Buoyed by their strong performance at last week’s Queen Sirikit Cup, New Zealand leading women’s golfers will now turn on each other at the national amateur championships in Hawke’s Bay.

Internationals Zoe Brake (igolf), of Whakatane, and Pakuranga’s Cecilia Cho will have the opportunity to defend their titles in the New Zealand strokeplay and amateur championships, respectively, from a field of 55 starting tomorrow.

All eyes will be on Australian Matt Jager in the men’s competition as he returns to defend the New Zealand amateur title he won last year.

There is a host of top New Zealanders keen to ensure that does not happen in the week-long championships, the third time that both the women and men have joined for the national amateur titles.

It begins with the foursomes today ahead of the 72-hole New Zealand strokeplay tomorrow, with the women at Napier Golf Club and the men at Hastings Golf Club.

The women play one round each on Wednesday and Thursday with two rounds on Friday to decide the honours before the top 32 move on to the matchplay.

The men’s strokeplay begins tomorrow with a cut for the top 72 players plus ties after two rounds with final round on Saturday. The top 32 players will move on to the matchplay, joined by the women at the Bridge Pa course.

In the women’s competition, it is hard to see past the international trio of Brake, Cho and North Harbour’s Lydia Ko, who combined to finish second at last week’s Queen Sirikit Asia Pacific teams championship.

Brake is the current South Island champion and defending New Zealand strokeplay titleholder, Cho won the Australian strokeplay and was runner-up in the Australian amateur recently while Ko won the North Island amateur and was runner-up to Cho in last year’s final.

Others with solid credentials include South Island runner-up Caroline Bon, of Northland, Nelson’s Lisa Wright, Hamilton’s Emily Perry and juniors Liv Cheng, of Auckland, and Erin Hawe, of Waikato.

Institute of Golf will be represented by Zoe Brake, Lydia Ko, Rica Tse, Courteny Manning, and Ye Song Park at the Napier Golf Course.

Among those bidding to thwart Jager is Masterton’s Ben Campbell, who was beaten by Jager in the final of the Australian amateur.

Tauranga’s Andrew Stewart and Nick Gillespie, of Wellington, won the South Island and North Island titles respectively recently while Aucklander Ryan Fox impressed in the strokeplay at the Australian amateur.

Tauranga’s James Hamilton was a semifinalist last year, with the young Omanu player back after a thwarted attempt at a US Scholarship and keen to push back into the amateur scene at the highest level, while Auckland’s Ben Wallace has a fine matchplay record, losing to his good friend Jager in the quarterfinals last year.

Institute of Golf will be represented by Kevin Budden, Tom Cardno, James Beale and Cameron Jones at Hastings.

// Others to watch include Auckland’s Gary-John Hill, seventh last year in the strokeplay, Hamilton’s Mathew Perry and the 2008 amateur champion Thomas Spearman-Burn, of Wellington.

For scores from both events:

Womens – click here.

Mens – click here.

Defending champions Korea produced a white hot display to run away with the Queen Sirikit Cup Asia Pacific women’s amateur teams golf championship title in Hamilton.

Two shots behind New Zealand overnight, Korea produced form for a final round of eight-under-par 136 to swamp the 12-nation field at Hamilton Golf Club.

Korea were spurred to victory by 16-year-old Hyo Joo Jim, who shot 65 to easily top the individual standings in the 54-hole event on 206.

They finished on 12-under 420 for their three rounds to win by seven shots from a youthful New Zealand team, who enjoyed their best finish since they won in 1999 when the championship was last held in New Zealand.

New Zealand, led by the remarkable 12-year-old Lydia Ko, shot a one-over 145 today to finish on five-under 427.

Institute of Golf Players Lydia Ko, Zoe Brake with their Coaches and Cecilia Cho

“Of course we would have liked to have won. That was the aim today but Korea were simply too good,” New Zealand manager Libby Steele said.

“It was a fantastic performance from the New Zealand girls and it is very exciting looking ahead to the world championships later in the year and for the future with such a young team.”

Ko, the youngest player in the field, shot her second successive 70 today while Cecilia Cho shot 75 and Zoe Brake had a non-counting 80.

Australia finished third on 430 par after an even par performance today, two shots ahead of Thailand while Taiwan raced home with a brilliant 136 today to finish fifth.

Korea were led brilliantly by Kim, who guided her team to their fourth successive victory in the event, and their sixth in eight years.

The Korean junior champion was backed up by a one-under 71 from Jung Eun Han to secure the title.

Taiwan’s Hsuan-Yu Yao shot 66 to jump to second overall on the individual honours on 214, one ahead of Thailand’s Yupaporn Kawinpakorn.

Ko and Australia’s Justine Lee shared fourth place on even par 216.

Final scores (*denotes non-counting score):-

420 – Korea 142 142 136

427 – New Zealand 141 141 146 (Zoe Brake 69 80* 80*, Cecilia Cho 72 71 75, Lydia Ko 76* 70 70)

430 – Australia 145 141 144

432 – Thailand 142 146 144

433 – Taiwan 151 146 136

438 – China 150 142 146

442 – Japan 149 146 147

445 – Philippines 152 146 147

452 – Hong Kong 153 150 149

457 – Singapore 147 160 150

458 – India 159 152 147

472 – Malaysia 160 153 159

Leading indidivual scores:-

206 – Hyo Joo Kim (Korea) 72 69 65

214 – Hsuan-Yu Yao (Taiwan) 75 73 66

215 – Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (Thailand) 70 73 72

216 – Lydia Ko (NZ) 76 70 70, Justine Lee (Australia) 73 71 72

217 – Jung Eun Han (Korea) 71 75 71, Ji Hee Kim (Korea) 71 73 73, Eri Joma (Japan) 73 71 73, Stacey Keating (Australia) 75 70 72

Hosts New Zealand will take a two shot lead going into the final round of the Queen Sirikit Cup Asia Pacific golf championship in Hamilton tomorrow.

After team captain Zoe Brake (igolf) led the way in the first round on Wednesday, the young superstars Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko (igolf) stepped up in the second round today at Hamilton Golf Club.

Lydia Ko puts the foot down at the Queen Sirikit for NZ

New Zealand fired a second successive three-under 141 to move to six-under par 282 after two rounds in the 32^nd Queen Sirikit Cup. The tournament involves 12 nations competing in the Asia Pacific teams’ championship over a 54-hole strokeplay competition with the two best of three scores counting each round.

The kiwis have a two shot lead over powerhouses Korea who shot a two-under 142 today to move to four-under as they chase their sixth Queen Sirikit Cup victory in the last eight years.

New Zealand have won the tournament three times, with the last occasion in 1999 when they last hosted the event at Paraparaumu Beach.

Australia moved to third place on two-under after a three-under 141, the joint best round with the kiwis.

Thailand are in fourth place on even par after a two-over 146 today, four shots ahead of the improving China, who fired a two-under 142 in the second round.

Japan and Chinese Taipei both shot two-over 146 to be on seven-over and nine-over respectively and will need super hot scoring tomorrow to figure in the calculations.

The 12 year old Ko led the way for New Zealand with her two-under 70 including a double bogey on the 17^th that would have otherwise seen the kiwis with a bigger buffer.

With yesterday’s star Brake struggling with an eight-over 80, it was 15-year-old Cho who answered the call. The Australian strokeplay champion was three-over through nine holes, before reeling off four birdies on the back nine to put the kiwis back on top of the leaderboard.

“We had a very rough start to the round and after nine holes we were not looking very good at all,” New Zealand team captain Libby Steele said. “But Lydia and Cecilia hung tough. Cecilia went on fire and Lydia rocked along even with an unfortunate double on the 17^th.

“Cecilia produced one of the gutsiest efforts I have seen. She was three-over through nine and the four birdies came from some great putts on the way home.”

Steele said the big crowds provided great support for the kiwis today.

“The support has been fantastic. We really need it tomorrow and sure it will be a great help to the girls seeing we are in that final group. We also have a fantastic team spirit and get along really well. They are very relaxed and we are having fun.”

Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim grabbed the lead in the individual honours after the low-round three under 69 to be on three-under, two shots ahead of Cho and Thailand’s Yupaporn Kawinpakorn.

Scores, round 2, Hamilton GC, par 72 (* designates non counting):

282 New Zealand 141 141 (Zoe Brake 69 80*, Cecilia Cho 72 71, Lydia Ko 76* 70)

284 Korea 142 142

286 Australia 145 141

288 Thailand 142 146

292 China 150 142

295 Japan 149 146

297 Chinese Taipei 151 146

298 Philippines 152 146

303 Hong Kong 153 150

307 Singapore 147 160

311 India 159 152

313 Malaysia 160 153

Leading scores:

141 Hyo Joo Kim (Korea) 72 69

143 Cecilia Cho (New Zealand) 72 71, Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (Thailand) 70 73

144 Ji Hee Kim (Korea) 71 73, Justine Lee (Australia) 73 71, Eri Joma (Japan) 73 71

145 Ebony Heard (Australia) 72 73, Stacey Keating (Australia) 75 70, Lou Ying (China) 76 69

146 Lydia Ko (NZL) 76 70, Jung Eun Han (Korea) 71 75, Jaruporn Na Ayutthaya (Thailand) 72 74

Also

149 Zoe Brake (New Zealand) 69 80

Exciting Korean-born teenagers will make their senior international golfing debut for New Zealand in next month’s Queen Sirikit Cup in Hamilton.

Cecilia Cho, 15, and Lydia Ko, 12, will join 18-year-old Zoe Brake in a new-look New Zealand team to contest the annual Asia Pacific women’s team championship which has attracted 12 teams so far to the Hamilton Golf Club on 7-9 April.

It is the youngest team in memory to compete in the 34th Queen Sirikit Cup which has already attracted teams from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Cho (Pakuranga club, Auckland) and Ko (Institute of Golf) gained their citizenship recently to be eligible for national selection.

The three players have dominated the New Zealand amateur game.

Cho is the current New Zealand amateur champion, one of 15 individual titles who won last year as well as guiding Auckland to the Toro Interprovincial crown.

Ko was runner-up to Cho in the national amateur, and recently won the North Island amateur title by seven shots. She turned heads last week in finishing in a share of seventh place at the Pegasus New Zealand Open, winning the Bessie Fullerton-Smith Trophy as leading amateur.

Ko and Cho were joined by professional Sarah Nicholson as the only kiwis to make the cut at the New Zealand Open.

Brake (igolf) is the current New Zealand strokeplay champion and also recently won the South Island amateur in spectacular fashion, and the most experienced of the New Zealand internationals.

“New Zealand Golf is very excited by the prospects of this team,” said Simon Poll, New Zealand Golf High Performance Manager. “Of course they are a very young team, so it augers well for the future.

“We are thrilled that Lydia and Cecilia have now chosen to become New Zealand citizens and I am sure they will add significantly to our game both on and off the golf course.

“This tournament is second in stature to the world championships so we are under no illusions that it will be tough but at the same time we are hopeful that with this talented young team and some home advantage, that we will acquit ourselves well.”

The Queen Sirikit Cup was first held in 1979. New Zealand has won the team’s event three times – in 1984, 1990 and 1999, when it was last held in this country, at Paraparaumu Beach. Lynnette Brooky was the last New Zealander to claim the individual title in 1993.

The team is:

Lydia Ko (Institute of Golf), Zoe Brake (Institute of Golf), Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga GC, Auckland) .

Exciting young Korean-born golfers Cecilia Cho and igolf‘s Lydia Ko will make their debuts for New Zealand in next month’s Trans Tasman Cup against Australia in Wellington.

Men, Senior; Ben Campbell (Masterton), Ryan Fox (Auckland), Nick Gillespie (Royal Wellington), Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa).
Junior: Keelan Kilpatrick (Russley), Tim Leonard (Timaru), Vaughan McCall (Gore), Mark O’Malley (Timaru). Manager: John Gatley (Hamilton)

Women, Senior: Caroline Bon (Northland), Zoe Brake (igolf), Emily Perry (Lochiel), Lisa Wright (Nelson).
Junior; Liv Cheng (Manukau), Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), Erin Hawe (Walton), Lydia Ko (igolf). Manager; Libby Steele (Taupo).

The best of Europe, Australia and New Zealand women’s golf might just have to check their review mirrors for a group of young guns in this week’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open in Christchurch.

The second New Zealand Women’s Open tees off at the new Pegasus course north of Christchurch on Thursday, this year boasting $415,000 prizemoney and a full co-sanction tournament with the Australian LPG and the Ladies European Tour.

That has attracted seven of Europe’s top-10 players and most of Australia’s best, while there’s interest in the professional debut on home soil of Auckland’s Cathryn Bristow, just the third kiwi to qualify for the lucrative US-based LPGA Tour.

Tournament organisers have also invited a number of young hopefuls, many who have advanced from the testing ground of the US collegiate scene on to the LPGA as well as some leading prospects.

They include Korean-born Australian Misun Cho, the Pepperdine University graduate who finished second overall in the Duramed Futures last year, to earn her promotion to the LPGA.

Other exciting young hopes include the Korean LPGA rookie of the year He Young Choi, two-time Espirito Santo world amateur winner Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) and South African Open champion Tandi Cuningham.

Graduates from the Futures development tour to the LPGA also includes Ireland’s Alison Walshe, a Curtis Cup player in 2008, Louise Stahl, the first Swede tow in the British Amateur and Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) the Dutch and Italian Amateur champion who won the NCAA title.

There are also some established LPGA professionals who will add to the Open including Diana D’Alessio, who has won US$1.2m, Canada’s Lorie Kane, with four wins on the LPGA and nine top-10s in majors, Becky Morgan (Wales), a multiple winner in Europe and 2005 World Cup winner, and Jane Park (Korea) a former US Amateur winner and has two seconds earning US$1m in her four years on the LPGA.

“It is a fantastic field with real quality,” said tournament promoter Bob Tuohy. “We have winners of eight tournaments in Europe last year, a former world No 1 in Laura Davies, our defending champion Gwladys Nocera, four Solheim Cup players and most of the best Australians who are doing well around the world.

“We have also given some invitations to this group of very talented young graduates, many of them with success in the US college scene, and without doubt a number of them will become real stars of the women’s game.”

New Zealand Golf will have interest in their amateur line-up in action this week, with the country’s two most exciting young prospects, Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko both teeing up together for the first time in New Zealand colours.

Ko, 12 (igolf), the current North Island champion and runner-up in last year’s New Zealand Amateur, gained her citizenship in December.

Cho, 15 (Pakuranga), the amateur golfer of the year in 2009 with 15 individual titles, has just received her citizenship and both will want to push their claims for New Zealand selection with the Queen Sirikit Cup Asia Pacific championship next month and the Espirito Santo world amateur later in the year.

Insitute of Golf’s Zoe Brake is coming off hot form winning the South Island Strokeplay a few weeks ago and is looking to continue her form in the mainland. Rica Tse will be bying for national team selection, and with a good finish here, should open some doors for the igolf rep.
Two local Christchurch players will also be celebrating after they earned the final two spots in the field after qualifying in the New Zealand Professional Women’s Golf organisations’s Pro Am a Clearwater on Sunday.

Becky Walsh (Waitikiri) and Lynne Shaskey (Rawhiti) were the two best scores from the players who had not already gained entry, and will enjoy the highlight of their careers in front of friends and family this week.
The Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open is the first of a three-tournament swing for the ALPG and LET ahead of the ANZ Ladies Masters on the Gold Coast and Australian Open in Melbourne.

Tournament Starts Thursday.

Click Here for live scoring.

Institute of Golf elite golfer Lydia Ko celebrated her new kiwi citizenship in style when she dominated the 54-hole North Island Strokeplay Championships in Taupo today.

Lydia Ko, 2009 and 2010 North Island Strokeplay Champion

The brilliant 12 year old Ko or ‘Knock Out’ as she is known to her peers, defended the title she won last year, firing a final round three -under par 70 to finish on seven-under 212 at the Centenial Course at the Taupo Golf Club.

Ko finished a whopping seven shots clear of New Zealand Strokeplay champion Zoe Brake (igolf) who fired the low round four-under 69 today to finish on even-par 291.

New Zealand Amateur champion, Cecilia Cho managed a one-over 74 to share third place with Waikato representative Charlotte Brooks on two-over 221.

Brooks shot a one-under par 72 today which earned her a start in next month’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open. There was one spot up for grabs at the tournament for the leading player, with Ko, Brake and Cho already exempt.

Ko said she was proud to win the title as a New Zealand citizen after learning of her citizenship application last month.

“It was such a shock when we got the news. It was the day before Christmas and it was such a great Christmas present,” Ko said.

She dominated the tournament but believes her one-under 72 in the heavy rain on the second day was the key to her win.

“It was quite a challenge and very tough. But I remembered the conditions similar when I played at the Taranaki Open and used that in how I played in here yesterday”.

Today was about being consistent. I only made one bogey today and four birdies. It felt really good.”

Ko said she would love to represent New Zealand. “That is my big goal. It will be very hard because there are so many good players but I will be trying my very best.”

Institute of Golf’s Zoe Brake, a member of the Srixon Academy, made a brilliant start to run down teammate’s Ko’s lead, firing a brilliant five birdies in her opening 12 holes but her title aspirations faded with back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th holes.

Likewise all attention was on Cho to make a run at the leader but her chances went west with a triple bogey at the 16th.

Lydia will now prepare for her South Island Strokeplay event in a few weeks, the event that she came runner up to Cho last year.

Lyd’s got another great suprise today when she was able to unwrap her new set if Titliest AP2 irons and Vokey CC Groove Spin Mill wedges in preperation for her professional events she will be competing in this year.

Congratulations Lydia, you’re a superstar.

For total scores click here

Lydia Ko at the Institute of Golf Learning Facility

today to take a 4 shot buffer into the final round which starts tomorrow.

Ko who was tied for the lead after her first round of -3 70, was even after 6 holes when rain postponed play for near 2 hours. When the ran let off, play recommenced at 12:30pm where Lydia mixed 2 bogies with 3 birdies to finish at -1 par 72.

Co leader after one round Alarna Wylie from Grange struggled in the wet conditions to card a +7 over par 80 to finish the day in a tie for 7th.

Zoe Brake shot a modest even par 73 in the rough conditions to also finish in a tie for 7th, only 8 shots back from igolf team mate, Ko.

Scores after 2 rounds – 54 hole event

1 Lydia Ko (igolf) -4 70 72 142

2 Bon, Caroline (Northland GC) E 74 72 146

3 Cho, Cecilia (Pakuranga GC) +1 75 72 147

4 Wright, Lisa (Nelson GC) +3 73 76 149 Brooks, Charlotte (Walton GC) +3 76 73 149 Cassidy, Chantelle (Tokoroa GC) +3 73 76 149

7 Zoe Brake (igolf) +4 77 73 150 Lavery, Heather (Rotorua GC) +4 73 77 150 Wylie, Alana (The Grange GC) +4 70 80 150 Cheng, Liv (Manukau GC) +4 74 76 150

11 Hamilton, Jesse (Maungakiekie GC) +5 76 75 151

12 Smith, Amy (Arundel Hill GC) +6 75 77 152

13 Chadwick, Kate (Napier GC) +7 74 79 153 Nicholas, Kelly (Tokoroa GC) +7 72 81 153

15 Willson, Charlotte (Lochiel GC) +8 74 80 154 Donnelly-Lawrence, Imogen (Manor Park GC) +8 75 79 154 Hoskin, Laura (Arrowtown GC) +8 77 77 154 Khoo, Caryn (Pakuranga GC) +8 78 76 154  Rica Tse (igolf) +8 75 79 154
20 Choi, Ejin (Pakuranga GC) +9 78 77 155 Ye Song Park (igolf) +9 76 79 155 Thomas, Charlotte (Singapore Island GC) +9 73 82 155 Alvarez, Julianne (Manor Park GC) +9 77 78 155 Eng, Emily (Remuera GC) +9 78 77 155

For full score sheet click here

Sunday 10th January

Springfield Golf Club hosted the annual Springfield Open last week with players fighting out for the honours in the 54 hole women’s and mens event.

igolf's Zoe Brake

Institute of Golf was well represented with near ten of our players competing in the event.

Top placing was igolf’s Zoe Brake with rounds of 71, 71 and a bogey free 68 in the final round to lap the women’s field and win by 12 shots at -6. This has surely got to give Zoe the momentum for the upcoming New Zealand U19′s and NZ Women’s Open.

Top male placing for igolf were Cam Jones and Kevin Budden sharing 4th place. Cam shot 3 rounds of 69 to finish -3 while Kevin shot 67, 71, 69 to also finish on -3 and both finished 5 shots adrift.

Other notable igolf scores were:

Tom Cardno 74 70 69 = 213

Ben Gilford 74 70 75 = 219

Zoe Beth Brake tied for best female at the Bay of Plenty Open, shooting rounds of 75, 72, 78,  and 71 off the mens tees to share title with Cecilia Cho.

Scott Mcalpine went low in the final two rounds to take out one of the biggest titles in his promising career, the 2009

Scott with the Auckland Strokeplay trophy

Auckland Strokeplay Championship. Rounds of 69, 69 over the final day meant that he took the title from Brad Bonnington who was 2 shots ahead leading into the last 18 holes. This title over a top field with players from around the country shows that McAlpine has got what it takes to get it done. A 281 total gave him a 2 shot win over his nearest competitior.

Other igolf Notables:      Kevin Budden    284

Van Wright         288

Cam Jones          295

James Beale       295

Tom Cardno       296

Sunday 23^rd of August, saw another of igolfs Elite players Lydia Ko take out the Business Woman’s Open Day at the Grange Golf course. Lydia shot a -4 68 to take the event by 5 shots over fellow igolf rep Courtney Manning. Both the girls are playing great golf coming into the NZ U19’s held at Penninsula GC next month. Annette Muir also secured a top 10 placing.