New Zealand Golf popped the champagne corks in
celebration of the remarkable victory by amateur
Danny Lee who won the Johnnie Walker Classic in
Perth.
Lee, two shots off the lead going into the final
round, made four birdies in the final six holes for
a final round five-under par 67 for a 17-under par
total of 271.
Lee’s victory means that when he does turn
professional – after April’s Masters in Augusta – he
will have exemption on the European, Asian and
Australasian tours for the rest of this year and
next year which gives him an incredible foundation
on which to build his career.
He heads to Melbourne for next week’s Moonah
Classic before heading home for the HSBC NZPGA
Championship at Clearwater and the Michael Hill
New Zealand Open at The Hills in Queenstown –
all co-sanctioned events with the Nationwide Tour.
The strong southerly wind which struck the
Clearwater course midway through the fi nal round
of the $150,000 New Zealand Women’s Open
caused carnage among the leading players.
What was shaping as a tight fi nish with the top
seven players separated by no more than four
shots suddenly turned into a one-horse race as
only Frenchwoman Gwladys Nocera withstood the
buffeting wind and sharp drop in temperature.
At
the end of the 54 holes, Nocera, after a threeunder
69, stood alone at eight-under par and the
champion by six shots from a group of four.
Hull was in that quartet at two-under as were
fellow Australians, Nikki Garrett and Sarah Kemp,
and Korean professional Bobea Park, who spent
most of her amateur career in Auckland.
For Nocera, winner of last year’s European Tour
order of merit, it was her fi rst win “Down Under’’
after playing the Australian tournaments for the
last seven years and she pledged to return next
year to defend her crown.
Fourteen-year-old Aucklander Cecilia Cho
came to the New Zealand Women’s Open Golf
Championships hoping to just make the cut and
surprised herself by being top New Zealander
and leading amateur in this inaugural event at
Clearwater in Christchurch.
In finishing in a tie for 14th with a five over total
of 221, Cho had to show maturity beyond her
years as she battled a strong blustery southerly
and sharply dropping temperatures over the back
nine.
Cho said that was about the windiest she had
ever played in. “I just didn’t have any control over
my golf. It was diffi cult to concentrate and I had
to step away from my ball on the putting green
several times due to the strong gusts.”
Cho had a mixed front nine with three bogeys
and three birdies. She birdied the 10th at about
the time the southerly swept across the course,
eventually finishing with a seven over 79.
“I learned a lot…by playing with top professional
golfers. They concentrate very well and they take
plenty of time to play their shots.
“To be the top amateur and top New Zealander
makes me very proud. My aim was to make the
cut so I am very pleased with the way that I
played. I started well on the first day and was
on the leaderboard several times which gave
me confidence, but the last few holes were very
tough,” she said.
New Zealand Golf is delighted to announce a new
partnership with The Michael Campbell Foundation
that will see New Zealand Golf Amateur golfers
given a once in a lifetime scholarship opportunity.
New Zealand Golf and the Michael Campbell
Foundation both share the same ambitions. Their
vision is synonymous with excellence and today
marks the start of an inspirational partnership.
Both New Zealand Golf and the Michael Campbell
Foundation share a vision to see more New
Zealanders winning at amateur level in turn leading
to the domination of international tours. Both wish
to see more ‘Michael Campbell moments’ in the
future that will drive healthy growth of the sport.
Starting this year, the Michael Campbell Foundation
will award three New Zealand Golf Amateurs with
a special scholarship that will take them overseas
to the UK in advance of the British Open to be
coached by Jonathan Yarwood and mentored by
Michael Campbell himself. The scholarship will
provide those lucky enough to be awarded the
honour, the opportunity to walk the path of their
chosen future. Whilst getting a taste for what their
ultimate goal might resemble, will be coached by
one of the best teachers in world golf all under
the watchful eye of one of New Zealand’s iconic
sportsman-Cambo.