Strong field for women’s golf title

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 30

Strong field for women’s golf title

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

There are 18 single-figure handicap players in the field for the Canterbury women’s golf championship, which will begin at Shirley this morning with the first of two qualifying rounds.

The lowest marked of them is Sue Bishop, who was on 1 when she won the provincial 54-hole stroke tournament at Waitikiri- last week, and may well have been reduced further because of her spectacular last round of 70, four , under the standard scratch score. Mrs Bishop must be a firm favourite to retain the match-play title she won at Shirley a vear ago.' Her gold at Waitikiri on the first day was of modest quality, but the last round was a triumph, a quite memorable display of length, accuracy, jmd putting touch. Match play, however, makes very different demands, and 1 ere are likely to be some tense battles before the finalists are found on Thursday morning. The field is very strong, and it would be all the better had Sue Boag and Judy Davidson been able to play. At Waitikiri Jeannette Ross, who is on 3, was in superb

form for the last seven holes . of the final round, and a little more golf of that high : quality would make her a strong contender. Adrienne Bond, a former South Canterbury representative, was also an impressive player at Waitikiri. She has a 1 lovely, easy swing, and she played verv well, for the most part," from tee to green. It is unlikely that the putting problems which plagued her in the stroke event will persist at Shirley. Mrs Bond is on 4, and so is Nan Mann, who _ was not ( at her best at Waitikiri. Mrs ■ Mann, however, is a match : player of notable quality, - and a bold bid is expected ’ from her. Also on 4 is Vai 1 Cullen, who could not playin the stroke event last week. She has been in the Russell Grace provincial : tournament for the last 30 , years, and her relaxed golf and considerable skills will j make her a strong candidate for this year’s team. 1 An Avondale pair, Diane r

Ritchie and Judie Douil, are the two 5-handicap players in the list. Mrs Ritchie was seventh at Waitikiri after a good opening round of 81. Miss Douil fared badly, but she is a player of considerable talent, and it was beginning to show through towards the end of the stroke tournament. She has been in something of a golfing trough, but something much better would be no surprise at Shirley. The principal contender among the other low-handi-cap piavers is Sue Haydon, who was a rather distant second to Mrs Bishop last week. Mrs Haydon’s golf was brilliant at times, but her few lapses were costly. Her performance at Shirley could well make her a strong possibility for the Russell Grace team, for which she played in 1978. There will be 16 qualifiers from today’s two medal rounds, with match play’ tomorrow and on Thursday.