With Round 1 of the Nexus Risk WA Open just 14 days away, we look forward to tournament golf that seemed very unlikely only a few months ago. The 2020 installment of our state open will be returning to Royal Fremantle Golf Club, and the gusty fairways will be particularly familiar to home course young gun – Hayden Hopewell.
In 2019 he produced a stellar season filled with dominant performances both locally here in Western Australia but more impressively on the national stage.
With a win in the inaugural Junior 6’s Invitational event as a warmup, Hopewell navigated the coastal challenge that is Cottesloe Golf Club with ease and lead the tournament by 2 shots over the experienced Queenslander, Michael Sim, heading into the final 18.
Despite a final round 1-under 71, and a closing birdies on 17 and 18 – Hayden fell agonizingly short, with Sim claiming a one-shot victory.
Back on home soil, and raring to go more than 6 months after claiming the Western Australian Amateur Championship title, the 18-year-old is hoping to go one better.
“The experience was great, it was a different pressure to what I was used to and was something I never felt before” Hopewell looking back at the final round from 2019 – “The final round really matured me a lot and was a nice stepping stone for when I played Aussie Open”
Being a local may come with assumed pressures but Hayden well and truly understands the task ahead of him – “I’m not going take anything for granted, I know the course will play very different to your usual Saturday comp. I’ve just got to knuckle down, focus on my shots and hopefully I can put myself in contention again”
The Nexus Risk WA Open begins Friday October 16th at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, where Hayden is joined by a star-studded field of local professionals and elite amateurs, including European Tour champion, Brett Rumford all vying for the coveted Roy Paxton Bowl and WA Open title.
