U.K. GOLFERS AT SHIRLEY

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27796, 22 October 1955, Page 3

U.K. GOLFERS AT SHIRLEY

National Titles Successes

Women’s golf in New Zealand, in company with many other. sports, suffers in standard through lack of sufficient tournament play. It was. by and large, the inexperience of the New Zealand players and their comparative lack of sound coaching which allowed the visiting British junior team to dominate the national championship at Shirley this week. The leading New Zealand players were not, except in isolated instances, out-driven by the British women, and for much of the tournament they were fully as capable on the greens. It was lack of consistency which cost them their matches: the British players were able, most of the time, to apply steady pressure, and to continue playing well at the vital stages of the games.

The British team made a wonderful impression at this tournament, for its skill and its sportsmanship. The tournament will be long remembered, for the steadily increasing standard in the match play which culminated in the tremendously exciting final. Miss V. Anstey won the women’s title deservedly, and to the tournament she contributed an all-round ability and a temperament quite above the ordinary. Miss G. Atkinson, the runnerup, will be remembered for her superlative skill in chipping and putting. Shirley, in its long history, has not known many players with sq sensitive a control of the short game. There was Miss B. Jackson, with her rollicking and cheerful hitting, Miss J. Robertson, whose style and ability were beyond compare, until she reached the green. Even Miss D. Sommerville, who on this occasion was something below her best, had her moments of spectacular success. The New Zealand players could not match their British opponents for steadiness, and although it was encouraging to note the fine performances of the Christchurch Club players, Mrs J. Andrewes and Misses H. Buchanan, S. Grigg and L. Dalzell in the earlier rounds of the match play, those who played Miss Anstev found her considerably below the form she displayed in the first half of her match with Miss Atkinson. The New Zealand team which will meet the British players at Heretaunga on Wednesday will have a most difficult task, although its prospects may be somewhat improved by the fact that the British team will not have had much time to accustom itself to the course. If the British team wins, as it almost certainly will, there will be few regrets, provided the visitors are able to entertain their spectators and compliment their opponents by reproducing the golf they played at Christchurch.