Palm City, FL – The UNIQLO Adam Scott Junior Championship provides opportunities for young golfers worldwide to compete in high-quality tournaments. This year’s sponsor exemption recipients are Australia natives, Jake Riley and Kate McFarlane.
“It felt awesome [hearing about the sponsor exemption],” Riley said. “It’s my first time playing golf overseas, so it was very exciting. I was on a family holiday when I got the call so that made the trip a bit more enjoyable.”
Riley recently recorded his first World Amateur Golf Ranking victory at the 2023 Concord Cup. The junior golfer followed up his win with a fifth-place finish at the Australian Boys’ Amateur tournament. Riley remains committed to turning professional shortly.
“The plan once I finish school this year is to do Golf Australia for a few years, play amateur events and then hopefully get to the stage where I can go to Q-School and make the next step.”
Starting to golf at a young age has played a role in Riley’s life. Competing and making new friends is what the junior golfer has enjoyed the most.
“Junior golf is massive,” claimed Riley. “A lot of my closest mates that I have been friends with for over 10 years have all been playing junior golf. Junior golf is what I do all day now so it has been my life.”
McFarlane, who is currently ranked No. 357 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, recently became a member of the 2023 Golf Australia Queensland High-Performance Squad (Tier Three). In 2023, McFarlane recorded two sixth-place finishes at the Riversdale Cup and the Women’s Masters of the Amateurs.
“I was stoked when I found out [about becoming a member of the 2023 Golf Australia Queensland High-Performance Squad],” said McFarlane. “Having [Golf Australia’s] support has been good.”
Along with Riley, competing in junior golf events has shaped McFarlane’s life.
“Junior golf has been a big part of my life and I have been playing since I was five,” shared McFarlane. “I have grown up amongst a lot of other juniors, so being able to grow up with other people has been good.”
Earning the sponsor exemption allowed McFarlane to travel overseas.
“It was pretty cool when I found out,” shared McFarlane. “This is my first time in the United States, so it was very exciting.”
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