Grand Angus aims for glory
RISING Thirteenth Beach golf star Angus O’Brien is aiming to lift his game up a notch in 2020 after a stunning 2019.
The 17-year-old, who won nine tournaments this year, capped off the calendar year with a third-place finish at the recent Victorian Junior Open hosted by Thirteenth Beach and Barwon Heads golf clubs.
O’Brien only missed the playoff for first by one shot after finishing the championship at seven-under after four rounds. Queenslander Lincoln Morgan won the boys even, while Cassie Porter claimed the girls.
A bogey on the par-three 17th on the beach course ultimately cost O’Brien a chance of silverware, but he walked away from the tournament thrilled with how he played.
“I was a bit disappointed to finish one shot away from a playoff, but still very happy with how I played,” O’Brien said.
“(Once the final two rounds came) I started hitting good shots. I played a bit scrappy in the first two rounds, but had good scores then I really started hitting it good and holing putts.
“Getting the first place finish, it’s probably the best I’ve played considering I was seven-under for four rounds.”
This year has been a breakout one for O’Brien, tasting success numerous times.
He also notched up a victory overseas, claiming The Johnny Miller Junior Classic at Silverado Resort in the Napa Valley in America during the June school holidays.
“I qualified for a few American Junior Golf Association events while I was over there,” he said. “
And then I went and played in a Junior Golf Association of Northern California event and I ended up winning it.
“I was absolutely stoked. “The golf is completely different, the courses are different. It’s windy down here and firm and fast, but it’s more target golf over there.
“You’ve got to think about where you land the ball and how far you’ve got to carry it. Down here you can think about running it up onto the greens.”
O’Brien spent four weeks playing in the States and said he returned back to Australia a better golfer for the experience.
“I learnt a different way to play golf,” he said.
O’Brien said the next challenge for him was to limit the damage on his “bad” rounds.
“I just need to improve those bad rounds. I know my good rounds are good, but it’s more my bad rounds.”
“I just need to lower those scores a little bit.”
JUNIOR SPORT: Pictures from this year’s Victorian Junior Open. Pages 20-21.