Cho wins NZ under-19 golf champs

New Zealand Amateur champion Cecilia Cho proved her outstanding ability in unseasonably diabolical conditions to dominate the New Zealand under-19 golf championships in Dunedin today.

She fired a remarkable three-over par 75 in strong, bitterly cold winds and rain at the coastal Chisholm Park Golf Club to finish on three-over 217 for her 54 holes. Cho, who will lead the New Zealand team in next month's world championships, finished 13 shots clear of second placed Chantelle Cassidy (Tokoroa) to wrap up both the overall and Under-17 honours.

The under-19 men's competition also proved a wire-to-wire victory for North Harbour golfer Simon Brownlee who shot a five-over 76 in the testing conditions which proved enough for a two shot-win from closest challenger, Christchurch's Owen Burgess.

Conditions worsened at the Otago Golf Club with the playoff for the Under-17 honours in favour of Christchurch's Jordan Bakermans over Taranaki's May Maaka completed as sleet and snow fell.

Brownlee was awarded the inaugural Aaron Mahoney Scholarship and with it expert tuition from former Australian and New Zealand Open champion Peter Fowler.

The scholarship has been established by the Mahoney family, in memory of their son Aaron, a highly promising young player who was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident while attending a golf academy in Dubai in 2007.

Cho added a further two national titles to her remarkable list of achievements, and while the opposition was never going to test her this week, the brutal conditions brought out the best in the brilliant 16-year-old from the Pakuranga club.

She mixed three birdies with three dropped shots with a triple bogey seven at the exposed ninth hole standing between her and a par round.

Cassidy (Tokoroa) claimed the under-19 honours in finishing runner up overall, firing a final round 80 to five shots clear of Auckland's Mun Chin Keh who was third overall.

It proved a great tournament for the Pakuranga club with Wenjung Keh jumping to fourth overall and the Under-15 title, a shot ahead of Wellington's Julianne Alvarez (Manor Park) while Opotiki's Tyla Kingi took out the Under-13 honours from Auckland's Brooke Hamilton (Maungakiekie).

Brownlee (Muriwai) played solidly to be even par after 13 holes to work his way into comparative safety amid the conditions and could afford three dropped shots in his final five holes for the victory.

He was two shots clear of Russley's Owen Burgess who mixed three birdies with three bogeys to mount a challenge by the turn but three bogeys in four holes ended his charge.

Maaka shot a final round five-over 76 to climb into a share of the race for the under-17 honours and fifth place overall but Bakermans withstood the conditions to earn the title at the third extra hole.

Hutt's Brayden Mazey edged out Jason Yoo (Waitikiri) to win the Under-15 grade while Kalyn Ponga (Rangitikei) took out the Under-13 honours.

Leading final scores, national under-19 Championships:

Men, Otago GC, par 71:

213 Simon Brownlee (Muriwai) 68 69 76

215 Owen Burgess (Russley) 71 70 74

217 Brad Kendall (Mt Maunganui) 74 68 75

218 James Beale (North Shore) 74 71 73

220 Jordan Bakermans (Christchurch) 72 69 79, Jay Maaka (Westown) 73 71 76

221 Duncan Croudis (Otago)70 72 79

222 Ryan Chisnall (Greenacres) 72 71 79

223 William Brown (Waikohu) 82 71 70, Ben Shanly (Tauranga) 76 72 75

224 Cameron Jones (North Shore) 74 72 78

225 Sanjay Modgill (New Plymouth) 77 72 76, Sam An (Titirangi) 75 75 75

Women, Chisholm Park, par 72:

219 Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga) 73 71 75

232 Chantelle Cassidy (Tokoroa) 76 76 80

237 Mun Chin Keh (Pakuranga) 77 75 85

244 Wenyung Keh (Pakuranga) 87 76 81

245 Julianne Alvarez (Manor Park) 84 75 86, Jesse Hamilton (Maungakiekie) 85 78 82

246 Laura Hoskin (Arrowtown) 82 79 85, Rica Tse (North Shore) 81 78 89, Alana Wylie (The Grange) 85 77 84

247 Hanna Seifert (Lochiel) 84 79 84

250 Brittney Dryland (Maungakiekie) 79 79 92

- NZPA