Favourites Poke Noses In Front To Begin South Island Age Groups

The pre-tournament favourites have started positively at the South Island Age Group Championships and lead after round one at Otago Golf Club.

Reigning New Zealand Stroke Play champion Robby Turnbull leads by a couple in the Under-19 Boys division, North Island Women’s Stroke Play champion Emma Zheng shares the Under-19 Girls lead with Chloe Lam, the in-form Otago junior Ricky Kang leads the Under-16 Boys section by three, and Japan’s Lannie Inoue takes an early three-shot ascendency in the Under-16 Girls division.

Perfect scoring conditions greeted the 88-player field for the opening round of the tournament, with temperatures reaching 17 degrees. Six players shot sub-par scores across the four age divisions – three of them were pre-tournament favourites.

Turnbull, who recently returned from the Australian Junior Amateur, where he finished sixth, began his first round with a hiss and a roar with an eagle. He made three more birdies on six, eight, and nine without dropping any shots, making the turn in an impressive five under.

He traded another birdie and a bogey on his way back to the clubhouse, signing for an opening five-under-66, two shots ahead of North Island Under 19 Boys champion Brodie Ferguson.

Ferguson, a Taranaki amateur who now resides in Christchurch, made six birdies and a trio of bogeys on his way to his solid opening score and sits in solo second ahead of Otago junior Connor Howes.

In the Under-19 Girls division, Zheng and Lam lead by six shots with one-over-74s.

The pair played alongside one another, leading the field off the 13th hole, but it was Lam who got off to a faster start despite a bogey at her opening hole. She went on to birdie the 17th and eagle the 18th to be two under the card early and went on to trade a couple of birdies and bogeys on the front nine before a tough finish.

Zheng’s round was less eventful, making three birdies and four bogeys in her first round as she looks to add to her impressive win tally this year.

Alisia Ren is third at seven-over-par.

Otago junior Ricky Kang leads the Under-16 Boys section by three shots following a blemish-free four-under-67. Cordell Henare shot one-under to be nipping at the Wakatipu Junior Golf Club member’s heels.

Finally, Japan’s Lannie Inoue has also taken an early three-shot ascendency over Mary Yim in the Under 16 Girls age bracket with a one-under-72. She made five birdies, two bogeys, and a double in her opening round to lead a bunched leaderboard, which includes former New Zealand Under-16 Girls champion Yoonae Jeong in third.

The second round commences from 8 am tomorrow morning.

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