HER pink-trimmed golf bag is almost as tall as she is, but this pint-sized player certainly knows how to come out swinging.
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At just 10 years old, Jazy Roberts can drive a golf ball an impressive 160 metres down the fairway and is well on her way to mastering the art of putting once she’s on the greens.
In fact, the toughest aspect of the sport for this talented Bendigo youngster is probably surviving the long walk around 18 holes on a hot day - she much prefers to play just nine.
“My goal is to play in professional tournaments overseas one day,” says Jazy, who already ranks as this region’s best female primary school golfer and one of the leading junior girls her age in Victoria.
This year, she has taken out the Victorian Junior Open 18-hole Stableford event at 13th Beach Golf Links and was gross winner at the Ballarat Junior Championship over nine holes.
Jazy was the under-11 girls overall order of merit winner in the 2014 Stuart Appleby Junior Golf Series, after winning at Rosanna and finishing second in seven other rounds on tough courses including Kingston Heath, Sanctuary Lakes and The Dunes.
She also came third in the series final at Spring Valley on January 23.
The grade five Specimen Hill Primary student led the region in the Victorian Primary Schools Championship last year and hit her way to a very credible 7th place in the final at Kooringal, playing against girls several years older, quite a lot taller, and more experienced.
And at the Rich River Big as a Bucket event last August, she walked away with the prize for the longest women’s drive of the day.
Jazy first picked up a club at the age of six, while tagging along with dad Jason and older brother Tom at the Marong course.
“Until then, I always just sat on dad’s bag,” she says with a cheeky grin.
Jason picks up the story: “She would often come with us, but when I’d ask her if she wanted to have a hit, she always said no.
“One day, Tom and I were over in the trees looking for a ball. We turned around and there she was with a club in her hand - and off she went. It didn’t take long for her to pick it up.
“She has been doing competitions for about two years, starting off with Pitch N Putt events, then into the nine-hole rookie series. Recently she’s played a couple of 18-hole events, too.”
Jazy was the under-12 nett winner of the Vic Junior Classic at the 18-hole par-3 Pitch N Putt at Mulgrave in January, after claiming the gross title in four similar events during 2014.
But asked about her favourite achievement, Jazy beams and points to the honour board hanging on the wall of the Neangar Park Golf Club rooms.
“The Frank Fitzpatrick Trophy, which I won with my dad,” she says.
The gold letter event in 2013 was a Mixed Canadian championship, where pairs hit off a tee then take it in turns to play the best-placed ball to the pin on each hole.
The names Jason and Jazy Roberts now sit side by side on the winner’s list.
The Roberts family are members at Neangar Park, where grandmother Margaret Roberts was ladies’ president in the early 1990s and where Jason now runs the club’s successful junior program.
Jazy, who has a handicap of 21 and falling, is one of 22 local children who regularly take part in skills sessions and small games at the Eaglehawk course on Thursdays and weekends.
Her dad says golf is a fantastic sport, especially for youngsters who don’t like the rough and tumble of football and soccer or who prefer individual activities over team events.
“We focus on getting the kids outside, instead of being indoors in front of a computer all the time,” Jason says.
Son Tom, 11, is also handy with the golf clubs and has had some strong results of his own on the junior circuit, though he only recently returned from a broken finger that forced him out of last year’s primary school championship final.
While Jason and partner Sharon are undoubtedly proud of their little girl and her brother, they believe results should not be the most important focus at this age.
“I am more into the improvement side of things,” Jason says.
“I don’t care where Jazy ranks - I just want to see some improvement so she can keep moving along.
“She often plays against kids quite a few years older, but she just goes out there and has a go and that’s really important.
“She’s got a very good temperament - nothing seems to worry her too much, she just has fun.”
She often plays against kids quite a few years older, but she just goes out there and has a go... Nothing seems to worry her too much - she just has fun.
- Dad Jason Roberts
Jazy was the only girl in Neangar Park’s eight-strong junior squad that contested the Victorian Club Teams Championship at the Huntingdale course in December.
Her favourite female golfer is American former world number one Stacy Lewis, who she met early last year.
“I got a signed glove from her when I went to a Jessica Korda clinic as part of the Australian Women’s Open,” says Jazy.
“She was on the putting green so I went up and got her signature.”
She had her photo taken with LPGA star and 2012 Australian Open winner Korda and has also rubbed shoulders with champion Aussies Karrie Webb and Minjee Lee, whom she met after winning a My Golf Skills Challenge in 2013.
“The challenge involved earning points for skills like chipping a ball into hoops, driving for length and direction, and a range of other things,” Jason explains.
“You had to qualify for the final, which was held at the Victorian Open. Jazy ended up winning it overall and got to go out on the 18th green with Minjee Lee for the presentations.”
Jazy plays golf all year round, but also finds time to chase the hockey ball for Sandhurst in the Hockey Central Vic junior competition.
Her commitments this year will again include the Stuart Appleby series that starts in March, and qualifying rounds of the 2015 primary school tournament.
Neangar Park juniors are about to finish their Saturday summer sessions and will meet at 9am on Sundays from March 22.
All youngsters interested in golf are welcome to learn new skills and play a few holes.
For more details, contact Jason Roberts on 0439 370 737.