Return to Waitikiri draws highly impressive cast

Press, 21 February 1986, Page 14

Return to Waitikiri draws highly impressive cast

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Competing in “The Press” women’s invitation golf tournament at Waitikiri this week-end might not represent a stroll down memory lane for too many in the very talented Held of 42, but several might reminisce nostalgically as they play their 54 holes. It will be the second time that the tournament has been played at Waitikiri: the first was in 1975 and that was the occasion of the inaugural event. The tournament proved such a success that it has become established on the women’s representative programme, providing the best-performed South Island players, and sometimes North Island golfers, with valuable competition before the provincial and inter-pro-vincial matches start in earnest.

Among those competing tomorrow and Sunday who might cast thoughts back to the first tournament are the former South Canterbury interational, Sue Hutchins, who, as Sue Ritchie, finished third in 1975, behind two Sues from Canterbury, Bishop and Boag; the de-

fending champion, Jeannette Ross (then Kinnaird) who was equal sixth in the inaugural event; and Liz Douglas and Julia Knight, both of whom were placed in the top 12.

Three well-known North Island golfers, Una Wickham, Heather Booth and Daisy Seiringer, participated in that initial tournament, and it seemed fitting that three from North Island areas intended to be present at Waitikiri this week-end.

Unfortunately, the accomplished Jan Cooke, the Bay of Plenty No. 2 and a national representative in Australia last year, has had to withdraw because of work commitments, and another North Island entrant, Rhonda Price, of Rotorua, sprained an ankle at an inopportune time and has also scratched.

Not all is lost though. Tracey Hanson, a teammate of Miss Cooke in Australia last year, is a confirmed starter and the young scratch golfer from the Hutt club should

prove a very worthy representative of the North Island.

Miss Hanson made a good fist of the top spot for Wellington in last year’s Stylemaster national inter-provincial championship, winning three of her six games.

She had mixed results in Australia, but was a commendable eighth in the national stroke-play championship last October

and reached the quarterfinals of the match play. Even so, “The Press” title should remain with a South Island golfer for the twelfth year. Favouritism is likely to be disputed between Debbie Smith, of Motueka, and Mrs Douglas, of Canterbury, the country’s most experienced international. They are both plus-one handicappers who have previously claimed the country’s main championship, the New Zealand match-play title.

Mrs Smith’s winning run ended last year. As Debbie Randell, she was runner-up in 1980 and 1981 before scoring three successive, and convincing, wins. She holds the record for the lowest 54hole total — 224 returned at Kaiapoi in 1983 — and matched that score the next year at Waimairi Beach.

Mrs Douglas, who won the event in 1978 when the Southland No. 1, has taken over the top billing in Canterbury and is the province’s match-play champion. She has started the season strongly and successfully, being

unbeaten in the inter-club match-play championship which ended earlier this month. Another unbeaten in that series, Dianne Bristol, a former Manawatu-Wan-ganui representative, appears to be a handy acquisition for Waitikiri and possibly Canterbury. Apart from Miss Hanson, Otago’s top pair, Jan Scandrett and Melanie Irvine, both national representatives, are scratch golfers. They have competed several times before and Miss Scandrett must feel that her turn is due after finishing runner-up for the last two years.

Adrienne Bond, a very efficient player and impressive winner of the 1985 Canterbury stroke championship at Waitikiri, Mary Sparrow, Mrs Ross and Moana Pollock form a formidable quartet of two-handicappers from Canterbury while the three-handicappers are Dianne Woodhouse (Waitikiri), the Otago representatives, Islay Macdonald and Clare McKinnel, and a long-serving South Canterbury player, Ann Seed.