A huge field of more than 375 junior golfers headed to the NSW Hunter Valley for the 2019 Jack Newton International Junior Classic, beginning on Tuesday 1st October at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. The tournament once again play host to golfers from all over Australia and all around the world, maintaining its place on golfing calendars as the biggest junior golf tournament in the country.
A capacity field of 208 players competed at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club in the 15-17 Years Division, with the tournament growing in quality year after year. All 208 players registered for the event this year are on single figure handicaps, with 2-time NSW Junior Champion Hyejun Park (Queensland) the low marker in the field at +5.
In a new addition to the tournament at Cypress Lakes, hole-by-hole drone flyovers gave players, parents and spectators a different view of the course.
Just minutes down the road, almost 170 players in the 14 Years and Under Sub-Junior Division played the testing Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley Resort layout for the very first time. After a successful relationship with Jack Newton Junior Golf and host of the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic for a number of years, Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley hosted the Sub-Junior tournament, welcoming kids and parents to the fantastic family friendly resort.
The International, brainchild of Australian golfing stalwart and JNJG founder Jack Newton, was first held in 1986 and provides a competitive environment for the most promising talent from right around the globe.
Teams once again flew in from far and wide with players from Canada, Hawaii, Japan, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Samoa, South Africa and South Korea looking to take the trophy back home with them. Every state and territory in Australia was also represented, with players making the trip from all corners of the country to compete in the 72-hole 4-day tournament.
In total, 40 Internationals and 102 Interstate competitors joined the 230+ local NSW and A.C.T juniors in the field, with more Girls taking part than ever before. 60 Girls teeing off at Cypress Lakes in the 15-17 Years Division, whilst a massive 50 Girls competed at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, significantly up on junior girl numbers from previous years.
The tournament is a permanent fixture on the junior golfing calendar, holding both Australia Junior Order of Merit and World Amateur Golf Ranking Status, and is proudly supported by major sponsor, Callaway Golf South Pacific.
“The Jack Newton International Junior Classic is an important stepping stone for many of Australia’s young golfers,” said tournament host and founder, Jack Newton. “This event has been pivotal in founding the careers of Australia’s well-known international golfing stars providing them with a platform to make a successful transition into the senior ranks,” finished Newton.
Aaron Baddeley won the Jack Newton International in 1998, just two months prior to securing his first Australian Open victory as an amateur. Baddeley is a winner on the PGA tour and an enthusiastic supporter of junior golf around the world. Other international professionals that claimed the Jack Newton International Junior Classic in their junior days are current PGA / European Tour Players Steven Bowditch, Andrew Dodt, Brett Drewitt, and Ryan Ruffels (2-time Sub Junior Champion).
Current LPGA Tour stars Minjee Lee, Su-Hyun Oh and Thidipa Suwannapura were all recent champions in the event whilst Ladies European Tour Champions Nikki Garrett and Rebecca Artis and multiple Japanese Tour winners Brendan Jones and Nikki Campbell also tasted success at the Jack Newton International Junior Classic.
Three of our local girls participated in this wonderful event, with excellent results as follows:
JNJG International Sub Junior Classic:
Ella Scaysbrook (Port Macquarie) – Tied 3rd Overall in the Girls Championships and Placed 1st in the 13 Years Gross & Nett Division by an impressive 15 Strokes.
Ella had Rounds of: 72, 73, 72 & 77 for a Total of 294
JNJG International Junior Classic:
Pyper Hollis (Kew) – Tied 42nd Overall in the Girls Championship and Placed 18th in the 17 Years Girls Gross & Tied 6th in the Nett Division.
Pyper had Rounds of: 80, 82, 81 & 84 for a Total of 327
Quedesha Golledge (Kew) – Tied 42nd Overall in the Girls Championship and Placed 14th in the 15 Years Girls Gross & 1st in the Nett Division by an impressive 9 Strokes.
Quedesha had Rounds of: 80, 80, 81 & 86 for a Total of 327
Well done girls!