KEY POINTS:
Dana Kim, who once reckoned golf was a boring game, survived a tense battle over the closing holes to win the women's national strokeplay championship by one shot at Waikanae yesterday.
The 19-year-old, from the Christchurch Golf Club, took up the game only five years ago after earlier preferring the thrills of snowboarding.
But she and 16-year-old Zoe Brake from Whakatane gave the big gallery for the final round of the 72-hole tournament plenty of excitement as they exchanged bogeys and birdies in the struggle for the national title. "I used to think golf was boring but not now," said Kim. "I tried not to be tense but I was. I missed some short putts but I stuck in there quite well, I think."
Perhaps the shot that won her the tournament came at the last hole, a 463m dogleg par-five, as she clung on to her one-shot lead. Her drive finished through the fairway to the left under trees, but she drilled a precision five-wood through a narrow gap, setting up a short pitch to the green and a regulation two-putt for victory.
Her final round of two-under-par 72 gave her a four-round total of 290, two under par. Kim had started the final round a shot behind Northlander Caroline Bon, who carded a course record 68 in the morning, chipping in twice for six birdies and a bogey. Brake, who had established the record with a 69 in the first round, was two shots off the pace with 18 holes to play.
With five holes to go Bon faded out of contention while Kim led Brake by two. That gap was down to one when Kim had tree trouble on the 15th, but she held her nerve to keep Brake at bay.
Bon finished equal third with Aucklander Larissa Eruera, the defending matchplay champion, who had 69 in the third round. Eruera will begin the defence of her title at Paraparaumu Beach tomorrow, with the other 31 qualifiers.
Contestants in the men's strokeplay event will complete their final round today at Paraparaumu with Jared Pender from Tauranga sharing the lead with Christchurch golfer Andrew Nam Koong. Pender had a four-under 67 yesterday while Nam Koong was two shots better.
"The key today was to be patient," said Pender. "I missed some putts today. Got to remember to hold the putter like a baby's bottom - because it rolls well on these greens."
The men's and women's matchplay contests will run from tomorrow until the 36-hole finals on Tuesday.
