Ko Will Have An Outstanding Future For Golf

Ko Will Have An Outstanding Future For Golf

Ko, from the North Shore club, who won the strokeplay title by nine shots at the Russley Golf Club on Saturday, yesterday ended the two-year run of her friend and New Zealand team-mate, Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), Lydia Ko Becomes Youngest NZ Golf Championas the national amateur champion, beating Cho 4 and 3. Since Christmas Ko has unleashed a string of impressive results. She won the North Island strokeplay championship, was fourth equal in the New Zealand women's open at the Pegasus course - a professional event featuring some of the best players in the world. From there she headed to Australia where she became the youngest winner of their national strokeplay championship. When she won the New Zealand equivalent last Saturday she became the first player to win the two titles in the same year. "I made a few mistakes after I went one up on the first hole, but I didn't really lose a hole until 12, but then I birdied the next two holes."

When four up with four to play Ko said her plan was to put her tee shot as close as possible to the pin on the 15th green and make a par. That's exactly what she did. She left her birdie putt beside the hole for a gimme' par, and Cho missed her birdie to give Ko the title. There are more mundane matters on the agenda for Ko in the next few weeks. It's back to school to prepare for exams, but later in the year she is hoping to be picked to play the British amateur championship and also the US amateur. The unassuming Auckland teenager yesterday added the New Zealand women's amateur golf title to the strokeplay title she won three days earlier, and further enhanced her reputation as an outstanding prospect for the future.