Ke lends her skills to fundraiser

She is only 10, but champion golfer Joanna Ke is already something of a professional although it was all in a good cause yesterday.

The Otago Community Hospice women’s golf tournament at the Otago Golf Club had a bit of everything yesterday and most importantly the ability to raise some money for a deserving charity.

The fundraising tournament has been going since 2021 and had a great result yesterday with about $60,000 raised for the hospice.

The under-9 world champion, from a tournament in Northern Ireland earlier this year, helped the cause: she was situated on the first hole tee and offered her services to drive the fairway to any member of the 32 teams taking part.

World champion golfer Joanna Ke, 10, watched by Christina Cotton (left) and Lauren Bradbury, drives the ball down the fairway of the first hole at the Otago Golf Club during the Otago Hospice charity golf tournament yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

Joanna’s mother, Cecily Chou, said her daughter was hitting the ball up to 180m, most of them right down the middle. She said most of the players — who were all women — were more than willing to part with some cash to see their ball fly down the fairway.

Ms Chou said her daughter would have raised more than $500 which both were extremely happy about.

The 32 teams finished the day with some food and a question and answer session with rally driver Emma Gilmour. Earlier in the year, the Aotearoa Gaming Trust golf tournament raised more than $40,000 for the hospice.