Koni kids clean up another 5 tourneys

Anahera and Kairangi Koni at Island Park Golf Club yesterday with the tools of their trade. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Anahera and Kairangi Koni at Island Park Golf Club yesterday with the tools of their trade. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
The Koni kids just keep on winning. The pint sized golfers have just won the latest tour, and with it have been invited to some seriously top line courses.

Both Kairangi (8) and Anahera (7) won the US Kids Wellington Tour, finishing with a bang in the final couple of rounds last weekend.

The brother and sister, who go to St Bernadette's School, finished up with five wins from the five tournaments they entered on the tour.

The tour had eight tournaments all up over three months with the brother and sister entering just the five although two of them were cancelled because of earthquake issues and flooding.

The only one they missed was in December, when father Dan had to go to Auckland to coach the King's High School touch team to third at the national schools championships.

In the final days over the weekend, the first round was at Shandon Golf Club where Anahera, competing in the girls 7, shot a one over, 37 in nine holes while Kairangi recorded a six over 78, in the boys 9.

The second day was played at Royal Wellington where Anahera hit another 37, one over, and Kairangi played well with a four under, 68.

They both had the nine and 18 hole lowest tournament scores at the event.

By winning the tour they have met the criteria to play at events overseas. They already have some invites.

They can attend the US Kids World Championships to be played at the Pinehurst club in the United States in August.

The Pinehurst course has played host to three United States Opens and there are nine courses in total at the Pinehurst resort.

The duo have also been invited to represent New Zealand in the transtasman teams event in Brisbane in May and would most likely head to that tournament.

The wins also give them priority status invitations to large tournaments such as the Australian Open, the Venice Open and the British Open for juniors.

Coached by Shelley Duncan, the siblings play at both Chisholm Park and Island Park Parents Dan and Liz were keen to give their two prize golfers a rest, but were also keen to continue for at least another month or two.

Whether they make the trip to the United States will depend on finances with plenty of discussions to be had over whether they make the trip.

The siblings come from a family of seven children, Kairangi and Anahera are the second and third oldest, with a new baby boy, Tangiwai, who just arrived last month.

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