Local pair to give defending Open champion run for his money

AN elite field of 39 will tee off this Sunday in the Men’s Southern Open at Kingston Beach Golf Club.

Front-runner for the title will be 21-year-old defending champion Joey Bower from the Royal Hobart Golf Club.

“I feel good heading into the weekend,” Bower said. “The weather looks average but that’s golf.

“I enjoy playing down at Kingston Beach. Normally their greens are perfect, so I look forward to it.”

Two men hoping to challenge Bower for the title are local members Matthew Glover and David Pretyman.

Both are capable of overcoming Bower over 36 holes. Glover plays off plus one and Pretyman is off scratch.

“I think Matty Glover will be hard to beat down there on his home track,” Bower said.

Other challenges are expected to come from Stanley Golf Club’s Jack Lakin, Royal

Hobart’s Hunter Gillard and Prospect Vale’s Ronan Filgate.

Juniors Isaac Roberts from Riverside Golf Club and Elijah Monaghan from Tasmania will also be keen to perform well.

Play gets under way in the Men’s Southern Open at 7.30am on Sunday.

ROYAL Hobart Golf Club’s Hunter Gillard emerged from a quality field of competitors to secure the boys’ division of the Northern Golf Student Championships recently.

The 17-year-old won the title at the Launceston Golf Club following a playoff with Riverside Golf Club’s Isaac Roberts.

Gillard and Roberts finished the 18-hole boys’ orderof-merit event with rounds of one-over-par 73.

Local member Jorjah Bailey collected the corresponding girls’ championship with a seven-over-par round of 80.

2021 Men’s Australian Open and the 2022 Women’s

Australian Open have been cancelled.

The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions continue to play havoc with international golf in Australia and around the world.

Golf Australia announced the decision recently, saying that it would begin planning for a return of the two Opens in the 2022-23 summer of golf.

This year’s edition of the men’s tournament was first scheduled for November 25-28 at The Australian Golf Club in

Sydney, then postponed until early in 2022.

The Women’s Australian Open was set for Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide in February, 2022.

The 2022 Men’s Australian Open will be at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne in November-December, before returning to The Australian in 2023.