RUSSELL GRACE GOLF South Canterbury survives a great fight-back

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33521, 30 April 1974, Page 24

RUSSELL GRACE GOLF South Canterbury survives a great fight-back

"The Press" Special Service WHANGAREI. South Canterbury, Wellington, and Taranaki won their first-round matches when the Russell Grace women’s interprovincial golf tournament began at the Mount Denby course, Whangarei, yesterday.

Southland staged a great come-back against South Canterbury after it looked to be well beaten at the half-way stage. But two matches were halved and the result was in doubt until the final putts were holed.

Mrs W. R. Douglas had an excellent win over Miss S. A. Ritchie, the South Canterbury I No. 1,2 and 1. and the matches between the second and third players were halved.

Mrs A. J. Knight recovered (from dormy 2 to halve with Miss R. Low, and Miss R. White lost the last two holes to halve with Mrs N. H. ; Hawke.

But both Misses B. A. Tay:lor and M. M. Mackay had substantial wins for South Canterbury, enabling their, team to take two points. The most notable feature of: ithe South Canterbury team’s plav was that on four occa-; isions chip shots were holed.> Miss Taylor sank two. and Misses Ritchie and White jsank one each. The margins in the match, ibetween Otago and Wellington were less than might! have been expected. Otago i matched its highly-rated op-i jponent with its long game. l but Wellington was superior! ion and around the greens. The game between Miss H. 'Booth and Mrs J. Guy—won .by Miss Booth 1 up—was decided on the green. The Otago ‘No 4. Mrs R. MacDonald, in her first Russell Grace match, beat the experienced Mrs H. A. Donald. 2 and 1, and Mrs A. Ellis made a remarkable recovery’ from 5 down to

eventually lose 1 down at the eighteenth. Although beaten by Taranaki, Nelson-West CoastMarlborough gained a good deal of satisfaction from its 11 games won. Mrs J. Liddle dropped only two strokes to the card on the second nine holes, when she recovered I from three down to win her game with Mrs H. G. Symes, 1 up, at the eighteenth. i Conditions were nearly perfect for the first day, with (warm sunny weather, but the ! difficult course required all :the players’ skill. The remaining seven teams in the tournament which had J byes yesterday will play their

first matches this morning. The title-holder, WaikatoKing Country, will play Otago and Northland today, and Canterbury, the runner-up last year, meets Southland and Thames Valley-Bay of Plenty.

Undoubtedly the key! matches will be between Wei-1 lington and Auckland in the second round, and Auckland ,and Manawatu-Wanganui in the third round. If Auckland wins both, it will have established itself as the major contender for the Russell Grace title. Results yesterday were: SOUTH CANTERBURY 3, SOUTHLAND 2 Miss S. A. Ritchie lost to Mrs W. R. Douglas, 2 and 1; Mrs A. J. Knight halved with Miss R Low; Miss R. White halved with Mrs N. H. Hawkes; Miss B. A. Taylor beat Mrs R. J. Bishop, 5 and 3: Miss M. M. Mackay beat Mrs C. Simeon. l> and 5. TARANAKI 3J, NELSON COMBINED Mrs R. J. Urbahn beat Mrs W. A. Helleur, 7 and 5: Mrs M. H. Sykes beat Mrs A. H. Adams, 4 and 3; Mrs H. T. Svmes lost to Mrs J. Liddle, 1 down: Miss A. Maskelvne beat Mrs D. W. Strickett, 2 up; Miss D. Bryant halved with Mrs E. Fowler. WELLINGTON 4, OTAGO 1. Miss F. Pere beat Miss S. Armstrong, 5 and 3; Miss H. Booth beat Mrs .1. Guy, 2 up: Mrs D. Seiringer heat Mrs W. Gillet. 5 and 3; Mrs H. A. Donald lost to Mrs R. Macdonald. 2 and 1: Mrs K. Prisk beat Mrs ’A. Ellis, I up.