Off the tee: This teenager is having a ball

Sharon Ahn's life is full. There's homework, telephone gossip with friends, golf and more golf.

The 14-year-old fourth former at Northcote College admits that she's found it hard getting into school work this term. Golf keeps getting in the way as she juggles social studies assignments with practice at the Takapuna golf range.

Ahn is an outstanding golfing talent and next month she will be a member of the New Zealand senior team taking on Australia in the Tasman Cup at Titirangi.

Despite her youth she has no reason to be overawed by the occasion. After all she was fifth at the Aaron Baddeley world junior championships in Fiji late last year and last month she was seventh in the Lake Macquarie senior event contested by both the Australian and New Zealand Tasman Cup squads.

Ahn really caught the eyes of the selectors a year ago during the national strokeplay championship at Ashburton.

"I finished third," says Ahn. "But I was leading after the second day. There was a lot of pressure and I think it got to me a bit."

A recent return to the South Island brought her victory in the South Island under-23 championships at Harewood and she will contest the Riversdale Cup in Melbourne before the Tasman Cup.

Like many youngsters, she has ideas of playing professionally but realises it is far too early to be making firm plans. For the moment, Annika Sorenstam is her role model and the dream is "playing in the US and making lots of money".

One bonus of being in the New Zealand team is the advice of Marnie McGuire, who had a successful professional career in Japan and the US.

Ahn and her family came to New Zealand from Korea five years ago and she has been playing golf for about four years. She is a member at the North Shore Golf Club but lives near the Takapuna course and practises there for two or three hours every night.

Professional Bob McDonald, one of New Zealand's most respected coaches, is lavish in his praise for his young pupil.

"There's world class written all over her. She is potentially the most gifted student I've had in 20 years," he said.

"It probably doesn't say much for me, but my grandmother could coach her. I tell her something and, as soon as she twigs what I'm meaning, she'll go away and work on it and get it right without me having to stand over her all the time.

"She's also got a delightful personality. Of all my pupils, Sharon and Andrew Park - who qualified for the New Zealand Open - are the ones I would say can't miss."

McDonald can't fault Ahn's work ethic but as he says: "She practises a heap but it's not work to her. She enjoys it."

That social studies assignment on Cambodia, however, is work. But perhaps there's time for a quick phone call before starting!