Thrilling climax to women’s golf title

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33815, 11 April 1975, Page 22

Thrilling climax to women’s golf title

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BOB SCHUMACHER)

I he protagonists in tin final ol the (.anterhury women s match-play championships I iz Douglas Southland and Sue Boag ((/anterhury > played out an cnthrallm**. cut-aiul-lln usi encounter lor the provincial (ilk al Shirlcv xcsterdax.

tiler IN hole* the championship was 'I ill undecided, and I he hut finalists resumed mi the first lee. from which they had started almo-l three hours before. The atmosphere was electric. On the first extra huhboth players were faced with pints of just less than four feet The considerable gallon hushed. Onlv a recalcitrant magpie disturbed the peace as both players deliberated- - then holed their puns with the utmost confidence It needed an extraordinary shot or one lapse to decide the outcome of the championship. I he latter occurred at the twentieth. Miss Boag lifted her head on her second shot and advanced the ball only 40 yards. She chipped too strongly to the green and finished 20 feet from the flag. Her attempt for a par. under the circumstances, was remarkable. Her putt took considerable borrow and headed directly towards the hole only to halt on the edge; it needed only one more roll. Mrs Douglas, well-posi-tioned on the green with her secund, placed her putt beside me hole and was conceded the putt for a par and the title. It was a fine finale.) Both players won the admiration of an appreciative gallery. Mrs Douglas, who will spend the next three days in in trials to select the New! Zealand team for the Commonwealth tournament inl June, had a background in golf which demanded that she reach the top. Her father (“I think he played in the first Freyberg Rose Bowl tournament”) and her mother — a Russel] Grace player for many years — gave her the basic grounding. Her husband, a former club professional, has since left his; position, but Mrs Douglas.! aged 24. and the mother of two children has upheld the! ] family name. ; To reach the final Mrs; Douglas eliminated Sue; I Bishop, and Miss Boag beat the Auckland representative.!

< lt<‘ii' <■ i 1',..1|i hnalHl' i ' < ir iv-1> iiikP i pai ,>. her Ml . XX. I ag.-.l .'I gait lici mure •■xperienct-i il.ilioii.il r'-pie ' illative. Mis, IJuag, >!'■ leewai Ullliallv. Inn . i In- M'lin hrial « nd'.<i quite 'abrupt h i Mis*- Boag. 11 ailing, wi m ■ ’he thirteenth and lututeenili With par-., holed a magnificent 4 > i"ui pun i,,, rt birdie lon 15. and won hei fourth suiiesstvc hob- through in i di‘>< retion■ by Miss West at the sixteenth. .’slow |> laser- ' b was rather uniurtunate ■ that Miss West, whose driving and well-struck approach ■ shuts remained consistent throughout, should have to wait several minutes between ] shots for slower-moving (players. j Mrs Bishop never established control after losing the ■ first hole. Mrs Douglas won | the fourth and ninth — both ■ birdies — and was 3 up after 110. Mrs Bishop played the twelfth splendidly, but so did

Mrs D-ugla-. and it w.-c i halved in birdies Mthoug; .1,.-. h h.-M- ... .->n.l h. It. ■■ .inti bunkered her third. Mr' I Douglas salvaged .< pat am s remained 2 up after lb aiu* t eventually won het «ai ■ ■ tile thia I with a par on !■!'>' eighteenth I The final. between !«■ i verx efficient and astute golfers, never lacked excite . merit hi -i\le the finalists were verx different, tn result thes both proved so effective ie-peciallx tn drixing I hen tee shots were excellent Mt*« Boag. stilted m her back swing, punched the ball a ■ grand distance; Mrs Dougla more full and round in acitor. i ■ ended within a few sards of her opponent Never was there more that 1 a hole separating them. Mrs Douglas was 1 up at the tun. but surrendered her adv an tage by three-putting the tenth. Both players were bunkered at 11. but exploded brilliantly iMiss Boag sank her putt Mrs Douglas failed narrowly Lexel again It was back to square one immediately. Mrs Douglas placed her second on the pat ■5, 453-yard twelfth within 12 feet. The birdie was a formality. Miss Boag recovered i superbly from a bunker n retrieve a half at 13. From .the sandy hollow she struck the ball as though it was on 'concrete ' “In. in, tn” urged the ; spectators, but it stopped just short and Miss Boag had to be content with a half Miss Boag, thanks to her opponent three-putting, went ahead at the fourteenth, but it was all square again at 16 when Miss Boag was penalised for finishing in an ■ unplayable lie. ! Miss Boag won the seven Iteenth after Mrs Douglas had hit the pin with her second and then missed the sft putt Tension told on Miss Boag at the last hole. After a fine drive she checked her pitch (shot and landed in the bunker. After halving the first extra hole Mrs Douglas was able to capitalise on a weak shot by? Miss ' Boag at the twentieth. Errant club The same club that brought about Miss Boag’s undoing at the eighteenth was again responsible at the twentieth Her 9-iron was the club that came in for abuse. “It can stay in the eighteenth bunker,’’ she said. Results:— Semi-finals.—Miss Bnag beat Miss West, 3 and 2; Mrs Douglas beat Mrs Bishop. 1 up. Final.—Mrs Douglas beat Mias Boag. at the twentieth.