KUALA LUMPUR: Natasha Andrea Oon treated herself to a memorable present on her birthday yesterday — with a golf title.
The Malaysian, who turned 17, won her maiden US collegiate tournament in her debut at the Minnesota Invitational at the Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury,
Natasha won the three-round event by six shots with scores of 67-70-70 (nine-under-par).
Natasha made a memorable final round with an eagle on the last hole, a 500-yard par-five matched by two birdies and two bogeys.
“On my eagle, I hit a really good drive with help from the wind. I had about 196-yards to the hole and hit a hybrid to the right pin.
“The ball hit the edge of the bunker and rolled near the pin. Then, I made a seven-foot putt for the eagle,” Natasha said.
The San Jose state freshman also led the Spartans to a 12-shot team victory at four-under-par 860, followed by Virginia Tech (872) and Louisville (873) in second and third, respectively.
Last year, Natasha gave herself a belated birthday present by emerging as champion of the Sime Darby LPGA National Qualifiers, where she booked a ticket to play next to her idol, Jessica Korda.