2019 New Zealand Women’s Senior Championships

18 – 21 February

Cromwell Golf Club

Kiwis In Good Shape!

The Kiwi girls are in good shape after the Stroke Play Round has been completed at the 2019 New Zealand Women’s Senior Championships. 

Robyn Pullar (Invercargill) leads the contingent with the best score of the day, 73 on the challenging Cromwell Golf Course.  While hazards are limited and no water to contend with, players have had to grabble the slow undulating greens. Pullar worked it out, with one birdie and only two bogies in her 1 over round.

Behind by 3 shots is her fellow Southland team mate, Robyn Boniface (Queens Park) who will head into tomorrow’s first round of match play as the second qualifier. 

Also on 76, is Australia’s Helen Pascoe who has been the runner-up the last two years at this championship.  Rounding out the top four is Robyn Pellow (Ngaruawahia) who shot 77, as did Jacqui Morgan (Australia) but who was pipped on the countback to make the top four.

Morgan has competed numerous times in New Zealand and though not a winner of the Women’s Seniors was the Women’s Mid-Amateur Winner in 2013.

So three Kiwis out of the top four – all eyes will be on these ladies as they try to win back the NZ Golf Challenge Cup which has been in Australia’s hands for the last three years.

Other Kiwis to make the top sixteen include Ginny Bolderston (Geraldine), Annette Muir (North Shore), Dale Dagg (Arrowtown), Liz McRae (Wanaka), Pauline Hogue (Dunstan), Joanna Neep (Arrowtown), Pam Wright (Matamata), Lail Emmerson-Smale (Gulf Harbour), and Lesley Papworth (Arrowtown). 

Twenty Australian’s travelled over the ditch to compete in the championships 71st outing with two others joining Pascoe and Morgan in the top sixteen.  Josie Ryan and Nikki Frank will also be competing to try and make it a fourth year of Australian dominance in this prestigious senior women’s tournament.

It was a tough day at the office for Auckland’s Brigit Holford (Royal Auckland & Grange) who missed out a place in the top sixteen on a countback.  Also struggling with the course and who on seeding, could well have been a predicted top sixteen placing were Tracey Storer (Belleknowes), Bronwyn O’Brien (Tuatapere), Michele Reardon (Nelson) and Suzette Eastmond (Omaha).  All single figure golfers these five ladies will ensure that the second division competing for the Waipukurau Jubilee Salver will be a hotly contested trophy, albeit in handicap match play.

The tournament, managed under the auspices of New Zealand Golf is managed by PaR nz Golfing Holidays.  Over 150 entries were received with 141 starters today.  Players were seeded into eight divisions of sixteen players.  The last nine qualifiers will compete for the inaugural 9th Division Trophy, sponsored by PaR nz Golfing Holidays, playing a 3-round stableford challenge. 

Full results can be viewed on www.parnz.co.nz/news and www.golf.co.nz.

Denise Langdon

NZ Golf Tournament Director

Phone 0275 662 385