Championship Cup Goes Back to Aussie
The 2020 New Zealand Senior Women’s Championship concluded on Thursday 20 February, at the Taupo Golf Club with the NZ Golf Veterans Challenge Cup, awarded to Australian, Jacqui Morgan (Monash), the title going back to Australia.
This prestigious women’s tournament is open to all senior women aged 50 and over, attracting the best senior players from both sides of the Tasman. With Morgan’s win, Australian players have won the Challenge Cup four times in the last five years.
Morgan, one of Australia’s most capped seniors, dominated the prize table claiming both the Challenge Cup for her performance in the match play section, and the Curtis Cup for the Stroke Play Championship, the best gross in qualifying.
Morgan comfortably won her final against local Diana Syer (Wairakei) in a match she led at all stages. Turning 3-up after 9 holes, which included one birdie on the par-3, 6th, sadly for locals, Syer was in catch up mode most of the match. Morgan did have a couple of speed wobbles on three holes in the back nine, but held on to take out the match on the 17th.
Morgan’s run to the final included wins over her fellow countrymen, Carmen Palframan (Lake Karrinyup) and Helen Pascoe (Buninyong) before her semi-final against Brigit Holford (Royal Auckland Grange) in the semi-final.
In confirming her place in the final, Syer had her toughest battle against Robyn Boniface (Queens Park), who was the defending champion. Syer needed all 18 holes to secure her place against the seasoned campaigner from Southland, with a final score 2up.
Syer’s earlier wins were against Kim Burke (Shelly Beach) and Jill Morgan (Cambridge). Both Burke and Morgan were previous winners, in 2017 and 2015 respectively.
Taupo’s best result was in the Division 3, Manawatu Whanganui Salver, where Lynette Mortleman won, after a final against Dianne Cleland (Waikaka). Mortelman needed two extra holes to finally getting her hands on this salver.
Anna Brabyn, Taupo Golf Club’s President, won the LGU Vesta Cup for the best score in the stroke play round, for players aged 70-plus.
Other Taupo locals in the extensive prize pool in the awards ceremony were Chris Pritt, Lesley Hosking and Chris Thomson. Pritt and Thomson were both plate winners, Hosking a flight winner.
The 72nd championship attracted players from around the country along with 20 entrants from Australia. 124 senior ladies started the tournament with an 18-hole Stroke Play round before qualifying into eight divisions of 16, competing for three days in match play.
Other divisional winners included Rosie Priest (Paraparaumu), Liz Bartlett (Ngaruawahia), and Sarah Pearson (Arrowtown) in the Waipukurau Jubilee Salver, Hawke’s Bay Salver and Canterbury Rosebowl divisions respectively.
The Maunu Trophy was awarded to Chris Chambers (St Clair), the Wanaka Trophy to Mary Symons (Otautau) and the Waihi Trophy to Robyn Kennard (Tuatapere).
PaR nz Golfing Holidays, who manage the tournament on behalf of New Zealand Golf, announced that the 73rd Championship will be held in Taranaki from the 15th – 18th February at New Plymouth Golf Club, known as Ngāmotu Links.
The attention of host club, Taupo, now turns to the 2020 Senior Women’s Trans-Tasman Biannual Tournament.
The inaugural Trans-Tasman was held in Adelaide in 2018 with Australia wining by one point. Morgan, the Australian captain, will hope her current form can continue over the weekend, attempting to lead her team to their second win.
The Australian team includes Sue Wooster who is currently the world’s leading senior women golfer. Named in January, Wooster has wins and top places in numerous senior women’s amateur tournaments around the globe.
Wooster did not play in the New Zealand championship this week, but was a winner in 2018. Wooster will join Morgan, Burke, Palfrman and Pascoe along with Sharon Dawson, who won the New Zealand championship in 2016.
New Zealand will be led by Robyn Boniface, who is awaiting the arrival of new cap to the team, Julie Gee (Riverside), who was also not available to compete in the New Zealand Senior Women’s Championship.
Boniface’s team includes a star studded list of past Senior Women Champions including Robyn Pullar (Invercargill), Robyn Pellow (Ngauruawahia), along with Holford and Syer.
Boniface is a 4-time winner of the Challenge Cup and a 4-time winner of the Curtis Cup as the Stroke Play Champion. Syer is the current New Zealand Women’s Mid Am holder along with her 2020 runner-up place after this week’s tournament.
The Trans-Tasman programme includes an opening ceremony at Taupo Golf Club Saturday 22 February at 5.30pm, Foursomes match play Sunday from 8.30am with Fourball match play due to commence at 12.45pm. The teams will then compete in singles match play, like a Presidents Cup format, on Monday 24 February, tee off 8.30am.
For more information please contact
Denise Langdon
NZ Golf Tournament Director
Phone 0275 662 385
Results
Championship NZ Veterans Challenge Cup
Final: J Morgan bt D Syer 2 and 1
Semi Finals: Jacqui Morgan bt; B Holford 2 and 1; D Syer bt R Boniface 2up
Qtr Finals: Jacqui Morgan bt H Pascoe 4 and 3; B Holford bt R Pullar 3 and 2; R Boniface bt S Dawson 2 and 1; D Syer bt Jill Morgan 3 and 2
Waipukurau Jubilee Salver
Final: R Priest bt J Kent 4 and 2
Semi Finals: J Kent bt E Newton 19th; R Priest bt J McCauley 3 and 2
Qtr Finals: E Newton bt J Wilton-Eadie 1up; J Kent bt H Green 4 and 3; R Priest bt S Eastmond 3 and 1; J McCauley bt P Jeffrey 3 and 2
Hawke’s Bay Salver
Final: L Bartlett bt T Sasaki 19th
Semi Finals: T Sasaki bt G Muir 6 and 5; L Bartlett bt J Lloyd 3 and 1
Qtr Finals: T Sasaki bt J Hall 2up; G Muir bt L Campbell 3 and 2; L Bartlett bt H Gifkins 2 and 1; J Lloyd bt J Moyle 1up
Manawatu Whanganui Salver
Final: L Mortleman bt D Cleland 20th
Semi Finals: L Mortleman bt C Hyndman 5 and 3; D Cleland bt A Mark 19th
Qtr Finals: C Hyndman bt J Gibson 21st; L Mortleman bt C Fouhy 2 and 1; D Cleland bt B Bridge 3 and 2; A Mark bt C Mackenzie 2 and 1
Canterbury Rosebowl
Final: S Pearson bt T Woolcott 2/1
Semi Finals: T Woolcott bt A Newman 2 and 1; S Pearson bt S Connell 2up
Qtr Finals: A Newman bt S Speden 2 and 1; T Woolcott bt J Clifton 2 and 1; S Connell bt G Bunn 3 and 2; S Pearson bt J Fullerton 3 and 2
Maunu Trophy
Final: C Chambers bt V Philp 1up
Semi Finals: C Chambers bt F Currie 5 and 4; V Philp bt B Duncan 4 and 3
Qtr Finals: C Chambers bt R Taylor 2 and 1; F Currie bt P Johnston 2 and 1; V Philp bt T Yoshifuku 5 and 4; B Duncan bt N Simmons 2up
Wanaka Trophy
Final: P Purdie bt M Symons 1up
Semi Finals: P Purdie bt C Alley 3 and 1; M Symons bt N Bertinshaw 5 and 4
Qtr Finals: C Alley bt P Dawson 3 and 2; P Purdie bt J Davey 7 and 5; N Bertinshaw bt L Chambers 5 and 4; M Symons bt C Williams 3 and 2
Waihi Trophy
Final: R Kennard bt M Cleaver 8 and 6
Semi Finals: M Cleaver bt R Aitken 2 and 1; R Kennard bt M Hardy 2 and 1
Qtr Finals: R Aitken bt K Bazeos 5 and 3; M Cleaver bt E Leary 2 and 1; R Kennard bt S Allioux 20th; M Hardy bt T Vanengelen 3 and 2