Revamp attracts foreign players

BARWON Heads and Thirteenth Beach golf clubs will be the home one of Australia’s premier junior championship events.

In a bold move by Golf Victoria, the Victorian Junior Open has been changed to a four-day event and moved to December, attracting some of Asia’s best young golfers.

The tournament will see golfers play rounds at Barwon Heads and Thirteenth Beach’s beach and creek courses before returning to the beach for the final round.

Golf Victoria hopes the decision to change the tournament will make it one of the best and hotly contested junior events in the country.

“We have got the capacity for 240 players, which is sub- stantial. We also have been granted Australian ranking status and there is only three other events in Victoria that have that,” junior events coordinator Douglas O’Keeffe said.

“The other events don’t have the field size or the quality of golf course to play on. So we are confident that this will build to something special.”

The first round will be played on Monday, December 18 with the final on Thursday, December 21.

“The field will be split into thirds and they will rotate until they play one round on each of those courses. Then there is a cut after the third round before they go and play the final round on the beach course,” O’Keeffe said.

“It will then alternate the next year so the final round will be at Barwon Heads.”

He said there was interest from international golfers who were planning a raid on the Victorian Junior Open.

“We’ve got teams — in addition to interstate players — from India, New Caledonia, Philippines all confirmed,” he said.

“There is also the potential for US players, but whether they come or not yet I don’t know.

“But those other guys are definitely locked in.

“We just want to get as many players playing. We have 120 players confirmed and we are still a month away.”

The final round will be streamed live online.