Sport
Send us your sport stories and photos: sport@echo.net.au
mĕƱĈşŔĕſƆ ĕŕŇşƷ Ǖ ſƆƐ ƆëĶōĶŕī Conor Whitelock claims SA Junior Masters with classy golf experience on the Tweed River Byron Bay Golf Club‘s Conor Whitelock won the South Australian Junior Masters golf tournament convincingly last weekend. Conor completed an extraordinary feat to record an 11-shot victory over Royal Fremantle’s Zane Lewis on an otherwise tight leaderboard, Golf Australia reported. Conor finished the threeround event with a strong five-under-par 67 to finish 12 under. In a very rare feat, he signed for the lowest score in each of the three rounds, against 49 of Australia’s top juniors. His 67 was best by two on the final round, his opening 68 was best by three, and his second-round 69 was best by one in a complete romp, Golf Australia said. ‘It is an outstanding result. Conor created history with his string of low scores,’ Byron Bay Golf Club professional Greg Stewart said ‘It was a nice reward for Conor, who puts a lot of work into his game and himself’. Conor has only just turned 17 so he has the best part of a year to continue his winning ways on the junior circuit.
Bill Fenelon
2019 South Australia Junior Masters champions Momo Sugiyama (Qld) and local Conor Whitelock. Photo supplied By the end of this week he is expected in Sydney to have a go at the NSW junior titles. ‘If he wants to go into golf as a career then this is all part of the learning experience, as will be going into the next tournament with big expectations,’ Greg said. Conor joined the Byron club when he started playing golf five years ago. It is way too early to say whether Conor can go on to be a professional golfer but
he is certainly heading in the right direction. ‘Every tournament adds to his skills and mental capability,’ Greg said. Conor is also a member of the Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club where he can access a bigger player pool and also qualify for the Queensland team. The SA Masters win will put him in a good position to become a member of the that team. ‘He has the right temperament,’ Greg said.
Over 36 crew in 20 boats, including beginners, took part in three club-championship events as part of the Tweed Valley Sailing Club’s first racing for 2019. The day also included a try-sailing event for adults keen to learn or get back on the water, some after a 20-year break. Mullum local Wren and her friend Charles had their first sailing dinghy lesson and loved it so much they stayed for the whole day. Suzanna and Michael Murray drove up to Fingal to take their daughter Lucy for her first sail. It may have been over 20 years since Suzanna had sailed but it was ‘just like riding a bike,’ she said. The family spent the morning exploring the river on one of the club’s Corsairs. In the NS14s Robert Preston took out beginner crew Igor Prado and was only 18 seconds behind second placed Dave Robinson and his son Hugh. First place went to Adam Hurt and junior crew Thomas Busbridge. The singlehanded
Corsair Nimbus on its way to first place. Photo supplied Impulses, with four competitors, had Brisbane visitor Peter Fell taking line honours in the monohulls in 74 mins. The three-handed Corsairs had a break from their class champ series but still had six boats racing. Karen Vidler skippering Club Corsair 107 with Rob Shaddock and Marg Walgers led for the first leg and had a close race with Scott and Debbie Jones on Nimbus with ring-in crew and sailmaker Matthew Andrews from Ocean Shores. They beat Karen to the line by only 35 seconds. Karen will be one to watch
over the season. Karen’s 11-year-old son Kynan Luescher also impressed everyone today as he stepped up to take the helm of One Too Many with owners Liz and Michael Grace, who are still learning the ropes of their new boat. Melita III somehow managed to scrape in at third place despite early errors. Skipper Alison Blatcher and new crew Camille Lettieri and Wren Mclean got it together for the last lap and just pipped Peter Ross, Christine Martin, and Mark Storrier on Adrift at the line.
Local groms shine on the Gold Coast Century to Singh sinks Byron third XI Crystal Cylinders
Henley Smith from Suffolk Park, along with other local groms, had great success at The Woolworths Surfer Grom Comps Series event held at the Spit on the Gold Coast. In glassy and clean 1–1.5m waves from a lingering east–northeasterly swell Henley took first place in the U/10 girls division with a total heat score of 15.34. She was ecstatic about her win, as were her friends and family, who cheered her in from the beach. Leihani Zoric from Byron Bay placed third. Henley Smith also placed runner-up in the U/8 mixed male/female division with Leihana Zoric in third. Lennox Head’s Keenan Crisp was a standout surfer and was runner-up in the U/12 Boys division, so close was the judges’ decision that he was only beaten by 0.1 of a point. Lennox Head’s Ocea Curtis continued her great form with a third-place finish in the U/12 girls division.
Syl Reid
Henley Smith riding high on her way to first place on the Gold Coast. Photo: Ben Stagg/Surfing Queensland. As part of the speciality awards Henley Smith received the Woolworths Fresh Wave Award while Keenan Crisp and Leihani Zoric won the male and female Pic’s Peanut Butter Star Performer awards. The 10-event grommet series is regarded as one of the major stepping stones in the development of young Australian surfers.
Junior surf league Nyxie Ryan has had a podium finish at North
www.echo.net.au/byron-echo Byron Shire Echo archives
Stradbroke Island at the first event of the Hydralyte Sports Surf Series. Ryan won all her heats throughout the event and even beat the eventual winner Molly Picklum in her semifinal, but had to settle for third place overall in the four-woman final, picking up $600 in prize money. Competitors were greeted with pumping 1.2–1.8 metre lefthanders reeling down Main Beach. The event is the first of the 2019 World Surf League Junior Qualifying Series.
A compelling knock of 135 from the Bangalow opener Sunny Singh was too much for the Byron Bay third grade cricketers who have started the year with a defeat in the Ballina district competition. Bangalow won the toss at home and went on to score 4/274 on the back of Sunny’s knock, ably abetted by B Halls 53. In reply the Byron side mustered 9/150. Five out of our top six got starts and James Leary had to retire hurt on 52. Jamie Whitaker hit 34 runs, Jason Trisley hit 20, Cam Thorne got 16, and Tim Goodhind 14.
total to 6/203. He and Mitch Loane (48) put on just over half the runs for the fifth wicket after Owen Delian made 36. Michael Hughes got 26 and Peter Jackson hit 10.
Levi Shouldice got 3/37 wickets as Byron got Cudgen out for 172. But the story of the match was George Worthington taking his 100th wicket for the Club with his 1/17.
Good bowls from Gavin and Rex at Summerland Pairs
Seconds Playing at home the Byron Bay Cellars second XI won their Coastal League match against Cudgen and moved into third spot on the ladder. Byron won the toss and chose to bat with captain Matt Irwin leading the way with 61 runs to help the
Byron Bay Bowls Club’sGavin McPhail, along with Rex Foster from Lismore, made the semifinals of the Summerland Pairs at Ballina’s Cherry Street Club. Smokey and partner Rod Dixon also from the BBBC made the quarterfinals. Photo Mirtha Christian `ëŕƖëſƷ Ǩǭǽ ǩǧǨǰ The Byron Shire Echo 55