Junior golf prospect Bailey Goodall continues adding quality placings to his resume ― but is also learning lessons.
In one of the rare junior hit-outs still available to Goodall, who recently turned 18, the local prodigy took on an elite crop once again on familiar turf, competing in round one of the Webex Junior Players Series at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
The four-tournament series is a relatively new fixture on the Victorian calendar and pits men and women in contention for the same prize pool at senior level.
Goodall is no stranger to the Webex series, having played in each edition since the event’s inception ― which conducts under-19 junior competitions, as opposed to the under-18 category in tournaments run by Golf Australia.
“It was good that I could stay at home and didn’t have to stay in a hotel,” Goodall said.
“I’ve played there many times and, because it’s not too far from Shepparton, there were a lot of people I knew from the club.
“The course is pretty similar to Shepparton, whereas when you get down Melbourne or Geelong way, it’s a different style, so there are less things to worry about here.”
Goodall’s two-round run started optimistically, shooting two-under on day one to sit advantageously.
Emphasising the mental aspect of this sport, though, things could have been smoother the second time around ― and Goodall knows why.
“The first day was pretty good, two-under, but I just dropped a few shots towards the end,” Goodall said.
“I was pleased with how I played, but the second day wasn’t as good; I was going all right through nine and then fell off.
“I started thinking about winning, which took my focus away from what was getting me to win.
“I started dropping easy shots that I shouldn’t have, but still placed pretty high, which was good.”
All told, it was a two-over final scorecard for Goodall, runner-up to Nicholas Horvath by four shots.
There is little rest ahead, with Goodall already well under way in the next stage of the Players Series running from January 25-28 at Rosebud.
“I reckon I could probably play the same and score better (at Rosebud),” Goodall said.
“I hadn’t played a tournament in a couple of months, so now I’m pretty confident going into this week.”