Sport
6 December, 2022
Top-three placing for Kilcoy junior golfer
KILCOY and Woodford junior golfer Saxon Oldaker finished in nett third place for the 9-hole boys division in this year’s Glasshouse Mountains Golf Zone Junior Association (GMGZJA) competition.
Saxon received a trophy at the presentation, which took place at the Wantima Country Club in Brendale on November 26.
Saxon was among 82 golfers who took part in the 9-hole competition throughout the year, as rounds were played at Laidley, Murgon, Maleny, Beerwah, Wynnum, Bribie Island, Pine Rivers, Kilcoy, Virginia, Caboolture, Wantima, Warwick and Woodford. He missed the rounds at Maleny and Caboolture as these rounds clashed with other commitments.
To be eligible for the trophies, players had to play at least six rounds in a particular division. The best six scores for each player were used, and the players were ranked according to their six round totals from lowest to highest.
Saxon’s mum Amber said it came as a shock to her son to place as high as third in the nett scores in the 9-hole boys division.
“He really didn’t think he would have been in the running to win a trophy, even third place,” Amber said.
“Something that we as parents are proud of is Saxon’s love for just participating and being able to play.
“He just loves playing golf, so a win like this is definitely a bonus.”
Amber said Saxon’s favourite rounds were always when he broke his best score.
“He just loves getting out to different courses and playing with all the other kids,” she said.
The presentation at Wantima Country Club also featured former GMGZJA golfer Justice Bosio, who was one of the guest speakers. She was involved in a question-and-answer (Q and A) session with the young golfers, with Amber saying this “was great for them to see how far GMGZJA golfers can go with their careers”.
Finishing in third place for nett this year continued an impressive run of results for Saxon, who was in year 5 at Mt Kilcoy State School this year.
Saxon first played in the GMGZJA competition in 2018 when he was six years old. He played in the 3-hole division that year, and won his first competition which was the Kilcoy round of the GMGZJA.
Saxon played in the 6-hole division for the next two years, and was the gross runner-up in 2020 before he moved to the 9-hole division the following year.
Following his top-three nett placing this year, Saxon is set to move up to the newly formed 13-hole competition next year.
Amber said her son’s goals for next year were to practice more and to lower his handicap, and to keep trying to play at as many new golf courses as he could.
“He loves playing golf with his father and joining in on regular competitions that Kilcoy Golf Club hold,” Amber said.
Amber said Saxon received his first set of golf clubs when he was three years of age before he started having lessons at the age of five.
“He has always been a member of Kilcoy and has also been a member of Woodford for the last couple of years,” she said.
