Top 10 Finish for NZ Amateur Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko at Pegasus NZ  Women's Open 

Thirteen year old Lydia Ko showed that last year was no fluke when she finished leading amateur in the top-10 in the Pegasus New Zealand Open.

She shot a final round one-under par 71 in the strong winds to finish in a share of fourth place on seven-under par with Europe’s No 3 ranked Melissa Reid (England).

This follows her performance in finishing seventh last year as well as second in the New South Wales Open recently.

Ko mixed two birdies with one bogey in her round.

“It was so hard out there in those winds but I was proud at how I played. I probably played the shot of the tournament on the 16th today when I chipped from off the back of the green to really close,” Ko said.

“I have learned so much this week from playing with Laura Davies and the other top players.

“It was quite hard today with so many people out watching. I never used to like people around but I am getting used to it now. I am starting to play better with the crowds so it must be working.”

Despite the heavy schedule there’s no break now for the teenager, who competes in the Riversdale Cup in Australia next week before heading to India for the Queen Sirikit Cup, then returns across the Tasman for the Australian Amateur Championships.

Ko can expect to see her world ranking as the leading New Zealand golfer – amateur or professional – jump up from the current place of 252 as well as her ranking as No 5 on the world amateur list.

Kristie Smith Maiden Pegasus NZ Win

Kristie Smith winner 2011 Pegasus NZ Women's Open

Western Australian Kristie Smith scored her maiden win in only her second year on the European (LET) Tour with a three-shot victory in the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open at the Pegasus course north of Christchurch today.

Starting the final round of the Euro200,000 event tied for third and five shots behind overnight leader, Italy’s Giulia Sergas, Smith was one of few players in the leading groups to cope with the brutal north-easterly wind that raged all afternoon.

With Sergas, who dropped three shots, including a one-stroke time penalty, on the last two holes of her third round coming back to the field with a bogey, bogey, triple-bogey start, Smith was one of 13 golfers within three shots of the lead with 15 holes to play.

She took the outright lead for the first time, moving to 10-under with a birdie on the 61st hole, and she stayed strong both physically and mentally to the end, firing five birdies in the trying conditions with just the one dropped shot at the 67th.

Her four-under 68 – the second-best round of the day – had her 12-under for the tournament, three shots ahead Sergas and American Tiffany Joh, with brilliant 13-year-old New Zealand amateur, Lydia Ko and highly ranked Melissa Reid (England) tied for fifth at seven-under.

Smith, the 22-year-old daughter of veteran Australian professional, Wayne, turned pro in 2008 after winning the Australian amateur championship and the North and South amateur title in the United States.

Her first professional win was the Royal Canberra Classic on the Australian secondary tour after a nine-under 64 in the final round and last year she had her first victory in the United States – the Daytona Beach Invitational on the Futures Tour.

In her rookie year on the LET Tour she played 15 events with her best results being runner-up in the Slovak Open and tied fourth in the Swiss Open. She finished 25th on the money list with earnings of nearly Euros85,000.

After being pipped on the last hole in last year’s Slovak Open, Smith had as her target this season a win on the European Tour. "My goal was to win on the LET this year and it is nice to have done it early.

"It was always going to be a tough day (with the wind) from the first tee. I thought if I could shoot par or around that it was going to be a good score today. But to see my name with a two-shot lead after the turn was pretty cool.

"I just told myself to play smart on the back nine, it’s a tough back nine and people were going to drop shots. I wanted to hit fairways and greens, two-putt and get out of there and that’s what I did. I’m over the moon – I knew I could do it.’’

Smith signed off like a true champion on the par-5 18th hole. She `smashed’ an 8-iron second to just short of the green and her 7-iron running chip hit the pin and left her a tap-in birdie.

Sergas rallied well after her disastrous start to birdie the last and join 24-year-old Joh in second place – on the same score Laura Davies (England) finished with when winning in 2010. Davies started with a birdie and took the lead at nine-under three holes into the round, but the winner of 77 titles world-wide came to grief at the short par-4 fourth hole. She took an unplayable after her second shot went over the banked green and was short with her fourth, chipping and two-putting for a triple-bogey.

Further disaster awaited at the par-5 ninth when her ball rested near a tree and she snapped her iron trying to promote it. That bogey left her six shots adrift of Smith at the turn and she eventually finished tied for seventh after a 77.

Pegasus NZ Women's Open Results

Sergas Still Leads After Penalty

Giulia Sergas

Just when Italian Giulia Sergas had the field at her mercy, fate dealt her a cruel hand and instead of taking an eight-shot lead into the final round of the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open tomorrow she will start four clear.

After 16 holes of the third round at the Pegasus course, Sergas had not dropped a shot and was five-under with her nearest rivals, including defending champion, Laura Davies, of England, eight shots back.

It was all smooth sailing until she hit a rough patch with her swing and she bogeyed the 17th and also the 18th after finding water off the tee and a fairway bunker with her second shot. In the end she did well to take bogey on the par-5 hole after being on the second cut of the fringe with her fourth and getting down in two putts.

Worst was to come, however. As she walking to the scorer’s tent she was advised she had been penalised a shot for slow play. The last group had lost ground, but there were a few wayward shots over the closing stages.

However, officials had warned the group about slow play earlier on the back nine.

“I’m upset about the decision,” Sergas said after taking time to control her emotions. They said I was a little too slow on the last hole and it could have been but it was really upsetting because I’m a really fast player and I got penalised for just one hole that went bad for me.’”

Sergas, who has yet to win in 11 years as a professional golfer, still has a healthy lead, but Davies, with 79 world-wide titles to her credit, is at nine-under and within a sniff, while on eight-under are three Europeans – Linda Wessenberg (Sweden), Cecilie Lundgreen (Norway), Diana Luna (Italy) and Australian Kristie Smith.

Lundgreen and Luna were sharp improvers, moving up 11 places after the day’s best round of five-under 67; Wessenberg had four birdies in five holes on the front nine to maintain her challenge and Smith, who was second overnight and two shots back from Sergas recovered well after dropping shots early on the front nine.

Davies started strongly to be three-under at the turn, but it was a mixed bag on the back nine with four birdies, four bogeys and just the one par. Sergas said she was excited about tomorrow’s final 18 holes despite the late drama and was looking forward to playing alongside Davies.

“I just want to play golf and have fun. I played with Laura when I was leading the Australian Open last year (going into the third round) and she’s a very special lady to play with so that’s great.”

Rebecca Coakley Misses out in New Zealand

Giulia Sergas

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland carded a second round 73 at the Pegasus New Zealand Women's Open on Friday finishing one over per despite double bogey six on the 15th hole but was unable to limit the damage of the opening day 78 and misses the cut in Christchurch by three shots 

Overnight leader Giulia Sergas of Italy retained her lead after the second round after shooting a three-under par 69 to move to 11-under and two shots clear of Australian Kristie Smith with a further two shots to Sweden's Linda Wessberg, who equalled the course record with a nine-under today.

Sergas looked vulnerable after successive three-putts on her ninth and 10th holes resulted in her dropping a shot – she was putting for eagle on her ninth hole, the par-5 18th – and she dropped back to her overnight score of eight-under, a shot adrift of Australian Kristie Smith.

But the experienced Sergas, a professional for 11 years, rediscovered her touch after her bogey on her 10th hole (the course’s first hole) and reeled off four straight birdies from the fourth to the seventh to rocket to 11-under.

She said it had been `a nice walk in the park’ until the two three-putts happened. ``I thought I can do better than this. Some putts lipped out but I stayed calm – there was some love for me. I knew it was going to be a hard day for me so I stayed humble,’’ Sergas said, adding that she was feeling better after a bout of the flu.

Sergas, despite six top 10 finishes, is still seeking her first win, but she is well-placed going into the weekend money rounds. Smith, who had nine birdies and a three-putt bogey at the 15th in her eight-under 64, is alone in second place at nine-under, two better than Swede Linda Wessberg, who equalled the course record of 63 with a round that had 10 birdies, seven of them in a row from the first hole (her 10th).

The best of the New Zealanders was 13-year-old amateur Lydia Ko, who had a bogey-free 68 to finish on six-under and to be tied fourth with defending champion, Laura Davies (England), who made her move early in the day with a 66, Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg, who had the same score in the afternoon, and France’s Cassandra Kirkland, who had her second 69.

Northland’s Caroline Bon, who turned professional late last year, was the second best Kiwi tied for 10th at four-under while former New Zealand touring pro Liz McKinnon missed the cut but celebrated with a hole-in-one at the par-3 148m 14th hole. It was her second ace, the first coming in the England Open three years earlier.

The cut was at four over with 71 professionals and two amateurs – Ko and Auckland’s Cecilia Cho – to play the final two rounds.

Smith, who turned professional in 2008 not long after claiming the Australian women’s amateur championship, had her maiden win in the paid ranks in the Royal Canberra Ladies’ Classic and last year she had her first success on American soil with victory in the Daytona Beach Invitational, a Futures tour event.

The 22-year-old Western Australian was on course for her initial win on the LET (European Tour) last week after rounds of 67 and 65 at Royal Pines had her joint leader at halfway, but it turned sour over the last 36 holes and she finished tied for 23rd.

`` This week I’m free-wheeling a bit more and not really caring as much. I get to go home Monday and I’m looking forward to that after not being there for quite a few weeks. I’m happy to have made the cut and I’m going to make a cheque,’’ Smith said, adding that she was without a regular caddy and was making her own assessments.

``I’ve got a local caddy on the bag and he’s been great – he’s done exactly what I’ve told him and that’s to keep up and shut up. I’ve been doing my own yardage which is very different and that’s keeping my mind busy which is nice as it takes some of the anxiety out of the harder shots.’’
Pegasus NZ Women's Open Round 2

Coakley Blown Off Course in New Zealand

Giulia Sergas

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland opened with a bogey at Pegasus Golf Club, New Zealand on Thursday and reached the turn in two over par after a birdie on the third hole in Christchurch. On the back nine birdies on the 10th and 18th were the only highlights as Coakley gave up shots  on six consecutive holes in the windy conditions to finish round one of the Pegasus NZ Women's Open in 6 over par – fourteen shots off the lead. 

Italian Giulia Sergas climbed out of the sick bed to play the Pegasus course for the first time today and card a brilliant eight-under par 64, just one shy of the course record, in the opening of the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open. 

She fired seven birdies to accompany an eagle at the par-4 sixth and would have equalled the 63 set by Swede Pernila Lindberg in the final round last year. 

Although a frequent visitor to the Australian tournaments, Sergas had not travelled to New Zealand before and it did not augur well for her maiden Christchurch stop-over when she was so ill on Wednesday that she did not leave her accommodation. 

"I had no energy, I’m taking anti-biotics and they’re helping, but I still don’t feel 100 per cent even though I played so good." 

Sergas arrived with her own caddy and she complimented her regular bag-carrier for pointing her in the right direction and assisting her read of the greens. Sergas was also grateful that she had a morning start and was finishing as the afternoon starters were confronted by a buffeting north-easterly wind. 

After birdies at the third and fifth holes, Sergas’ round gained real impetus when she holed a 56yd wedge for an eagle at the par-4 331m sixth. She birdied the par-5 ninth to turn in 31, five-under, then birdied 10, 15 and 16 before having her only bogey at the par-4 17th when she left her approach on the front fringe and three-putted. A birdie at the par-5 finishing hole erased that one lapse 

"I’ll rest now and get better physically for tomorrow. I like the course and hope it’s not super windy tomorrow afternoon and I can play the same golf,’’ said Sergas, who led the 2009 British Open after three rounds before slipping to a share of 11th. 

Sergas held a three-shot lead over Korean Bo-Bea Kim with American Amelia Lewis, Cassandra Kirklasnd (France) and German Anja Monke all five back on 69.

New Zealand professional Cathryn Bristow had the proverbial “game of two halves” as the five shots she picked up on the first 10 holes slipped away in the rising wind during the morning round of the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open at Pegasus golf course near Christchurch.

Excellent driving backed by superb putting had Bristow two shots clear early on the second nine but a dropped shot on the 11th was an early indicator of further hardship.

“When the wind picks up and your shots are not just as accurate as you would like, then you are going to drop shots. On the 13th I hit a ‘flyer’ out of the rough that went through the green and into the hazard. I actually made a great up-and-down for bogey with a long putt,” she said. 

“With the way the wind is blowing on the back nine, you are going to make bogey. I just can’t be too disappointed. I have been playing well and just not putting it all together. I did that for a time today,” she said.

Round One Scores

Laura Davies Issues NZ Warning

Laura Davies

Defending champion Laura Davies issued an ominous warning to the rest of the field for the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open when she described her ball striking at present as some of the best of her stellar golfing career.

Although she hasn’t figured in a top 10 finish in the last four tournaments she has played in Australia in recent weeks, Davies believes her putts only have to start dropping for her to be a major contender in the 200,000 Euro event starting at the Pegasus course near Christchurch tomorrow (Thursday). 

“I’ve actually played pretty well without a good result. Hopefully this is the tournament where I start holing a few putts. I have good memories of this event. It was windy and I putted well. I like the course, in fact I liked everything about the tournament last year.”

Davies, who professes to having 190 putters back at home in England, uses a putter she bought in Atlanta City last year. “It’s a Scotty Cameron with a big square head. It is actually the only club that I have bought in the last 20 years.

“I’m hitting lots of putts where I want to, but they are just not dropping and you can’t win a tournament putting badly,” she said.

The former World No.1 believes fellow English player Melissa Reid will be the toughest opponent, along with Australian Kristie Smith. “In fact, whoever beats Melissa Reid will win the tournament,” she predicted.

After playing in Dubai at the end of last year, Davies had a five-week break back in a snow-bound England where, apart from some practice, she kept her eye in with the occasional game of darts with her brother.

“I enjoyed a good break with family around Christmas and New Year and came back refreshed,” she said.

The 2010 Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open was the start of an excellent year for Davies, who recorded four other tournament wins for the season to bring her career tally to 79. She is keenly eyeing 80, planning to use the same strategy as last year.

“There are holes on the front nine where you take driver and just hit it as hard and far as you can. However, there are some on the back nine where you can score some big numbers if you are not careful. You definitely need to take an iron off the tee on some holes,” she said.

The first golfers in a field of 130 tee off at 7.50am on Thursday.

Pegasus NZ Women's Open Tee Times

Lydia Ko moves to contender status

Lydia Kao and Yani Tseng 

It’s hard to believe that Lydia Ko, one of New Zealand’s leading chances for the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open Golf Championships, is only aged 13.

She’s taller than 12 months ago and now has pierced earrings (thanks to a promise from her mother if she played well last year). She’s more assured but still retains that delightful, bubbly, sense of humour of so many in this age group.

But that is on the surface. Deep down there is wisdom and determination.

Ko decided not to play in the Ladies Masters golf tournament in Queensland last weekend, even after posting a second in the New South Wales Open and a 12th in the Australian Open in the weeks previous.

“I wanted to be fresh for playing the Pegasus New Zealand Open and did not want to be too tired which was the way I felt after the Australian Open.” 

After last year’s experience, Ko knows that Pegasus is not an easy course. It is new and the bounce is hard, the greens are fast, and then there is the wind, which will definitely blow at some stage over the tournament, possibly every day and possibly from more than one direction.

“I just need to hang in there if it is windy and play the best I can. I am pretty consistent, so that is good for me and I did play my best round of the tournament last year when it was very windy,” she said.

Having been leading amateur last year in finishing seventh equal with rounds of 71 73 71 69, Ko has moved from “curiosity” to “contender” status. Now ranked 250th in the world and our top player there is little that affects the teenager. 

After her final round last year her playing partner, Iben Tinning, described the almost teenager as ‘being unbelievable already” while Cecilie Lundgreen, a veteran of 11 years on the circuit, said that “it was incredible how a 12-year-old seemed to be totally unfazed by everything that was going on around her.”

That’s a year ago, and going by recent results, Ko has come a long way in a short time. Not bad for a 13-year-old who has yet to have her first day at secondary school, something she is actually excited about.

Koreans Dominate NZ Qualifying

The strength of women’s golf in Korea was evident with all five places in the final qualifying for this week’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open secured by young professionals from the game’s superpower.

Twenty-eight players were chasing the final five spots up for grabs for the New Zealand Open at Waitikiri Golf Club in Christchurch today.

Eighteen year old Hee Kyung Bae set the pace with a four-under 68 today to top qualifiers, one shot ahead of compatriot Hee Won Jung and Korean-based New Zealander Yeon Song Kim.

Bae emerged in Korea last year when she became the first amateur in six years to win on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association when she took out the LIG Classic.

Now a professional Bae produced a classy display to secure her place in the field for the New Zealand Open, a co-sanctioned event between the Australian Ladies Professional Golf and the Ladies European Tour.

There was a New Zealand feel to the day in the form of Kim, who was educated at Rangitoto College on the North Shore and won the New Zealand Strokeplay title at Muriwai in 2006. She competed for New Zealand at the Junior Tasman Cup in 2006 and the following year in the Commonwealth Tournament and Tasman Cup before returning to Korea to turn professional. She is now playing on the minor Dream Tour in Korea.

The final two spots went to Song E An and Jimin Jeong, an accomplished player on the LPGA. Jeong, a former Korean Junior and College champion, won on the Duramed Futures Tour in the US in 2007 before spending the last three years on the LPGA where she has two top-10 finishes.

The first three alternates were also Korean professionals with the leading amateur Pakuranga club and Auckland representative Mun Chin Keh who shot a three-over 75.

Coakley Hoping For Better Pegasus Luck

Laura Davies winner in 2010

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland arrives in New Zealand this week hoping to recover from her surprise exit at the Ladies Masters in Queensland last week when a 2 under par scored proved insufficient to make the weekend with a cut of 4 under par.

Coakley is the sole Irish players at the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open which has  attracted  the strongest field in the event’s brief three year history.

Former world number one Laura Davies, a winner of five tournaments on the Ladies European Tour last year to take her tally to 79 in an illustrious career, will defend her title at Pegasus Golf Club near Christchurch starting on Thursday.

While the LET’s top ranked player on the Henderson Money List last year, Lee-Anne Pace is a late withdrawal from the tournament after accepting an invitation to the rich LPGA event in Thailand, there are winners galore in the field.

Half of last year’s Ladies European Tour champions are competing at Pegasus, along with a strong contingent from across the Tasman, some world class young guns and some talented Americans in a field comprising players from 20 countries.

As well as Davies, the irrepressible 47 year old, other 2010 winners from the LET include third ranked Melissa Reid (England - Turkish Airlines Ladies Open), Anja Monke (Germany - Lalla Meryem Cup), Florentyna Parker (England – ABN AMRO Ladies Open), Karen Lunn (Australia - Portugal Open), Trish Johnson (England - Tenerife Ladies Open and Open de France), Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (France - Aberdeen Scottish Open) and Maria Hernandez (Spain - Slovak Open).

Added to that are players who won in 2009, including Marianne Skarpnord (Norway), Becky Brewerton (Wales), Diana Luna (Italy), Linda Wessberg (Sweden) and Felicity Johnson (England).

There is a bunch of young and extraordinarily talented young players led by Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg, who will be remembered for her final round 63 last year that saw her jump to a share of second place at Pegasus.

Her former team-mate Caroline Hedwall, the current NCAA champion in the USA and former leading individual at the Espirito Santo world women’s championship, is teeing up, having won her professional debut at the New South Wales Open, edging out New Zealand’s Lydia Ko by a shot.

There are also huge raps on Spain’s Belen Mozo, who has recently made the jump to the paid ranks after a glittering amateur career in Europe and in the US collegiate scene. Backed by the great Greg Norman, the 22 year Mozo has recently qualified for both the LET and LPGA Tours.

The Australian charge will come from LPGA player Sarah Kemp, who has been runner-up for the last two years in New Zealand. She is joined by fellow LPGA players Lindsey Wright, who has been as high as No 12 in the world, and Sarah-Jane Smith plus the long hitting Kristie Smith.

Add to that are a number of experienced North Americans led by Canada’s Lorie Kane, who has won seven times on the LPGA where she has amassed more than NZ$7m in her career.

“There’s no question that this is a remarkable field this year,” said promoter Bob Tuohy. “We have attracted such a strong group of women from the Ladies European Tour this year – players who are in-form and winners. They love to travel and also recognise the importance to get away to a fast start to the year.

“But we have also been rewarded in attracting some of this new breed of young players. Greg Norman contacted me personally about Belen Mozo, who he rates as one of the best prospects he has seen.And Caroline Hedwall won the European qualifying by nine shots and is endorsed by Annika Sorenstam.

“I have no doubts that someone amongst this group of young players will become a household name in the sport. So it’s a rare chance for golf fans to see tomorrow’s golfing stars today here in New Zealand.”

Tuohy said there will be tremendous interest in the performance of the teenage kiwi amateurs Lydia Ko and Cecilia Cho who have been in such great from across the Tasman this summer.

“One of the big reasons for developing this New Zealand Open was to help promote New Zealand’s young emerging talent. Lydia and Cecilia are making the most of their chances in this respect and that is fantastic for the development of women in golf in New Zealand.”

The championship week began with the final qualifying tournament at Waitikiri Golf Club in Christchurch on Monday, official practice and the Junior Girls Golf Challenge on Tuesday, Pro-Am on Wednesday with the tournament proper starting on Thursday.

The Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open is a co-sanction event with the Australian Ladies Professional Golf and the LET and will be held at the Pegasus Golf & Sports Club, just north of Christchurch.

Pegasus is a new resort town for up to 7,000 people being built 25 kilometres north of Christchurch, New Zealand’s second largest city. The town, on 420 hectares bordering the beaches of Pegasus Bay in North Canterbury, is part of the Waimakariri District.

Pegasus has been designed to create a community built on a remarkable array of recreational features – a 14 hectare feature lake with 11 sandy and pebbled beaches, a filtered and temperature-controlled swimming bay, natural rock hot pools, 18-hole championship golf course and sports club, restaurants, cafés and bars, primary and pre schools, shopping districts, a superb beach with dedicated surf club, yacht club and recreation hire centre, KidZone adventure park, equestrian centre and much more.

Pegasus Ladies Open Entry List