Teen machine

STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE: Auckland teenager Joshua Bai drives off the first tee on the opening day of the New Zealand men’s and women’s amateur at Poverty Bay golf course. Bai is among 97 players competing in the five-day tournament. Picture by Paul Rickard

Big things, small package could be the catchcry for 14-year-old Joshua Bai, pictured teeing off on the opening day of the New Zealand amateur on the Poverty Bay course this morning.

The Auckland Grammar School student is among the 97 players contesting the five-day tournament on the Awapuni Links course.

Akarana member Bai, who has been playing since he was seven, has been described as a “golfing prodigy” with the potential to follow in the swings of fellow Kiwis Lydia Ko and Danny Lee.

In 2017, he became the first Kiwi golfer to win a US Kids World Championship (11 years age group) and he followed it up a year later with the 12yrs age group title.

More recently, he won the Feilding Open 36-hole strokeplay in July, his efforts highlighted by a hole-in-one; was in the top 20 (at 4-under) at the Charles Tour’s Taranaki Open on the New Plymouth course last weekend; and carded a 5-under 65 — one of the low scores of the second round — in the Carrus Open in Tauranga two weeks ago.

Bai plays off a +3.5 handicap and is sitting seventh on the New Zealand Order of Merit rankings.

Ideal conditions after overnight rain greeted players for Day 1 of the New Zealand Amateur.

Players have one round of strokeplay today and a second tomorrow.

The top 32 males and top 16 females advance to matchplay, with quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday.

It is the second time Poverty Bay has hosted the amateur, although the first time — 1991 — was solely the men’s amateur for strokeplay and matchplay titles.

Taranaki’s Grant Moorhead won the 72-hole strokeplay and Australia Lucas Parsons beat Moorhead in the matchplay final.