Costly final day for golfers

Press, 8 May 1982, Page 64

Costly final day for golfers

Canterbury's double loss on the final day. of the ‘Russell Grace women’s golf tournament in Auckland left the team in ninth placing, its worst result since all teams first met together at the one venue, in 1963. After its bold start when the first two contests were won for the loss of only one individual game in 10, Canterbury managed only one more from the next' four matches, although it was desperately unlucky not to halve with the strong Waikato-King Country in the sixth round. Chris Skinner, the Canterbury No. 4, had the misfortune to lose the last three holes against Jan Malcolm after being 2 up with three remaining. Even a half from that game would have given Canterbury a tie and the extra point would have placed the team sixth over all. Instead. Canterbury, for the first time in 19 years, will be among the bottom six teams which open proceedings on the first day of next year’s tournament.

Only the top four teams had more individual successes than Canterbury’s 17 from a possible 30, but team points are most vital and that was Caanterbury’s shortcoming. Canterbury totalled six points and of the four sides which finished behind it, three failed to open their accounts. Final placings were:— Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley 11 (20%), 1; Waikato-King Country 10 (22), 2; Southland 10 (21), 3; Auckland 8 (lOVa), 4; Taranaki 8 (15), 5; Wellington 7 (17), 6; Hawke’s Bay-Pov-erty Bay 7 (15%), 7; South Canterbury 7 (14¥z), 8; Canterbury 6 (17), 9; Otago 4 (14%), 10; Nelson-West CoastMarlborough 0 (9), 11; Manawatu-Wanganui 0 (5), 12; Northland 0 (4%), 13. Jeannette Ross, who was playing her eighth Russell Grace tournament but in the No. 1 position for the first time, found it tough at the top and won only two of her six matches. However, she had a notable victory against a New Zealand representa-

tive, Jan Arnold (WaikatoKing Country). The steady Adrienne Bond had the team’s best record. She was unbeaten at No. 2 with four wins and two halves and on the last day she . accounted for two national representatives, Heather Ryan (Waikato-King Country), and Jan Scandrett (Southland). Mary Sparrow, returning to the Canterbury team after an absence of seven years, won her first four matches but lost both on the final day. The last two rounds

proved disappointing for Mrs Skinner and Sue Haydon, the Canterbury No. 5. Both won their first two games, but Mrs Skinner could manage just a half from her last four although all her matches were close. Mrs Haydon, playing her fourth tournament, has had a better than 50 per cent success record at each one. She had three wins and a half at Auckland and her two losses maintained a consistent pattern. She has lost two matches at each of her four Russell Grace tournaments.