Young Player Leads Golf Qualifiers

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30736, 28 April 1965, Page 19

Young Player Leads Golf Qualifiers

'By a golf reporter.) It is a rare occasion that Miss S. Grigg does not head the qualifiers for the Canterbury women’s golf championship but yesterday, at Shirley, she conceded pride of place to the young Axondale player, Miss C. Sullivan, who held a two-stroke advantage at the end of 36 holes. The prominent Invercargill player, Mrs N. D. Cullen, winner of the Southland championship on many occasions, was the third best qualifier, one stroke behind Miss Grigg.

The championships began on the heels of Monday’s spectacular storm and the first players on the course were quickly at grips with the problems posed by the debris and the effects of a sharp frost.

Miss Grigg and Miss Sullivan. who were in the first! group to tee off. at eight! o’clock, found the ball clean-) ing box on the sheltered fif-i tecnth tee frozen over. But the frost was not! severe enough to harden the; greens and players were able; to pitch to the green confi-i dent that it would hold their i shots. Finished At Dusk The storm had left the course untidy—the third green, for instance, was carpeted with pine needles—and players had to undertake a little gardening between shots. These unscheduled operations hindered the progress of the qualifying rounds and by the time the last players had holed out at the eighteenth dusk had encircled the course. But the greenkeeping staff worked with a will to clear the course: but for its efforts it is unlikely ,he tailend groups would have beaten; the darkness. Miss Sullivan and 'Miss; Grigg were among those who; bore the brunt of these trying) conditions but still returned; the best scores. Miss Grigg. * in the morning, and Miss) Sullivan and Mrs Cullen. in ( the afternoon, were the only! players to break 80; all had! rounds of 78.

Miss Sullivan’s display confirmed the judgment of the selectors in placing her in the Canterbury team for the Russell Grace Cup series at Hamilton next week. Last season—only her third in the game—she won three Avondale titles and the Canterbury champion of champions event. Yesterday she continued this good form, hitting the ball well and putting confidently. Holed 15ft Putt In the morning she had 10 bogeys and two birdies in her 80. She holed a 15ft putt at the seventh for her first birdie and at the fifteenth) she used a No. 4 wood to! place her ball only 7ft from! the hole. She putted safely for her second birdie. But) she spoiled a good perform-! ance by dropping three! strokes at the seventeenth. | A birdie at the second and six bogeys enabled her to reach the turn only one over in the second round. A steadily played second nine holes gave her a satisfying 78 Miss Grigg has won the championship five times in the last seven years and on yesterday’s performances she will prove a formidable opponent in match play. Her morning round was excellent under the conditions and but for bunker trouble at the fifth, where she dropped two strokes, her return would have been even more rewarding At the fifteenth she placed ;her tee shot only 6ft from the hole to gain a birdie and she finished with a flourish with • another birdie at the eighteenth. She was only one over for the back nine. | There were two more birdies in her afternoon round—lone of them again accomplished at the fifteenth—and

.her score of 82 gave her a 36-hole aggregate of 160. The best burst of scoring was produced by Mrs Cullen in the initial stages of her afternoon round. Having dropped a stroke at the first, she gained birdies at the second. third and fifth holes to be two under. Her scoring then fell to a more ordinary level but after taking five on the par three Old Nick—whose tricky green caused many of the senior men trouble during the Easter tournament—she played the remaining five holes in bogey figures for her 78. In spite of the early morning hazards the course played well: there was not too much run and it was not too heavy But the scoring could have been better, and it was surprising to find a player of the calibre of Mrs J. Lees with scores of 96 and 99. Mrs C. J. Ward was another prominent player who failed to qualify

Two young members of the Canterbury Russell Grace Cup team. Misses M. Ensor and M. Boyce, played well in the afternoon to share fifth place in the qualifying field, but the promising Miss S. Boag, a reserve for the team, played steadily throughout the 36 holes to finish five strokes ahead of them. Another sound performance was that of Mrs W. A. Lake, a second division player with a handicap of 14. who qualified by two strokes. Qualifiers were:

158—Miss C, Sullivan, SO, 78. 160— Miss S. Grigg, 78. 82 161— Mrs N D Cullen. 83, 78 167—Miss S. Boag. 85. 82. 172—Miss M. Ensor, 89. S 3; Miss M. Boyce, 89, S 3

176 Miss L. Hillis, 88, 88. 177 Mrs M. Currey, 90, 87. 150— Mrs A. I. Charles, 90, 90 151— Miss J. Hanratty, 93, 88. 182—Mrs R. Kent, 87, 95 186— Mrs W. A. Lake, 93, 93; Miss D. Butler, 89, 97. 187 — Mrs R. Newton, 90, 97. 188— Mrs W. A. Helleur, 94, 94; Mrs G. Simpson, 91, 97. Medal Rounds.—Miss B. Lang ley, 89, 87—176.

Medal match for one-round players: Mrs J. J Cuddon. 95. 24 —71; Mrs C. Morris, 102, 27

The following are today’s draws:

Championship: 9 20, Miss Sullivan v. Mrs Simpson; 9.25, Mrs Currey v. Mrs Charles; 9.30, Mrs Boag v. Miss Butler; 9.39, Miss Ensor v. Mrs Lake; 9.40, Miss Grigg v. Mrs Helleur; 9.45, Miss Hillis v. Miss Hanratty; 9 50. Mrs Cullen v. Mrs Newton; 9 59. Miss Boyce v. Mrs Kent.

Shirley trophy: 8.40. Mrs Revell v Mrs Smith: 8.45, Mrs Beck v. Mrs Barker; 8.50, Mrs Ward v. Airs Penn; 8.55, Mrs Gasson v Mrs Ensor; 9 a m.. Miss Doherty v. Mrs Vai lance; 9.5, Mrs Anderson v Mrs Royds; 9 10, Mrs Roy v Mrs Taylor; 9.15. Miss Nutt v. Mrs Whiteside

Consolation event: 8 a m , Mrs Saunders v Mrs Anderson; 8.5, Mrs Hay v Miss Rutherford; 8.10. Mrs Drinnan v Mrs Gausel: 8 15. Miss Thompson v. Miss Bourke: S 20. Mrs Sugrue v. Mrs M Campbell; 8.25, Mrs Edward v. Mrs Mace; 8.30, Mrs T C Campbell v Mrs Lucas: 8.35, Mrs Gopas v. Mrs McQuilkin.