Oh, Bondad spearheading Ladies Amateur golf
IN: News | Australian Ladies Amateur | Ladies NSW State Championship (2006) | Wrap | by Anthony Powter | 23 Jul 2006
Match Play Photo Gallery - NSW Ladies State Championship
Consider this six of the top ranked amateurs in New South Wales make the match play qualification series. which ultimately finishes in the top two ranked players doing battle for the Championship title.
It's a promoter's and sponsor's dream come true and that is exactly what unfolded in this weeks Johnson & Johnson Pacific 2006 NSW State Championship, when Sarah Oh narrowly defeated Frances Bondad 2 & 1 in the final.
The win represents a return to form for Oh, who claims to have been through a recent "bad patch".
"I had a bad start for this year and have played badly since April. Coming into this event and having won it the year before, I was keen and looking for a good result. It kind of lifted my game and made me motivated to play the event well."
"My match with Frances was very tight. We were square after the first eighteen holes in conditions that were difficult. At one stage I got it to a couple up, but Frances fought well and got the match back mid way through the second eighteen."
"It's great to be playing well again and match play is a different game to stroke; you never know who is going to win on the day and that's what pushes you during the match."
The back to back victory adds to Sarah's resume of achievements to date that include every main Australian amateur event. The 5th ranked Australian amateur will now focus upon the upcoming interstate series for the Gladys Hay Memorial Cup in September as well as the professional events where starts have been offered in the LG Bing Lee NSW Open and the ANZ Ladies Masters.
Oh also plans to play some major amateur tournaments overseas, either in Japan or American. There is no schedule yet in place and is somewhat dependent upon which events the 17 year old can get into. At present, Oh's focus is upon developing her game, both with increasing her length off the tee and improving her mental part of her game.
During the final, both Oh and Bondad showed excellent resolve in conditions that were less than favorable, as Sydney continued to dish out uncharacteristic weather patters. At one stage during the final, rain had officials worried about whether the greens at Pymble Golf Club would become flooded.
Despite all the obstacles, the final continued with Bondad, the number 1 ranked Australian amateur, taking the match right up to Oh.
"My game plan against Sarah was just to enjoy the challenge and see how it went."
For Bondad, her match against Oh was certainly a challenge, no better reflected with a mini recovery, when the titled seemed to be falling Oh's way.
"I said to myself "I will not bow out this easily, I get the next hole" and I did with a nice birdie on the 15th. Then it was 3 down with three to go. I then won the next to go 2 down with 2 to go."
"We both ended in the greenside bunker on the 17th. I was able to get up and down and so was Sarah and that was it."
"I ran out of holes. Sarah played well and works hard. That's why she has achieved so much."
The coming months sees a busy schedule for Bondad, with completing her HSC via correspondence, working part-time in sales as well as practicing her game as she strives for National team selection.
The Los Angeles born 18-year- old holds both Australian and US citizenship and is looking to play in America towards the end of the year, however, like a number of talented aspiring amateurs, financial constraints often damper making immediate plans; that is until matters fall into place.
"I am looking forward to a golf professional career. There are still goals I want to achieve in the Amateur ranks. I be playing the Gladys Hay Memorial Cup for NSW in September as well as playing in the South Australian Stroke Play in August and trying for selection in the Australian Team to play for the World Amateur in South Africa in October."
You don't have to be Einstein to realise there is a big future for Oh and Bondad in the game as they will make their way through the ranks onto one of the main professional tours. They have the talent, dedication, disposition and as shown in Friday's final the capacity to go the distance.
Photo - Anthony Powter
