KEY POINTS:
Auckland 14-year-old Larissa Eruera became the youngest winner of the New Zealand women's amateur championship when she beat national junior representative Dasom Lee 5 and 3 in the 36-hole final at Taupo yesterday.
Eruera, who has won numerous age group titles on both sides of the Tasman, was never behind before closing out the match on the 33rd hole.
The Aviation club player set up the victory in the morning, bagging four birdies to lead Lee, 16, 3-up in what officials believe is the youngest ever pairing in a national amateur final.
Eruera, the national Maori champion, began with two birdies to lead 2-up, a lead she held to the turn.
Lee struck back with a birdie at the 11th and squared the match after an Eruera bogey at the next hole.
Birdies at the 15th and 16th holes and a Lee bogey at the 18th gave Eruera an invaluable three-hole lead.
National under-17 champion Lee, who finished third in the national stroke play, fought back with two early birdies in the afternoon but two bogeys at the sixth and seventh holes gave the advantaged back to her younger opponent.
The writing was on the wall after three more straight bogeys before Eruera won the match with a birdie at the 15th.
It was an excellent day for Auckland golfers with Akarana's Jane Lee beating former international Penny Newbrook, of Springfield, 5 and 3 in the plate final.
- NZPA
