BRIJ Ingrey and Hamish Ellison travelled to the NSW All Schools championships in Yamba with a goal of progressing to the match play section.
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Ingrey came within a whisker of winning the event - going down to Jeffery Guan on the fifth play-off hole.
Ellison stormed home to finish eighth and then won three of his four match play contests.
Both were named in the NSW All Schools team to compete at the School Sports Australia Golf Championships in Perth late next month.
"I'm definitely pumped to be going to Perth," said Ingrey, who is in year nine at Macquarie College and is a member of the Jack Newton Junior Golf development squad. "It's my first time in a NSW team. My goal was to make the match play, the top 16. It was a bit of a surprise to be in the final group and to finish the last day with one under, which was one of the best scores for the week."
In horrendous conditions at Yamba last week, Ingrey carded rounds of 76,73,71 to finish at four over. Playing in the final group alongside Guan, he rolled in a pressure par putt to force the extra holes.
He opened the sudden death play-off with a birdie and went par, birdie par before erring with a bogey.
"It was a good experience playing in front of that many people under pressure," Ingrey said. "I felt like I handled it well. I had one shot where I caught the tree on my down swing and that was the end. Overall, I felt like I was switched on mentally and focused. My course management was a lot better around a tight, short course. I stuck to my game plan instead of changing things because of the rain and wind."
Ellison, who is in year 10 at Hunter Sports School, will also be representing NSW for the first time
"I'm very excited for Perth," he said. "I hit a lot of fairways and greens, which helps. I also holed a few putts."
Ellison, who plays off scratch at Belmont, was a part of the Hunter Combined High Schools side alongside Jacob Dundas (West Wallsend), Joshua Robards (Kotara), Caleb Bromley (Cardiff) which finished second in the teams event.
Robards and Dundas finished the stroke competition at 15-over and tied for 11th alongside Muswellbrook's Josh Fuller, who is a reserve for the NSW team.
Harry Cleare (14 over) was the other Hunter player to finish in the top 16 and qualify for the match play round robin.
In the girls, Pyper Hollis from St Clare's in Taree carded rounds of 85,77,83 to finish sixth and make the NSW team. Belmont Christian College's Kiana Toole (86,88,78) was ninth.
* Blake Windred flew to the US on Monday ruing a couple of poor decisions that cost the Charlestown gun a shot at winning the European Amateur in Austria last week. The 21-year-old fired a six-under 66 to lead after the first round. But a horror six-over 78, that included three double bogeys, in the third round put paid to his chances. He finished strong with a two-under 70s to be equal 19th at two under.
"I grinded it out to shoot the best I possibly could in the last round," Windred said. "I felt so comfortable up there with the lead but it just didn't happen. A couple of decisions in swirling winds cost me three doubles."
Windred plans to turn professional later this year and said the experience of the last month would help when he goes to European tour school in September.
"I'm always learning," he said. "It was really good to just travel to another country in Europe this week where there wasn't much English and it was hard to communicate to get to the course or even find a taxi. The things that the people don't see off the course is where I learnt the most this week. That also has an impact on my golf."
Windred will spend a week in camp with the Australian team in Houston before competing in the Players Amateur (Berkeley Hall Golf Club), Pacific Coast Amateur (University of New Mexico Golf Club), Western Amateur (Point O' Woods Golf, Michigan) and US Amateur (Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina).
* Josh Robards fired a two-under 70 to win the Horizon Cup on Saturday. He finished two strokes clear of Merewether's Matt Lister. Clubmates Lochie Cairns was a stroke back third. The win moved Robards into the outright lead in the Newcastle District order of merit.
* Toronto's Jye Forrester carded a two-over 74 to finish tied for second at the Eastlakes trainee event last week. Winner Jordan Widdicombe was the only player in red figures at two under. The second-place finish moved Forrester to 12 on the NSW trainee's order of merit.
* Toronto is hosting a GIGL day for girls on July 14. The program is a fun way to introduce girls to the sport. The program starts with a dance warm-up and brief session with the professional golfing staff. They then play specially shortened holes in teams of four. The program began in Sydney and is being rolled out across the state. The three-hour session starts at 1.30pm. Cost is $40 which includes equipment.
* A field of 243 juniors will compete at the JNJG State Age championships at Belmont and Charlestown next week. Josh Robards and Corey Lamb head the contingent in the open boys (under-18s).
