N.Z.-Australia golf final a certainty

Press, 13 May 1987, Page 80

N.Z.-Australia golf final a certainty

PA Wellington The New Zealand junior women’s matchplay championship final at the Hutt Golf Club today is certain to be an Australia v. New Zealand clash. After two rounds of matchplay yesterday the home course heroine, Tracey Hanson, and Muriwai’s Annette Stott, aged 18, moved into one semifinal, with the Australians, Nicole Lowien and Shani Waugh, advancing to fight out the other. No New Zealander has won the title since Jan Arnold in 1983. Hanson would dearly love to stop the run of Australian victories. It is her last year in the junior ranks and a national title on her home course would be a fitting finishing touch to her already successful junior career. Yesterday Hanson, aged 20, trailed the New Zealand junior international, Joanne Brooks (Tauranga), by one hole after the first nine holes of

their quarter-final. Brooks had earlier put the highly regarded Australian, Donna Faneco, out of the tournament, 2 and 1. Hanson squared up at the tenth then reeled off birdies at the par five fifteenth and the par four sixteenth and seventeenth holes to seal the match. Hanson, who could not recall ever firing three consecutive birdies, said she had not been too concerned when Brooks held the early advantage. “I felt I was only one over par at the turn so it was just a matter of keeping . going and hitting a few good shots,” Hanson said. The last time Hanson met Stott, in matchplay Hanson won 5 and 4, but Stott, who won 3 and 1 over Australia’s Vicki Briggs in her quarterfinal, promises to provide stiffer competition today. “I’m going to go out and give it my best shot,” Stott said. Stott was all square with Briggs going to the

thirteenth. She won the hole, halved the next, then won the fifteenth to go two holes up. Briggs slink a long putt to share the sixteenth but lost the seventeenth and with it the match. The New Zealand pair would no doubt be casting a wary eye at the form of the big-hitting Australian, Lowien. Results.— First round: T. Hanson (Hutt) beat A. Rodgers (Tauranga), 5 and 4; J. Brooks (Tauranga) beat D. Fansoo (Australia), 2 and 1; V. Briggs (Australia) beat T. Jeffrey (Australia), 1-up; A. Stott (Auckland) beat J. Morris (Australia), 2 and 1; N. Lowien (Australia) beat F. Kearns (Nelson), 6 and 5; S. Gautrey (Australia) beat K. de Latour (Auckland), 4 and 3; S. Waugh (Australia) beat S. Higgens (Hamilton), 1-up; F. Giles (Australia) beat S. Farron (Palmerston North), 2 and 1. Quarter-finals: Hanson beat Brooks, 3 and 1; Stott beat Briggs, 3 and 1; Lowien beat Gautrey, 5 and 4; Waugh beat Giles, 2 and 1. Semi-final draw: Hanson v. Stott, Lowien v. Waugh.