KEY POINTS:
While other children are relaxing during their school holidays, 12-year-old Te Rongopai Clay is furthering her golfing career.
The Titahi Bay North School pupil was one of the youngest players during the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship yesterday, finishing 17 over par with a score of 90.
Round two begins today and round three and four are on Anzac Day, with the women's strokeplay at Waikanae and the men's at Paraparaumu Beach.
The tournament is played over 72 holes and the top 32 finishers will go on to compete in the New Zealand Amateur Championships.
Te Rongopai, a member of Titahi Golf Club who plays on a 12 handicap, took to the greens in 2006 at age 10 after watching her uncles play.
She hopes to be a professional golfer one day.
Her first tourney was the Michael Campbell Junior Tournament, which is held annually at Manor Park near Wellington.
Since then her grandparents Rama and Wally Clay have been taking her to all Maori, junior, ladies and open tournaments in and around Wellington.
Te Rongopai was also the youngest competitor in the 2006 NZ Maori Golf Tournament at only 10.
