Robin Low sets pace in slow start to golf title

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 24

Robin Low sets pace in slow start to golf title

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

A relaxed and assured-looking Robin Low, of Invercargill, took the first round lead when the New Zealand women’s golf championships began on a bleak Russley course yesterday.

Miss Low, struggling for form at practice on Tuesday, very much the junior partner when winning the foursomes title on Wednesday with Liz Douglas, was the dominant figure when the field struggled against the cold, southerly wind and, in particular, the hazards of the last few holes.

Nearly all the leaders fell heavily at these final hurdles, but Miss Low finished with a sound and attractive 77. three over the card. One shot further back is the cheerful first lady of New Zealand golf, Jean Whitehead of Manawatu and there were three on 80 — a delightfully excited Cathy Isaacs (Rotorua), Heather Ryan (Putaruru), and Sue Boag (Waitikiri). These players were the only ones to break 80 but another dozen have scores of 83 or better and are very much in contention. The favourite for the event when it began. Mrs Douglas, had putting troubles but scored 82.

It was a grim sort of day for golf, and it was little wonder that the scoring was unspectacular. This was no golfing Ascot for the ladies: it was an occasion for woolly tea-cosy hats, thick jerseys, wind-breakers, and trousers.

The only easily recognisable personality was RusIley’s proprietorial clubhouse cat, which at various stages took possession of the scoreboard, the first tee, and the committee room — and seemed singularly uninterested in activities at these nerve centres. The variable weather of the last few days made club selection difficult yesterday, but there was some very good golf in trying conditions, with Miss Low a mode! of accuracy until very late in the day. The run of late failures

was remarkable and probably spoke as much for tournament nerves as for the difficulties of the final four holes. Miss Low (77) dropped three shots at the last three; Mrs Whitehead (78) two at the last three; Miss Ryan (79) three at the last four; Miss Boag (79) two at the last three; Cherry Kingham (80) two at the last three; Judith Parkes (80) four at the last three; Vai Cullen (81) six at the last four; Brenda Ormsby (83) five at the last four; Cushla Sullivan (81) five at the last four.

It might have been thought that Miss Low’s big swing would catch her out in the wind, but she powered the ball straight off the tees, and displayed her usual accuracy with short irons. She found the greens regularly, and had very few lapses. A fine 5m putt gave her a birdie at 6 but she dropped a shot when she missed the eighth green after her drive had left her on a decided down-slope.

A three-putt at 13 — when she almost holed out for a birdie — put her two over but there was a birdie at 14 and she looked likely to establish a strong lead. But she played the last hole rather weakly, compounding her errors with three more putts and a 6. Mrs Whitehead, one of the most popular figures in the field, got the ball out well enough with her controlled swing to match the best of the others and she pleyed very solid golf, spoiled only by three or four shortish putts which slipped away. It was a great day for Mrs Isaacs, who was playing in her first national. To reduce her handicap on a foreign field seemed to leave her with the ultimate goal achieved; she is a modest player, who confessed to using woods where most others used irons.

She has been a Bay of Plenty trialist and yesterday she was accuracy itself. “I just kept hitting the ball on to the green,” she said. There were a couple of three putts and only two one-putts in a fine round.

She has been back in golf only a couple of seasons after an operation on her spine. Miss Ryan, with her unusually narrow stance, hit the ball strongly, and some waywardness here and there in the early stages led to fine recoveries. She started her round with an 8m birdie putt, dropped two shots at an unhappy fifth hole, but was within a whisker of an eagle at 6, where her pitch had the

ball sitting half an inch from the back of the cup. Miss Boag, one over going out, had three birdies in her round. She looked in very fine form off the tees, but her short game cost her a few shots. She missed one or two small putts, and dropped a shot on each of the three occasions she was bunkered.

There was a bad patch early in Mrs Kingham’s round and she was five over at the turn. But the New Zealand representative looked strong and authoritative on the way back, which she covered in a one-over 38. A beautiful chip over the bunker at 14 almost brought her an eagle — but she finished with three s’s.

Late in the day it looked very likely that the slightlybuilt Judith Parkes of Christchurch would be very near the top. Playing precise golf without apparent effort, she was only two over with three to play. But at 16 a pulled drive cost her a shot and she was down in 7, two over. At 17, a good-looking second went across the green and to a depressing lie in a bunker; another two over there.

Vai Cullen said on practice day that the winner of the stroke tournament would be the player who putted best. She backed her words

with deeds — and it was a both-ways bet. At 10 she salvaged a par with a 12m putt; at 11 there was one almost as long for another par; and at 12 she holed a birdie putt. "That was only a tiddler” said her close friend and caddy, Wendy Morgan; the putt was 6m. Very shortly afterwards, however, the popular Russley player was three-putting 15 and finishing her round with a sad succession of dropped shots. Brenda Ormsby, of Te Puke, looks certain to become a top-flight player very soon. She had some great shots and fine holes yesterday. She confessed however to feeling extremely nervous and rushing her shots. She is only 17; much more will be heard of her. The most spectacular putting story of the day was that of the New Zealand representative, Sue Bishop. She hit seven greens going out —but had an eight-over 45. It must have been an unnerving experience and it did her the greatest credit that she was back in 39, only two over. But the tally at the end was 45 putts — four on one green, three on each of eight others.