Scotland here we come, for two nine-hole golfers

Two golfers have won themselves a trip of a lifetime to compete in The R&A 9-Hole Challenge at the 152nd Open Championship held at Royal Troon in Scotland.

It all started by handing in a nine-hole scorecard.

Jocelyn Stevenson from Westown Golf Club, near New Plymouth, and Michelle Crawford from Mt Maunganui Golf Club in Tauranga earned their places in the field through Golf New Zealand’s 9-hole initiative Make Time Play 9 held in conjunction with The R&A which aims to promote the shorter format of the game.

They were two players of nine that made their way to Queenstown to compete in a mixed field nine-hole, stableford event played on the Remarkables opening nine at Millbrook Resort. They qualified by handing in a nine-hole scorecard and were randomly selected from 391,136 entries to attend the Make Time Play 9 final.

Caption: Jocelyn Stevenson, left, and Michelle Crawford who have both won trips to The Open Championship in Scotland in July. Photo credit: Golf New Zealand.

Stevenson finished with 19 stableford points to confirm her place comfortably, while Crawford got through on a countback after finishing with 15 points.

They were both incredibly nervous before their opening tee shots but settled into their rounds and played well to finish.

Said Stevenson: “I had almost no sleep last night. The secret today was hitting the ball straight; I got in the rough once which cost me a double bogey. My putting was also really good today.”

Sharing similar emotions was Crawford, who picked the game up less than two years ago and plays off a 23 handicap.

“It was quite stressful to be fair,” Crawford said with a laugh.

“Halfway through I started to relax a bit more which was reflected in my scores – I made a birdie on the seventh which I was really happy with.”

Their golfing journeys have been completely different. Stevenson has been playing golf for a little under 50 years, while Crawford picked the game up two years ago with a friend after attending some She Loves Golf lessons.

Both said was the highlight of their golfing careers to be heading to Scotland for The Open.

Stevenson explained: “It’s probably better than winning Lotto to be honest with you. I’ve bought a Lotto ticket each week and I haven’t won. This is amazing – I’ve played golf for 47 years or something and this is a real highlight.”

Crawford added: “I don’t have a lot of time – I work full time and own my own company, so to sneak out for nine holes is great when I’m able to. I try and play once or twice a week, nine holes is perfect for me to get involved in a new sport.”

They’re both counting down the days till July when they’ll play in The R&A’s 9-hole challenge which includes other club golfers from across the world.

Each person receives return airfares, accommodation, and tickets to The 152nd Open.

Make Time Play 9 is Golf New Zealand’s initiative challenging the perception that golf is a time-consuming sport. Since the launch in 2020, Golf New Zealand has encouraged all golfers to get outside and make time for time in their day to do things that are meaningful to them, to be active, to play with their friends and family, to take on a new personal challenge, and to have fun.