Kerry Mountcastle (L) and Vivian Lu (NZ Golf/Twitter photo)
TAUPO, New Zealand (Nov. 4, 2018) – Waikato’s Charlie Smail has won the 2018 New Zealand Amateur Championship to claim the biggest win of his young career. He defeated Wellington’s Kerry Mountcastle, 5 and 4, in the 36-hole final.
The 20-year-old has now achieved something his famous golfing father, David Smail was never able to, which was an extremely proud moment for the family at Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary Sunday afternoon.
“It’s amazing and a very special feeling, I can’t really believe it at the moment, this is the biggest win of my career by far,” said Smail. “Quite a few people have come out to support including family and members from the golf club, so it’s a special day.”
While his father David Smail is one of New Zealand’s most decorated and successful professionals, he was never able to accomplish his son’s feat of winning the national amateur title.
“It feels pretty amazing and he has done a lot more than I did in the amateur stuff, I think I hardly ever made the top 32, so he’s done well and done us proud,” said an emotional David Smail.
It was a family affair with his mother Sheree on the bag this week who also had a very successful amateur career and this is clearly a big stepping stone for a player who has big shoes to fill.
“We are all immensely proud of what he has done today and I hope he eclipses us and makes us look silly.
“It’s really weird being on the other side, I can now see why people who used to watch me say how stressful it was and they couldn’t watch because I got similar feelings today and I just wanted him to do well, so it’s a bit funny being on this side of the fence.”
Although Mountcastle fell just short today, he has had a year to remember after winning on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour against the professionals before claiming the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship in Wellington.
After the match, Mountcastle had to rush home to pack his bags before heading off to Australia the next morning to play in the NSW Open alongside fellow amateur Daniel Hillier, who was also in the New Zealand field.
WOMEN
When 36 holes wasn’t enough to find the New Zealand Women’s Amateur Champion, Auckland’s Vivian Lu made a clutch birdie on the first extra hole to claim the 2018 title.
Lu made a vital four birdies in five holes to close out the match in what was a seesaw affair against lead qualifier and hot favorite, Kum Kang Park who had a superb week at Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary.
At the age of only 14 years old, Lu got off to a great start as she built a 5-up lead through 14 holes against Park, but the Korean showed why she was the No. 1 seed and clawed her way back in the match.
Park made a crucial 30-foot par save on No. 15 to avoid going 6 down before winning the last three holes, all with birdies, to close the gap to only two down at lunchtime. Park then continued her charge back into contention, eventually squaring up the match with six to play.
As they traded birdies, it all came down to the last hole, where Park was in a spot of bother before her phenomenal chip shot rattled the pin and was enough to take the match even further, but she could not repeat the heroics with Lu having the final say.
On the 37th hole after an exhausting five days play Lu found the strength to nail a curling 18-foot birdie putt to claim the national title in style.
“It feels really good to win the biggest amateur event in New Zealand, and this title is really amazing,” beamed Lu.
The Auckland representative has put together a superb year on the New Zealand Golf circuit after winning the Akarana Open on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour and now adds her name to the history books alongside some great players including two-time champion, Lydia Ko.
“It’s been a good year for me and hopefully it can continue next year.”
The majority of these players will now turn their attention to the Toro Interprovincials where it will be all match play in a search for the best district in the country in late November/December.
ABOUT THE New Zealand Amateur
Match play championship of New Zealand for men
and
women. 36 holes of stroke play qualifying to
determine
the final
32 players for single elimination match play.
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