GolfWA has launched a new initiative aimed at helping junior golfers build towards playing in 18-hole junior opens at club and state level.
The Junior 9 Series sits alongside existing junior open events to offer nine holes of Stableford per day of competition with a maximum field size of 40. Players must have an official handicap and be below the age of 18 on the first day of the tournament.
Nine-hole competitions have been added to four prominent junior championships between July and October, starting with the Cobra Puma Junior Championship at Royal Fremantle during the July school holidays.
Further comps will also be incorporated into the Joondalup Junior Open (Sept 24), the Mandurah Junior Bowl (Sept 30) and the Pinjarra Junior Open (Oct 27), with the expectation of an expanded calendar in 2025 and beyond.
Separate from but complementary to the Crunch&Sip Junior Tour, the Junior 9 Series aims to provide a pathway for inexperienced young golfers to move into higher-level open competitions.
“The Crunch&Sip Junior Tour is GolfWA’s flagship grassroots competition that helps aspiring golfers transition from the driving ranges and practice facilities on to the course,” said Marc Pike, GolfWA’s Game Development and High Performance Manager.
“The Junior 9 Series creates another stepping stone in the participation and competition pathway for golfers aspiring to test themselves against the best juniors in the state in future years.
“Being able to interact with their more experienced peers and see how they warm up for and approach these bigger competitions will be an invaluable learning experience for Junior 9 competitors.”
Thanks to the support of Crunch&Sip, fruit and healthy snacks will be provided on course during all events with a Junior 9 component. Clubs looking to add a Junior 9 event into their junior opens can contact GolfWA for guidance.
For planning purposes, future Junior 9 events are listed here. The cost to participate in each event will be $25 and registration will be through MiTournament.
The new initiative will allow juniors to take their games to the next level
