Katherine has Hull of a day at NZ Open

BY Liz White | ALPG Tour | 2009 New Zealand Women's Open | Round One | 30 Jan 2009

A white-hot putter has Katherine Hull in the box seat after the first round of the inaugural New Zealand Open at Christchurch’s Clearwater Resort today.

The Queenslander sunk two long bombs on the 1st and 16th to have an incredible 24 putts on the way to a score of seven under 65.

It was a dramatic turnaround from last week’s New South Wales Open where Hull couldn’t get anything to drop on the final day.

“I figured out a couple of things on Sunday during the round and worked on it at the start of this week,” she said.

“I was obviously able to transfer that out on the golf course which was nice.”

The only blemish on Hull’s scorecard today was a bogey on the 388m par 4 8th.

“It was a lack of concentration on my second shot, I went blank over the ball and hit it into the water and got what I deserved actually,” she said.

“I didn’t get mad but I was like: ’Kate you are an idiot, seriously would you get this up and down and get yourself out of the you know what.’”

“I gave myself a challenge and I did it.”

Chasing Hull is last week’s NSW Open winner, Sarah Oh who fired a four under round of 68 today, to be three behind.

It was a steady effort by Oh, who unfortunately ruined her day with her only bogey of the day on the 18th.

“That’s alright, you can’t do anything about it, if you hit it in the water you don’t expect a birdie or a par, so a bogey is okay,” she said.

Oh praised her caddy, 14-year-old James Cadenhead, who is a member at Clearwater and said his knowledge of the greens was especially helpful.

“He has helped me a lot, he just told me where the slopes were, he knew everything,” she said of the 5 marker.

The afternoon winds made club selection difficult but Oh was pleased with the way she handled the course where just 15 players finished sub par.

“It was swirling around especially on the last few holes,” she said.

“But I was really good with my short putts again this week so that was good.”

Placed in T3 on three under 69 is 42-year-old Karen Lunn, who could only sit back and admire Hull’s achievements today.

“I didn’t think anybody would shoot that low but she’s world class isn’t she?” she said.

“It’s all down to Katherine now, she is the form player in the field and if she plays well she will win, it is that simple.”

Lunn, while pleased with a three under round was disappointed at what might have been, after bogeying the final two holes.

“It just leaves a sour taste in your mouth when you work hard all day and then sort of throw it away at the end but there you go,” she said.

“I didn’t really do anything wrong. I didn’t hit any bad shots, it is that kind of golf course, it’s a little bit bouncy and you are going to get good bounces and going to get bad bounces.”

While Hull’s 65 had players in awe, there was also plenty of talk about Auckland schoolgirl, Cecilia Cho, who at just 14, already bombs her drive up to 230m.

Playing at Clearwater for the first time, the teenager also carded a three under round of 69 to be the leading New Zealander in the field and T3 overall. Her stunning front nine of six under had her bewildered.

“I was not normal I think,” she laughed.

“I was very nervous when I saw the leader board. I said to myself get pars and be confident with yourself.”

Although she faded on the back with four bogeys, Cho is confident her usually reliable flat stick will help her to a better score tomorrow.

Also well placed is Australian amateur Stacey Keating who is in T6th position, after an opening two under round of 70.

Keating had a good card going until a bogey on the 171m par three 11th and a double bogey on the 358m par 4 12th saw her slip from four under to one under. She was able to get it back to two under with a birdie on par 5 14th.

Other notables in field had some mixed results. Leading New Zealander, Sarah Nicholson posted a one under 71 to be T10th with European number one, Gwladys Nocera.

For tournament drawcard Laura Davies it was a day she would rather forget. After going out even on the front nine, she stumbled home with four bogeys and one double bogey to end the day at 5 over and in T64th.

The field will be cut tomorrow to top 60 and ties excluding amateurs, which means Davies should at least scrape through.