NEW ZEALAND BEATEN, 13-11 Australian women golfers retain the Tasman Cup

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND BEATEN, 13-11 Australian women golfers retain the Tasman Cup

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

Australia retained the Tasman Cup at Shirley on Saturday, beating New Zealand in the women’s golf international by 13 points to 11. The last of the 12 matches was only two holes from completion when a 10-foot putt by Mrs G. Bannan, which New Zealand needed to keep its hopes alive, rimmed the cup and sat balanced on the edge.

There was very little between the teams, but the Australians won because on both days—and particularly when taking a narrow lead in the foursomes—its players were bolder in attacking the flag and sank a few more vital putts. In miserably cold weather,

with a boisterous easterly wind in the morning, the singles were shared on Saturday, and although New Zealand failed to improve its modest Tasman Cup record, its players could take satisfaction from a spirited showing.

The Ladies’ Golf Union, which conducted the tournament with marked efficiency and an eye for detail, might now feel tempted to declare the middle holes of the beautifully-groomed Shirley course a disaster area. From the eighth to the twelfth, New Zealand had very little success, and useful leads were lost. Miss S. Hamilton came out on level terms at these holes, and that was the best result Mrs Bannan halved five and lost five in this area. In the afternoon, Miss Bannan was 2 up after eight, and square after 11; Miss Hamilton was 4 up and then lost the ninth and tenth, and Miss C. Sullivan, 1 up after eight, lost three consecutive holes. These were telling blows by the Australians, who seemed abled to sustain their efforts better than their opponents.

Putting problem The 20-year-old, Miss M. Smith (Wellington) was the most successful New Zealander. She started the day with a confidence matched by ability, and was never behind against the top Australian, Miss C. Blair, For the first eight holes, the smooth-swinging and strong Miss Blair had putting problems, and before they were solved, Miss Smith was 3 up. But Miss Blair’s drives and irons were magnificent in a trying wind. Birdies at the ninth and twelfth helped her square the game, and it was to Miss Smith’s great credit that the loss of a commanding lead did not affect her confidence. She hit back with a string of pars, and on a depressing morning was only two over when the game ended on the seventeenth. This was the only fairway

she missed in the round—a remarkable performance. In the afternoon, Miss Smith was even more convincing against Mrs A. Gosse, who matched her for length from the tees but could not cope, finally, with the best scoring of the day. Miss Smith all but holed an 18footer for a birdie at the first, sank one almost as long for a birdie 3 at the second,

lost the short third to a fine 12-foot birdie shot, and went into the back paddock all square.

Here there were more problems than those presented by the insistent sounds of fowls and the unromantic odour of pigs — the full flavour of which was brought home by the breeze. But Miss Smith won both these long holes, holed a birdie putt of 15 feet at the eighth, and at the turn was 3 up, and two under the card. A string of seven more pars carried her through to a notable victory. Mrs Gosse played well, and was only five over when it ended.

Disappointing Miss Sullivan was No. 1 for New Zealand, a distinction she thoroughly earned, but she had a disappointing day. She lost at the last hole to Mrs Gosse, and then succumbed a little less reluctantly to Miss Blair. Miss Sullivan started well, was soon 2 up. lost the fourth to a birdie, and played a shot at the sixth which must have haunted her for the rest of the day. It was a shank out of a bunker, and her golf lost its assertive look. She lost the seventh and eighth with some rather tentative golf, and Mrs Gosse, playing well and clearly sensing that the tide was running with her, had a birdie at the 453yard twelfth, lost the next, but clutched her midriff in relief when a winning putt at the fourteenth ringed and stayed in. Miss Sullivan tried hard, and had a chance at the seventeenth. There Mrs Gosse had a bad tee shot, ploughed through the trees,

and made five. Miss Sullivan hit a fine tee shot and her second looked right, but it was caught late in flight by the strong wind and the ball was whipped into a bunker. Miss Gosse made no mistake with a grand approach into the pin at the last. More shanks In the afternoon Miss Sullivan played steadily until the sixth again sapped her confidence. It was another shank—this time from the fairway—and she had had one at the second, too. With commendable courage. Miss Sullivan fought back, but when Miss Blair made a birdie at the long ninth, the match was square, and Australia won the next two holes as well. Miss Sullivan came back with a birdie at the twelfth. At the thirteenth Miss Blair was bunkered, but holed a 20-footer for a par and the half; then dropped in 14footers for birdies at the next two holes.

Miss Sullivan’s troubles were partly of her own making, but Miss Blair played extremely well, and was level with the card. Miss Hamilton had a strange test match. In four rounds, she never played the last three holes —twice winning and twice losing by wide margins. She was opposed in the morning by Miss V. Jellis, the Australian junior champion, who had not played in the foursomes but who soon showed that she was anything but a weak link. Miss Jellis has a splendid swing, a nne temperament, and she scored two vital victories for her side. She hit the bail a long way—at the 430-yard sixth, she found the green with a 4-iron second—and she was in command all the way.

Birdies at the eleventh and twelfth underlined her control of a game in which Miss Hamilton, notwithstanding some very good driving and long irons, again had putting troubles.

Air shot Miss P. Pulz looked perhaps the the Australians technically, but she was at fives and sixes—and once at seven—against Miss Hamilton, who overcame a tentative start and played really well. She led by a substantial margin, saw the lead erode, but came back strongly. Miss Hamilton hit the long twelfth in two, and two more pars ended the game.

Miss Pulz had the embarrass* ment—which she carried off ? ice, y— SL, an , a ir shot at the fourth. This misfortune occurred, of all places, under a gum tree, so it was much less a matter of environment than an awkward position from which she had to play left-handed. Mrs Bannan was perhaps the least spectacular of the New Zealanders, but she won an important victory over Miss Pulz in the morning. Miss Pulz had three birdies, but Mrs Bannan was far steadier and was not at all ruffled when her lead of three was whittled down to one at the turn. She clung to this slender advantage for six halved holes, only to lose it to an Bft birdie putt at the sixteenth.

It was good, tight match-play and both were bunkered at the seventeenth. But Mrs Bannan, on Shirley’s most difficult green, holed a very tricky seven-footer for the hole and she won the last one as well in fine fashion. New Zealand needed to take three of the last four singles and it was soon clear that Miss

Sullivan would probably lose; Misses Smith and Hamilton win. So Mrs Batman shouldered a very heavy burden in her match with Miss Jellis. It was good, tight match-play golf, with Mrs Bannan holding command in the early stages. She lost the ninth to a birdie and was left 1 up. It was little wonder that she finally succumbed, because Miss Jellis was 2 under for the last 10 holes—a wonderful display by a very young player. Miss Jellis went ahead for the first time with a birdie at the twelfth and increased her lead two holes after, Mrs Bannan had a terrible time when her second went into a tree at the right of the elevated green. Her only means of dislodging the ball from the bottom of the tree was to use her longest club—her driver—because she could not get in close, through the branches. Miss Jellis, who had made some fine recoveries, produced another at the vital sixteenth. She put her drive under a tree and could do no better than a running chip out. She was just short for three and chipped too strongly. But she holed that putt of lift, which must have looked twice as long to her. And Mrs Bannan, from having two to win, needed the 10footer. She, and everyone else, was convinced it was in the hole. But out it stayed and the cup goes back across the Tasman. Results (Australian names first):— Miss C. Blair lost to Miss M. Smith, 2 and 1; Mrs A. Gosse beat Miss C. Sullivan, 1 up; Miss P. Pulz lost to Mrs G. Bannan, 2 down; Miss V. Jellis beat Miss S. Hamilton, 4 and 3; Miss Blair beat Miss Sullivan, 4 and 2; Mrs Gosse lost to Miss Smith, 4 and 2; Miss Pulz lost to Miss Hamilton, 6 and 4; Miss Jellis beat Mrs Bannan, 3 and 1.