By Kass Rogan, Golf NSW

Liverpool and Cabramatta Golf Clubs are set to host some of the country’s most accomplished junior golfers when they compete in the prestigious NSW Junior Championship next week.

A stellar lineup of 254 boys and girls will battle for glory over four days. Players are travelling from almost every state in the country, as well as a few making the trip from overseas.

With reigning champions Ella Scaysbrook and Taj Egea having moved on to the senior ranks, the stage is set for two new champions to be crowned.

An impressive 75 players in this year’s event boast handicaps of scratch or better. Leading the charge is 2023 Australian Junior Champ Ann Jang of NSW GC, playing off +4.9.

Jang, who claimed victory in this event in 2021, will face fierce competition from last year’s runner-up, Rachel Lee from Avondale.

Lee, claimed the WPGA-sanctioned Mollymook Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifier in December last year, and was a key player in the winning NSW Junior State Team in Perth in April this year.

The girls’ division also features several other strong contenders including Concord’s Amy Squires, Catalina’s Sophie Eppelstun, and The Australian Golf Club’s pair Lara Thomsen and Camilla Kim, who were also both pivotal members of the winning NSW Junior State Team.

Sophia Chau of Gungahlin Lakes, an ACT Junior state team representative and winner of this year’s Murray River Junior Masters, is another formidable competitor.

The boys’ division is also packed with talent, Jonothan Hong of Macquarie Links stands out with the lowest handicap of +4.5, in a field which includes NSW junior boys team members Harry Gourlay (The Australian), Vidur Subramaniam (Ryde Parramatta), and Toby Farrar (The Australian).

This year’s host venues are the picturesque Liverpool Golf Club and Cabramatta Golf Club. The challenging yet fair courses will provide the ideal backdrop for the 72-hole Championship.

All players will complete at least one round at both host venues, with a cut taking place after the second round. The final two rounds will be played at Liverpool and Cabramatta Golf Clubs.

The 2023 NSW Junior Championship begins next Tuesday morning, with play set to start at 7 AM.