Wittenoom Cup triumph for brilliant young teenager

Albany teenager Cooper Filipowski is still coming to terms with his momentous victory in the prestigious 2017 Wittenoom Cup, the first time the junior member has competed in the major Albany Golf Club tournament.

Filipowski defied his age at the weekend to top a field of 140 competitors, winning the region’s premier tournament on a countback with a combined 36-hole total of 141.

After a round of 72 on Saturday left Filipowski in the leading division, the 15-year-old produced an even better effort on Sunday, scoring 69 to finish equal with Terry Hayward and Alan Simpson.

The talented golfer was competing in the tournament for the first time and is believed to be the youngest winner of the men’s event.

Filipowski, in his third year of competitive golf, was playing off a handicap of nine and had to survive a lengthy wait to be declared the champion.

“I parred the last five holes on the way back after a double bogey,” Filipowski said.

“When I got down to the last hole, I knew I could be in with a chance but I had to wait for about 100 players to finish to find out.

“I was really happy and pretty shocked. Coming into this week, I felt I was in top form and have definitely improved.

“It’s a very up-and-down sport and is mind-challenging.” The Albany Senior High School student enjoyed a brilliant week after pairing with father Adrian to win Wednesday’s combined Stableford competition, and gets regular coaching from Dan Northcott and Ian Redmond.