Schoolgirl Brilliant In Tasman Cup

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30575, 19 October 1964, Page 14

Schoolgirl Brilliant In Tasman Cup

(New Zealond Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, October 18. In spite of rain throughout most of the afternoon and casual water on the greens, the Australian women’s golf team carried on its winning way of the morning rounds to retain the Tasman Cup by 4 matches to 3.

However, the New Zealanders made them fight every inch of the way, especially Mrs J. Mangan, who squared her match at the 35th hole and won the 36th to give New Zealand its second singles win.

opponent began to dictate the play. N.Z. win In n fighting finish Mrs Mangan, playing on her honir course, turned a lots into a win for New Zealand An excellent par on the water-logged thirty, fifth green squared the match, and when Miss Fletcher was too strong with her shot front the greenside bunker at the Nth Mrs Mangan made no mlstak, and sank her putt for a scratch four and New Zealand's second win. Mist Fletcher did the homeward journey In 36 (one under par) to Mrs Mangan’s par tig. ures. Mist Butler started her afternoon round by fluffing her drne and losing the l»th hole to be two down. This appeared to tin settle her and she quickly lost three holes. However, she regained her form to win back two holes and turn three down. The next file holes were halved In par fiur.'s and the match ended on the 33rd hole when Miss Coul son sank a 25ft putt for a birdie four. An outstanding feature of their match was the halving of the last nine holes In one over par. Mrs Turner (Australia), who carded the best round in the merning—a 73—did not play quite so well in the afternoon but. nevertheless, still carried too many guns for Miss S. Grigg Her 5 and 4 margin was the second biggest in the contest. Mrs Turner outplayed Miss Grigg from tee to green. A highlight of the match was the halving of the 16th in birdie twos. In spite of being five down. Miss Grigg was only four over scratch for her morning round. Outstanding Miss Turvey was the outstanding player for New Zealand. Her 8 and 6 win was a magnificent triumph. Not in the least overawed by the occasion, she covered the 12 holes played in the afternoon in one under scratch. Out in 38 (one over scratch) she was six up at the turn and with birdies at the 38th and 28th holes and a par at the 30th ended the match. In the morning Miss Turvey did not play with the same as surance, but her 80 was good enough to have a lead of three at lunch. Results (Australian names first):—Miss JI. Hickey beat Miss P. Harrison, 3 and 2; Miss B. Coulson beat Miss J. Butler, 4 and 3; Miss J. Fletcher lost to Mrs J. Mangan. 1 down; Mrs B. Turner beat Miss S. Grigg. 5 and 4; Miss J. McLachlan lost to Miss J. Turvey, 8 and 6.

The first was a resounding 8 and 6 win by the 16-year-old Rotorua schoolgirl, Miss S. Turvey, who completed a brilliant first international appearance by playing the 12 holes of her afternoon match in one under scratch.

Although she was two holes down at half-way, Miss P. Harrison (New Zealand) kept up her challenge on the 18-year-old Australian champion, Miss M. Hickey. With a grand birdie three at the nineteenth, she pulled back the deficit and went on to win the twenty-first and twenty-second, which included another birdie four, to go one up after 22 holes. The gallant New Zealander’s challenge ended, however, when Miss Hickey won the twenty-sixth, twentyseventh and twenty-eighth, with a birdie four at the twenty-eighth to put her two up again with only eight holes to play in the afternoon. The next two holes were halved, but Miss Hickey won the thirty-first to be 3 up. The following three holes were halved and the game was dormie at the twenty-third. The next was halved to give the Australian a 3 and 2 victory. As in the morning round, Miss Harrison fought hard to keep in the game. She played brilliantly, as did her opponent, to keep the game

alive, and when she went ahead again after only four holes, it looked as if she was going to finish in great style. But by the half-way mark in the afternoon, when the match was still wide open, the young Australian opened up with some brilliant golf. Not Affected Her driving was long and straight, which was equalled by her fine approach shots and her green work. Even the heavy rain did not affect her play, which improved as the game progressed. Miss Harrison, on the other hand, who had fought back so well, found she could not match the skill of her opponent. The New Zealander, who showed great fighting spirit throughout the match, was a little unfortunate at the twenty-seventh when the match was all square. Her second shot caught a bunker on the left of the green and she took two to get out, and did not hole out as her partner was down in four. Win Deserved

Miss Hickey deserved her victory. Her golf, which has already earned her the Australian championship, became better as the game went on and for a time near the end of the match she just could not put a foot wrong. Miss Harrison, for her part, was not disgraced. Her great fight in the morning kept the match open for the closing round, and then it was only in the later stages that her