Published February 08, 2015 17:11
Each year the local Division of the NSW Encourage Shield is played with the winning team progressing to the State playoffs held each January usually at Newcastle Golf Club in conjunction with the playoff of the State Junior Pennant.
In 2014 the Toukley team of Dylan Moore, Blake Heyhow, Annika Boyd, Keegan Phillips, Jordan Pereira, Will Denniss and Cameron Whitmore, managed by Kenton Boyd swept all before them locally and moved to Newcastle with a great deal of confidence and the goodwill of the golfing community on the Coast.
To say the kids performed extremely well would be a gross understatement. There are no second chances in the playoff series with all matches decided on a sudden death format. Not only is the format sudden death but in order to promote golf in some of the more remote regions District Associations are permitted to enter composite or District teams. This year even Newcastle DGA were permitted to enter a composite team meaning that pure club teams are up against particularly strong teams.
Toukley again swept all before them with victories over a the combined Newcastle DGA side at Charlestown, The Vintage Golf Club at Belmont, the leading Metropolitan qualifier, Richmond, in the semi final at Newcastle and then proved too strong in defeating Grafton Golf Club in the final to capture the title. It is understood to be the first time two regional teams had contested the final and only the second time in the history of the Shield that a regional team has won the title.
Understandably the parents and management of Toukley Golf Club are extremely proud of this achievement, probably none more so that the Team Manager, Kenton Boyd.
CCDGA extends to the Toukley Club, Kenton and his charges congratulations on such a fine win. You should all be very proud.
Check out the smiles in the following photo!