Naomi Ko has had an impressive spring and summer on the golf course so far this season.
But now it鈥檚 time for the real tests.
The Victoria golfer, who plays out of Royal Colwood, won her first NCAA tournament in the spring during her sophomore season at North Carolina State. She won the individual title at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic and helped her WolfPack teammates to the team title.
Last week the 19-year-old Ko made it to the semifinals of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association women鈥檚 amateur championship at Fairwood Golf and Country Club in Renton, Washington. And if it wasn鈥檛 for a slip-up with the putter on the extra hole, she would have been in the final match of that tournament.
But this week is another story. Ko will tee it up at the Canadian women鈥檚 amateur at Cutten Fields Golf Club in Guelph, Ont. She鈥檚 not new to the Canadian women鈥檚 amateur, having played in five previous ones and finished seventh just last summer, but she knows this national championship draws the best amateurs from around the world.
鈥淥h there are some great golfers there. It鈥檚 one of the toughest tournaments I鈥檝e played in,鈥� said Ko, who headed east on Saturday afternoon after a brief rest in Vancouver after the PNGA women鈥檚 amateur.
Ko is also one of four players on sa国际传媒鈥檚 national women鈥檚 team and is the 2016 Canadian junior women鈥檚 champ so she also knows there will be a lot expected of her when she tees it up today for the start of the four-round national championship.
鈥淭here will be a little pressure but I鈥檓 getting used to it now,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou just try to stay focused on your game and not worry about the other players.
鈥淚鈥檝e never played Cutten Fields before so it should be interesting to see a new course and fun to play for the first time.鈥�
And when she鈥檚 done in Ontario, Ko will head back home to Victoria for another brief rest before heading for what will be an even bigger test 鈥� the 2017 U.S. Women鈥檚 Amateur Championship.
This year鈥檚 U.S. women鈥檚 amateur is set for Aug. 7-13 at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to be a lot of fun,鈥� Ko said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never golfed the San Diego club before but I love the city and the weather is always nice so I鈥檓 really looking forward to it.鈥�
Ko is also happy where her game is at right now, despite the blip at the PNGA women鈥檚 amateur last week.
鈥淚 was playing well all that week and had a chance to beat Julianne [Alvarez] but three-putted the first extra hole so that cost me.
鈥淏ut Julianne is a friend of mine and I鈥檝e played her a few times before so I was happy for her.鈥�
Alvarez is a New Zealander who attends the University of Washington and she went on to win the final match and claim the 2017 PNGA amateur title.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy with where my game is at, though, and if I can play well these last two big tournaments that will set me up for the college season,鈥� Ko added.
Despite her recent amateur success, Ko is in no hurry to jump to the pros and join former Canadian national team member and 2013 Canadian women鈥檚 amateur champion Brooke Henderson on the LPGA Tour.
鈥淣o, I just want to focus on having another good season at N.C. State and then we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�
CHIP SHOTS: Ko will tee it up today along side fellow Canadians Katherine Gravel-Coursol of Mirabel, Que., and Kelsey Sear of Unionville, Ont. . . . Fourteen-year old Akari Hayashi of Uplands will also be at Cutten Fields this week. The two-time defending Zone 5 (South Island) women鈥檚 champ will tee it up alongside Kristen Giles of Georgetown, Ont., and American Chloe Velasco. 鈥� Next year鈥檚 Canadian Women鈥檚 Amateur Championship is at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver.
