Golf: Cho in tie for fifth

Celcilia Cho of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand amateur Cecilia Cho has won over more new admirers as a five-under-par 67 earned her a tie for fifth place at the A$500,000 ($658,760) Ladies Masters golf tournament on Queensland's Gold Coast.

The 16-year-old two-time New Zealand amateur champion finished on 17-under 271 alongside European No 1 Lee-Anne Pace, Australian Sarah-Jane Smith and American Amanda Blumenherst.

Following the efforts of her New Zealand teammate Lydia Ko, who was 12th in last week's Australian Open, there will be more than passing interest in the performance of the terrific teens at the New Zealand Women's Open which starts on Thursday near Christchurch.

Cho, who was nervous in the third round yesterday when she shot 68, said she over-compensated and became too confident at Royal Pines Resort today.

"I bombed a few shots today really going for them," Cho said.

"I just got a bit too confident. But my chipping was really good today and every time I missed a green, I got up-and-down which was great."

After early birdies, the boost came with an eagle at the par-five ninth hole.

"I was uncertain whether to lay up but decided to go for it and came up just short. But I chipped in which was fantastic. That gave my round a good jump."

She made one more birdie at the 14th en route to completing the four rounds as the leading amateur by eight shots.

Cho said she learned much from playing partner Nikki Campbell, with the Australian, who shot a final round 64 to finish second, congratulating the young New Zealand on her performance.

The Aucklander feels with performances like this that she can compete in the professional scene and she plans to look at a move to the paid ranks within the next two years.

Her immediate focus is the Pegasus course north of Christchurch, where she hopes to repeat the level of performance she managed over the past four days.

"I really like the course a lot. But it can get really windy there. I hope it's nice and still and I hope I can do really well there."

Taiwan's Yani Tseng made no race of things at Royal Pines, closing with a 68 to finish on 24-under 264 for her second successive tournament win after she defended her title at the Australian Open last week. She finished four shots clear of American Stacy Lewis and Campbell.

Wellington professional Sarah Nicholson, the only other New Zealander to make the cut, shot 75 today to finish tied for 64th on four-under 284.

- NZPA