Runaway winners at South Island Strokeplay

By Neville Idour

This was the ninth consecutive and last time for the St Clair Golf Club in Dunedin to host the South Island Amateur Strokeplay Championship before it moves around the island.

What a swansong it was. For the most part the weather was fine and particularly for the final round, warm, sunny and the course looking pristine with stunning views as the constant background. To cap it off the golf was the perfect match.

The winners Kazuma Kobori (Rangiora) and Maddie May (Russley) repeated their wins in the Otago Strokeplay. This time, however, they both streeted their respective rivals.

Kobori led by four shots after the first round, eight after round two, 11 after round three and eventually winning by a record 16 shots. His consistency over four rounds was breathtaking. Scores of 64, 66, 65 and 65 is as classy as it gets.

A score of 24 under par is thought to be close to a tournament record. His six birdies and nothing worse than par in the final round was a measure of his powers of concentration and ability to execute.

May was almost as dominant.

Two ahead of Sumin Kang (Wakatipu junior) after a first round 69, she stepped on the gas with a superb seven under-par 67 to bolt clear by 11 from Kang who’s 75 was the next best.

May maintained that margin as she coasted to victory. On several occasions she drove the ball 270 metres and her short game and putting were for the most part outstanding.

Her scores of 69, 67, 71 and 73 for 16 under par was impressive. Kang’s over par second round 75 was not enough to prevent her finishing second with Rianne Li (Akarana) third.

There was so much to enjoy and none less than 13 year old Noah Novacech, another Wakatipu junior, who had rounds of 73, 74, 72 and 74. That was just nine over par for 16th place. However this was good enough for him to win the nett trophy, an outstanding effort from one of the youngest in the field and of slight build.

Second placed Jaeseung Na (Whitford Park), while at a lower level than Kobori, was still a standout performer with scores of 69, 69, 68 and 70 to finish eight under par. He has prodigious ability and it was eye opening to watch him drive two greens in the final round.

He reached the green on the uphill 314 metre fifth hole and then got to the back of the 312 metre eighth green.

Na also managed three eagles, as did Maddie May who had two of them in the final round. There were more eagles by others than can be listed here.

I saw a lot of golf during the four rounds and so much of it great. But there were also some wretched moments. The overriding impression was not a single expression of the anger we sometimes see on the PGA Tour.

The maturity and demeanour was admirable as I observed several players lose their ball right of the trees on the 17th. A drop was needed and players such as Na and Thomas Woods (Mirimar) just carried on as if nothing untoward had happened.

So the upshot is the game in New Zealand is in good heart thanks to the various programmes and initiatives that many clubs have put in place over the years.