Jan Arnold unbeaten

Press, 7 June 1983, Page 22

Jan Arnold unbeaten

By 808 SCHUMACHER Jan Arnold, a young lass from Hamilton, had her first look at the Russley golf course at Queen’s Birthday week-end. She will remember the occasion well as she came through three days of the P.G.F. national women’s golf trial unbeaten. Miss Arnold, the present New Zealand senior and junior women’s champion, won her four match-play contests, twice beating her fellow international, Brenda Rhodes (Bay of PlentyThames Valley), and accounting for two other New Zealand representatives, Liz Douglas of Southland, and Jan Scandrett, of Otago. A vigorous hitter of the ball, Miss Arnold was able to achieve sufficient length off the tees to attack with her approach shots. She hit some lack-lustre chips, but her bold putting matched her positive outlook to games.

Miss Arnold’s opponent yesterday was Miss Scatidrett, herself an aggressive and strong player. They gave a good display, Miss Scandrett having a good patch in the middle part. She birdied 13 and holed a long putt to halve 14 in birdies. However, Miss Arnold took the match at the seventeenth when her opponent failed with a curving par putt. Mrs Douglas gained her third win, but was extended by the fresh-faced Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley junior, Kaye Carroll. Miss Carroll won the ninth and tenth to go 1 up, but she was unable to hold off Mrs Douglas on the closing holes.

Another excellent game was between Rhodes, a

member of last year’s Espirito Santo team, and Nelson’s Debbie Randell, who was the reserve for that team. Miss Randell seemed well in control when she was 2 up after 14 and was nicely placed to win 15.

However, Mrs Rhodes holed a great 13m putt to half the fifteenth and she was still in the game when Miss Randell three-putted the seventeenth. Mrs Rhodes clipped the hole with her birdie chip at the last, but failed to hole the par putt. The trial was not memorable for Mrs Rhodes, the national champion in 1980 and 1981, who lost all four contests. Miss Randell’s fine win clinched her place in the New Zealand team for the Commonwealth tournament in Canada. A former New Zealand match-play champion, Robyn Boniface, of Southland, also impressed with her heady play over the three days. She was unbeaten in match play and numbered two national junior representatives among her victims.. Results:—

Match play.— Jan Arnold (Hamilton) beat Jan Scandrett (Balmacewen), 2 and 1; Shelley Duncan (Balmacewen) halved with Jan Storey (Hamilton); Liz Douglas (Invercargill) beat Kaye Carroll (Opotiki), 2 and 1; Debbie Randell (Greenacres) beat Brenda Rhodes (Te Puke), 2 up; Robyn Boniface (Queen’s Park) beat Pauline Meyer (The Grange), 5 and 4; Karrin Young (Manakau) beat Miss Meyer, 5 and 3; Mrs Boniface beat Miss Young, 1 up. Heather Breingan (Bay of Plenty) withdrew through illness.