KEY POINTS:
Last weekend the Masterton Golf Club celebrated one of its members winning a national title for the first time since 1954. Back then it was the New Zealand Open won by an 18-year-old Bob Charles at Heretaunga in Upper Hutt. This time it was 16-year-old Ben Campbell.
While Campbell's national Under-23 championship in Hastings is nowhere near as prestigious as the Open, it is significant that his clubmate and friend, 18-year-old Michael Schofield, was fourth in the same event, five shots back.
Two players from the same club performing so well in a national event does not happen by accident. In their Masterton group are half-a-dozen players on handicaps of scratch or better. They'll be the core of an interclub team that will again play in the top Wellington division, the Duncan Cup. Club professional Jamie McIsaac cites a number of factors for the success.
"They're all keen and up here every day after school playing and practising and they just seem to feed off each other."
McIsaac is also impressed with the Wellington Golf Association and the Wairarapa sub-association's junior programmes.
"Michael and Ben are both part of Wellington's Srixon academy. That entitles them to 25 coaching sessions a year with Kevin Smith, the Wellington coach. Then they get balls, access to proper club fitting, physical programmes and all that sort of thing."
Campbell has been in New Zealand junior squads, an important part of his development.
"Ben's been to Australia and been exposed to really good golf courses. That means he's become a lot more confident playing in tournaments here, especially in pressure situations," said McIsaac.
That was certainly evident in a close tussle with Danny Lee in the final round at Bridge Pa. Campbell started that round with a three-shot lead over the New Zealand Amateur champion but two early bogeys meant that lead was down to just one by the fourth hole. Then he made four birdies between the sixth and 17th, and chipped and one-putted the final hole with Lee still breathing down his neck.
Campbell has a couple of years left at Wairarapa College while Schofield will now work as a greenkeeper's assistant at the remote Castlepoint Golf Club. But the two are expected to feature in national and regional junior tournaments for a while yet. Their success shows a combination of hard work, good coaching, plenty of friendly competition and a supportive administration pays dividends.
Over half a century on from the remarkable exploits of the Masterton Golf Club's most famous son, it's too early to say if Campbell and Schofield or any of their mates will come within cooee of achieving anything like Sir Bob. But for a town, and a club, that's gone more than 50 years without any national success, last weekend was sweet indeed.
