• Howick and Pakuranga Times
NATIONAL amateur women’s golf champion Cecilia Cho finished third-equal in the recent North Island Strokeplay Championships at Taupo.
Cho, of Pakuranga Country Club, finished the three round, 54-hole champs at Taupo Golf Club with a one-over par 74, to share third place with Charlotte Brooks of Waikato on a two-over total of 221. On the preceding two days, 15-year-old Cho had rounds of 75 and 72.
Outstanding North Harbour 12-year-old Lydia Ko (Pupuke) claimed the North Island Strokeplay Championship by seven shots from Zoe Brake of Whakatane, after rounds of 70, 72 and 70 on the testing par 73 course.
Brake, the New Zealand Strokeplay champ, fired 69 in the final round, after earlier scores of 77 and 73.
Brooks’ final round one under par 72 earned her the spot available for this month’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open. There was one place up for grabs at the North Island tournament for the leading player, as Cho, Ko and Brake have already qualified.
Macleans College student Liv Cheng, representing Manukau Golf Club, finished sixth-equal at Taupo on 225 (74, 76, 75).
Pakuranga Country Club player Caryn Khoo placed 11th on 230 (78, 76, 76), while her local club-mate Munchin Keh was 14th equal on 233 (80, 68, 75).
Macleans College student Ejin Choi, the Auckland under-19 champion also of Pakuranga, finished on 234 (78, 77, 79).
Ko was delighted to claim the North Island crown, her first as a New Zealand citizen, after learning recently of her successful citizenship application.
“It was such a shock when we got the news. It was the day before Christmas and it was such a great Christmas present,” says Ko, of her citizenship.
She dominated the Taupo tournament and believes her one-under 72 in heavy rain on day two was the key to victory.
“It was quite a challenge and very tough. But I remembered the similar conditions when I played at the Taranaki Open and used that in how I played in Taupo,” says Ko.
“It was about being consistent on the final day.
“I only made one bogey and four birdies. It felt really good.”
She’s now very keen to represent New Zealand.
“That’s my big goal. It will be very hard because there are so many good players, but I will be trying my very best,” says Ko.
Brake, a member of the Srixon Academy, made a strong charge to run down Ko’s lead on the final day, firing an outstanding five birdies on the opening 12 holes.
However, her title aspirations faded with back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th holes. Attention was also on Cho to make a run at the lead, but her chances disappeared with a triple bogey at the 16th.
