Familiar faces take out Wanganui Golf Club championships for 2022

Riki Kauika (left) and Sera Raj are this year's Wanganui Golf Club Championship winners. Photo / Supplied

The name Raj will be written on the Wanganui Golf Club Championships women's trophy for the eighth year in a row, after defending champion Sera Raj took out this year's title.

Her older sister, Tara, won the previous six, but didn't enter this year's event.

The competition was held under blue skies at the Belmont course last weekend.

In the senior men's event, defending champion Riki Kauika retained his title to make it three on the trot.

Drew Rennie took out top spot in the intermediate men grade, defending champion Peter Wallis retained his junior men title, and Theo Santos won the C-grade men.

Helen Dougherty took out the Bronze 1 women's event, with Peg Irvin winning Bronze 2.

The Manawatū/Wanganui Amateur Strokeplay Championships will be held at Belmont on the weekend, with Kauika and Tara Raj part of a field of about 100 top regional golfers.

Raj is also one of four players to step up from phase two of Golf New Zealand's Talent Development Programme to join the National Academy.

The National Academy is the third phase of the development programme.

Raj won the Horowhenua Open in January and was second in the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship in March.