Shandon Golf Club Win Lansdowne Trophy

Shandon Win Lansdowne Trophy

Shandon has won the Lansdowne Trophy for Women's 36 Hole Interclub, for the first time since 2015, beating Royal Wellington in a classic battle around the famed links at Paraparaumu Beach GC.

Royal had booked their place in the final by somewhat upsetting the 4 peat champions Boulcott's Farm in the previous weekend's semifinal, courtesy of a dramatic late round finish and subsequent playoff victory at Manor Park GC.

The team from Royal set out in the morning where they had left off,  a strong start and advantage in the lead out foursomes match, and a 2 hole lead approaching the 2/3rds mark in the middle match, with Shandon holding a good lead in the top match. The middle game, in what was to prove crucial at the end of the day, swung Shandon's way in the last 6 holes, where the PBGC course shows its world class. Captain Anita Harkerss and partner Dakota Asi played superbly, irons to close proximity on 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and into 4ft on 17 to seal the match.

The afternoon settled into a real battle, with Royal holding advantage in the no.6 and no.4 matches, captain Pip Smith taking her match away from her opponent from the very first hole. Shandon held a good advantage in the no.1 match, NZ ranked no.1 player Darae Chung puting the foot down thruough the turn for a classy result. The no.5 match had been 4 up after 4 to Shandon, but that adavantage had dissapeared by the 13th, only for young Victoria Faafia to make a nice 2 on the 14th, gaining a single hole advantage and eventually winning 2/1.  2 Games each. Shandon no.2 Yewoo Hyun was striking the ball superbly and graudually gained an advantage over the previous weeks playoff hero Sam Maree Brown closing out the match on 16, and captain Harkerss birdied 18 to win on the final green. The final score belies how close the day was, the morning turn around proving the difference.

Viv Callender, the recent Royal Wellington GC President, presented the trophies, and delivered a wonderful account of the history of the event from its creation in the early 70's by the very strong and dominant Masterton Women's team, unbeatable in the early years, through the winning run of Royal Wellington and on into the new millenium, with next year being the 50th contesting of the Lansdowne.