North Harbour golfer Sharon Ahn capped off the best week of her young life when she became the youngest player in memory to win the New Zealand Women's Strokeplay Championship at the Titirangi Golf Club yesterday.
The 14-year-old won three of four matches in her international debut in last week's
Tasman Cup victory and followed with a heart-stopping win on the final green to claim strokeplay honours.
While there have been teenage champions before, the likes of nine-time champion Oliver Hollis (nee Kay) and seven-time winner Brenda Ormsby (nee Rhodes) were 18 when they first claimed the strokeplay title.
Ahn held off the challenge from Australia's Nikki Garrett to win by two shots in a nail-biting finish, shooting a 72-hole total of three-over par 287. Garrett finished on 289 with North Harbour's Mi Kyung Kim third on 293.
Ahn held a one-shot overnight lead, as she did last year in Ashburton when she succumbed to Rotorua's Penny Newbrook.
"I was quite nervous because I remembered that I led last year and did not play so well on the last round. This is so exciting. It is a big bonus to be the youngest winner," Ahn said. "This is the best week of my life. The Tasman Cup was exciting but this is so good. It was very tough today but I managed some good putts when I needed to."
It is back to Northcote College this week for Ahn with her performances likely to give her the inside running for a place in the three-strong team for the Queen Siriket Cup in Thailand in May.
"That is my next big aim - to make that team."
Garrett, the New Zealand Amateur runner-up in 2003 and hot from a superb win at the Riversdale Cup International in Melbourne, had a share of the lead by the eighth hole and grabbed a two-shot lead when Ahn made a double bogey at the 10th.
The young Kiwi closed the margin with a birdie at the next hole and the pair were even again with a Garrett bogey on the 12th. Ahn made a lengthy par putt while Garrett missed on the 15th and the Australian three-putted the 16th to give the Kiwi a two-shot buffer.
Garrett showed her brilliance with a superb 4m putt for eagle on the par-5 17th with Ahn making birdie for a one-shot lead playing the final hole. Ahn drove into the fairway bunker but managed a fine recovery and holed a 2m par putt to secure the win while Garrett three-putted.
Ahn's fellow North Harbour representative, Kim, 15, had a final round four-over par 75.
The anticipated charge from New Zealand champion Sarah Nicholson and Australian champion Sarah Kemp never eventuated with the pair both shooting two-over par 73 to finish fourth and fifth respectively. Nicholson had an 11-over par total of 295 and Kemp was two shots back.
The day's best rounds were one-under par 70s by Rotorua's Jackie Shin and Australian Emma Bennett.
North Harbour golfer Sharon Ahn capped off the best week of her young life when she became the youngest player in memory to win the New Zealand Women's Strokeplay Championship at the Titirangi Golf Club yesterday.
The 14-year-old won three of four matches in her international debut in last week's
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