Alanna wins Lydia Ko scholarship

TOP AWARD: Omanu golfer Alanna Campbell has won a Lydia Ko scholarship. PHOTO/File

Omanu Golf Club's Alanna Campbell has been awarded one of three Lydia Ko scholarships in 2017 along with Momoka Kobori (Rangiora) and Eujin Kang (North Shore).

Campbell and Kobori will travel to Orlando, Florida in January to Ko's home base, where they will spend time with the world number No.1, learning about what it takes to reach the top in the sport. Kang will receive support for her ongoing development.

The goal of the scholarship is to better prepare New Zealand's top women amateur golfers for success on the world stage.

"Without access to the right information, bridging the gap from being a strong national level player to being an internationally successful amateur can be a difficult one. Without this step turning professional can ultimately seem out of reach," New Zealand Golf's high performance manager Gregg Thorpe said.

"To be able to spend time with Lydia and her team will deepen the players' understanding of what skills are needed and to learn how to bridge these gaps.

"Alanna and Momoka are very capable young golfers with exciting futures ahead, they are certainly deserving of this opportunity."

Ko was excited at the opportunity to host the girls and proud to be able to provide support back to females in golf in New Zealand in recognition of the support she received along her journey.

"I am really pleased to be able to work with New Zealand Golf to, in some small way, help out the next young golfers," she said.

"I received support from so many people as I grew up and I'm proud to be able to give something back. I'm really looking forward to having these girls over and spending time with them. Hopefully they enjoy their time with me."

With Ko's support the players will get a better understanding of what is required to surge their games forward and to work towards a career in the game.

"The ultimate goal is to get more of our elite amateurs playing on the world stage, to compete and win, and to fly the Kiwi flag. The mentoring Lydia and her team offers is invaluable to furthering their development," Thorpe added.

Through the Lydia Ko scholarships, both New Zealand Golf and Ko hope to attract more interest from the emerging talent within the women's game.

The motivation behind the establishment of the Lydia Ko scholarship was so Ko could give back, to inspire and encourage the next generation of females to strive for the top and to be able to show them that it is all possible.

Alongside her efforts in the form of this scholarship, Ko is also an ambassador for the She Loves Golf campaign in 2016.

In November, New Zealand Golf is promoting the game of golf to females all over the country, encouraging them to give the game a go.