The Star: January 23, 2020

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday January 23 2020 The Star
SPORT 27
Garvey to play Augusta
•
By Gordon Findlater
Findlater
AMELIA GARVEY will
become just the second New
Zealand woman to play at the
world’s most exclusive golf
club when she competes at the
Augusta National Women’s
Amateur in April.
The 19-year-old who played
for the Kaiapoi club is currently
beginning
her third year at
the University of
Southern California.
Since receiving
the invitation
to the tournament
earlier this month she
says it’s something that
she is getting excited
about every day. The event
is held over four days from
April 1-4 - the week preceding
the Masters.
“I’ve made Augusta the
screen saver on my laptop
now because it’s literally all
I’m thinking about at the
moment. I’ve never been
this motivated for one specific
event,” said Garvey.
The Masters at Augusta
National is an event
Garvey has
watched closely
over the years.
She says it will
be a dream come
true to play on
the course she
has so many
memories
of watching
others
compete on from afar.
“If I get the chance to be
in contention it’s going to be
weird because I’ve watched it
so manty times,” she said.
It won’t be the first time
she has competed on one
of the world’s more
renowned courses.
In October 2018
Garvey helped
her USC
team to the
East Lake
Cup title at
East Lake Golf
Club - the same
course Tiger
Woods won the
Tour Championship
on a month
earlier.
“Even when I was
walking down that
18th fairway it was
a surreal feeling.”
The prospect of
Garvey playing
at Augusta would
have seemed extremely
unrealistic
just two years ago.
DREAM COME
TRUE: Amelia
Garvey will play at
Augusta National
after receiving an
invitation to play
at the second ever
Augusta National
Women’s Amateur.
PHOTO: GETTY
At the 2018 Masters newly elected
Augusta National chairman
Fred Ridley announced the creation
of the inaugural women’s
event at the course for 2019. The
club long held racist and sexist
policies and admitted no African
Americans as members until
1990 and no women as members
until 2012.
“This is a huge step for
women’s golf and bringing to
light some issues that go in the
differences between men’s and
women’s golf. I remember watching
the announcement for this
tournament and wanting to play
in it so bad,” she said.
Garvey will fancy her chances
at the tournament. In June
Garvey had the biggest result of
her career, narrowly missing out
on winning the women’s British
Amateur title. An impressive
week saw her progress to the
final before losing 1-down to
England’s Emily Toy at the Royal
County Down course in Northern
Ireland.
“When you start to realise
your dreams aren’t that far away
you get even more motivated
and believe in yourself that you
can actually do it, it’s just going
to a little bit more work,” said
Garvey.
In 2018 Garvey moved from
Christchurch to Los Angeles to
begin college at USC. She is now
part of one of the United States’
top college golf programmes,
although being based in downtown
LA means she now has a
30 minute drive to her nearest
course – a big change from her
parent’s home which borders the
BIG STAGE: Last year’s inaugural tournament attracted
major like crowds and onlookers included many Masters
competitors arriving for the major which begins just four
days after the women’s event.
PHOTO: GETTY
sixth hole at Waitikiri and has a
30 yard pitch from backyard to
green.
“It’s been amazing for me . . .
all the best girl amateurs are in
college. So it’s the place to be if
you’re wanting to test your game
against those girls,” she said.
“You’re held a bit more accountable
over here. You have to
turn up to practice. You’re then
wanting to beat the girl next to
you and if you see someone putting
in more work than you, you
realise you have to do the same.
That’s helped me a lot because in
New Zealand I was never one to
push myself that much especially
being by myself in Christchurch.”
At Augusta an international
field of 72 women amateurs will
compete over 54 holes of stroke
play. The first 36 holes will be
contested over two days on the
Island and Bluff nines at Champions
Retreat Golf Club in Augusta.
A cut will take place after
36 holes, advancing the leading
30 players to the final round at
Augusta National on Saturday,
April 4. The entire field of 72
will then play Augusta National
for an official practice round on
Friday, April 3.
Last year Wenyung Keh from
Auckland played at the tournament,
but was unable to make
the cut for the final round.
If Garvey can do so she will
become the first Kiwi woman to
play competitively at Augusta
National.
Stroud stakes claim for US contract
• By Gordon Findlater
BEN STROUD arrived home
just a month ago after a four year
stint in the United States. Today
he heads back stateside for his
first professional trial, but he’s
unsure how much he’ll need to
pack.
Stroud - the son of former All
Whites goalkeeper Alan Stroud
- leaves for Albuquerque, New
Mexico where he will stake his
claim for a professional contract.
Stroud will trial with New
Mexico United who play in the
United Soccer League, one tier
below Major League Soccer – the
biggest league in North America.
“It’s been a bit hard to pack
because I don’t know how long
I’m going to be away for,” said
Stroud.
“I’ll trial over the weekend,
but outside of that I haven’t been
made any promises. I’ve just got
to go out there and give it all I’ve
got.”
The 21-year-old central defender
has spent the past four
years playing at division one
United States college Missouri
State. Last year he anchored the
side’s backline that conceded just
10 goals in his 16 matches. The
side broke a number of school
records including a a run of 17
wins a row during their season
which saw them win 18 games,
draw once and lose just once.
For the past three weeks
Stroud has been training with
the Canterbury United Dragons.
He had hopes of representing his
home province while at home, and
depending on how his trial in the
USA goes, playing for the Dragons
may not be off the cards yet.
“If I was able to, I’d love to play
for Canterbury,” said Stroud.
Outside of training and family
time, Stroud also put in some
shifts at dad’s pub – O’Sheas
Public House – over the Christmas
period. He knows what
playing for Canterbury would
mean to his father.
“He really wanted me to play.
I’d say it would mean a lot to
him and he would be pretty
emotional about it. It would
mean a lot not just to him, but
mum and my sisters too.”
STATESIDE: Ben Stroud has
spent spent the last four years
perfecting his craft at Missouri
State University.
For now though his eyes are
well and truly fixed on impressing
at his trial with New Mexico and
pursuing a professional career.
“I’d love to sign a professional
contract and make a living from
football,” he said.
“It’s been a dream to follow
in dads footsteps and hopefully
play for the All Whites one day.”