GOLF: As Golf makes its return to the Olympic stage at Rio 2016, the sport will be played for the first time at a Youth Olympic Games.
Elizabeth Elmassian and Brett Coletta are among the country’s finest teenage golfers and have been selected to compete in Nanjing in August.
The pair recently qualified for the Youth Olympics after impressive performances at a number of events throughout 2014.
Coletta, 17, came first at the Tamar Valley Junior Cup and the South Australian Junior Masters to make his way into the Australian Youth Olympic Team.
“Qualifying for this event was to attain the best ranking in Australia within the players selected to represent. My form leading up to selection had been good with some great finishes,” Coletta said.
The Victorian golfer has showed promise over the last few years competing for Australia in numerous events.
From competing at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2013 to teeing off at the Callaway World Juniors and also sinking putts at the Toyota World Junior Championships.
“Coming to this point is a great achievement for me personally, to play for your country is a great honour and I’m looking forward to the Youth Olympics,” Coletta said.
Coletta has also won the Peninsula Junior Masters and was the Senior and Junior Club Champion at Sandhurst Golf Club at the age of 16. He was also selected to represent Victoria at the School Sport Australia Championship.
The other half of the golf team is Elizabeth Elmassian who has also recorded a number of outstanding results over the past few years.
Tasmanian Amateur Championship was the most recent tournament that the 17-year-old won and she’s looking to keep up her form going into Nanjing.
“I am very happy with my form. I have been practicing hard and fine tuning all aspects of my game on and off the golf course,” Elmassian said.
Living on Sydney’s North Shore, the talented golfer is ranked in the top 24 woman amateur golfers in Australia.
A member of The Australian Golf Club, Elmassian has won the Northern Territory Amateur and came fifteenth at this year’s Victorian Open.
In 2013, she took out the Brett Ogle Junior Masters and was selected in the Girls State Team and also the Junior Elite Squad.
The format of the competition will see golfers take part in their gendered event and also play as a team.
Each player will play a 54-hole event in the individual and also the team event.
The team event will see countries compete against each other in three rounds of foursome, four-ball and stroke play.
The three lowest scores for both formats will walk away with a Youth Olympic medal.
So if all goes well for Elizabeth and Brett they could walk away with two gold medals each.
“I’m most excited to represent my country and feel what it’s like to one day represent Australia at the Olympic Games,” Elmassian said.
Sixty-four golfers will descend onto Nanjing Zhongshan International Golf club on the 19th to 26th August.
To follow, support and find out more information about the Australian Youth Olympic Team, visit the dedicated team website nanjing2014.olympics.com.au. For the latest social media news, follow @AUSOlympicTeam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google+.
Phillip Brent
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam
2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team – Golf Section:
Name (age)
Brett Coletta (17)
Elizabeth Elmassian (17)
