Lydia Ko's victory in Taiwan today is right up with New Zealand golf's very best. But while her near on two hundred thousand dollar pay-day is great for the bank balance, the greatest impact of her victory is the shockwaves it will have sent through the women's golfing world. Sure they would have seen her coming. But did they really think the 16 year old would be winning so soon as a pro? And in a tournament with five of the worlds top ten players? A star is well and truly born.
But while Ko's victory is superb Bob Charles's magnificent British Open victory at Royal Lytham and St.Annes back in July 1963 is still New Zealand's greatest day in golf. That day the left handed bank-teller from the Wairarapa left his country with a Hillary and Everest like feeling as he headed off American Phil Rogers in a play-off.
In second place by a 'bob of the head" is Micheal Campbell's US Open - a victory that, with all due respect, at times felt almost surreal given Campbell never looked like losing that day at Pinehurst. But pretty much ever since he's never looked like winning. And rightly or wrongly it is his career post US Open victory that has over-shadowed the day he tamed a charging Tiger.
Charles is also part of our next greatest day in late May 1993 when he did his bit in a surely never to be repeated trifecta. On that occasion Charles won the US senior tours Bell Atlantic Classic while in Potomac, Maryland Palmerston North's Grant Waite claimed the US PGA's Kemper Open. And the icing on the cake came at the Italian Open in Modena where Greg Turner claimed the European tour honours. Simply remarkable.
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source: newshub archive
