TOP TEN FINISHES BY FIVE KIWI GOLFERS

BY NEVILLE IDOUR

The disappointment of Ryan Fox and Ben Campbell narrowly missing the Open Championship cut was offset to a degree by the performances of several other Kiwi professional golfers.

Campbell said “Amazing week but very disappointing to miss the cut by a shot. Unfortunately I didn’t have my A game this week but have taken a lot away from playing my first major and enjoying incredible support.”

Momoka Kobori’s giant strides continue. Credit Getty images -File

The big news is Momoka Kobori’s giant strides continue. Following two wins a 3rd and 7th on the LET ACCESS tour she gained a place in her first full Ladies European Tour event the Big Green Egg Open in the Netherlands. It was heady stuff first up after a battling first round 73 left her well off the pace. However she followed that with 70,69,72 for a -4 finish and a Tie 6th placing just three shots behind winner and multiple major winner Anna Nordquist. Early in the final round a birdie moved her to a tie for 3rd but her only bogey of the two weekend rounds on the fifth saw her par her way for the remainder of the round.

Two other Kiwis threatened a possible win in Austria at the Euram Bank Open on the Challenge Tour. After four holes of the final round Daniel Hillier and Josh Geary were sitting on -8 just a shot from the leader, but they failed to sustain that momentum with bogeys taking them out of contention. Hillier’s recovery from a poor first round +3 was admirable. Rounds of -4 and -7 left him Tied 3rd along with Geary starting the final round.

At the WAPT Tour Heritage Classic in the US Julianne Alvarez with rounds of 68,76,72,68 Tied 2nd while Wenyung Keh finished 7th. Nick Voke made a welcome cut in the Korn Ferry Tour Memorial Health Championship finishing -13 in 49th place. Normally that score would be good enough for a top 20 but a course that provided a birdie fest left him 49th 14 shots adrift of the winner.