Golf

Lucas Parson     |     Steve Conran

Lucas John Kendall Parson 1969 - Golf Champion

Lucas John Kendall Parsons was born in Orange on 4 October 1969. His sporting endeavours started at Calare Primary School, where he played cricket and soccer, contested State Championships in swimming and won a gold medal in the New South Wales Primary Schools Diving Championships. In his spare time Lucas also represented Western Districts in Basketball.

His generous talents were sharpened at Orange High School where he played cricket, represented Central West in rugby, Captained his school in Rugby League's University Shield, played first grade Australian rules, won the school swimming Championship and opened the batting and bowling in Orange first grade cricket. When time permitted he played a little golf.

Lucas represented Combined High Schools golf teams on three occasions and captained the State in his last year at school. During this period he performed brilliantly in a number of sports. In 1983 he won his first golf competition at Orange Golf Club and this was probably a time of decision in his sporting life.

In 1985 Lucas's golf wins included the New South Wales CHS Matchplay Championship, the Central West Junior Championship, the Wentworth Junior Classic and the Pymble Junior Championship. He was also selected in the NSW Junior Golf squad. His career continued to flourish during the 1980s with some brilliant amateur wins all over Australia. In 1990 he was selected to represent Australia in the Clare Higson Trophy against New Zealand.

In 1991 Lucas represented Australia on four occasions, was winner of the Australian Amateur Championship, Australian Amateur Medal (for stroke play), the New Zealand Amateur Championship and the Asian Pacific Games (individual) in Manila. 1992 saw the genial Orange big hitter represent Australia in the world amateur championships at Vancouver where 120 countries were represented. He also chose to move into the professional ranks with his first success making the cut in the Malaysian Masters, followed by a fourth in the PGA Championship in Singapore and a second in the Air New Zealand Open after a playoff with Nick Price.

Lucas's first tournament win as a professional came in November 1993 with a win in the Victorian open and in October 1994 he took out his second major event, the Queensland Open, which he dedicated to his father and greatest fan John Parson, who had passed away just a month earlier.

The future is wide open for this young golfing champion and many a record book will be re-written before he retires from his wisely chose number one sport - golf.

Image Descriptions:
A - Putter used in 1989 Australian Amateur Championship.

Steven Conran was born at Lithgow on 12 May 1966 and moved to Orange at the age of six. In 1978 at the age of 11 he started playing golf and it was soon evident that bigger things were ahead. Steve lived up to these early expectations when he took out the Orange Golf Club 'C' grade championship at the age of 14. Steve had no formal coaching until he was selected in the New South Wales junior squad in 1986 when he came under the astute eye of State coach Alex Mercer.

From the State junior squad, Steve moved into the State junior team in 1987 and during that year he shared the New South Wales Sandgreen Championships played at Molong. In 1988 Steve moved into the New South Wales Senior team and also took out the leading amateur section of the New South Wales open. Nineteen eighty nine was to be a great year for Steve, starting out as captain of the Orange Golf Club team which took out the Eric Apperly Shield. During this same period he was a member of the New Brighton Golf Club team which took out the Sydney Group One pennants. In August of that year, he won the New South Wales Sandgreen Championships played at Nyngan, with rounds of 69 and 70 on the par 68 course. He followed this in September with victory in the Australian Amateur Championships when he defeated Victorian State Captain Peter Maloney, two up in the thirty-sixth hole in the final at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne.

In October 1989 Steve was selected in the four-man Australian Team, which won the Pacific Championships at Tokyo, Japan. The start of 1990 saw Conran compete in the Australian Masters at Huntingdale in Melbourne where he won the amateur section.

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