Royal Wellington’s Minnie St Helens has knocked out defending champion Chloe So and top qualifier Fuyu Yang to reach the women’s semi-finals, with both New Zealand Amateur titles to be decided today.
The New Zealand Amateur Championships reach their final day at Royal Wellington on Sunday, November 8, with semi-finals in the morning and both finals in the afternoon.
The semi-finalists were decided during Saturday’s round of 16 and quarter-finals, according to QTM Stories’ match-play report, which cites Golf New Zealand’s official draw.
St Helens Takes Out The Champion
Minnie St Helens, playing at her home club, beat defending champion Chloe So (Pakuranga) on the 20th hole in the round of 16.
She then defeated stroke-play leader Fuyu Yang of Australia 2&1 in the quarter-finals. Yang had topped qualifying at two over par after rounds of 73, 72 and 73.
St Helens qualified tied eighth at seven over.
Women’s Semi-Finals
St Helens meets Remuera’s Queenie Lang, who beat Yeowon Yoon 5&4 and Victoria Shin 3&2.
Pupuke’s Juwon Kim plays Kelly Wu (Remuera). Kim beat Sanwish Liu 8&6, then needed 23 holes to get past Huilin Eva Li in the quarter-finals.
Wu, who qualified tied second, beat Juni Chang 2&1 and Elise Barber 6&5.
Four-time winner this season Sophie Yu went out in the round of 16, losing 3&2 to Li.
Men’s Semi-Finals
Japan’s Kanichiro Katano, the top seed after finishing stroke play four shots clear at six under, faces Australia’s Josiah Edwards.
Katano needed 19 holes to beat Sol Barker in the round of 16, before beating Ishaan Shah 6&5. Edwards won both his matches 2&1, against Hugo Sidford and Nathan Mayes.
In the other semi-final, Archie Thompson (Pakuranga) plays Jack Van Prehn (New Plymouth).
Thompson won two matches by one hole, against William Dunsmore and first-round leader Zachary May. Van Prehn beat Dominic Hazeldine 3&2 and James Gofman 4&3.
Format And History
The top 16 men and women from 54 holes of stroke play advanced to 18-hole knockout match play, with every round through to the final played over 18 holes.
The championship began in 1893 and is New Zealand’s oldest amateur golf event. This is its sixth staging at Royal Wellington and the first since 2016.
Both champions will be decided this afternoon.
