Golf: Pāpāmoa’s Jessica Green captures NZ Women’s Amateur in style

Jessica Green won the NZ Amateur Golf Championship at Otago Golf Club. Photo / Derek Morrison/ www.bwmedia.co.nz

Jessica Green has won the New Zealand Women’s Amateur Championship, her maiden national title.

She did it in style, holing her third on the 34th from 30 metres right of the 16th for birdie to seal the deal against New Zealand representative Vivian Lu on Sunday, Golf New Zealand said in a statement.

Green played some unbelievable golf prior to that, and was never down in her match.

She birdied the first to go one shot up immediately and would never look back. Every time Lu struck, Green would answer.

After making the turn one shot up, they went blow for blow on the back nine until they stood on the 16th, where Green holed her second to make the difference two. The Bay of Plenty golfer backed it up with a birdie at 17 to make the margin three holes, and after a half at 18, Green held a three-shot lead with 18 holes to play.

She got the speed wobbles in her opening nine of the afternoon, and Lu reduced the deficit to one with nine to play.

However, she kept her composure, winning the 28th and 29th to get to three up once again. After losing the 32nd with a double, lightning struck twice on the 16th, where she holed her third after finding trouble off the tee for birdie to close out the match.

She said it was an incredible way to get the job done.

“I’m just letting it sink in. What a way to do it; it feels great.

“The 16th has been good to me this week. I was hoping to finish the match there, but after my tee shot, I wasn’t in a great position. I was still confident that I could get it done, though.

“Holing that shot wasn’t even on my mind. It was a really nice surprise and a great way to win the match. I’ll remember this for a long time.”

Green had 2017 winner Silvia Brunotti caddying for her from the quarter-finals and said it was a massive help having someone who has experienced the same nerves walking her through each shot.

“In all honesty, she read all of my putts out there today. All I had to do was follow her advice, and that seemed to work out well.

“This is my first national title. It’s a pretty good one to win for my first, and I’m happy that I had my good friend and my mum here to watch me do it.”

Green now turns her attention to the New Zealand Inter-provincials in just under a month’s time.

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