Leading women’s golf contenders put out of running

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 38

Leading women’s golf contenders put out of running

By

JOHN BROOKS

The only sound to disturb the pleasant autumn atmosphere at the Shirley course yesterday was the crashing of reputations, as leading contenders for the Canterbury women’s match play golf title were put out of the running.

The red-hot favourite, Sue Bishop, who headed the qualifiers, failed to survive the first round, and Sue Haydon also fell by the wayside, after a 20-hole marathon. Later in the day the well regarded Jeanette Ross suffered a similar fate, and her conqueror, the highly experienced Vai Cullen, is now poised for another golfing coup. This morning Mrs Cullen will match shots with Noeline Stalker of the Christ-i church club, a celebrated fig-) ure on her home course yes-1 terday after her win against; Mrs Bishop. “I’m upset that I’ve caused' an upset,” Mrs Stalker said,; giving the impression that; she had just killed a dove.) ‘‘l’ve got nothing to lose, but) Sue has.” ' The other semi-final will be; between Adrienne Bond and) Diane Ritchie, the No. 2 qua-i lifier and conqueror of Dor-1 een Dobson — who, earlier) in the day, had put out Mrs) Haydon. i Spectators were twittering! with excitment after the morning deeds of Mrs Stalker and Mrs Dobson, both of whom are eight handicappers. Mrs Dobson put her win over Mrs Haydon down to ‘‘sheer determination,” for although she did not achieve vast distances with her drives the accuracy of her chipping! and putting kept her in con-i tention. ;

(Mrs Dobson rolled into the Jhole from the edge of the; fifth green. There were other fine putts, too, in a match in' which the margin between) the contestants was always) slender. In fact, it was not) until the twentieth that Mrs) Dobson clinched the match: with a steady par as her riv-l al fell into error. j Mrs Stalker, one of the out-) Isiders in the field, was un-, Shestitatingly frank about her |first round achievement. I “f played as well as I could play; Sue was probably a little disappointed with her) game,”, she said. ‘‘l dropped' five shots, which is good for) me.” In her quarter-final against) Jean Germon, Mrs Stalker) recovered from a two-hole)

, backlift on the drive, Mrs ■ Ritchie was able to outdistance her opponent off the 'tees, but once again Mrs Dob- ! son’s short game was reliable. I A roar of approval from • spectators in the clubhouse jgreeted a splendid putt of 9m ■ with which Mrs Bond holed lout at the eighteenth to ■clinch her win over Annette ■ King in the fourth quarterfinal. At the turn Mrs Bond was comfortably in command, at four up, but Mrs King made inroads into the lead from then on with steady iron plaj r and sound putting. In a recent Canterbury L.G.A. match at Greendale, Nan Mann beat Mrs Ross, 4 and 3: yesterday Mrs Ross, downed her rival by a similar; score. I The other point of interest at the tournament was a hole in one by Colleen Goulding, at the short but tricky third. Mrs Goulding and her partner pessimistically searched the bunkers and thickets before finding the ball in the hole.

deficit to be level pegging by) the seventeenth tee. At this stage the red mini-skirted; Mrs Germon had the mor-; tification of seeing her ball I dive into the deep and watery) ditch which bars the way to! the green. The shot cost her) the hole, but she almost pro-!

longed the match when a brilliant chip at the eighteenth green had the ball flirting with the hole, only to stay out. Mrs Cullen, meanwhile, was showing the way to Mrs Ross, despite being behind off the tees on most occasions. An unflappable temperament and steady iron play helped Mrs Ritchie take the 'honours from Mrs Dobson. I With her high, pronounced

. Results of the champion- ! ship matches were:— ; First round.—N. Stalker beat S. |Bishop,~3 and 2: J. Germon beat iC. Skinner. 3 and 1; .1. Ross beat X. Mann, 4 and 3: V. Cullen beat J. Lewis, 3 and 2; D. Ritchie beat M. Lavery, 1 up; I). Dobson beat. S. Haydon, at. the twentieth; A. Bond beat J. Benschop, 2 up; A. Kins beat E. Lamberton, al nineteenth. Quarter-finals. — Mrs Stalker beat Mrs Germon. 1 up: Mrs Cullen beat Mrs Ross, 2 and J: Mrs Ritchie beat Mrs Dobson. 2 and 1; Mrs Bond beat Mrs King. 2 up.

The highlight of the match was a huge birdie putt which