Amateur Stroke Play events begin
BY Bruce Young | Australian Ladies Amateur Tour | 2011 Australian Women's Amateur | Preview | 16 Mar 2011
The Srixon Australian Women’s Stroke-Play Championship gets underway today at the Huntingdale Golf Club in South Oakleigh in Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs.
The event kick starts a week of top class amateur golf in the Melbourne Sandbelt with the Srixon Men’s Stroke-Play Championship starting on Thursday at both the Woodlands and Victoria Golf Clubs and both Australian Amateur Championships to be played at Victoria Golf Club beginning Monday.
Last year’s winner, New Zealander Cecilia Cho, is back to defend her title although this year she plays as the newly crowned world number one female amateur. Cho also finished runner-up in the Australian Amateur Championship to Stacey Keating.
Cho finished 5th in the Individual contest at last week’s Queens Sirikit Cup and assisted the New Zealand team to 5th place in the team event.
New Zealand will have two chances of taking the title with the 13 year old Lydia Ko also in good form after finishing as the leading amateur at the recent Handa Women’s Australian Open and when finishing runner up at the NSW Women’s Open.
The Australian Queens Sirikit team of Ashley Ona, Jessica Speechley and Breanna Elliott are in the field but an indifferent effort in India leaves them a little out of sorts heading into this week’s event. Ona defeated a good field of professionals to win the ActewAGL Classic in Canberra recently so deserves respect.
Both Stroke play events are played over 72 holes.
