Golf star earns award

GOLFING ace Lucas Herbert is the third quarterly winner in the Bendigo Sportsmen’s Association Junior Sports of the Year award.Herbert, 13, joins athletes Brigette Dillon and Sophie Taylor, and cyclist Braeden Dean in the running for the award, which is proudly sponsored by Coca-Cola.An outstanding quarter for Herbert included winning the Victorian under-14 amateur title over four rounds.At the end of play at Yarra Yarra and Northern, Herbert was on 329, 11 shots clear of his nearest rival.The Ravenswood youngster was in superb form on the fairways and greens across the state.Playing off a handicap mark of four, the Neangar Park and Commonwealth Golf Club member has racked up many wins in 2009.Highlights of Herbert’s year include scoring 72 off the stick to win the Victorian Summer Series 36-hole event at Rosedale, and the Bendigo under-18 championship.The classy right-hander won the Bendigo DGA B grade open title, the under-18 gross and nett at Warrnambool Sungold, and the gross event for under-14s at Mildura’s Junior Classic. Herbert achieved back-to-back victories in Kilmore’s under-14 championship.The Year 7 student at Catholic College Bendigo is coached by Darren Page at Bendigo Golf Club.A member of the Victorian under-16 development team, Herbert also won the A grade nett at Belvoir Park tournament played not far from home on the Big Hill course.Last week, Herbert won the under-14 crown at the Victorian Junior boys’ titles.He scored 161 to be number one after qualifying.Herbert then scored a 1-up victory against D. Loton of Kooringal in the semi-final.He then beat F. Drooper from Yarrawonga and Border, 4-2 in the play-off to be the first golfer to win both under-14 titles in the same year.