The Bing Lee Samsung Women’s New South Wales Open starts this Friday over 54 holes at the Oatlands Golf club in Sydney with New Zealand superstar, Lydia Ko, defending the title that made her the youngest player to ever win a professional event when winning twelve months ago. The then 14 year old defeated Welshwoman, Becky Morgan, by four shots to stun the golfing world but Ko would go on in 2012 to create even greater milestones with victories at the US Amateur Championship and then the LPGA Tour s Canadian Open. Ko also finished runner-up in this as a 13 year old in 2011 so it is a golf course she enjoys playing. It just suits my game really well,” Ko told NZ Golf today. “It’s a very welcoming course. I really enjoy playing there. I have to think again if I actually really am the defending champion of the tournament, said Ko with her trademark giggle. “It was a great feeling to win this event last year but it was more of a shock than anything. Ko now has expectation on her but she has shown time and time again that she is fazed by very little. Ko will face a field this week that includes the likes of Australia s Lindsey Wright, Sarah Jane Smith, Stacey Keating and Frances Bondad, the 2011 winner Caroline Hedwall, England s Laura Davies and current Victorian Open Champion, Joanna Klatten, from France. Australian Amateur Champion and US Junior Girls Champion Minjee Lee is in the line-up hoping to do what Ko had done last year and win this event just a week or two after the Australian Amateur Championship. The tournament carries prizemoney of A$125,000 and is sanctioned by the ALPG and Golf NSW.
Author: Bruce Young / iseekgolf.com