Zachary May’s four-under 68 earned him a one-shot lead at Royal Wellington, while Chloe So and Juwon Kim finished the opening day of the New Zealand Women’s Amateur Championship locked together at the top.
Zachary May has made the early move at the New Zealand Amateur Championship, opening with a four-under-par 68 to lead by one at Royal Wellington on Wednesday 4 November.
The Clearwater golfer finished a stroke clear of William Dunsmore, Ishaan Shah and home-club player William O’Connor, who each signed for 69.
In the women’s championship, Pakuranga’s Chloe So and Pupuke’s Juwon Kim were the only players to break par, sharing the lead after matching rounds of one-under 71.
With round one complete, both competitions have tightly grouped chasing packs as the national championships continue into Thursday.
May Leads A Crowded Men’s Chase
May’s 68 gave him the outright advantage, but there is little room to relax with eight players sitting within two strokes.
Dunsmore, from Manawatu, Shah, representing Royal Auckland and Grange, and Royal Wellington’s O’Connor share second at three under.
Another five golfers are tied fifth after rounds of 70: Doug Moores, Jack Bell, Australian Josiah Edwards, Jonathan Fry and Sebastian May.
That leaves both Clearwater’s May brothers inside the leading group, with Sebastian two shots behind Zachary heading into round two.
Kanichiro Katano and George Hodgson complete the group of players under par, sharing tenth after opening 71s.
Eleven players broke par in the men’s competition, setting up an intriguing second day as the field looks to establish positions ahead of the later stages of the championship.
For O’Connor, the opening round also gives the host club a prominent contender near the top of the leaderboard.
So And Kim Two Clear
So and Kim hold a two-shot advantage over their nearest challengers in the women’s competition.
Australian Fuyu Yang and Shandon’s Elise Barber share third after rounds of 73, keeping them firmly in touch with the leading pair.
Four players are another stroke back on 74: Sophie Yu, Yeowon Yoon, Amy Yu and Queenie Lang.
Royal Wellington’s Amy Yu is therefore three shots off the lead on her home course, alongside a chasing group that could quickly change the shape of the leaderboard.
Kelly Wu, Junie Chang, Minne St Helens and Shan Yu Xi Liu are tied ninth on 75.
The gap between the women’s leaders and the rest is the clearest separation at the top of either leaderboard, although there is plenty of golf remaining before the national titles are decided.
Round Two Next
The championships continue at Royal Wellington on Thursday 5 November.
May takes the men’s lead into the second day, while So and Kim resume level at the head of the women’s field.
These are completed opening-round scores. The championships, scheduled to run through Sunday 8 November, remain underway.
Men — round one
| Player | Position | Overall | Round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary May | 1 | -4 | 68 |
| William Dunsmore | T2 | -3 | 69 |
| Ishaan Shah | T2 | -3 | 69 |
| William O’Connor | T2 | -3 | 69 |
| Doug Moores | T5 | -2 | 70 |
| Jack Bell | T5 | -2 | 70 |
| Josiah Edwards | T5 | -2 | 70 |
| Jonathan Fry | T5 | -2 | 70 |
| Sebastian May | T5 | -2 | 70 |
| Kanichiro Katano | T10 | -1 | 71 |
| George Hodgson | T10 | -1 | 71 |
Women — round one
| Player | Position | Overall | Round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chloe So | T1 | -1 | 71 |
| Juwon Kim | T1 | -1 | 71 |
| Fuyu Yang | T3 | +1 | 73 |
| Elise Barber | T3 | +1 | 73 |
| Sophie Yu | T5 | +2 | 74 |
| Yeowon Yoon | T5 | +2 | 74 |
| Amy Yu | T5 | +2 | 74 |
| Queenie Lang | T5 | +2 | 74 |
| Kelly Wu | T9 | +3 | 75 |
| Junie Chang | T9 | +3 | 75 |
| Minne St Helens | T9 | +3 | 75 |
| Shan Yu Xi Liu | T9 | +3 | 75 |
