Auckland moves closer to unprecedented fifth victory

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 38

Auckland moves closer to unprecedented fifth victory

PA Hastings Auckland moved a step closer to taking on unprecedented fifth consecutive victory in the Russell Grace Interpovincial Teams’ Championship when it notched up two more wins at the Hastings Golf Club’s Bridge Pa course yesterday. Auckland retained its unbeaten record with 4-1 victories over Wellington and South Canterburj' and the only team likely to cause its problems is the youthful, but strong Waikato-King Country side which it meets in the final round this afternoon. Waikato-King Country, after being held to a draw against Canterbury yesterday morning, came back into contention with a 3-2 win over the previous!}' unbeaten Northland team. Waikato’s performance was spearheaded by the New Zealand golfer of the year, Janice Arnold, who yesterday recorded wins over Canterbury’s Sue Bishop and Northland’s Anne Butler. The powerful Miss Arnold, considered by many as the country’s top woman golfer, has played immaculate golf at Hastings and her only defeat

has been at the hands of Southland’s Mrs Liz Douglas. Canterbury, third in last year’s championship, was pushed all the way by Southland in its afternoon match but secured its win and kept its chances of an outside victory alive through a concerted effort over the final nine holes by its lower order players. The top match between Canterbury’s Sue Bishop and the former New Zealand champion, Mrs Douglas, produced some first-rate golf. Although Mrs Douglas finished one under the card, her winning margin of 3 and 2 was flattering and did not reflect the standard of Mrs Bishop’s performance. Nelson - West Coast - Marlborough, which yesterday morning beat ManawatuWanganui 3-2, could not match the strength of the Otago team and was beaten 31 to 11 in the afternoon. Wellington after dismal performances in the first three rounds, scored its first win of the championship yesterday afternoon when it surprisingly ousted Bay of Plenty Thames Valley 3J-U-. Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay, whose chances of winning the

tournament crashed as it went down to South Canterbury in the morning, bounced back in the afternoon with a clean sweep in its match against Manawatu-Wanganui. Only behind in one of their five games against South Canterbury after 12 holes yesterday morning, Hawke’s Bay collapsed dramatically over the remaining six holes to allow South Canterbury to snatch an upset, 3-2 win. Results:— ROUND FOUR Waikato-King Country v. Canterbury Miss J. Arnold beat Mrs V. Bishop, 3 apd 2; Miss ,L Malcolm beat Mrs A. Bond, 2 and 1; Miss J. Coffey lost to Mi's S. Haydon, 3 and 2; Miss M. Pent halved with Mrs J. Ross; Miss .1. Whitehead lost to Mrs N. t). Cullen, 5 and 4. Waikato-King Country 21, Canterbury 2J. South Canterbury v. Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay Mrs J. Kellahan lost to Miss K. Burns, 2 and 1; Mrs M. Seed beat Mrs D. Coles, 3 and 2; Mrs J. Knight beat Miss M. Simpson, 2 and 1: Mrs B. McCone lost to Mrs G. Peterson. 7 and 6; Mrs IL Hames beat Mrs D. Hembrow. I up. South Canterbury 3, Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay 2. Manawatu-Wanganui v. NelspnWest Coast-Marlborough Mrs J. Avling lost to Miss D. Randell, 6 and 5; Mrs S. Symonds beat Mrs J. Parkes, 1 up; Mrs C. Stewart lost to Mrs B. Win. 2 down; Mrs G. Westwood beat Mrs ■ A. Adams. 6 and 4; Mrs L O’Connor lost to Mrs ,1. Liddle, 3 and 2. Nelson-West Coast-

Marlborough 3, Manawatu-Wanga-nui 2. Auckland 4, Wellington 1; Otago 3J„ Southland 11; Northland 4, Taranaki 1. ROUND FIVE Canterbury v. Southland Mrs V. Bishop lost to Mrs W. R. Douglas. 3 and 2; Mrs A. (Bond beat Miss R. Low, 2 and 1; I Mrs S. Haydon halved with. Miss IK. Allen; Mrs ,1. Ross halved ;with Mrs R. J. Bishop; Mrs N. D. | Cullen beat Miss S. 'Taylor, 6 and 15. Canterbury 3, Southland 2. Auckland v. South Canterbury Mrs R. Kingham beat Mrs J. Kellahan. 4 and 3; Miss K. Maxwell beat Airs N. Seed, 5 and 4; Mrs R. Hasey beat Mt's J- Knight. 6 and 5; Mrs J. Glanfield beat Mrs B. McCone, 3 and-2: Miss K. Young lost to Mrs 11. Hames, 1 down. Auckland 4, South Canterbury 1. Otago v. Nelson-West CoastMarlborough Miss M. Irvine lost to Miss D. Randell, 2 down; Miss J. Scandrett beat Mrs .1. Parkes, 3 and 2: Mrs M. de Lambert beat Mrs B. Win. 2 and ,1; Mrs C. Colquhoun beat Mrs A. Adams, 5 and 4; Mrs I. MacDonald halved with Mrs Liddle.’Dtago'3J, Nel-son-West Coast-Marlborough I}. Waikato-King Country 3. Northluand 2; Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay 5, Manawatu-Wanganui 0; Wellington 31, Bay of PlentyThames Valley IJ. Points after five rounds.— Auckland 8. Waikato-King Country 7. Otago 7, Hawke s Bay-Pov-ertv Bav 6, Northland 6. Canterbury 5.‘ Bay of Plenty-Thames Valiev 4, Nelson-West .Coast-Marl-borough 4, South Canterbury 4, Wellington 1, Southland 1. Mana-watu-Wanganui 0, Taranaki 0. Southland has the bye tins] morning and Otago has the- final round bye. ]