Miss Randell off to flying start

Press, 17 March 1982, Page 52

Miss Randell off to flying start

By 808 SCHUMACHER . In racing parlance, Debbie Randell is attempting to make every post a winning St after two rounds of the iterbury women’s 54-hole stroke championship at Waitikiri:yesterday. Miss Randell, the favoured golfer for the event, made a flying start with a superb one-under par round of 74 in the morning and. although she showed signs of faltering in the middle stages, she came back strongly and has an advantage turning for home which will be difficult to peg back. Having had the advantage of completing 72 holes as a member of the New Zealand women’s team in the Southland invitational tournament at Otatara at the week-end. Miss Randell. of Nelson, relished the more favourable weather at Waitikiri yesterday.

The 18-year-old national junior representative birdied the third and parred seven of the front nine holes in the

morning. A two-over at the sixth marred her opening effort, but she birdied 10, 13 and’ 14 on the homeward half with just the one dropped shot at 12 to finish the back nine in 36, two-under par. The round of 74 gave her a four-stroke lead over the defending champion. Sue Hamilton, and the in-form Sam Lamberton with a further two shots back to the young Waitikiri player, Lynley Watts.

Miss Randell was unable to sustain her brilliance in the afternoon, but a second round of 80 was still sufficient for her to increase lead over the pursuing pack. After 36 holes, she holds a five-stroke lead over Jeannette Ross, whose 78 in the afternoon was the best of the second round scores, with Miss Hamilton six strokes off the lead and Christine Skinner, a newcomer to the Russell Grace team last year, eight shots off the pace. Miss Randell, the winner of "The Press” women’s

tournameht last month, had a mixed start to her afternoon round. A birdie at the second was encouraging but she dropped two shots at the paf-3 third. Both strokes 'were recovered at the next when she holed a long putt for an eagle.

However. Miss Randell had to battle hard from that point. The strengthening easterly wind added to difficulties which she was experiencing with some awry tee shots. Her approaches, too, failed to hit greens in regulation.

From the fifth hole to the sixteenth, Miss Randell dropped seven shots without managing a birdie. But she finished with a birdie and still has the field at her mercy.

The outstanding second round came from Mrs Ross, a seasoned Russell Grace golfer. She was going steadily until the ninth, a par-3 with a raised green. There she had a horrendous threeover 6, taking three to hit the

green and three putting. “I have a mental block on that hole. I‘ve tried different approaches to it, using different clubs, but it still traps me,” she confessed. Mrs Ross was five-over after that hole, but she showed tremendous character on the homeward half. She made it easy for those

familiar with the four-times table. She had nine fours on the back half, birdieing the . four par-5s and dropping ( shots at the two par-3s. Leading scores were:Silver A 154-Miss D. Randell, 74. 80. 159—Mrs J. M. Ross. 81, 78. ' 160—Miss S. Hamilton, 78. 82. 162— Mrs C. Skinner. 83. 79. I 163— Mrs S. Lamberton. 78. 85.

165—Mrs D. Ritchie. 81, 84. 167— Mrs A. King. 82. 85. 168— Mrs S. Murphy. 86, 82: Mrs M. Sparrow, 84. 84; Miss L. Watts, 80. 88. 170-Mrs J. Benschop. 83. 87. Silver B 179—Mrs F. Rutherford. 92. 87. 183—Mrs J. Beckingsale. 94, 89; Mrs M. Goss. 91. 92. 186—Mrs P. Muirson. 91. 95.