Second victory for Douglas in Tress’ invitation golf

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 25

Second victory for Douglas in Tress’ invitation golf

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Liz Douglas gained her second victory in "The Press” women’s invitation - 54-hole golf tournament yesterday, but expressed disappointment in her form after her twostroke win at Waitikiri.

Mrs Douglas, who had previously won the event in 1978, was encouraged by her form leading up to the tournament. However she said that she had felt pressure throughout the contest, even though she was the only player in the select field of 42 to break 80 in each of the three rounds.

The fact that Mrs Douglas will leave on Thursday, accompanied by the Aucklanders, Karrin Duckworth and Marnie McGuire, to represent New Zealand in the AsiaPacific tournament for the Queen Sirikit Cup in New Delhi,, might have had something to do with the tension inside her.

After the two rounds on Saturday, Mrs Douglas, the Canterbury No. 1, had established a three-shot lead over the province’s No. 2, Adrienne Bond, with the threetime champion, Debbie Smith, of Motueka, and Jan Scandrett (Otago) both four shots off the pace. Mrs Smith, the New Zealand match-play champion in

1984, wasted no time in cutting back the deficit in yesterday’s final round. She birdied the first, as did Mrs Douglas, but Mrs Smith carried on with further birdies at the second and fourth. With Mrs Douglas dropping a shot at the second, her lead had been whittled to one. After eight holes they were level, Mrs Douglas dropping two shots at the eighth ‘through bad judgment,” but she was given immediate respite when Mrs Smith took five on the tricky par-three ninth.

At the turn, Mrs Douglas was two ahead of Mrs Smith and the steady Mrs Bond, who had one birdie and two one-overs on the outward half. Mrs Bond's bid effectively ended at the eleventh, when a two-over 7 lost her valuable ground, especially as Mrs Douglas had gained an- , other stroke with a birdie at 10 after she hit the par-5 hole in two.

Mrs Smith, however, kept in contact and her hopes brightened when Mrs Douglas went out of bounds at the short twelfth. The Canterbury match-play champion did extremely well to hole a long putt and escape with a oneover.

Another testing .time for Mrs Douglas came at the fifteenth. Poorly placed off

the tee, her second shot hit a tree and her third shot was bunkered. She responded admirably to the pressure shot, admitting later that "it was the right amount of pressure” to bring out the best in her. Her explosion shot stopped a metre away and she made the putt for a one-over. Mrs Smith was only one shot behind with three to play, but Mrs Douglas sealed her win at the seventeenth. She holed a four-metre “Thank God” birdie putt (it would have rolled some distance past had it not been on target) and gained two shots, when Mrs Smith went over the green with her tee shot and chipped too strongly and through the front of the green with her second.

Mrs Smith very nearly chipped in for an eagle at the last, but her birdie was only good enough to recover one shot and she had to settle for equal second, along with Miss Scandrett, who has been runner-up for the last three years.

Miss Scandrett, a former International, had birdies at 13 and 18 and dropped shots at the ninth and the eleventh to match Mrs Smith’s par round of 75, the best of the tournament. It was a game performance by her as she suffered leg cramp for the last nine holes.

She gave herself many birdie chances, but did not putt too well, although she was quick to say that it was through no fault of the greens. Mrs Bond finished fourth, one shot ahead of Sue Hutchins, who was third in the inaugural tournament on the course in 1975. The promising Jane Reese did well to share sixth place with last year’s champion, the experienced Jeannette Ross.

Leading scores:— 232 — Mrs E. A. Douglas, 77, 78, 77. 234 — Miss J. Scandrett, 79, 80, 75; Mrs D. Smith, 79, 80, 75. 237 — Mrs A. Bond, 76, 82, 79.

238 — Mrs S. Hutchins, 84, 78, 76. 241 — Miss J. Reese, 82, 78, 81; Mrs J. M. Ross, 80, 83, 78.

243 — Miss D. Woodhouse, 84, 81, 78; Miss M. Irvine, 82, 89 82. ‘V: . 244 — Miss T. Hanson, 83, 81, 80. 245 — Miss H. Hames, 83, 84, 78. 247 — Miss D. Bristol, 77, 89, 81. 248 — Mrs C. Skinner, 85, 82, 81. 249 — Mrs M. Sparrow, 86, 78, 85; Miss V. Collis, 83, 80, 86.

250 — Miss S. Bilton, 82, 84, 84: Mrs A. King, 85, 81, 84.