From left - past RGC club captain Tiweka Anaru toasting long-time member Wai Morrison after her massive 19x hole battle!
Report – Quarter Finals 2024 Senior Women’s Golf Classic
Rotorua Golf Club Wednesday 8 February
Aussie – Kiwi Final
Whatever happens in tomorrow mornings semi-finals, it will be an Aussie v Kiwi final in the 2024 Veterans Challenge Cup, Division 1.
Vying for the first final place will be Lisa Herbert (Manawatu) taking on Hasting’s Diane Syer – both Kiwi representatives due to go onto Taupo next week as team mates for the ‘real’ Trans- Tasman.
Herbert, who earlier in the week won the Curtis Cup for the best round (on countback) in the Stroke Play Championship, won 4 and 2 against Jacqui Morgan (Australia) in the first quarter final today. Another solid performance from Herbert who turned 2up and only 1-over the card after 9 holes. An uncharacteristic a blemish on the 10th with a bogey only to capture this back on the 11th with birdie, a lead she never relinquished. All over on the 16th hole.
Syer won her quarter final on the 18th over Gillian Lees (Mount). In a battle that seemed to be hers in the opening nine holes but with a comeback from Lees on the back nine, the match was edged back to all square on the 16th. Both players halved the par 3-17th but Syer won the 18th with a par. A gallant two days for the Mount player but not this time.
Herbert vs Syer semi-final no #1 – only one can win and advance to tomorrow’s final.
The two Aussies battling it out for a finals place are Nadene Gole and Louise Mullard. Both are past professionals who have regained their amateur status, Gole currently the world’s best ranked senior women’s amateur.
Gole secured her place in the 2nd semi-final due to tee off at 9.52am tomorrow, when she bet Robyn Boniface (Queens Park) 2 and 1. A very close match, Gole one under the card on the finishing 17th hole, Boniface only one over. A match that could have gone either way – this time to the highly talented Aussie.
Robyn Pellow, a long-standing Waikato representative had her work cut out for her when she faced Australia’s Louise Mullard. Halving the 1st hole, Pellow then bogeyed the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 8th and with a birdie on the par 3-6th, Mullard turned 5 up at the turn. The chase was too much, and a loss to the Kiwi 5 and 3.
And so the second semi-final, Gole vs Mullard of which the winner will go onto the final against either Herbert or Syer. Watch this space.
Division 2, the Waipukurau Jubilee Salver semi finalists include Jenny Ferrier (Motueka) vs Joanne McDonald (New Plymouth) and Annette Muir (Waitemata) taking on Jenny Peters (Northland).
The Hawkes Bay Salver (Div. 3) and the Manawatu Wanganui Salver (Div. 4) will be fought out between Chris Thomson (Taupo) vs Joanne Wilton-Eadie (Foxton), Marina Gopperth vs Carolyn Koch fellow team mates from Manaia, Heather Richardson (Waikare) vs Jill Evans (Inglewood), Michelle Cathie (Manaia) vs Jennifer Manning (Horsham Downs).
Teena McColl (Matarua) will take on local Rotorua member Louise Armstrong who had a resounding victory today 8 and 6 to secure her place in the first semi- final in the Canterbury Rosebowl (Div. 5). Harriet Dewes (Foxton) will match against popular local member Wai Morrison (Rotorua) to secure a place in the final in the 5th division.
Bev McLean (Cambridge) will match against Pam Sassella (Australia) and Kerry Vickers (Ngahinepouri) will play Verna Bourke (Patea) in the Maunu Trophy, Div 6.
The Wanaka Trophy, Div 7 semi finalists include Maria Copson (Te Anau) against Angela Curle (Hamilton), along with Sinead Keaney (Akarana) matching against Carmel Hyndman (Wanaka) – could be a South Island final – time will tell.
And for the Waihi Cup (Div.8), Christine Alley (Paeroa) in the only match in this divison to be played tomorrow, vs Mandy Smalley (Winton).
For all tee times Semi Finals, Friday 9 February
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