champion. Spencer Harrison (Royal Perth) and Nate Johnson (Joondalup CC) make their interstate team debuts, but both have experience of representing GolfWA in individual competitions in the Eastern States.
Royal Fremantle’s Mandeep Singh completes the boys’ team having been selected to officially represent GolfWA for the first time. Singh has been a member of the State Boys’ Squad for each of the past two seasons and his home-course knowledge could prove pivotal.
Josiah and Halia Edwards will become the first siblings to represent WA in the interstate series since Minjee and Min Woo Lee in 2014
Having lost the services of junior stalwarts Erina Tan, Jorja Hinson-Tolchard, Celine Chen and Amanda Gan, the WA girls’ team has a very different look to it from recent interstate matches.
Mount Lawley GC’s Isabella Leniartek is the most experienced player on the team, having represented WA in last year’s matches during a breakthrough season that also saw her win the Cobra Puma Junior Championship.
Along with the exciting Halia Edwards, Leniartek is joined by clubmates Alice Tonts and Aileen Sirait, while Busselton GC’s Chloe Veeran completes the lineup. All four of the new faces are part of the GolfWA Junior Girls Squad.
Spirits high in WA team camp
Despite the transitional nature of Team WA, coaches Craig Bishop and Jess Speechley believe their charges have what it takes to give a strong account for themselves throughout the series.
“The boys’ team, on paper, is super competitive and the players now just need to go and play to their ability,” said Bishop. “With an aggressive mindset and good on-course strategy, it will be a fun and productive week.”
Speechley echoed those sentiments, adding: “This is a great opportunity for our talented junior players to use this platform to become future stars. We have fresh new talent and I am looking forward to seeing what they can achieve.”
The Australian Junior Interstate Teams Matches is a mixed-team round-robin match play competition. WA finished third overall last year and second in 2022.
WA Junior Interstate Team
Girls: Isabella Leniartek, Aileen Sirait, Alice Tonts (all Mount Lawley); Halia Edwards (Gosnells); Chloe Veeran (Busselton)
Boys: Josiah Edwards (Gosnells, Team Captain); Ollie Marsh (Wanneroo); Nate Johnson (Joondalup); Spencer Harrison (Royal Perth); Mandeep Singh (Royal Fremantle)
Keep up to date with the latest elite golf news in GolfWA’s news section and on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
