Na favourite at Women's Amateur
IN: News | Australian Ladies Amateur | Australian Womens Amateur (2008) | Preview | by Liz White | 11 Apr 2008
South Australia’s Stephanie Na is tipped as the one to beat when the Srixon Australian Amateur gets underway on her home course this weekend.
The 19-year-old is very comfortable on the Royal Adelaide greens and is hoping her local knowledge will see her lift the silverware at tournament’s end.
“When you are a member, you know the course inside out pretty much, so I have that advantage over people but anything can happen, especially with match play,” she said.
“At Royal Adelaide the fairways are fairly wide but you have to be careful with the rough on some of the holes, it can get pretty thick.
“You can get away with off shots but putting will determine the score.”
The Australian Women’s Amateur Championships kicks off with a 72 hole stroke play event at Glenelg Golf Club on April 13. Players from six other nations will descend on Adelaide to pit themselves against Australia’s best, including the in-form Kristie Smith, Claire Choi, Julia Boland, Rebecca Flood and National Squad members, Bree Arthur, Whitney Hillier and Courtney Massey.
The top 32 players at Glenelg will then qualify for the Australian Amateur, a matchplay event which will be played at Royal Adelaide Golf Club in conjunction with the men.
And while the Match Play trophy is the most important Amateur title in Australia, Kristie Smith regards the Stroke Play title as every bit as prestigious.
“I much prefer to win the stroke play than the match play because I feel the stroke play means a lot more to me,” she said.
“Stroke Play is shot for shot it really shows the true golfer, whereas in match play the top player could be having an off day and you play number 32 and they could be a couple under and you could be a couple over and lose.
“Of course it would be awesome to win both and that’s obviously the goal but I would definitely rather take out the stroke play.”
Smith, one of the hottest amateurs in the country is clearly no fan of match play but admits she is going to have to mentally prepare for the challenge. Her fantastic start to the year, where she finished leading amateur at the MFS Australian Open, the ANZ Ladies Masters and the Bing Lee NSW Open, has created a new set of pressures.
“I am definitely feeling it. I have felt it the last few weeks that’s for sure just everyone all your family and friends saying wouldn’t it be great for you to win the Australian Amateur. It certainly would be an awesome way to top off my year.”
This year’s Amateur has a distinctly international flavour with some of Britain’s leading amateurs keen to take the trophy off-shore.
Victorian Claire Choi played in last year’s British Amateur and knows how hard it is to win overseas. The 19-year-old missed the final match play spot after a dramatic six-way play-off. She is hoping for better things at this year’s Australian Amateur and judging by her recent form, Choi is certainly one of the girls to beat.
She is leading the inaugural Karrie Webb points series courtesy of some solid performances over the past six months.
Her blitz started in October when she took out the Tasmanian 72 hole stroke play and then followed it up in December winning the Dunes medal by three shots.
Solid performances over the summer professional season have been backed up by a joint victory with Stephanie Na at the Victorian 72 hole stroke play and a top ten finish at the Riversdale Cup.
“Yeah it all seems to have come together,” she said.
“I don’t really know what I have been doing differently but I think everything has just fallen into place at the right time.”
Choi is looking forward to this week’s tournament and believes if she keeps playing positively she is a good chance.
“I am pretty familiar with the course, I was lucky enough to go to a camp where we got to look at the courses, but I think Steph, being on her home course, will be the one to watch.”
One of the other contenders, Julia Boland, also believes Na is entitled to favouritism but isn’t writing off her own chances.
Boland’s game has been solid in the past few months. She scored a breakthrough win at the Lake Macquarie Amateur in January, beating Na by three shots, and then went on to win a nail biter at the Riversdale Cup, hanging on to post a one stroke victory over New Zealand’s Dana Kim.
“I think the girl that plays the most consistent will be holding the trophy at the end of the week,” she said.
“I am pretty happy with my game at the moment; I will just be concentrating on hitting the fairways and putting well.”
While everyone has nominated Na as the girl most likely next week, the favourite is aiming to improve on her semi-final effort, where she lost to eventual winner Sunny Park, last year.
“I like matchplay, it’s challenging and anyone can win,” she said.
“I haven’t won too many tournaments so this would be really big to win.”
“To win both would be a dream especially on my home course, it would be really special.”
