Thirteen-year-old Larissa Eruera was first out in the women's national strokeplay championship at Titirangi yesterday and her one-over 72 was never bettered by a field including 10 Australian and New Zealand internationals.
Her closest challengers in the 72-hole event were 14-year-old Sharon Ahn from North Shore and Nikki Garrett and
Emma Bennett, members of the beaten Australian Tasman Cup team, who shot 74s.
Bennett, who four-putted the 18th green in the decisive cup single on Wednesday, birdied the hole yesterday.
On 75 was the Australian strokeplay champion, Sarah Kemp, and among those on 76 were 16-year-old Auckland Club member Natasha Krishna, Younsun Kim from Pakuranga and Mi Kyung Kim from Pupuke.
Eruera, the national Maori junior and senior champion, birdied the par-five 13th with a good chip and putt after dropping shots on the seventh and 10th in conditions which grew increasingly tricky.
Most of her second nine was played into the wind, but Eruera, the national junior long-drive champion, kept her game together. She was bunkered on the last, but saved par with an excellent sand shot.
"Putting was the easiest because every other shot was affected by the wind," she said. "I didn't have a three-putt all round."
A third-former at St Cuthbert's College, Eruera has been playing for five years at the Aviation Country Club in South Auckland.
Defending champion Penny Newbrook, who starred in the Tasman Cup win, carded an 83 and team-mate Sarah Nicholson had 78. Jenny Park withdrew with an injured back.
Many of the competitors were defeated by the hard fairways and brisk wind and their scores reached into three figures. Lydia Ko, at seven the youngest ever to play at this level, shot 100.
* Two rounds will be played today from 7.30 am. The final round tomorrow starts at 7.45am.
