Hodge and Oh win Australian Junior Amateur Championship
Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia (April 13, 2012) -- Kiwi Tyler Hodge sunk a seven foot par putt on the final hole to win the Australian Boys’ Amateur at Bribie Island Golf Club. Hodge finished with rounds of 69-68-71-75 to win at 5 under par, one clear of Queensland’s Viraat Badhwar who shot a final round course record 7-under par 65 to finish at 4-under par. “I’m feeling a fair bit of relief at the moment,” Hodge said. “When Viraat was playing the way he was, I just had to focus on my game but it’s not that easy when your playing partner is on a run like that,” Hodge said. “I was hoping for a top 15 finish and feel like I’ve been playing well so this is great.” With the win, Hodge earns a place at this year’s Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes Golf Club in December. “That really hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s miles away the biggest thing to happen in my career so far,” Hodge added. Badhwar’s extraordinary round was only blemished by his bogey on the final hole which cost him a play off opportunity with Hodge. Victorian Lucas Herbert and New South Welshmen Ricky Kato and Mitchell Venables shared third place, one stroke behind Badhwar in a tightly packed leaderboard. Victorian Ben Eccles finished in outright sixth while Anthony Quayle (NT), Jarryd Felton (WA), Zac Stolz (NSW), Ryan Ruffels (VIC) and Compton Pikari (NZ) all finished in a tie for seventh. The players have a rest day on Saturday before the Australian Boys’ Interstate Teams Matches at Bribie Island Golf Club from 16-19 April.Victorian and National Junior Squad member Su Hyun Oh (Kingswood) reeled off a string of birdies on the back nine to win the Australian Girls’ Amateur Championship at Carbrook Golf Club by seven shots. Oh, who held a three shot overnight lead, finished with rounds of 73-67-71-69 to win at 8 under par and hold off Queensland based Korean Annie Choi who finished at 1 under par following a final round 73. Oh said the victory was a major highlight in her career to date. “I’m excited, especially that I get a spot in the Women’s Australian Open. It was a good win and gives me a confidence booster going into Queen Sirikit Cup in Singapore in two weeks,” Oh said. “I tried to keep thinking about it as stroke play rather than a match play scenario which was tough with Annie and I in the same group,” Oh said. “I was pushing for birdies and when I birdied 11,12 and 13, I felt like I got the momentum.” New South Wales’ Shelly Shin finished in third place at 2 over par, three strokes behind Choi. Western Australia’s Hayley Bettencourt and New South Wales’ Cathleen Santoso finished the championship in a tie for fourth place at 4 over par. In winning, Su Hyun Oh earns a place in next year’s LPGA Tour-sanctioned ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Royal Canberra Golf Club. Oh already has a great history with the Open having made the cut at Royal Melbourne in February and in 2009 became the youngest ever player to qualify for the Women’s Australian Open at the age of 12. The players have a rest day on Saturday before the Australian Girls’ Interstate Teams Matches at Carbrook Golf Club from 15-17 April.
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ABOUT THE Australian Junior Amateur
The Australian Junior Amateur Championship is open to
players aged under 18 years on the first day of play.
The initial field size is 156 players (105 boys and 51
girls), and it is contested over 72-holes stroke play
(with a cut after 54-holes).
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