GA names four new golfers for 2020 Rookie Squad
Golf Australia has announced four new additions to their 2020 Rookie Squad.
Following the graduations of Cameron Davis, Min Woo Lee, Hannah Green, Lucas Herbert and Anthony Quayle from the 2019 squad, Golf Australia has now welcomed Stephanie Kyriacou, Becky Kay, Blake Windred and Maverick Antcliff to this year’s hopefuls.
Maverick Antcliff (Credit: China Tour)
The outgoing members will continue to receive non-financial support from Golf Australia as they chase success across the world’s golf tours.
Leading the way for the women is Stephanie Kyriacou, who recently steamrolled the field at the Bonville Classic by eight strokes to secure her victory and a potentially life-changing Ladies European Tour card.
“We all witnessed the magnificent win by Steph Kyriacou as an amateur against a full field of Ladies European Tour stars at Bonville last month, then watched as she turned professional and took the card on offer,” said Golf Australia’s high performance general manager Brad James.
“So she’s one type of example of what the GA Rookie Squad can do – help her as she takes the sudden transition into becoming a touring professional.”
“We’re also happy that Becky Kay, who turned pro last year, has made the squad. We’re thrilled she has also joined her fellow Queenslanders Robyn Choi and Karis Davidson among our female rookies.”
Kay plays out of the Symetra Tour in the US after qualifying via LPGA Q-School in late 2019. The Queenslander won the Riversdale Cup in 2018 along with back-to-back Rene Erichsen Salver (SA Amateur) titles in 2017 and 2018 amongst many other top-10′s.
On the men’s side, the nod went to Blake Windred and former PGA Tour Series China star player, Maverick Antcliff.
“Blake Windred had a magnificent 2019 as an amateur and so nearly won the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship before he turned professional,” James said.
“Then there’s Maverick Antcliff who, by anyone’s measure, had the most superb year in earning his way on to the European Tour by winning three times in China and taking that tour’s order of merit crown.”
“Mav went to college in the United States and has been grinding hard around the world to get to this point in his career, so it highlights the different pathways available to become a GA rookie.”
Antcliff, who hails from Beaudesert in Queensland, has gotten off to a solid start in his European Tour career, making cuts at the Australian PGA, South African Open, Saudi International and Oman Open.
2020 Golf Australia National Program Athletes
Tier 1
- Becky Kay (QLD – 1st year)
- Blake Windred (NSW – 1st year)
- Brett Coletta (VIC – 4th year)
- Dylan Perry (QLD – 2nd year)
- Jake McLeod (QLD – 2nd year)
- Karis Davidson (QLD – 3rd year)
- Maverick Antcliff (QLD – 1st year)
- Robyn Choi (QLD – 2nd year)
- Stephanie Kyriacou (NSW, 1st year)
- Travis Smyth (NSW, 3rd year)
- Zach Murray (VIC – 2nd year)
Tier 2
- Aiden Didone (VIC)
- Andre Lautee (VIC)
- Cassie Porter (QLD)
- Elvis Smylie (QLD)
- Jack Thompson (SA)
- Jed Morgan (QLD)
- Lawry Flynn (QLD)
- Lewis Hoath (QLD)
- Louis Dobbelaar (QLD)
- Sarah Wilson (QLD)
- Steph Bunque (VIC)
Tier 3
- Alex Hilliard (VIC)
- Amelia Whinney (SA)
- Antony Majstorovic (VIC)
- Ben Tucker (SA)
- Billy Cawthorne (SA)
- Blaike Perkins (QLD)
- Caitlin Pierce (SA)
- Charley Jacobs (SA)
- Chris Crabtree (QLD)
- Conor Whitelock (QLD)
- Daniel Gill (VIC)
- Dylan Backhouse (TAS)
- Dylan Gardner (QLD)
- Eliza Baker (SA)
- Frank Vucic (SA)
- Hallie Meaburn (TAS)
- Hannah Reeves (QLD)
- Jack Buchanan (SA)
- Jack Lakin (TAS)
- Jade Kinita (SA)
- Jake Hughes (NT)
- Jasper Stubbs (VIC)
- Joel Stahlhut (QLD)
- Joey Bower (TAS)
- Jordan Percey (SA)
- Justice Bosio (QLD)
- Katelyn Rika (NT)
- Keeley Marx (VIC)
- Kono Matsumoto (VIC)
- Konrad Ciupek (VIC)
- Kyle Gray (QLD)
- Liam Georgiadis (SA)
- Lisa Edgar (QLD)
- Mackenzie Wilson (TAS)
- Matilda Miels (SA)
- Mitch Varley (QLD)
- Mitchell Crabbe (VIC)
- Nick Siegmund (SA)
- Oscar Burrell (TAS)
- Phoenix Campbell (VIC)
- Piper Stubbs (VIC)
- Quinnton Croker (QLD)
- Rhianna Lewis (QLD)
- Ronan Filgate (TAS)
- Shakira Kuys (SA)
- Ted Donoghue (VIC)
- Tiana Wanigasekera (VIC)
- Toby Walker (VIC)
- Tyler Duncan (QLD)
- Zac Maxwell (QLD)
