Fresh-faced golfing ace Bart Carroll leads the way at the Wagga Country Club Championships as the competition reaches its halfway point.
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Carroll, 14, finished as the leader after 36 holes at the weekend, sitting on 147 with a six shot lead.
Breathing down the Wagga youngster’s neck was a group of four tied for second-place, including the past three champions Jarrod Meacham, Henry Brind and Mark Johnson.
Carroll said remaining disciplined and sticking to his plan of attack served him well throughout the weekend.
“I just wanted to make pars,” he said.
“Not going out there too aggressively worked well.
“I didn’t want to come in and put too much pressure on myself.”
His plan helped him turn things around after the weekend got off to a rocky start.
“I felt like I started really badly but managed to turn it around.
“Everything felt pretty good out there after that.”
Carroll said he was confident he could hold onto his lead when play resumes on Saturday.
“If I play how I have been and stick to my game plan, I should be able to grind away and keep the lead,” he said.
“But there are some great players just a few shots behind me so there’s no doubt I’ll need to play well to stay on top.”
Carroll added that he was feeling great about his form this year, which has said had further fuelled his desire to chase a professional golfing career.
Carroll will get the chance to hold onto his lead and take out the championship when the the final rounds of play begin on Saturday and Sunday.
The Wagga youngster wasn’t the only one turning heads at the weekend, with Craige McKee scoring a Hole in One on the 14th hole despite a difficult pin placement.
Brad Watson also did well to stake his claim as the B Grade leader, sitting on 168 and just ahead of the second-place Chris Halls (170) .
Ian Inglis leads in the way in C Grade with a score of 183.
The championships were as pleasing for its organisers as its leaders, with a record number of competitors.
A whopping 228 players teed off on Saturday, with more than 160 hitting the green on Sunday.
Head professional at the Wagga Country Club Kurt Stegbauer said the passion surrounding the competition extended beyond mere statistics.
“It was great to see the excitement and energy in all the players,” Stegbauer said.
Wagga Country Club secretary-manager John Turner said the competition had been bolstered by the course’s “hard and fast” nature.
