Golf: Lady luck deserts Auckland teenager

Aucklander Natasha Krishna came within centimetres of winning the Aaron Baddeley world junior championships title in Nadi, Fiji, yesterday..

In her third and final round she shot a one-over 73 which could so easily have been a 71 and victory if lady luck had gone her way on the 16th and 18th greens.

Americans Amanda Blumenherst, 17, and defending champion Jennifer Pandolfi, also 17, finished in a two-way tie on two-under, with Krishna, 15, a shot back.

Blumenherst won the playoff with a birdie on the par-four 10th hole and snared a start in next year's Australian women's open.

Australian Matthew Giles, 14, won the boys' event by two shots on six under and will play in next year's Australian men's open.

Aaron Leech, 15, of Wellington, who had been in contention going into the final round, blew his chances on the par-five ninth hole with a double bogey.

Leech went on to shoot a final-round 77 to finish sixth equal overall on three over and runner-up in the under-16 section behind defending champion Philip Francis, of the US, on two-under.

Tauranga's James Hamilton, 14, had a final-round 74 to be the next-placed New Zealander on 10 over, while Kris Smith, 16, of Palmerston North, and 17-year-old captain Thomas Campbell, of Dunedin, were 13 over.

In the girls' section, 16-year-old Stephanie Slavich, of Hamilton, had a disappointing final-round 79 to finish at 18 over, after at one point being four under.

Team manager Kerry Fenton said he was pleased with the team's effort, particularly the results from Krishna, Leech, Hamilton and Smith.

"James [Hamilton] and Kris [Smith] have performed very well in their debuts and have in no way disgraced themselves in their age groups.

"If you look back at it, those first-day scores put them out."

Krishna said she was pleased with her debut.

Next year she will move from Epsom Girls Grammar to St Kentigern on a golf scholarship to improve her game.

The move is also intended to help Krishna to force her way into New Zealand senior contention.

Fenton said Krishna's maturity and course management had been impressive.

The US easily won the teams' event from Japan in second, Australia third and New Zealand fourth out of six teams.

- NZPA