It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Auckland golfer Bohyun Park and world No 1 Lydia Ko.

Both will play in this week’s New Zealand Open after Park qualified in Christchurch yesterday.

At the ripe old age of 12, Park is an up-and-coming superstar golfer and she’s coached by Ko’s former mentor Guy Wilson.

To add to further weight to the comparison, Park even uses Ko’s old clubs.

Park will get her first chance to play against Ko at the Clearwater Golf Club this week.

Ko is 17 now and on top of the world, but she played in her first New Zealand Open, also as a 12-year-old.

Park was one of four qualifiers to yesterday make the field for the 54-hole, $302,000 tournament at Clearwater.

She was a model of consistency on the tough layout, in windy conditions.

Park made two birdies on the front nine to turn at two-under then played Clearwater’s tougher back nine in even par with one birdie and one bogey to win the qualifying tournament.

“I’m looking forward to playing in my first professional event,” she said. She will be joined in the field by fellow qualifiers Juliana Hung, a 13-year-old from Christchurch, Taupo’s Grace Senior and Kaiapoi’s Amelia Garvey.

Garvey thought she was going to miss out, but friend and Canterbury teammate Momoka Kobori bogeyed Clearwater’s 18th which left her level with Garvey at three-over.

Kobori bogeyed the hole again in the playoff for Garvey to make the Open field.