N.Z. Women Ranked In Top Six For Golf

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 19

N.Z. Women Ranked In Top Six For Golf

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

PARIS, September 30.

Fast, tricky greens and near-parched fairway s are expected to be the main hazards for the 80 women golfers from 27 countries yvho play tomorrow in the first women’s world amateur team championship at St. Germain, near Paris.

Most of the greens, clothed in tough grass, are difficult to read and the wide, treelined fairways are hard from the prolonged dry weather. Australia and New Zealand are ranked in the first six for the new championship honours, with the United States and France equal top favourites. Australia’s team is Mrs Dianna Thomas, the 21-year-old New South Wales champion and the youngest in the side. Miss Betty Dalgleish, aged 33, a scratch player from Sydney who was runner-up to Mrs Thomas for the New South Wales title this year, and Miss Gail Corry, aged 22, of Queensland,

New Zealand will be represented by Mrs Jean Mangan, the 1961 national stroke-play champion. Miss Pat Harrison, who took Mrs Mangan's title in 1962, and Miss Jane Butler, junior national champion for the last three years. Both teams arrived in Paris at the week-end from London and have been practising hard in an attempt to avenge their defeats last week in the early rounds of the women’s British Open amateur championship at Sandwich Bay, Kent. The four-day championship —formulated along the lines of the men’s amateur Eisenhower Trophy—will be decided over 72 holes, one round being played each day. The picturesque St. Germain course, shaped roughly like an axehead, will measure 5933 yards, with a par of 72. The two lowest scores per round in each team will count, the championship being awarded to the team with the lowest total score for the 72 holes. Strong U.S. Team The strong United States team comprises this year’s Curtis Cup stars, Miss Barbara Mclntire, Miss Barbara Fay White and Miss Carol Sorenson, who won the British title last week. The French team lists Miss Brigitte Varangot, who holds the St. Germain women’s re-

cord of 70. Miss Catherine Lacoste, the French girl champion and daughter of the former French Davis Cup star, Rene Lacoste, and this year’s national title-holder. Miss Claudia Cros. Britain also has entered a strong side—the British championship runner-up. Miss Bridget Jackson, Miss Ruth Porter, who played for Britain in the Commonwealth Trophy at Melbourne last year, and Mrs Marley Spearman, this year’s English champion.