Teenager Campbell is new Champ

Sixteen-year-old Campbell Kerr has won the 2022 Club Championship, and in doing so becomes one of the youngest to win the prestigious title at The Brisbane Golf Club.

Schoolboy Campbell, who turns 17 on October 12 and plays off a handicap of 0.4, beat 24-year-old fellow first-time finalist Wade Edwards one-up in an engrossing 36-hole final on Sunday. Last year’s BGC Junior Champion, Campbell also won the esteemed Summer Cup back in February.

The youngest player to win the BGC Championship was Randall Vines, whose greatest recognition in a successful professional career was winning the 1968 Tasmanian Open by 17 strokes, a margin believed to be one of the biggest in any significant professional golf tournament. Randall was only 16 when he won the BGC Championship in 1961.

Victory completed an outstanding week for the Brisbane State High Year 11 student.

He finished second in the 16-17 years class of the Gary Player Classic, played at Pacific Golf Club over three rounds, finishing on Friday. He shot two-over 212 for the three rounds.

And then on Monday, the day after his Championship victory, Campbell won the Royal Queensland Junior Open by two shots, shooting three-under 69.

“It’s really cool to win an event like this, especially at the club where I started my golf,” he said.

“We have so many very good players here and the list of names on the trophy is awesome. I’m proud of my achievement, but I know I can still become an even better player.”

The roller-coaster final went down to the final hole after Wade, who was one down at the time, made a two-metre par putt to square the par-four 17th hole. The pair then parred the 18th, giving Campbell the title.

But it was in no way all plain sailing for the teenage Champion, who was one down after 18, then three down with 13 holes to play and two down with four to play. He then won three in a row – 14, 15 and 16 – to continue a recent purple patch of form.

Having qualified fourth for the final berth in the quarter finals, Campbell demolished

John Houston 10&9. He then qualified for the final by forfeit after No.1 qualifier, Ilija Soldan, withdrew after being hospitalised the night before.

Campbell was also a member of the victorious 2022 BGC Division One Pennant team, teeing it up for the juniors and winning all four of his matches.

But the youngster missed the first two weeks of the Pennant competition as he was playing golf in Scotland – the birth place of his dad Stephen – where Campbell qualified for the final of the West of Scotland Matchplay Championship and made the round of 32 in the Scottish Junior Amateur Championship.

And this success came despite Campbell suffering a broken wrist in October last year. So badly was his arm damaged that surgery was required, and he now carries a 40cm-long scar on his right arm as a reminder.

Getting back to 100 percent fitness was extremely difficult, took much time and dedication, and came following ‘get well’ videos from current Aussie golfing greats Adam Scott and Cameron Smith.

“Those messages were awesome, and gave me a lot of inspiration to work hard on my recovery,” said Campbell who joined BGC in February of 2015 on a handicap of 27.

Seven other finals were contested on Sunday, and the winners were:

Plate – Ian Burgess; B Grade – Martin Riley; C Grade – George Riopelle; Senior Championship – Stephen Deane; Junior Championship – Demos Drakos; Veterans – Terry Solomon; Byneset – Scott Dowrick. – TONY DURKIN