Cromwell Golf Club’s Cayden Ede, 16, left, claimed the ultimate prize at Arrowtown’s Millbrook Resort last Sunday, winning the NZ Open Charitable Trust’s Journey to the Open series, meaning he’ll now tee off alongside a pro at Millbrook on February 26.
Played over 18 holes on the Remarkables course, the finale brought together a talented group of young golfers from across the region.
The competition ended with Futures Whakatipu’s Toby Gallie topping the points scoring with 33, ahead of Millbrook’s Yoonae Jeong (31), the only female in the field, Cayden (29), and Archie Duncan (Wānaka), Riley Gill and Jackson Hughes (both Cromwell) all in the mix on 29 or 28 points.
After a countback, Toby, Yoonae and Cayden played off in a nearest-the-pin playoff on the 18th hole — Toby left his shot just short of the green, Yoonae finished about 20 feet from the hole and Cayden, with the final shot, landed his ball about 10 feet away, clinching the tournament trophy and coveted pro-am slot.
NZ Open Charitable Trust chair Brian Cadzow says it was a great finish to the Journey to the Open, ‘‘and a reminder of the talent coming through our local clubs’’.
‘‘Journey to the Open is about giving these players something to aim for, and [Sunday] showed just how much it means to them.’’
The 105th NZ Open will be played at Millbrook from February 26 to March 1.
