A former Scottish junior representative and a current Canterbury selector have claimed the 81st New Zealand Womens Autumn Foursomes Cup at Harewood Golf Club yesterday.
It was an exciting finish for the host club with Harewood members Debbie Scott, partnered with Jill Balloch, winning on the 18th hole after a closely fought battle.
Matching against Julie Livesey (Tai Tapu) and Sharon Screen (Charteris Bay), the favoured pair didn’t have the best of starts, being 2-down after 4 holes. Par’s on the 5th and 6th got them back to all-square which they held till the 10th hole. A bogey on the opening back nine was good enough for Scott and Balloch to edge ahead with Livesey and Screen shooting a triple-bogey. The match however see-sawed back and forth for four more holes, until Scott and Balloch slotted two pars’ in a row, to gain the lead on the 15th. The 16th and 17th were halved, until the match was conceded on the 18th when Livesey and Screen struggled to make the tough finishing hole in regulation.
As one of the lowest seeded pairs, Scott and Balloch had to play consistently for all six rounds, frequently giving shots, up to 23 in one match, in the handicap foursomes format.
The three-day tournament randomly draws 64 pairs, with players competing for the NZ Golf Autumn Foursomes Cup over six rounds of foursomes match play.
The NZLGU Salver Flight 1 was won by the sister-duo Ginny Bolderston (Geraldine) and Nicky Muir (Hororata) who have both been selected to compete in the forthcoming 2017 New Zealand Womens Masters. Bolderston will represent Aorangi, and Muir, Canterbury, next weekend at Ngaruawahia Golf Club.
The NZ Autumn Foursomes Flight 1 winners were Pam Ellis (Waitikri) and Lyn Roberston (Amberley). Ellis has a long association with Canterbury Golf, and is the current manager of the districts Masters team.
