Rising star: Young golfing gun picks up second major junior golfing title in big comeback win

Sienna Clarke of the Illawarra Academy of Sport has caught eyes again as she picked up another major win on the weekend in a big comeback performance. HEAR FROM THE JUNIOR STAR.

ILLAWARRA Academy of Sport’s Sienna Clarke sealed a massive comeback victory on the second day of the 2022 Blue Mountains Junior Masters to claim her 2nd major career win.

At just 16 years old, Clarke is fast rising up the ranks in the Jack Newton Junior Golf scene, with this win following up her maiden title victory in the Harvey Norman Sydney Week of Golf in January this year.

Sienna Clarke teeing off on day one of the competition. Photo: Supplied

The competition took place at Wentworth Falls Country Club over the weekend of the 10th and 11th of December, hosting an array of junior talent from around NSW.

Clarke, playing out of St Michael’s Golf Club, was over the moon to have picked up another major win.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all, the fact that I was eight shots behind after day one,” Clarke said.

“It’s a great way to finish the year.”

As she refers to, Clarke mounted a massive comeback to the leader on day two of the competition.

At the conclusion of day one, Clarke was in tied second place and eight shots behind Holly Fuller of Grafton Golf Club, who had a very impressive first day, finishing five shots under par.

Sienna Clarke mounting her comeback on day two of the competition. Photo: Supplied

On day two however, five birdies and an eagle from Clarke mounted a massive comeback for the young gun, finishing seven strokes better than the day prior and edging Fuller for the overall victory by one stroke.

Clarke, who is in Year 11 at St John The Evangelist Catholic School in Nowra, picked up the sport around five years ago, and has been on the up since.

After trying her hand at a number of different sports, she committed to golf to follow in the footsteps of her father, Justin Clarke, who is a golfing pro himself.

Winning smiles. Sienna Clarke with proud father Justin Clarke after the competition. Photo: Supplied

Having shown her the ropes in her early years in the sport, Justin is immensely proud to see his daughter’s progress in the sport.

“The result is really pleasing, she works very hard and she played very well,” Justin Clarke said.

“When success does come it’s good obviously from a coaching point of view, but as a parent it’s even better.

“It’s been an up and down year for her, but it was great for me and her mum to see her on the weekend with a smile on her face.”

Justin identified the biggest improvement to Sienna’s game as of late being the consistency to which she strikes the ball.

For Sienna, it was her putting game that was the biggest improvement between day one and day two of the competition in the Blue Mountains.

“That’s the difference between doing alright and doing really well,” Sienna said.

Working on that putting game. Sienna Clarke of the IAS in the Regional Academies of Sport North vs South Cup earlier this year. Photo: Supplied

“Once a few of those eight-footers started rolling in I knew I was doing well.”

Following this victory, Clarke now has an action-packed January ahead of her, as she has now qualified for the Australian AM, which will be held at her home course of St Michael’s Golf Club.

Around the grounds, the other major winner in the boys division was Kayun Mudadana of NSW Golf Club, who also edged the competition by a single stroke after finishing even across both days.