Four winners in Tress’ golf field

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 33

Four winners in Tress’ golf field

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Four of the previous seven winners of “The Press” invitation women’s 54-hole stroke tournament will be at Templeton on Saturday and Sunday morning for the fifteenth running of the established event.

Two distinguished New Zealand representatives, Liz Douglas, of Canterbury, and Debbie Smith, of Motueka, will both be looking for a record fourth win — the present record of three is shared by Douglas, Smith and Sue Hamilton. Defending her title will be the province’s No. 1 at last year’s national inter-

provincial Stylemaster tournament, Dianne Woodhouse, while the other former champion in the field is the long-serv-ing Canterbury representative, Jeannette Ross, whose success was achieved four years ago.

As Debbie Randell, Smith first displayed her range of golfing skills in the tournament when it was last held at Templeton in 1980. On that occasion she finished runnerup with Sue Boag, of Hamilton, a position she also filled the next year before scoring a hat-trick of wins. Since her last win in 1984, Smith, who did not compete last year, has

been runner-up twice. Douglas was representing Southland when she first succeeded in 1978, but she was Canterbury’s leading lady when she won in 1986 and again in 1987. She was below her best last year when finishing equal seventh, but her unbeaten record in the Canterbury teams’ match-play competition in the last fortnight indicated her readiness for the 54 holes at the weekend.

The versatile Woodhouse — she is also in the Canterbury women’s basketball squad this season — had the easiest win for five years when she eclipsed her nearest

rival, Adrienne Bond, by five strokes at Russley last year. The Waitikiri player played aggressively and reasonably well in the recent Pollock Cup series and found that competition a good way of “removing the cobwebs” as she prepared for “The Press” tournament and upcoming provincial championships. Bond, twice the runnerup; Ross; Annette King, who was third last year; the dependable Mary Sparrow; Kerrin Starr, last season’s Canterbury champion of champions; Vicky Collis, an acquisition from Tasman; Margaret-Mary Coughlan;

Lynne-Marie Shaskey; Christine Skinner and Denise Manley are other Canterbury players quite capable of finishing in the top placings.

As usual there is a strong representation from outside the area. A New Zealand junior, Leanne Phillips, from Blenheim, is an exciting prospect. She was fourth last year, one place ahead of Melanie Harper (Otago), who is back again. The three-times runner-up, Jan Scandrett (Otago), and the South Canterbury Stylemaster trio of Sue Hutchins, Helen Hames and Ann Seed, are other regular and respected