Brayden Petersen will tee up in the NSW/ACT trainee championships at Riverside Oaks on Tuesday ranked No.1 in Australia.
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It's a slot the 24-year-old Asquith-based Novocastrian intends to retain.
After winning the Queensland trainee championship at Windaroo Lakes in June, Petersen will start one of the favourites at a course he knows well.
He was runner-up behind good friend Frazer Droop at Riverside Oaks last year, albeit on the new course.
This year the 72-hole championships is being held on the old layout.
"The older course suits me a little bit better," Petersen said. "It is fractionally easier. I feel like there are a few more gettable holes on that style of course."
The win at Windaroo Lakes ended a run of second-place finishes for the former Charlestown right-hander, who is in his second year at Asquith in Sydney's north.
He had been runner-up at the Victorian Trainee Championships, NSW Trainee Championships and Rich River event.
"I'm playing pretty solid at the moment,"Petersen said. "I had a good win at a Concord trainee event a couple of weeks ago, which followed the win in the Queensland in the four rounder.
"With four rounds, you tend to be a bit more conservative. That suits my golf. I'd rather play an event over four days. You get more of a feel for the course. It is easy to dial in.
"I if I am playing well, I feel like I can go to any course and perform. I am currently the No.1 ranked trainee in Australia (in four-round tournaments). If I am still ranked No.1 at the end of the year, hopefully I can get into a few more of the bigger events. They give out invites to things like the Aussie Open.
"Seven or eight weeks after NSW, is the Futures Championship, which is the big one. It's in Ballarat. I was second after three rounds in it last year and had a 79 to end up running seventh. If you win that one, you get a start in the Australian PGA at the Gold Coast."
Droop, who finished 51st at the Northern Territory PGA on Sunday, is again the man to beat this week.
"I am staying with him in a hotel this year," Petersen said. "I'll try and lock him out at night or do something to sabotage him."
As well as Petersen, Toronto's Jye Forrester, who is ranked 12th in the NSW trainee order of merit, and Isaiah Melia (Muree) are playing.
* Ben Saunders spends most of his time behind the counter at the Nelson Bay pro-shop. But the three-handicapper and member at Kooindah Waters delivered on the course on Sunday, carding a four-over 76 to win the Nelson Bay Open. He won by a stroke from Wayne Mitchell. Charlestown's Nick Westwood was third.
Former Australian Open winner Peter Lonard will head the list of big names playing in the $15,000 Nelson Bay pro-am on September 19. Lonard's amateur playing group will be drawn out of a hat.
* Waratah pennants captain Greg McMillan didn't set a new mark at the Bulahdelah Record Challenge Day on Saturday but his three-over 73 was enough to win the scratch section. McMillan finished a stroke ahead of Fletcher Murray (Bonnie Doon). Justin Ely, who holds the course record with 67, was one of three players alongside Michael Musgrove (Toronto) and local Toby Carroll at seven over.
* Merewether's Stacie McDonald has added the Newcastle Hunter District Ladies championship to the women's foursomes and mixed foursomes title for 2019. McDonald coped best in the windy conditions at Fern Bay with rounds of 84 and 78 to win by seven strokes from Newcastle's Deirdre Brander (80,89).
Helen Vandenbruggen (Cypress Lakes) took out division two from Lynda McDougall (Pacific Dunes).
* Andrew Dodt, fresh from winning on the Asian Tour, continued his strong return from a back injury when equal-10th in the Northern Territory PGA Championships in Darwin on Sunday.
Dodt carded rounds of 70,68,66,60, to be at 10 under, 10 strokes behind red-hot winner Brett Rankin (65,68,68,63).
Jake Higginbotton (67,69,70,70) was two strokes back in a tie for 23rd. Nick Flanagan (68,68,75,72) and Jamie Hook (68,71,78,71) also made the cut.
* Singleton young gun Jasmin Vesper stormed home to finish second in the girls 14-15 years division at the South Coast Masters on Sunday. After opening with an 87, Vesper improved nine shots to finish behind Charlotte Perkins (76,82).
Josh Robards was the best placed Hunter golfer in the boys, carding rounds of 79, 75 to be 10 over and a tie for sixth, five strokes behind winner Ripudaman Singh.
* Brij Ingrey (Macquarie College) and Hamish Ellison (Hunter Sports High) finished seventh and 12th respectively at the Australian Schoolboys stroke championships at Mandurah on Monday.
Ingrey opened with a two-under 69 to be equal-second after 18 holes but couldn't repeat the effort, carding a 76 to finish three over. Ellison had rounds of 76,72 to be at six over.
NSW teammate Jeffrey Guan won with sizzling rounds of 67,66.
