Winning a world title is is still sinking in for Dunedin golf prodigy Joanna Ke, after she blitzed her way to the under-9 title at the Champion of Champions event in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, yesterday morning.
Joanna, who celebrated her 10th birthday on Thursday, beat seven golfers in her division, finishing with a final score of four-over 113 in the three-round, 27-hole event.
She told the Otago Daily Times from Lough Erne winning her division — considered the biggest junior invitational golf tournament in the world — came with a lot of "excitement" and meant a lot to her.
The Columba College pupil finished eight shots ahead of second-placed Ella Sevcikova, of the Czech Republic, while Ireland's Claire O'Brien was a further 10 shots back in third.
She booked her spot at the tournament, which featured 250 junior golfers across nine divisions from 40 countries, after finishing runner-up at an event in Australia last year.
Joanna, who plays off a 12.9 handicap, first picked up the clubs at the age of 3 and had been working hard with Dunedin golf coach Shelley Duncan over the past two years.
Duncan carried the bags for Joanna in Northern Ireland, and praised her golfer’s nerve through the final round.
"This afternoon through three holes her lead was only down to two shots," Duncan said.
"Then she just managed to hold it together and had a few birdies coming home and finishing with an eight-shot win, which is amazing."
Duncan was "super proud" of Joanna’s performance across the three days, especially considering she was "very sick" leading up to the tournament.
"She’s done everything that we’ve asked of her," Duncan said.
‘She got a bug on the way over and probably didn’t come right until the day before the tournament.
"So she’s done really, really well."
They now head to St Andrews — the Scottish resort known as the "home of golf" — where Joanna will play in the St Andrews Junior Ladies’ Open, which gets under way tomorrow (NZ time).
They will play a round on the prestigious old course at St Andrews today with former Otago Golf Club members Dylan Stock and Henry Hodgson, who are now based overseas.
