Kauika Holds On to Win Golf Championship

BY iseekgolf.com | New Zealand Mens Amateur Tour | 2003 North Island Under 19 Championship | Wrap | 23 Jan 2003

Wanganui’s Riki Kauika withstood a disaster on the final hole to win the North Island Under-19 golf championships at Ohakune today.

Kauika, the overnight leader took a comfortable four-shot lead going to the final hole in the 54-hole Powerbilt sponsored championship at Waimarino Golf Club.

However the New Zealand Under-19 representative lost a ball up a tree and eventually managed a triple bogey on the par-five 18th hanging on to win by a solitary shot.

It mirrored last week’s Holden New Zealand Open when leader Mahal Pearce went out of bounds on the final hole, dropping two of his four shot advantage before winning the honours.

Kauika, a prodigious hitter, finished with a four-under par 213 a shot clear of four chasers including Bernard Smith Jae An (Rotorua) Mark Purser (Hamilton) and Joonsang Chung (Auckland).

The highlight was the brilliant nine-under par 63 from Dunedin’s Thomas Campbell, who broke the course record by two shots. He had eight birdies, an eagle on the par-5 16th and one dropped shot in his remarkable round.

Source – NZGA