Na arrives with victory at QLD Amateur
IN: News | Queensland Women | Queensland Womens Amateur Championship (2008) | Grand Final | by Liz White | 25 Jul 2008
14-year-old Korean Ellie Na has announced her arrival on the golfing scene with a hard fought victory at the Queensland Amateur Championships today.
Runner-up in several previous tournaments, the rising star played superb golf to beat the seasoned 19-year-old Tasmanian Ashley Dewhurst 2 & 1.
“It feels good to win such a big tournament,” the scratch marker said.
“She made me play well, some holes I had to birdie to win.”
Na has been in superb touch all week and made today’s final at the Oxley Golf Club courtesy of an impressive 4 & 3 win over current NSW Amateur Champion, Brookwater’s Bree Arthur yesterday.
“I putted well from about one and two metres,” she said.
“My irons were also good but not my driver today.”
It was the perfect start for Na today, who parred the first to go one up.
Birdies squared the second and the match remained in the balance until the 17th when Na parred the par four to go 2up.
At the halfway mark, Na held on to the two hole advantage but Ashley Dewhurst says she knew she was in trouble.
“The first four holes I have not played well all week,” she said.
“They are dogleg right and I draw the ball, so it’s tough for me on the tee. I tried to fade the ball but didn’t have much success.”
Dewhurst’s concerns were realised when Na parred the 20th and then birdied the par four 22nd hole to get to four up.
“I was happy with how I was playing, I just kept saying to myself, keep going you are doing well,” Na said.
Helped along by her caddy father, Charlie, Na remained in control, despite Dewhurst going on a birdie blitz on holes 24 and 25 to peg the match back to 2 down.
“I just decided I was going to fight back,” Dewhurst said.
“I was thinking at this point that I might lose, but I just kept going. I was still winning,” Na said.
The Carrara teenager, who already bombs it up to 230m off the tee, steadied her young nerves with a par on the next hole to return the match to 3up.
To her credit Dewhurst was not done yet and with eight holes to go, she had regained her form to have just a two hole deficit.
She applied more pressure with a brilliant birdie on the 32nd hole. It was now Na by one.
But after working so hard to get it back to one down, a double bogey on the 33rd effectively cost Dewhurst the championship. Na parred the hole to go back out to an advantage of two.
The girls halved the following two holes, with Na claiming the victory on the 35th hole, 2 & 1.
“I am a little bit disappointed to lose, but happy I made the final,” Dewhurst said.
“I didn’t play as well today as I have during the week. Nothing went right, I don’t know why.”
Korean Na has lived in Australia for just over three years and is under the watchful eye of coach, David Nable on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
She is planning to stay in the country for another two years before furthering her golfing career in the United States.
“I would like to turn pro,” she said.
“Hopefully it will happen.”
Already the youngster has a pro’s work ethic, practising 6 hours a day, before and after school.
On Sunday she spent several hours on the Oxley practice green, an effort that was well rewarded today.
While thoughts of turning pro are many years away, Na’s immediate plan is to pack the ski gear.
“Dad promised me if I won today, he would take me skiing in either Korea or Victoria,” she said.
“I am hoping he will let me go to Korea.”
But first there is the South Australian Stroke Play Championships which starts next week.
“I am leaving tomorrow and I feel confident after today’s win,” she said.
Ellie Na, just 14 years old and already sounding quite the professional.
