Golf: Cho defends matchplay title after tense finale

Matt Jager became the first man for 19 years to win the title on both sides of the Tasman in the same year. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Mum knew best as 15-year-old Aucklander Cecilia Cho won her second national matchplay title in a row at Hastings yesterday.

Faced with a crucial choice of club in a tense 36-hole final that went for two extra holes, Cho took her mother Agatha's advice and played the right club to that final green to beat 18-year-old Chihiro Ikeda from the Philippines.

In the men's final, Australian golfer Matt Jager became the first man since Australian Lucas Parsons 19 years ago to win the amateur matchplay championships on both sides of the Tasman in the same year when he beat Mt Maunganui teenager Brad Kendall 7 and 6.

Cho appeared to be cruising when she was four up with seven holes to play and still three ahead with four to play. But Ikeda won the next three holes with two birdies and a par before they halved the 36th hole.

Cho stayed alive with a good recovery on the 37th and clinched the win on the next when Ikeda's drive was blocked by a tree and she had to chip out.

"I got a bit nervous," said Cho. "There always seems to be a fightback in matchplay and she played really well.

"When it came to choosing the right club for my second to that last hole, I wanted to play a five but Mum said six. I hit the six really hard and Mum was right."

Cho had been unhappy with her putting after the first 18 holes and she had an impromptu lesson on the practice green from 12-year-old Lydia Ko, whom she beat in the final at Titirangi last year.

The 21-year-old Jager from Perth, Western Australia, was defending the New Zealand title he won at Titirangi last year. The last man to win back-to-back titles was Aucklander Terry Pulman in 1976 and 1977.

Kendall, 18, who beat Jager to the strokeplay title on Saturday, could be well satisfied with his week. He bettered par in three of his rounds in the strokeplay and showed remarkable maturity in winning his way to the matchplay final.

But on another perfect Hawkes Bay day after early fog had delayed the start, he was never really in contention. He was three down after four holes, reduced the margin to one after nine, but then lost the next four holes.

Jager led by five after 18 holes and, though Kendall won a couple back, the end came on the par-four 12th where the Australian rolled in a birdie putt.

He had been five under par in the morning but was over the card in the afternoon.

"I hit the ball great this morning," said Jager.

"It's a great course and I love playing it. You've got to shape the ball and I like that."