American dominant

Press, 8 March 1978, Page 32

American dominant

NZPA Sydney. The American. Debbie Austin, romped away with the Wills Qantas Australian women’s golf championship at the Manly course. Tlte 30-year-old flaxen-haired Miss Austin finished with a three round aggregate of 213—nine under par—with rounds of 70. 70, and 73. She gave an exhilarating performance to win the SAust4Wo first prize and finished 10 strokes clear of the second placed former title-holder, Donna Caponl-Young, also of America. Mrs Young, winner of the open in 1976. carded rounds of 74. 73, ana 76 to finish one over par with a total of 223. A stroke further back in third spot was the consistent Chako Higuchi. of Japan, with rounds of 73, 77, and a par 74 for a total Of 224. In a topsy turvey final round scramble for the minor placings the hard hitting young Mexican star, Nancy Lopez, finished fourth with a four over par 226 after carding a final round of 75. America’s greatest ever woman golfer, Kathy Whitworth, winner of more than $750,060 in prize money, shared equal fifth spot on 228. with the slender New Zealand amateur Liz Douglas. Mrs Douglas, from Invercargill, was the leading amateur for the tournament while the best placed Australian was another amateur, Sydney’s Tina Lappan. who took sixth spot with an aggregate of 231, 18 strokes behind the leader. The big disappointment of the tournament was the defending title-holder, the glamorous Sydney star. Jan Stephenson. Miss Stephenson, aged 26. crashed with a five over par final round of 79 following earlier rounds of 76 and 77 to finish a huge 19 strokes behind Miss Austin.

Alison Esther (New Zealand) had 79. 81, 75—235, and Kay Maxwell (New Zealand), had 79, 81. 78—238.