Lydia Ko and Ryan Fox both set course records at Tara Iti.
Kiwi golf stars Lydia Ko and Ryan Fox both made the most of recent trips home by breaking records at the most prestigious course in the country.
The women’s world number one and the men’s world number 30 broke course records at Tara Iti, near Mangawhai while Fox also went low at the newly opened Te Arai Links a few kilometres down the road.
Tara Iti is ranked number two in the world by Golf Digest magazine, while Te Arai Links is expected to feature in future lists having only just opened in October.
Ko was honeymooning with her husband Chung Jun last month after marrying in South Korea, staying at Te Arai Links. The resort is currently taking reservations for its 48 suites, 19 cottages and six villas. The accommodation is within a chipshot of the North and South Course, practice facilities and one of the largest putting greens in the world dubbed The Playground, all boasting views out to Little Barrier and Mokohinau Islands.
Ko shot a 63 from the women’s championship tees at Tara Iti including a hole-in-one at the par three second. The two-time LPGA major winner, playing with the two courses’ managing director Jim Rohrstaff, shot a 29 on the front nine with her eagle ace and a run of four straight birdies. She backed that up with two birdies and a bogey on the back nine to card an eight-under round.
“Well this was fun,” Ko wrote in an Instagram story alongside a photo of herself staring at the hole in disbelief.
“Stunning views, amazing golf course and even better company thank you Tara Iti,” she added in another photo of her celebrating the moment.
Fox is a member of Te Arai Links, featuring the club logo on his bag during his career year last season which included two victories on the DP World Tour and saw him move inside the world’s top 30 for the first ime.
He shot two rounds of 66 at Te Arai Links South Course last month but saved his best for Tara Iti where he set the course record with a 10-under 61.
The previous record was 63, shot by fellow Kiwi professional Michael Hendry. Fox had eight birdies and an eagle on the par five fifth. Kiwi pro Luke Toomey holds the men’s course record at Te Arai Links South Course from the championship tees with a 64 in December. Pro Amelia Garvey holds the female record with a 68 from the black tees, also late last year.
Fox, who recorded a hole-in-one at Royal Auckland during his return home, has set the benchmark for when world number one Rory McIlroy books his tee-time up north.
During the first round of the DP World Tour’s finale in Dubai last year, McIlroy told his playing partner Fox about his desire to come down under and play Tara Iti and Te Arai Links.
“He’s really keen to come down and play at some point. He’s got a pretty busy schedule, so might not find the time for a while. But he’s pretty keen to get down to our end of the world and play some golf courses, which is cool,” Fox told the Herald.
“Te Arai Links is quite a bit newer so he had not heard much about it but he definitely knew all about Tara Iti. He has spoken to Ric Kayne (the American behind the world-renowned courses) quite a few times about it and I know Ric’s pretty keen to get him down at some stage. Deep down Rory is one of those guys who loves golf courses. So I think at some stage if he gets a chance, he’d love to come down and play and get the whole experience and see a bit of New Zealand.”
The Te Arai Links South Course, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in October with the Tom Doak-designed North Course set to open in October this year. Once both courses are open they will be available to the public in pay-to-play rounds with members, members invitees or visitors staying in the accommodation currently eligible to walk the picturesque 18 holes that hug the coastline south of Mangawhai.
Ko returns to action later this month as she defends her Saudi Ladies International title in Saudi Arabia before a full LPGA schedule. Fox returns to the UAE on the DP World Tour this week at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, where he won at the same course last year.