History beckons for red-hot amateur Jazy Roberts – Features

The WPGA Tour of Australasia has seen many talented local and international amateurs claim a share of its major events over the years.

As an amateur and school student based on the Gold Coast, Korean Amy Yang famously won the 2006 Australian Ladies Masters down the road at Royal Pines and this week’s defending champion, Su Oh, won the same event, albeit just two weeks after turning professional in 2015.

Hall of Fame-bound New Zealander Lydia Ko astonished the world in 2012 by winning the NSW Open as a 14-year-old and perhaps the most impressive recent example is Sydney’s Steph Kyriacou, one of the star attractions in this week’s Australian WPGA Championship field at Sanctuary Cove, who strolled to the 2020 Australian Ladies Classic title by a whopping eight strokes as an amateur.

Roberts has been a regular presence in amateur and numerous professional events since her mid-teens, mixing it with some of the best in our country with impressively steady ball striking and a short game that is the envy of many.

In her glittering amateur career, Roberts’ command performance came just a few weeks ago when she lapped the field at the Australian Amateur Championship in Perth, shooting a 10-under-par final round of 63 for a 27-under-par total. The following week, she was outright third in the Asia-Pacific Amateur in New Zealand, and she warmed up for both these events by finishing outright fourth in January’s Vic Open at 13th Beach behind the winner, Lydia Hall.

A cursory glance at her record from last year alone lists wins at the Dunes Medal and the Pacific North-West Amateur, plus a runner-up finish in the North and South Women’s Amateur in the United States. On her first trip to the U.K, she quickly adapted to traditional Scottish links conditions and finished a creditable ninth in the Women’s British Amateur. These results only embellished an already impressive career littered with victories and state and national representative honours.

Anyone watching the rise to prominence of unassuming Victorian Jazy Roberts over the past few years will be unsurprised if her name is also etched on a trophy of this magnitude before too long. (Photo: Australian Golf Media)

The 21-year-old arrives at Sanctuary Cove confident in her game, having won the prestigious Riversdale Cup in her adopted hometown of Melbourne just a fortnight ago; another dominant four-stroke victory despite enduring a difficult final day in the wind.

“This is only my second LET event, but I’ve had many opportunities in the past on the Aussie Tour and overseas to play with players like this,” Roberts said after her first look at the Palms layout. “I think it’s just another week; I don’t think it’s any different from anything else. I guess it’s just another round of golf.”

An early first-round draw alongside fellow Aussie Hannah Reeves and the impressive South African Casandra Alexander will be another opportunity to size up the quality of players she will compete with when she inevitably steps into the professional ranks. Should she replicate the efforts of the tournament-winning amateurs who have come before her, that decision could be made for her as soon as next week.

PLUS…

Kyriacou draws confidence from star WPGA pairing

“I’m not really sure when I’ll turn pro – probably sometime this year – but I’ll try to keep getting as many playing opportunities as I can and see where that leads. I still have another year of study for a Business Sports Management degree at Deakin University, which will be a factor in my decision.”

“I’ve been playing pretty well in the pro events lately, although I barely made a putt outside six feet at the Australian Open last week. Although I’m not as familiar with these conditions as I would be if I were at home, they’re very nice and similar to what I’ve seen in some of the Asian events I’ve played.”

“I think I’ve been lucky with the tee times and I have a good group. I’m looking forward to the week.”

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