Alongside Queenstown golf pro Ben Campbell, there’ll be another local teeing off in this week’s New Zealand Open with a chance to lift the Brodie Breeze Trophy tomorrow.
Queenstown’s Ricky Kang, 17, showed nerves of steel to book his slot at the final qualifying tournament in Cromwell on Monday, following a three-man playoff.
He tells Mountain Scene he got off to a ‘‘pretty solid start’’, going 6-under par, before a few bogeys had him finishing the round at 5-under.
Then came the waiting game.
Tied with Shaun Jones (Russley Golf Club) and rising Wānaka star Raphael Anderson, the trio entered a playoff.
Ricky made par on the first playoff hole, ‘‘and everyone was still in’’, before he hit his approach shot to about 6 feet on the second and ‘‘drained the putt to get the spot’’.
‘‘It was a pretty special moment— [I] dropped my putter, threw my hat and hugged my coach.
‘‘It feels unreal.’’
The former Millbrook player moved to Christchurch in October and now plays for the Harewood Golf Club, although he will be flying the Queenstown flag this week. He reckons he’s going in with ‘‘a pretty big advantage’’ given he knows the course inside and out, having played Millbrook for about six years.
‘‘I’m excited to see how I match against the other pros, it’s a good way to test myself.
‘‘But I just want to have fun out there and make the most of it.’’
Queenstown pro and Millbrook member Ben Campbell, also playing in this week’s tournament, says he’s watched Ricky grow up and ‘‘get better and better and better’’.
‘‘He’s going to be a really impressive golfer — [it’s] so good for him to get through.
‘‘This year he’s really stepped it up . . .I’m sure he’s going to be one in the future to look out for.’’
Adding to the fun for Ricky, his caddie’s his good mate Toby Gallie, 17, a Futures Whakatipu player who missed a spot in the pro-am following a nearest-the-pin playoff at last month’s NZ Open Charitable Trust’s Journey to the Open series — that tournament was won by Cromwell Golf Club’s Cayden Ede, 16.
Second at that one was Mill-brook’s Yoonae Jeong, 17, who also came second the following day during a Millbrook members qualifier.
However, because the winner, Malcolm Ramsay, can’t play, Yoonae’s also teeing off this week, in the pro-am. One of just 11 women playing in this year’s pro-am, she’ll be partnered with Kiwi pro Cameron Harlock, 25, who plays on the Australasian Tour.
‘‘I’m just so excited,’’ she says. ‘‘I’ve tried to play in the NZ Open for quite a while now, and finally get to play . . .[it’s] amazing.’’
The NZ Open continues till Sunday — entry’s free.
