THESE young golfers are the toast of Port Macquarie.
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The town’s junior pennants team has just brought home the Encouragement Shield.
It’s the first time the shield has been won by a country club in its 42-year history.
The Port Macquarie team consisted of Tom Biron, Jackson Jubelin, Sam Hutchison, Lily Baker, Lachlan Richards and Jean Thongkhai.
They knocked over Bankstown, 3.5 to 2.5, at Newcastle Golf Club on Tuesday to win.
Port Macquarie had already beaten Eden 4.5 to 1.5 on Monday. Earlier in the competition, Port Macquarie required a playoff to beat Taree at Camden Haven.
The match was locked at 3-all, before number one Jubelin won his playoff to take victory.
Club captain Keith Heap was thrilled with the victory.
“The club and its members are extremely proud of the success of our kids,” he said.
“It’s an indication of the work that goes into our junior program by people like James Single.”
Single is the team’s manager. He was also speaking the team’s praises on Wednesday.
“I’m really proud of all of them,” Single said. “It was a very big effort.”
The key match Port won was Thongkhai. She was four down after eight holes.
“She was basically getting hammered,” Single said.
Single told her to hang in for the rest of the match, and it worked.
“She did well,” Single said.
Jubelin said the team got off to a slow start.
“But we hung in there and came out with a victory,” he said.
He was impressed with the world-class Newcastle Golf Club course, as was Single.
“It’s a really good course,” Jubelin said.
Jubelin will be ineligible to enter the competition next year. Competitors must have a handicap higher than seven when the event starts, and be younger than 18.
Jubelin plays off three at the moment.
The others were keen to have another crack. Thongkhai is the oldest, at 16. Hutchison is 15 while Baker is just 13.
Regardless of whether they entered next year or not, Single said players had big futures ahead.