The Wakatipu Junior Golf Club member was presented with the award by the Eagles Golfing Society, a charitable society which supports the Halberg Disability Foundation and junior golf nationwide.
Kang (14) began the year in style in the first three tournaments which combined an aggregate total of scores across the Otago, Southland and Canterbury strokeplay events.
Despite being eligible for the under-16 section, she competed against the best women in the South Island. She was the overall winner by nine shots.
Kang also took on the boys at the Otago age-group championships over 36 holes at Cromwell in April.
With a slight handicap adjustment, Kang was a convincing winner, shooting three-over for the day. She followed it up by again defeating the boys at the Otago Eagles tournament.
Her 2019 results culminated in selection at No1 for the Otago women’s team at the interprovincial tournament, at which Otago is a perennial battler, in December. Kang starred with four wins from seven games, losing only to three New Zealand representatives.
Kang has a big year ahead with trips to Australia and South Korea on the radar during winter, and plans to play on the Charles Tour which should help her national ranking.
She has aspirations of following in former Otago No1 Laura Hoskin’s footsteps into the United States College golf scene through a scholarship when she finishes school and eventually turning professional.
- Michael Minty
