Golf Australia – August 2019

EXCLUSIVE

The role of KarrieWebbinmentoringHannahGreentomajorchampionship glory has

been well documented but the infl uence of another woman has been equal – or perhaps

even more important – in the development of Australia’s third women’s Grand Slam

tournament winner.

WORDS ROD MORRI

“

I

f it wasn’t for her,” says Hannah

Green matter-of-factly, “I wouldn’t

be playing golf.”

Green has never made a secret of the fact her

start in the game was somewhat awkward. Like

many young girls with an interest in golf a huge

barrier presented early on: fi nding others her own

age to play with.

As an 11-year-old member at Hartfi eld in

Perth there was only one other junior girl at the

club.Thatmeantthepairregularlyhadtoteeup

alongsidemennotonlytwiceandthreetimes

theiragebutvastlysuperiorinskill.

“Idon’tthinktheyminded,”saysGreen,“but

itwasprettydauntingforus,especiallyplaying

o‚ 45 atthetimewhentheyweremuchbetter

players than that.”

Under those circumstances, Green says she

likely would have eventually drifted away from

golf towards swimming or tennis.

“I was only playing about once a month because

it wasn’t really that enjoyable. I loved the game but

I wanted to play with others my own age and level.”

Enter the Graham Marsh Junior Golf

Foundation. Playing one of their events during

school holidays, Green befriended a fellow

competitorandthatmeetingultimatelychanged

notonlyherrelationshipwiththegamebuther

career–andlife–trajectory.

“ShewasamemberatMountLawley,”says

Green.“Shetoldmetherewerequiteafewjunior

girlsthereandIrememberthinkinghowcoolthat

would be, to be able to play all the time with girls

my own age and who were the same skill level.”

After attending a clinic at the club shortly after,

the decision was made that she should join.

And that’s where she fi rst met Sue Thomson,

the woman without whom she “wouldn’t be

playing golf now”.

********

Sue Thomson is the junior co-ordinator at

MountLawleyandhasbeenforaslongasmost

peoplecanremember.

AlongwithfellowmembersShirleyReynolds

andShonnaGobby,thetriohasdevelopeda

hugelysuccessfulprogramattheclubwhich

includesasignificantnumberofyounggirls.

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PHOTO:

GETTY IMAGES

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