Champs ready to defend
LOCAL rising stars Ella Rogers and Mitch Crabbe will defend their titles at the Victorian Junior Sandgreens Championships at Bannockburn on Sunday.
The duo headline a growing field for the event, which will be played on one of Victoria’s premier sandgreen courses.
Crabbe will be chasing a three-peat in the event, winning in 2016 and 2017 as well.
The Barwon Valley junior said he was happy with his game heading into the cham- pionship. “It takes a few holes to adapt (to the sandgreens). Once you get used to it it’s not too bad,” Crabbe said.
“I play pretty much all my golf on greens. I just try and play a bit shorter and a bit lower so hopefully it bounces up.
“I haven’t had much of a look (at the field yet). It will be a pretty strong Geelong field.
“I play and practice a fair bit with them (so I know their games pretty well).”
Crabbe recently returned from New South Wales where he was part of a Victorian team that claimed gold at the School Sports Australia Championships.
The Victorians won gold in the stroke event and came third in the matchplay event.
Crabbe finished 11th overall in stroke and finished with two wins, two losses and a half in the matchplay.
“I didn’t play too bad up there,” Crabbe said.
“I’m happy with my game. I’m just trying to find a bit of consistency, I guess.”
Entry is still open and can be done on the Golf Victoria website.
MEANWHILE, Thirteenth Beach youngster Angus O’Brien held his nerve to defeat East Framlingham’s Josh Brown in a playoff to claim Ocean Grove’s junior event at the weekend.
O’Brien shot a round of three-over 75 in tough conditions to tie with Brown, three shots ahead of third-placed Lachlan Robinson.