Sae Ogura, Yuri Yoshida, and Doey Choi (Golf Australia photo)
MELBOURNE, Aus. (Jan. 16, 2019) – She entered as women's Australian Amateur favorite, and Doey Choi has done the label justice.
Sydney's Choi produced a stunning 4-under 69 at Woodlands Golf Club on Wednesday to claim a share of the Women's Australian Amateur stroke-play medal.
Japanese duo Yuri Yoshida and overnight co-leader Sae Ogura will share honors with Choi after their second round scores of 71 and 72 respectively, making it a three-way tie at 7 under.
Choi, the only female benchmark athlete currently on Golf Australia’s books, started her day three shots back from overnight co-leaders Ogura and Queenslander Lion Higo after a 3-under 71 at Spring Valley on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old fired early with birdies on the first and fourth holes, before picking up another pair of strokes with birdies on 11 and 12.
“I feel really good, I played really solid out there,” the Concord member said.
“I am pretty confident with my game and my putting feels really good too, so I am really excited for the rest of the week.”
The horde of impressive international talent was again on show at this year’s championship with the 2018 Women’s Australian Open low amateur Yoshida making her force known at Woodlands.
Choi said she was excited for tomorrow afternoon’s first round match play at Woodlands, where she will enter as the No. 2 seed, followed by Ogura as No. 3, with Yoshida as the top seed.
“I really enjoyed Woodlands, it’s in good nick," said Choi. “I am expecting some quality golf and I just want to have fun out there like I have the last few days,” Choi said.
Australia’s highest ranked female amateur in the field, Grace Kim, sits equal fourth with Victoria’s Jeneath Wong after that pair carded matching 4-under 69s at Woodlands.
Meanwhile, it was a blistering finish for last year's low Australian at the #AusAm, with St Michaels' Kelsey Bennett rocketing to T27 with four birdies in her final five holes.
Bennett qualified for the match play by a single stroke, avoiding a two-woman playoff between Japan’s Chikako Suzuki and China’s Alice Fan, with the latter securing the final spot.
ABOUT THE
Australian Women's Amateur
The Australian Men's and Women's Amateur
Championships are Australia's
oldest Amateur Golf Championships, with both having
been played since 1894.
Long held as a match play event, in 2021 the format
changed to 72 holes of
stroke play.
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