Reigning three-times Wagga Country Club champion Bart Carroll excited to be back in competition

There's been very little tournament golf thanks to COVID-19 and plenty of study in the past couple of months for the year 12 student.

But with the HSC behind him after a final business studies exam on Monday, it's back to the business of golf.

Firstly, defending the club championship title he's won the past three years at the Wagga Country Club.

"The last month or so it's definitely been a lot more hours in the books," Carroll said. "I've still been going to the golf course pretty much every day just to keep sharp but I haven't been able to spend a lot of hours there and I haven't been able to play many rounds."

"Since I've finished on Monday I've had these past few days to really prepare. It's not the ideal situation but I've got to make do and I'm sure I can play well even with this limited preparation."

Over four rounds across the next two weekends, Carroll is hoping to become the first player in more than 40 years to win four club championships in a row.

"I'm just trying to work on getting my game ready for competition golf, practicing new shots and trying to target those small weaknesses in my game," Carroll said.

"Usually right throughout the year I've got a tournament one or two times a month. And honestly, since COVID, I haven't had a tournament since February. I've had no real competition golf.

"So it'll be my first real competition for a fair few months. I'm still confident I've got that muscle memory and I feel like I've got that experience. Even though I'm a lot younger than everyone out at the Country Club, I've got a lot of experience in tournament scenarios and tournament golf so I think that plays in my favour."

Carroll is expecting a high standard of competition with plenty of challengers in the field.

He says Kurt Pideski is the in-form player at the club, producing some brilliant golf in recent weeks, while four-time winner Jarrod Meacham is always a threat and last year's runner-up Luke Chisholm is a perennial threat.

The 17-year-old said he's not focussed on the chance to write his name on the honour board again as simply striving to improve his own game.

With school now officially finished, golf can be Carroll's number one priority. In some ways, the club championship will mark the first step in the rest of his life.

"I was talking to my parents about that. I was out there practicing all day and I thought, this is my life for the next year-and-a-half until I figure out what I want to do after that. It's pretty crazy thinking about it like that," he said.

Once upon a time, the United States loomed as the likely destination after year 12 but the pandemic has put paid to those plans in the short term.

"I was planning on going to America but COVID has put a halt to that so next year I'll probably be working in the pro shop and playing amateur golf around Australia. And potentially go to America the year after,' he said.