One of Carus Green golf club’s elite junior players has swept the board at the Asia-Pacific Junior Golf Championship at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in Hong Kong. 15-year-old Kirkbie Kendal schoolgirl, Caitlin Whitehead, who plays off a handicap of +2, has won both the girl’s individual competition and the team event, with Finnish teammate, Sakke Siltala, in a truly international field.
The first day’s individual event saw Caitlin shoot 64, six under par to win by four strokes, despite windy conditions affecting the back nine. The following two days were a foursome and four-ball-better-ball format, with Caitlin and Sakke playing well together to secure finishes of 69, 61 and a final score of 263, winning by eight strokes.
Heat touching 30 degrees and 95% humidity didn’t put Caitlin off her game, as she explains:
“Overcoming jet lag from such a long flight, the heat and stormy conditions made play challenging, but I’m delighted with my performance and being given the opportunity to play on one of the best golf courses in the world.” she said.
“Sakke and I played really well and following two practice rounds together, were familiar with each other’s strengths,” she continues. “On the final round, and being a long driver, Sakke tried to score birdies on the par fives and I tried to maintain par. This seemed to be a good strategy.”
Caitlin returns home to the UK this weekend, with two winning shields and an invite to a professional tournament in Korea in 2019.
“Caitlin is continuing her tremendous season, following a highly prestigious win at the U16 European Young Masters in Norway in July, and to win again on such an international stage in Hong Kong is incredible,” adds Carus Green’s owner, Graham Curtin. “We are so enjoying watching her extraordinary development as one of the UK’s most exciting junior players and will continue to support her in every way we can. We offer hearty congratulations to Caitlin on a remarkable accomplishment.”
