International student from Korea, E Jin Choi, will be one of the four players in The Macleans College Mixed Golf Team that will compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Golf Tournament later this month at the Manukau Golf Club.
The 14-year-old comes from Seoul and she has a handicap of one. E Jin has been playing for five years and eventually hopes to become a professional player.
E Jin Choi.
Patrick Smith.
Liv Cheng.
Nayan Patel.
Like her brother in Korea, she was encouraged by her father to play golf and she practises every day at the Whitford or Pakuranga golf courses.
She will take part in the pro-test series when she returns to Korea.
Another member of the team is Year 12 student, Patrick Smith, who has been playing for eight years and now has a 2.6 handicap. He practises ten hours a week with strengths in chipping and putting.
His parents encouraged him into the sport and he said he enjoyed competing against some of New Zealand’s top players.
Liv Cheng is aged 16, in Year 11, and she has been playing for five years. Her golf handicap is 1.5. She enjoys the competitive nature of the sport where she demonstrates sound mental control. Liv practises 14 hours a week.
Fifteen-year-old Nayan Patel has been playing for two years and he has a handicap of 7. He too enjoys the competitive nature of the sport.
His father encouraged him to play golf and he practises ten hours each week showing strength in chipping and putting. Nayan and the other players hope to become professional players.
The team recently qualified to take part in the tournament by winning the Auckland Regional Championship.
Meanwhile, Macleans College is currently exploring the possibility of establishing a golf academy with a local golf club.
