Great expectations for WA ahead of Interstate Series

21st Apr 2026

WA Interstate Series team

WA ought to be a force to be reckoned with at next month’s Australian Interstate Teams Matches after GolfWA announced a power-packed lineup.

Eight experienced interstate campaigners are joined by rising junior stars Nate Johnson and Kortni Houston, who both step up to represent the open-age team for the first time.

WA will compete against NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania in the round-robin team match play tournament at Glenelg Golf Club, SA, from May 5-7.

The WA team is made up of five men and five women and features some of Australian golf’s most consistent players from the past 12 months.

In the absence of Wanneroo GC’s Ollie Marsh, who will be competing in Europe in the coming months, the WA men’s team is made up of debutant Johnson, Josiah Edwards, Spencer Harrison, George Barclay and Adam Baillie.

Barclay and Harrison are the respective reigning Australian Men’s and Boys’ Order of Merit champions, while Baillie is the current WA Men’s Amateur champion, having swept to victory at Cottesloe GC in February.

Edwards, meanwhile, secured the prestigious Riversdale Cup in March and was recently called up to Golf Australia’s National High Performance squad, alongside Harrison and Marsh.

Having reached the final of the WA Men’s Amateur, Johnson went on to win the Nedlands Junior Masters, finish fifth at the Aus Boys Amateur and star for WA in this month’s Junior Interstate Series.

The WA women’s team features four players from last year’s lineup in Amie Phobubpa, Valerie Khuu, Amanda Gan and Katie Seol, with Lakelands teenager Houston making her debut after a standout year to date.

After winning the Webex Juniors event at Royal Fremantle in January, Houston went on to secure a top-10 finish at the Australian Women’s Amateur in February and was WA’s joint top-scorer in the recent Junior Interstate Series.

Khuu has also shown excellent form domestically, winning the Kwinana, Cottesloe and Lake Karrinyup Silver Championships in successive weeks.

Rick Kulacz, GolfWA’s High Performance Manager, believes his team has every chance of doing well at Glenelg.

“This year’s team looks particularly strong on paper, with several players coming off strong performances at national-level events,” he said.

“That said, a strong team on paper doesn’t guarantee success, so we will need to be ready to go from the outset.

“We have two athletes making their debut this year, Nate and Kortni, and they will be well supported by some experienced players, who will help guide them through the week.

“We are all looking forward to the challenge the Interstate Series brings and are ready to take the challenge head-on.”