Can’t get any sweeter
Golfer Natasha celebrates 17th birthday with collegiate title
By TAN MING WAI PETALING JAYA: What a way to celebrate her 17th birthday!
National golfer Natasha Andrea Oon made a grand entrance into the United States collegiate golf scene by triumphing in the Minnesota Invitational on Tuesday.
In her first-ever start for San Jose State University, Natasha – who turned 17 on Monday – won the 54-hole tournament wire-to-wire after carding rounds of 67, 70 and 70 to finish on nine-under 207 total at the Prestwick Golf Club.
She finished comfortably six strokes ahead of second-placed Australian Emily Mahar of Virginia Tech.
Natasha’s brilliant individual efforts also helped her university, nicknamed the Spartans, to finish first in the 15-team standings.
“I’m so proud of my team for grabbing that win and I’m so happy to win the individual (competition),” Natasha posted on her Instagram account.
“Also crying because I shot my personal best (score of 67). Turning 17 was so memorable here.”
Natasha’s victory certainly did not come a surprise.
She finished no worse than a fourth placing in all the three amateur tournaments she took part in California last month.
Natasha finished third in the Southern California Women’s Match-Play Championship and California Women’s Amateur Championship and was fourth in the SCGA Women’s Amateur Championship.
Prior to leaving for the US to commence her first year with the San Jose University, Natasha had repre- sented Malaysia at the Indonesian Asian Games recently. She finished tied 22nd in the individual event and ninth in the team.
Natasha has now joined the list of Malaysians who have won collegiate golf titles the US in the last two years following Ervin Chang (Liberty University) and Loy Hee Ying ( East Tennesee State University).
Ervin won the Sea Best Invitational in Florida in February while Hee Ying captured the River Landing Classic in North Carolina in March last year.