Pressure on Waitikiri to repulse challengers

Press, 10 February 1989, Page 26

Pressure on Waitikiri to repulse challengers

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Waitikiri has a proud record to preserve and, because of that record, will come under intense pressure when the opening rounds of the Canterbury women’s match-play golf competition for the Pollock Cup begins at the Shirley course on Sunday. The Burwood-based club has provided the champion team since the introduction of the sixteam, four-player competition in 1986, and it has a combination wellequipped to extend the sequence this season. Canterbury’s No. 1 golfer at last year’s New Zealand Stylemaster tournament, Dianne Woodhouse, has the responsibility of leading the title-holder again, and she will be supported in the top half by Lynne-Marie Shaskey, who was unbeaten in five matches last season when representing Juniors for the third year. Such is Waitikiri’s strength it can do without Pam Anderson who formed a highly successful partnership wih Bev Craigie in the bottom order for the last two years. Anderson, who- will

be representing Country this year, lost only one of 10 matches for Waitikiri, but her playing partner, Craigie, went one better — she won all 10. Waitikiri’s lower order will be Craigie and Christine Skinner, a former Canterbury representative at the national inter-pro-vincial tournament and a regular Waitikiri team member since the inception of the, provincial competition. Christchurch and Juniors tied for second last season, two points adrift of Waitikiri and Christchurch might well present the main danger this year, bolstered by the inclusion of a former TasmanStylemaster player, Vicky Collis, who fared best of the Canterbury players at the recent South Island junior tournament. The international, Liz, Douglas, unbeaten in three years of the competition, will lead Christchurch, with the most competent Collis at No. 2. Jane Reese, who had four wins from five matches for the club last year, and the former Otago golfer, Margaret-Mary Coughlan, will be the understudies to

the top duo. _ Juniors has exceeded expectations in the three years of the championship, never more so than last year when it finished joint runner-up. It faces a daunting assignment this season without Rachel Buxton and Shaskey. Its No. 1,. Kerrin Starr, winner of the Wardell Rose Bowl at last year’s national match-play championship and the Canterbury champion-of-champions title-holder, will have the improving Kerry Williams to back her in the top order. Toni Batey, the winner of the championship plate at the recent South Island junior tournament, and a newcomer, Rebecca Prescott, from Kaiapol, will command the lower order positions. Russley, runner-up In 1986 and 1987 before failing back to fifth last year, will be without the talented former international and present Canterbury representative, Sue Hamilton. It will field an experienced team, led by the Canterbury Stylemaster representatives, Adrienne Bond and Jeannette Ross, supported

by Jackie Benschop, winner of the provincial foursomes for the last two years, and Denise Manley, The teams from Town and Country have yet to finish in the top three, and Town seems destined for another lowly place even though its four players. Annette King, Anne Brown, Joy East (unbeaten in the three matches last year) and Rosie Lee, have surprised before and are capable of doing so again. Country, however, proved a thorny opponent for most teams last year and Upset the favoured Russley in the first round. It eventually recorded its best placing (fourth) and, with the addition of Mary Sparrow and Anderson, from the Christchurch and Waitikiri clubs, respectively, it could become a stumbling block tor the fancied combinations once again. The draw on Sunday is:— Round one.—Waitikiri v. Town: Russley v. Juniors; Christchurch v. Country. Round two,—Russley v. Town; Juniors v. Country; Waitikiri v. Christchurch.