Syer Commands At Balmacewen

2022 Golf NZ Senior Women’s Championships

Bay of Plenty golfer, Diana Syer was awarded the GNZ Senior Veterans Challenge Cup following her recent win in the 2022 Golf New Zealand Senior Women’s Championships.

Syer’s opponent was the formidable Waikato representative Robyn Pellow (Ngaruawahia) who took an early lead on the 1st, with a birdie 4 on the challenging par 5 opening hole.

The pair traded par’s till the 7th when Pellow dropped a shot against Syers par. The 8th and 9th were halved in pars, with the pair turning all square.

The match ducked and dived around the 11th, 12th and 13th with Syers scores of 3, 4 and then a nasty 7 to Pellow’s 4, 3 and 5. Pellow sitting 1up on the 14th tee.

Syer played the shot of the match on the par 3, 15th with a chip out of the bunker that sunk for a 2 - the pair all square again on the 16th tee.

Pushing the putt for a birdie on the 17th, Pellow shot past the hole and ended up 3-putting. Syer then took the lead up the 18th, a long uphill par 5. A par apiece gave the Wairakei golfer the 2022 title.

Early in the day Syer had secured her place in the final with a 1up win over one of Otago’s most capped female representatives Liz McRae (Wanaka). Pellow’s semi-final win, 3 and 2, was against Annette Muir (Waitemata), another regular district representative.

The host Otago Golf Club fondly known as Balmacewen was a tough challenge for the senior ladies, aged 50 plus. Known for its hills and demanding climbs, niggly and frequent grassy moguls affecting many balls landing areas, the club is famous for being the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Otago was to have had a lavish week long celebration in 2021 for its 150th birthday now delayed thanks to Covid, till November 2022.

The Senior Women’s Championship is normally an immensely popular event attracting players from all over the country in addition to a large contingent from Australia. The last two years travel restrictions precluding any international entries.

Though numbers were down for this year’s 74th championship nonetheless players travelled from as far away as Whangarei to Invercargill.

The four day event starts with a qualifying Stroke Play round where the 88 players compete for the Curtis Cup. For the second year running, Diana Syer will be engraved on this prestigious trophy. Her round of 78 was one shot ahead of Robyn Boniface (Queens Park) who carded a 79.

The competition last Sunday was fought in extremely tough conditions with cold squalls affecting play throughout the day.

The Eileen Nutt badge for the best nett was awarded to Liz Bartlett from Ngaruawahia with a 70, and the Vesta Cup to Susan Flint-Hartle for the best score from a player aged 70plus.

Players were then seeded into six divisions. Other divisional winners included Jenny Peters (Whangarei), Nikki Hume (Winton), Jane Shaw (Urenui) and Sandra Young (Wyndham). The 6th division was won by another player from Urenui, Clazina Hagenson.

Plater winners included Sally Shaw (Otago), Jo Neep (Arrowtown), Kay Wyatt (Urenui), Leslie Hatcher (Ngaruawahia), Fiona Robinson (Wyndham) and Cindy Bell (Alexandra).

PaR nz Golfing Holidays who manage the tournament under the auspices of Golf New Zealand, announced that the 2023 championship will be contested on the links challenge, Whakatane. Details and entry forms to be published in due course.

Denise Langdon

Tournament Director

Phone 0275 662 385