Golf: Junior out to make up for lost chance

Top New Zealand junior golfer Kyla Welsh is keen for revenge against Australia in the Junior Tasman Trophy championship starting at the Hutt club today.

Welsh, 18, in her final year in the junior ranks, wants to make amends for last year's tied clash in Tasmania, where a possible first victory slipped from New Zealand's grasp on the final afternoon.

The former Timaru golfer, who moved to Wellington for tertiary studies this year, will be on her new home course to lead the New Zealand team in the biennial competition today and tomorrow.

New Zealand have never beaten Australia in 10 previous attempts. This year's clash breaks the two-year cycle to avoid a clash with the senior competition.

New Zealand's closest chance for victory came at the Riverside course in Tasmania last year, when they led 12-8 going into the final round of singles on the last day.

The Australians, led by Sarah-Jane Kenyon, fought back to share the honours.

Three members of that New Zealand team have returned to complete the unfinished business - Welsh, Penny Newbrook of Rotorua and Natalie Storck from North Harbour. They will be joined by Amy Smith of Masterton and Aucklander Enu Chung.

Welsh, a scratch handicapper, was unbeaten in the Junior Tasman Trophy last year and went on to win the Australian junior championship.

Newbrook, who defends her New Zealand under-21 title beginning next Monday at the Hutt club, was unbeaten for Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley at the New Zealand Interprovincials last year.

Storck was runner-up to Newbrook last year and is a North Harbour senior representative, and Smith, another on scratch, made her interprovincial debut for Wellington.

Chung, 14, also on scratch, was fifth in the New Zealand strokeplay championships last month and had five wins at No 3 in the Auckland senior interprovincial side.

The Australian team have just one player back from last year's battle. They are led by the outstanding Kenyon, who made the cut in the recent Australian Open LPGA championship.

She is joined by Mi Sun Cho from Victoria, Emma Stewart from Western Australia and Sarah Kemp and Polly Travica from NSW.

- NZPA