Waitikiri’s match play record under threat from Russley .

Press, 10 February 1988, Page 44

Waitikiri’s match play record under threat from Russley .

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Waitikiri has not changed its make-up for its defence of the Canterbury women’s match-play golf championship which starts with two rounds at Harewood on Saturday and continues with a third on that course the next day. Charged with the responsibility of retaining the Pollock Cup are Dianne Woodhouse, Chris Skinner, Pam Anderson and Bev Craigie. They face an imposing task, the complexion of the competition being altered by the presence of a former international, Sue Hamilton, in the Russley ranks. The teams’ championship, introduced in 1986, has been won by Waitikiri in both years with Russley twice the runner-up, beaten on a count-back of individual games two years ago and finishing a point in arrears last season. Russley’s turn should come at its third attempt. Adrienne Bond, a surprise, but well-merited finalist in the New Zealand amateur championship at Palmerston North in November, and Hamilton, are likely to form the top order.

In spite of being away from the competitive scene for several years, Hamilton, with more than 50 appearances for Canterbury in the New Zealand inter-provincial teams’ tournament, is bound to find her rhythm quickly. Four times the provincial stroke champion and three times the amateur title-holder, Hamilton has one of the most stylish swings in the women’s game. The inclusion of Hamilton will possibly fallow

Russley’s No. 1 last year, Jeannette Ross, to step into the team at No. 3, a position from which she can be expected to contribute handsomely to her team’s total. As its fourth member, Russley has Denise Manley, who met with only one reversal in five matches last season. Manley’s match-play qualities were evident at the national championship last year when she took the eventual winner, Jennifer Wyatt, of Canada, to the last hole in the first round. Over all, Waitikiri’s personnel may possess lesser qualifications than their Russley counterparts, but the club has met with outstanding results at all levels of inter-club golf in recent years, and the Waitikiri women will not want the record tarnished. Woodhouse and Skinner, both Canterbury representatives, have given sterling service to their club in the top order for the last two years and can be expected to do likewise again, while

Anderson and Craigie could not be faulted in the 1987 competition, both winning their five contests. Christchurch, third in 1986 and fourth last year, has an excellent chance of improving its ranking, especially if Maryanne Stemmer and Jane Reese, play their parts in the bottom half. The team is led by New Zealand’s top ranked golfers last year, Liz Douglas, who has a 100 per cent record in the championship, and a • I

battle hardened Mary Sparrow, always a difficult adversary in match play. Juniors, as the name suggests, is a side of emerging young golfers, some of whom have already represented Canterbury at senior level with the others on the fringe of selection. Juniors were third last year and three of that team, Rachel Buxton, Lynne-Marie Shaskey and Kerrin Starr, are back again. They are joined by Kerry Williams, a quarter-finalist in last month’s South Island junior tournament. The other two teams, Town and Country, have fought out the bottom placings in the previous championships, and that is likely to be their lot again, although both are capable of upsetting any of the fancied teams. Last year Country kept Russley to a half in the fourth round. A regular Canterbury representative, Moana Pollock, will lead Country, and Annette King, a useful contributor to the Russley cause in the last two championships, will be the top player for ■ " -