16 Mar 2009

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Golf Australia today announced four new scholarship holders to its successful golf program.

The new scholarship holders are Matt Griffin (VIC), Tristan Lambert (NSW), Bronson La Cassie (QLD) and Susie Matthews (SA).

The AIS Golf program has scholarship places for up to eight amateur players and four rookie professionals (in their first four years as professionals).

AIS Director Professor Peter Fricker said the recent introduction of a rookie professional component was an exciting new development for Australian golf.  

‘It enables better support to some of Australia’s leading athletes at an important stage of their golfing pathway,’ Professor Fricker said.

‘In 2006 the Australian Sports Commission conducted a review of high performance golf pathways in Australia by hosting a workshop with the Australian golf industry.’

‘One of the key recommendations from that review was the introduction of a rookie professional component and that is what we are delivering through the AIS Golf program.’

CEO of Golf Australia, Stephen Pitt, said the addition of four new scholarship holders was good news for Australian golf.

‘Our objective is to deliver a coordinated pathway of player development from elite junior, through elite amateur to rookie professional and internationally successful elite professional golfers,’ Pitt said.

‘The AIS Golf program is an important part of that pathway and the addition of four new scholarship holders further boosts the number of talented golfers coming through our ranks.’     

Contact: David Packwood AIS Media Officer Tel: 02 62141476 / 0408 417894.

*The AIS is a major division of the Australian Sports Commission.