Southland pair runs away with golf title

Press, 14 October 1976, Page 40

Southland pair runs away with golf title

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

“Third time lucky,” said Southland’s top woman golfer, T iz. Douglas, as she congratulated her team-mate and playing partner, Robyn Low, after their resounding success in the New Zealand women’s foursomes golf championship at Russley yesterday.

For the accomplished Invercargill pair indeed it was third time lucky, but there was no suggestion that their five-stroke win was gained through good fortune. Simply, it was highly skilled and competent golf that took the young Southland pair to a well-deserved victory.

Mrs Douglas, aged 26, and Miss Low, 21, teamed together for the first time at Papaparaumu Beach two years ago. They could not remember where they finished: “But I couldn’t hole a putt,” said Mrs Douglas, “and it was a ’ong way from the top,” added Miss Low. Last year they finished third at Napier before meeting in the final of the matchplay championship, which Miss Low won, 3 and 1. Yesterday they made no mistake. One stroke off the pace after the morning round, they had gained the lead by the fourth hole in the afternoon and it was plain sailing from that point. The Southland pair was strongly fancied after Mrs Douglas’s outstanding round of 71 — three-under par — in practice on Tuesday. Miss Low was not so assertive in her one look at the course before the foursomes, but she responded admirably to the challenge yesterday, and the confidence shown by Mrs Doughs seemed to rub off on her young partner, who was striking the ball with the same assurance in the afternoon.

There was no indication .that Mrs Douglas and Miss Low were to run away with the title after three holes of the second round. A bunker cost them a stroke at the second and they dropped another at the third when Miss Low missed the green on the par three with her tee shot. But that was their last error. Combining superbly they had 14 pars and one birdie — from 4m by Mrs Douglas at 15 — over the last 15 holes to finish with 75 and a 36-hole aggregate of 154. Avis Osborne (Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley) and Brenda Ormsby (WaikatoKing Country) finished strongly with 77 — the only other pair to break 80 in the afternoon — to claim second from the morning leaders, Cherry Kingham (Auckland) and Sue Boag (Canterbury), and the Canterbury pair, Sue Bishop and Sue Haydon. Excellent though it was, the winning pair could have improved considerably on their 75. From the fourth to the seventh holes, they were faced with putts ranging from 3m to 4m for birdies, but they missed narrowly on each occasion.

In fact, only twice were they struggling to make pars after the third, and Miss Low proved equal to the occasion both times, holing putts from 3m at the ninth and 2m at the thirteenth. Her astute assessment of distances was in complete contrast with the difficulties she encountered with the greens in the practice round.

Mrs Douglas, one of the most exciting prospects to emerge from woman’s golf for many years, sliced a drive at 12, from which Miss Low recovered splendidly, and she muffed a chip at ,4 when a birdie looked a distinct possibility. Those two lapses in concentration were recalled readily for her other shots were without flaw.

The superb driving by Mrs Douglas — most of her tee shots went beyond 200 m — earned the highest praise from her illustrious opponent, Jean Whitehead (Manawatu), a top New Zealand competitor and multiple national title-holder over many years. Mrs Osborne and Miss Ormsby were paid scant attention even after a solid 82 in the morning, but they hit the ball extremely well in the afternoon and only a two-over 6 on the last hole prevented them from equal-

ling the best score of the championship. “We scored just one birdie in the round, but we continued encouraging each other and kept making pars,” Miss Ormsby said. Only 17, Miss Ormsby, who marked her introduction to Russell Grace golf last year with an unbeaten record at No. 5, was pleased with her form in the afternoon.

Mrs Kingham and Miss Boag, runners-up last year, led the field by a stroke with their morning round of 78. They kept the ball in play — something they lacked in practice — and their main downfalls were a two-over on the par-3 seventh and two three-putts. But their titles chances plummeted when they took eight on the par-5 second, and Miss Boag missed putts of less than Im on the ninth and tenth. It was an uphill battle from there and they dropped shots on the last three holes.

Steady rounds of 81 and 82 enabled Mesdames Haydon and Bishop to share third, but more important was the fact that Mrs Bishop completed 36 holes without being troubled by a foot injury which forced her to withdraw after 12 holes of practice on Tuesday. Mrs Bishop was happy with her form and was looking forward to the other championships. She and Mrs Haydon struck the ball impressively from tee to green, but four three-putts in the afternoon spoiled their score.

The young national representatives, Kaye Maxwell — an exuberant Aucklander — and Heather Ryan (WaikatoKing Country), did not put their games together, although both look promising and could be prominent in the individual events.

They finished equal fifth with the seasoned pair, Una Wickham (Bay of Plenty) and Vai Cullen (Canterbury), who carded two 82s as they strolled around the course in a relaxed manner. Abbreviations used in the results are:

Auckland (A), Waikato-King Country (W-KC), Bay of Plenty (BOP), Hawke’s Bay (HB). Taranaki (T). Manawatu-Wanganui (MW), Wellington (W). NelsonMarlborough (NM), Canterbury (C). Mid-South Canterbury (MSC). Otago (O). and Southland (S). 154: Miss R. L. Low and Mrs W. R. Douglas (S). 79, 75. 159: Mrs A. A. Osborne (BOP) and Miss B. Ormsby (WKC). 82. 77.

163: Mesdames V, A. Bishop and S. L. Haydon (C), 81, 82; Mrs R. S. Kingham (A) and Miss B. S. Boag (C), 78. 85. 164: Misses K. Maxwell (A) and H. Ryan (WKC), 81. 83; Mrs N.

D. Cullen (C) and Miss U. K Wickham (BOP). 82. 82.

167: Mesdames R. T. Laugesen and J. Whitehead (MW), 80. 87.

168: Mesdames S. Johnson »nd C. Isaacs (W-KC). 87, 81.

169: Misses M Simpson and A. McHardy (HB). 87, 82: Mesdames V. Fraher (W-KC) and J. Parkes (C). 83. 86; Mesdames A. R Bond and R S. A. Hutchins (MSC), 85. 84. 170: Misses L. McClurg and J. Davidson (C). 85. 85; Mesdames J. Jarman and J. McLean (A), 86. 84.

171: Misses A. Esther <A) and D. M. Bryant (T), 88, 83; Mesdames E. Allen and E Newbrook (C). 85. 86. 173: Misses C. SulUvan and J. Kinnaird (C), 85. 88; Mesdames A. M. Ellis and G. J. McLean (O), 87, 86.

174: Mrs T. Ancell (T) and Miss K. J. Bums <HB), 89, 85; Me». dames N. Seed and R. N. Bearman (MSC). 91, 83: Mesdames C Marino and A. Sciringer (A), 87’, 87; Mesdames H. N. Stalker and D. C. Ritchie (C). 85 89; Meadames J. Fairdough an<j J l Christie (W-KC), 89. 85; Mesdames £• Hod «e nad c - Skinner (W-KC). 86, 88. 175: Mesdames W. J. R Kellahan and J. H. Oldfield (C). 93. 82. 176: Misses D. Woodhouse (N) and C. Hickey (BOP), 93 83; Mesdames B. Turnbull and G (, Simpson (C), 88 88.

_ 177: Mesdames j' R Valll and R. J Bishop (S). 87, 90; Mesdames D. Lavery and D. Williams (C).

178: Mesdames W. A Goss and J. Lewis (C). 88. 90: Mesdames E. and M - Bain <C), 88, 90. r J' 9 ,; Mesdames G. E. Cullen »nd L. Hitchcock (S). 93, 86 180: Mesdames A. G Wigley and H. T. Hames (MSC). 91 89 181: Mesdames M. Guy and M. Hawker (O) 87. 94. _,}, 83: , Miss M. Irvine and Mrs n. Gillett (O), 95. 88; Mesdames H \ 1 Hildebrand SI, 90. 93; Mesdames I. Wool--9 3 m9 0C an< * G M ‘ Niederer

184: Mesdames G. Dickson <C> and C. Woodham <HB) 90 94Mesdames R. M. Parker and h. K 93 . 91: Mesdames A. 91 93 * nd J ’ Braaell < M SCI.

186: Mesdames N. Bennington and S. Coleman (C), 95. 91: Misses O. B °°t and B. A Hendle fW). 187: Miss J. Hanratty and Mra M. B. Buddle (W), 95 92; Mes. dames R. E. Clements and J. A. Lees (C), 96, 91. 188: Mesdames A. H W. Adams and G. A. Dunbar (C), 94. 94Mesdames J. A. Lovett and R. J Paterson (C). 95. 93: Mesdames 1 o Dobson and J. Smith (C). 98

189: Mesdames J. M. Liddle and E. Fowler (N), 96, 93; Mrs R. Gould and Miss S. Hutchinson (C), 97. 92; Mesdames D. McKenzie and J. Stlven (O), 99. 90. 190: Mesdames J Jackson and E. Evans (C) 90 100; Mesdames J. L. Knight and W. S. White, side fO). 94. 96; Mesdames N. S Davenport and K S. Mann iC< 92, 98; Mesdames J F. stone and N. O. Currie (C). 98 92 191: Mesdames E N. Daniel and R. Stanburv (O). 95. 96 194: Mesdames P Archbold and J. M. Tocker (C). 92. 102; Mtss J. Hitchon and Mrs C C. Treebv (C). 99. 95.

195: Mesdames G. A. King and G. E. Goldsmith (MSC). 94. 101.

197: Mrs C. J. Ward and Miss M. Donaldson (C). 97. 100.

198: Mesdames H. Mclntosh and B. V. Watt (MSC). 97, 101. 199: Mesdames J. P. Goldsmith and R. B. Anderson (C). 10). 98; Mrs E. South and Miss B. Kellv (C). 105 . 94: Mesdames J. R. Wilson and R. A Hyde (C). 103. 96.

204: Mesdames P. Sanders and G. B. Moody (C). 101, 103.