Sue Bishop looks set for good golfing year

Press, 25 February 1980, Page 17

Sue Bishop looks set for good golfing year

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Of the major women’s golf tournaments in Canterbury last year, only one escaped the province’s leading player, Sue Bishop. That was the first event, “The Press” sponsored invitation 54 holes stroke event.

In that tournament, Mrs Bishop was beaten in a three-way play-off but then came a great run of success that gave her the Canterbury 'stroke and match-play championship, the provincial women’s foursomes, and the Canterbury champion of champions title. At Templeton yesterday Mrs Bishop took the first step towards another good year when she convincinglywon “The Press” tournament for the third time in six years and finished with a course record of 75 as well. The course record of 76 was equalled in the first round by Debbie Randell, of Nelson, but her score had hardly been recorded on the board before Mrs Bishop completed her round of 75.

It was a record equalled by Jeannette Ross, a Russell Grace representative, in the second round, and Mrs Bishop again equalled it yesterday morning on her way to a six-stroke win over last year’s champion, Sue Boag, and Miss Randell.

In spite of rain on Saturday, which made the lush fairways a little heavy, the weather was favourable for good scoring and the players responded well. Mrs Bishop was one-under after six holes in the first round, but had a “porridge pot” lie in a bunker on the sixth and dropped two strokes. Her only other mistake in her two-over par round was at the seventeenth.

A 77 in the second round gave her an overnight lead of four strokes over Misses Boag and Randell. It was steady par stuff most of the way for Mrs Bishop, marred

only by a two-over on the ninth when her approach shot from an uphill lie was pulled into the car-park and stopped a few rolls from the men’s toilet.

Mrs Bishop quickly increased her lead yesterday. On the first hole she had a par; Miss Randell, a oneover; and Miss Boag, a twoover. Mrs Bishop had another par on the long third where both her challengers dropped further strokes. From that point, Mrs Bishop was not seriously threatened. She had eight successive pars before dropping her first stroke at the ninth, three-putting from 18m. A fine chip gave her an easy birdie at the eleventh and the course record was in danger again. But two weak approaches at 13 cost a stroke and she was too strong with her second at the seventeenth and dropped another.

However, it was an accomplished display by the former New Zealand representative. She struck her drives with power and accuracy, was usually on or near the greens with her approach shots, and was confident on the putting surface.

Miss Boag and Miss Randell had a great duel in their efforts to finish runner-up and it was fitting that they should be level at the end.

Miss Randell, of the Greenacres club in Nelson, is only 16 and has already reduced her handicap to one. She added youthful exuberance to the tournament, demanding her ball to “sit” and “whoa” numerous times. It helped to relieve the pressure on the top trio. Miss Randell has a full, fluid swing, but there was a

little looseness at the top of her swing on the front nine and she pushed a number of drives towards trouble areas. But she attacked constantly with her approaches and was assertive with her putts. She holed a splendid 6m borrowing putt for a birdie on the fourth to gain a twostroke lead over Miss Boag. But Miss Boag replied with a birdie on the next after chipping in from 12m. They turned in 38 and it was cut and thrust over the back nine, Miss Boag, with a birdie at 17, taking the lead for the second time, only to drop a stroke on the last hole. Ann Seed, a Russell Grace representative for South Canterbury, was six strokes behind in fourth place. She had an excellent second round of 76. She was one stroke ahead of Judy Davidson, runner-up to Mrs Bishop in the Canterbury match-play title last year. Anther stroke back was Isla MacDonald, a regular visitor to the tournament from Otago. Leading scores were:— 227 — Mrs S. A. Bishop, 75, 77, 75. 233 — Miss S. Boag, 77, 79, 77; D. Randell (Nelson), 76, 80, 77. 239 — Mrs A. Seed (South Canterbury), 81, 76, 82. 240 — Miss J. Davidson, 77. 81, 82. 241 — Mrs I. MacDonald (Otago), 80, 80. 81. 243 — Mrs J. M. Ross. 84, 75, 84; Mrs J. Knight. (South Canterbury). 84, 81, 78. 245 — Mrs J. R. Parkes (Nelson), 82, 77, 86. 246 — Mrs C. Colquhoun, 82, 83, 81; Mrs W. Dryden, 82, 83, ST, Mrs B. McCone, 84. 80, 82. 247 — Mrs S. L. Hatdon, 85, 82. 80.