IN THE SWING: Kotara High's Tess MacDonald.
TESS MacDonald always had the genes to become a quality golfer.
Her mother, Jane, has often played with a single-figure handicap and won numerous pennants titles with Newcastle Golf Club.
The 16-year-old's father, Ian, is a long-time A-grader at the Fern Bay-based club.
But Tess is showing potential to become a professional.
From January 17 to 20, the year 10 Kotara High student will represent her country for the first time at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival at western Sydney's Twin Creeks.
Charlestown's Blake Windred has also been selected for the 72-hole strokeplay event.
The recognition follows a fantastic debut season for MacDonald in Sydney women's grade competition with Pennant Hills.
Pennant Hills, which also included Belmont's Aliza Huff, was undefeated to win A grade for the first time and MacDonald was named player of the year.
On Sunday she kept the momentum up by winning the Charlestown mixed foursomes championship with Brayden Petersen.
MacDonald said her golf had developed rapidly this year.
"I've really been practising a lot more and knuckling down," she said.
"It's really paying off.
"I got my handicap to three in January and that's when I got my scholarship at Pennant Hills and then I blew out to six and I've recently got it back down to two."