DGA news archive pages: 2007 News page | 2008 News page | 2009 News page | 2010 News page |

ACT JUNIOR GOLF TEAM AT AUSTRALIAN BOYS’ OPEN and INTERSTATE SERIES,  SYDNEY, APRIL 2011
Jim Jackson, Manager

INTERSTATE SERIES

The ACT Junior Golf Team performed better at the recent 2011 Interstate Series, at Cabramatta Golf Club, than their 7th out of 8 positions might suggest.  Although they only won one game, a 5-0 win over the NT, they went very close to defeating both Queensland and Tasmania, finishing with close 2-3 losses.    In a number of games matches went down to the 17th or 18th hole and a bit of luck here or there could well have seen reversals in results.  The ACT actually won more individual games than Tasmania, but as we only won the one contest they beat us into 6th place. 

The 2010 bottom placed side, South Australia, performed much better this year and finished in 3rd place.  The competition was won by NSW for the 3rd year in a row; NSW easily beat Queensland in their decider.  However, the final league table could well have been different if ACT had not faded badly over the last four holes against NSW on the final day.  With four holes to play 4 of the matches were all square and in the other match we were only 1 behind.  NSW number 1 and Australian representative player Jake Higginbottom just outlasted Jordan Ayre by winning the last hole and Nick Fuller (at number 2) lost the 17th and 18th holes to loose to undefeated NSW number 2 player Jarrod Freeman.  In addition, our number 3 player Ryan Ruffels missed a short up-hill birdie putt on the last hole and finished square with Ricky Kato, after Ricky had skillfully holed a breaking, downhill 5m-putt for a his par 3.  

The competition was played on a tricky course at Cabramatta, where accuracy, rather than just brute length, was an advantage .  The weather for the week was excellent and the course was in great condition, down-hill putts were tricky as the subtly undulating greens were quite fast.

Outstanding performers for ACT were the number 1 player Jordan Ayre (Federal) with 3 wins from his 7 matches and number 3 player Ryan Ruffels with 4 wins and a square from his 7 matches.  The youngest player at the championships, 11 years-old Josh Armstrong, also had a good start to his interstate career with 2 wins and a square from the 5 matches that he contested at the number 5 position for the team. 

Results of individual performances and the team results are shown in the following two tables. 

AUSTRALIAN BOYS’ OPEN

Only one of the six ACT juniors qualified for the four rounds of the Australian Boys’ Amateur Championships, which were held at the Carnarvon Golf Course in the week prior to the Interstate Series.  Ryan Ruffels finished in equal 36th place with a 21-over par total of 309.  Ryan shot rounds of 77, 74, 81 and 77.   Only the eventual winner, Queensland’s Cameron Smith with a -9 under total of 279 and second placed Jake Higginbottom, from NSW, with a -1 under total of 287, managed to tame the narrow fairways and quick greens at Carnarvon.

ACT 2011 Junior Golf Team

L to R: Steve Whitelock (coach), Lewis Schenk, Jordan Ayre, Ryan Ruffels, Nick Fuller, Josh Armstrong, Charlie Cameron

return to top