Young golfers forced off course
Two on the trot
There were no balls hit or birdie putts made at the Murray River Junior Masters golf competition last week.
The event — which has not been run since 2017 — found itself at the mercy of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Golf Australia made the tough call to cancel the event a week before action was slated to start on July 1.
A message was sent out to all players on June 25 stating the governing body’s concern about the sharp spike of coronavirus cases in Victoria.
Several participants from the city — including junior star sensation Janeath Wong — were pencilled in to play.
Golf Australia’s Victorian events officer Dylan Grandell said the high number of cases in Melbourne was too great a risk to the event.
‘‘The government advice was to avoid travel from Melbourne and we (Golf Australia) thought it was the best decision to cancel the event,’’ he said.
‘‘That recent spike of cases in Melbourne was the cause of the decision.
‘‘Obviously it was a hard call to make, but everyone understood the reason for the cancellation.
‘‘The players, the parents and the host clubs were all understanding.’’
This instalment of the Murray
To read how the region’s exports fared, turn to page 21. Picture: AAP
River Junior Masters was set to be the biggest yet.
Yarrawonga-Mulwala Golf Club was included for the first time and joined Tocumwal and Cobram-Barooga golf clubs as hosts for the three-day event.
All three clubs will be back as they prepare for next year’s tournament — which is again slated for the July school holidays.
‘‘The three host clubs are looking forward to next year now,’’ Grandell said.
‘‘It will go ahead next year and it will be bigger and better.’’
Although the junior competition was unable to get up and running, the Murray’s sublime golf courses will still host plenty of action later this month.
The Cobram-Barooga Senior Tournament is slated for July 27-28, while the Yarrawonga Senior Amateur will be contested on July 30.
Entries for both events close on July 17.