U19 title for Trent Munn
Manawatu amateur Trent Munn has won his first national title when he claimed the North Island under-19 championship at the St Andrews Golf Club in Hamilton yesterday by one shot from local Denzel Ieremia.
The 18-year-old from the Manawatu Golf Club, who carded a four-under-par 68 in round two to claim a share of the lead, followed in the footsteps of his older brother, NZ rep Josh, with an impressive win.
The Srixon Development Squad member carded an evenpar 72 to hold off Ieremia from the home club.
Greenacres’ Ryan Chisnall finished tied for sixth at plus one, six shots off the pace, after carding a disappointing finalround two-over-par 74. Chisnall carded four birdies and six bogeys, four of them on the back nine, as his round began to unravel on the journey home.
Munn got off to slow start. He was one under through the first six holes. He dropped a shot at the seventh before making back-to-back birdies heading into the turn to be one under par.
He was even through the first four holes of the back nine before he showed signs of nerves with a double bogey on the par 3 15th. But he bounced back immediately with a birdie on 16.
Ieremia made the task easier for Munn when he made costly bogeys on the 14th and 17th coming home.
Munn was two strokes ahead heading down the last and made bogey on the par 3 18th to win the championship by one stroke.
Jerry Ren (Gulf Harbour) was the big mover in the final round as he carded a five-under-par 67 to claim a share of third. Bradyen Mazey (Royal Wellington), who led the opening two rounds, faded in the final round with a two over par 74 to finish tied third.
Meanwhile in the women’s division, Celeste McLean (Manaia) has won her first national title by two shots from tournament favourite Auckland’s Brittney Dryland.
McLean, who opened with rounds of 77 and 73, shot a finalround three-over-par 75 to finish on nine-over-par. The Taranaki rep made four birdies and three bogeys on the front nine to make the turn in one under par. She came home with four bogeys but it was good enough to hold off Dryland by two.
The Titirangi golfer will be ruing her missed opportunities as she tried to win two tournaments in as many events.
She made a double bogey on the 13th and then made three bogeys in the last five holes to lose touch.
Her Auckland team-mate, Joanna Kim, carded a one-overpar 73 in the final round to claim third place at 16-over par for the three-round tournament.