BRAYDEN Petersen took a lot - if not a win - away from his first experience at the National Futures Championship 12 months ago.
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The Asquith-based Charlestown right-hander will be one of the favourites for the trainee title when he tees up Ballarat on Tuesday.
"Out of all the trainee events, this is the one to win," Petersen told Down the Fairway from Ballarat. "I learned a lot last year. I was in the final group on day four but fell away with a 79 to finish seventh. We got down here Sunday and have played a couple of practice rounds to get the feel for the course again, mainly around greens and what sort of trouble there is off the fairway. I reckon you can get it to 10 or 11 under. Even two-under each day would be pretty solid. The wind is supposed to get up to about 40 kilometres an hour later in the week."
Since the 2018 Futures, Petersen, who is in the second year of his traineeship, has won the Queensland Trainee Championships and was runner-up in the Victorian and NSW trainee titles.
"The game is in good order," said Petersen, whose dad Brett is on the bag for him this week. "I have the putter working, so if I can hit some decent iron shots and get myself close, I should be right in it. I have been super confident with the putter from 10-to-15 feet. Even if I do hit it three-feet past, I know I am going to hole the next one. It's definitely a big advantage if you are confident with the putter. The greens here are rolling nice. They are not super firm either so you get a bit of check."
Petersen has addressed a couple of issues with his swing in the past fortnight.
"I have been working pretty hard," he said. "I had a few lessons with Neville Bell last week, working on my swing and going back to a stock fade. I was coming in on the inside and pulling it left. The swing now feels pretty good."
Toronto trainee Jye Forrester is also among the 96 trainees, including 16 of the top 20, as well as players from Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand.
The winner of the $60,000 event earns a start at the $1.5 million Australian PGA at Royal Pines in December.
* Young gun Jake Riley held his nerve to claim his first Toronto A-Grade Club championship on Saturday and in the process became the youngest winner in history at age 14.
Riley closed with a three-over 74 to finish on 222, four strokes clear of Craig Avery. Fellow teenager Jacob Dundas was third at 227.
"He is the youngest here to win it," Toronto club pro Darren Green said. "He has shot up a little bit and has found a few yards. He began the third round with a shot head start on Jake Dundas, who had a 77, and managed to keep it together."
The final round was delayed by a week due to a washout and was played in conjunction with the Toronto Cup.
Justin Ely shot a one-under 70 to win the Toronto Cup for a third time, following success in 2014 and 2017.
Craig Avery and Dave Alexander were equal second at one-one.
* Corey Lamb heads to the NSW Country Championships in Bathurst in a fortnight in strong form. The teenager carded rounds of 72,65,72,70 to be at nine under and finish tied for sixth in the prestigious Keperra Bowl in Brisbane last week. His seven-under 65 was the best round of the tournament.
Jye Pickin, who is back from college in the US, was tied for 15th at two under.
* Blake Windred, James Nitties, Cal O'Reilly, Andrew Dodt, Aaron Townsend and Jake Higginbottom will tee up in the $125,000 Victorian PGA Championships at Cape Schanck, starting Thursday.
* The Newcastle District Championships will be held at Pacific Dunes on November 16.
