Student retains RH Classic Cup

THE annual RH Golf Classic at the Port Moresby Golf Club ended yesterday with the club’s younger members taking out the major honours for the two-day stroke event.
Sixteen-year-old Port Moresby International School student Brian Taikiri, who is the defending champion, continued his impressive form winning the RH Classic Cup with an overall gross score of 156 on count back. He scored 78 and on both days.
Taikiri said he was a little surprised at winning the event.
“I did not play as well as I wanted to, so to win the RH Classic was certainly unexpected.”
Taikiri, who is the country’s leading junior golfer, said his goal was to keep improving and to play in more major tournaments in the country and make the PNG golf team to the Pacific Games next year.
“I am hoping to make the Pacific Games team next year but I am not sure how many golfers will be picked.
“I just have to keep on winning and improving my game and my handicap of four and hopefully I will get selected,” Taikiri said.
In the women’s division, it was a similar story as another 16-year-old, Margaret Lavaki, won with a gross score of 172 after carding 89 and 83 respectively.
“I was confident coming into this event because I won the club championship (POM) here in August and that helped,” Lavaki said.
The tournament’s sponsor Rimbunan Hijau through its executive director, Ivan Lu, said at the presentation they had a long and proud history with the event which they began sponsoring in 1996 and would continue to support it in the future.