CAROLINE HEDWALL BEING CHASED BY 13-YR-OLD KOREAN KIWI
FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
Sweden's Caroline Hedwall should be the centre of attention at Oatlands Golf Club on Sunday as, in her first tournament as a professional since coming top of the class in the Ladies European Tour Q School, she leads coming into the final round of the Women's New South Wales Open, but a 13-year-old lass from New Zealand is threateing to upstage her.
Lydia Ko, born in Korea but now a New Zealand citizen, made it back-to-back four under par 68s to trail the 21-year-old Hedwall by just one shot and history beckons - should Ko win today, she will be the youngest winner of a professional women's event in world golf.
The gallery at Oatlands yesterday was sparse but enthusiastic. People who saw Ko on Friday came back again and brought friends - "They said I was lovely to watch. It is good having the support there, and I hope there's many more spectators [on Sunday]," Ko said.
It's a fair bet there will be, as the young woman is proving a phenomenon. Maybe it will be the day in years to come that folk will say they witnessed a world No.1 in the making.
The late Earl Woods determined his son Eldrick, now known to the world as Tiger, would be No 1 at his birth, almost literally placing a small golf club in his hands at birth.
It's not quite that way with Ko and there is a Sydney connection - when she was five, she and her older sister came with their parents - Jilhong and Tina - to visit their aunt and uncle who were living here at the time.
"My auntie always went to golf and she must have felt sorry for us so she brought home a seven iron and a wedge and when we went home to Korea I started going to the driving range," Ko said.
"I played good at a course on an island off Korea and my mum and dad committed, and thought this might be my living." She was then aged six, and the family packed up and headed to New Zealand where their daughter could receive intensive coaching.
What does the teenager herself think of what lies ahead today?
"I just want to play the best I can without caring so much about the scores. It doesn't really matter, I'm just playing for experience. It's a pro tournament, and I feel proud of myself already to be playing in a big tournament. I am honoured and proud," she replied.
So, it is Hedwall who leads Ko by one with Australians Sarah Kemp and Sarah-Jane Smith a further two strokes back. For the Swede, it would be quite appropriate to win her first professional tournament in Australia, just as the great Annika Sorenstam did at the 1994 Australian Open at Royal Adelaide.
Laura Davies, who generally plays well in Australia, for once looks out of contention on 144 (69-75), nine shots off the pace with 18 holes to play.
Scotland's Clare Queen is lying in joint 33rd place with rounds of 76 and 72 for 148.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
Players from Australia unless stated
135 Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) 67 68.
136 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) (amateur) 68 68.
138 Sara-Jane Smith 68 70, Sarah Kemp 71 67.
139 Stephanie Na 70 69.
140 Katherine Hull 71 69, Breanna Elliott (amateur) 72 68.
142 Ryann O'Toole (United States) 73 69, Karen Lunn 71 71, Vicky Thomas 70 72.
Selected scores:
144 Laura Davies (England) 69 75 (jt 17th).
148 Clare Queen (Scotland) 76 72 (jt 33rd).
IF YOU WANT TO READ ALL THE SCORES ON THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Sweden's Caroline Hedwall should be the centre of attention at Oatlands Golf Club on Sunday as, in her first tournament as a professional since coming top of the class in the Ladies European Tour Q School, she leads coming into the final round of the Women's New South Wales Open, but a 13-year-old lass from New Zealand is threateing to upstage her.
Lydia Ko, born in Korea but now a New Zealand citizen, made it back-to-back four under par 68s to trail the 21-year-old Hedwall by just one shot and history beckons - should Ko win today, she will be the youngest winner of a professional women's event in world golf.
The gallery at Oatlands yesterday was sparse but enthusiastic. People who saw Ko on Friday came back again and brought friends - "They said I was lovely to watch. It is good having the support there, and I hope there's many more spectators [on Sunday]," Ko said.
It's a fair bet there will be, as the young woman is proving a phenomenon. Maybe it will be the day in years to come that folk will say they witnessed a world No.1 in the making.
The late Earl Woods determined his son Eldrick, now known to the world as Tiger, would be No 1 at his birth, almost literally placing a small golf club in his hands at birth.
It's not quite that way with Ko and there is a Sydney connection - when she was five, she and her older sister came with their parents - Jilhong and Tina - to visit their aunt and uncle who were living here at the time.
"My auntie always went to golf and she must have felt sorry for us so she brought home a seven iron and a wedge and when we went home to Korea I started going to the driving range," Ko said.
"I played good at a course on an island off Korea and my mum and dad committed, and thought this might be my living." She was then aged six, and the family packed up and headed to New Zealand where their daughter could receive intensive coaching.
What does the teenager herself think of what lies ahead today?
"I just want to play the best I can without caring so much about the scores. It doesn't really matter, I'm just playing for experience. It's a pro tournament, and I feel proud of myself already to be playing in a big tournament. I am honoured and proud," she replied.
So, it is Hedwall who leads Ko by one with Australians Sarah Kemp and Sarah-Jane Smith a further two strokes back. For the Swede, it would be quite appropriate to win her first professional tournament in Australia, just as the great Annika Sorenstam did at the 1994 Australian Open at Royal Adelaide.
Laura Davies, who generally plays well in Australia, for once looks out of contention on 144 (69-75), nine shots off the pace with 18 holes to play.
Scotland's Clare Queen is lying in joint 33rd place with rounds of 76 and 72 for 148.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
Players from Australia unless stated
135 Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) 67 68.
136 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) (amateur) 68 68.
138 Sara-Jane Smith 68 70, Sarah Kemp 71 67.
139 Stephanie Na 70 69.
140 Katherine Hull 71 69, Breanna Elliott (amateur) 72 68.
142 Ryann O'Toole (United States) 73 69, Karen Lunn 71 71, Vicky Thomas 70 72.
Selected scores:
144 Laura Davies (England) 69 75 (jt 17th).
148 Clare Queen (Scotland) 76 72 (jt 33rd).
IF YOU WANT TO READ ALL THE SCORES ON THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Labels: Girls, Pro Ladies
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 10:45:00 pm
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