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| Australian Sarah Kemp, runner-up twice at the ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open |
World No.1 amateur Lydia Ko has been paired with top ranked Australian Sarah Kemp and leading European player Becky Brewerton in the feature group for the first two rounds of the ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open hosted by Christchurch.
Kemp, who has finished runner-up twice at the event and 10th last year, comes to Pegasus on the back of excellent form in finishing in a share of 12th at last week’s Handa Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.
Brewerton, from Wales, is a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour and last year also won the Tenerife Ladies Matchplay, which was a non-official event on the schedule, as well as finishing second at the Turkish Ladies Open.
They are the third group starting from the 10th tee tomorrow at 8.20am, sandwiched between the 8.10am group featuring Kiwi Lynnette Brooky, a four-time LET winner who is playing in the New Zealand Open for the first time and the 8:30am trio with defending champion Kristie Smith from Australia, in-form Englishwoman Felicity Johnson and New Zealand amateur Cecilia Cho.
Feature groups in the afternoon include the 12.50pm trio off the first tee with Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord and former Northland player Haeji Kang, now playing on the LPGA and the 1pm grouping with Sweden’s Linda Wessberg, seventh last year, and top ranked Australian Frances Bondad.
The cut after two rounds will see 50 professionals plus ties qualify for the final round on Sunday in the 54-hole championship.
Visit www.golf.co.nz or www.nzopengolf.co.nz to view the full draw of the ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open hosted by Christchurch.
