 With four holes to play Auckland called the shots, ahead 3 1/2- 1 1/2, but the Waikato players, as they had done all week when in tight situations, dug deep and reeled off the pars on a wind-swept course where par was often a winning score.
The match turned Waikato’s way when No. 4 Kelly Nicholas, 1 down with four to play, won three holes in a row against her junior international rival, Hayley Clinning.
That 2 and 1 win inspired Waikato’s trailing players and No. 2 Erin Hawe and No. 1 Emily Perry both won their matches at the last green to give their team the win, 3 1/2- 1 1/2.
It was Waikato’s fourth success in the 60-year-old history of the match-play event, but its first under its present identity. Waikato-King Country was successful in 1973, 2000 and 2001.
A member of the winning Waikato team in 2001, Debbie Wells, is now the manager of the side and she was as thrilled as her young charges, the oldest player being 17-year-old Perry, who was playing her fourth tournament.
Hawe was attending her second and the bottom three, Hanna Seifert, Nicholas and No. 5 Charlotte Brooks were all on debut.
``The girls played their hearts out,’’ Wells said. ``I’m proud of them, this was a total team effort and they showed guts and determination when it was close on a number of occasions to take us through unbeaten. Everyone made crucial contributions and vital times.’’
Jane Lee gave Auckland its first win, the only decisive one of the final, the little Titirangi golfer accounting for Seifert, 5 and 4. Seifert was 3 down after five and a series of bogeys gave her little chance of reducing the deficit. She never won a hole until the 12th at which stage she was 6 down.
Nicholas, squared the ledger by winning the match between the No. 4s. No more than one hole separated her and unbeaten Clinning until the crunch closing holes.
Clinning, 1 up after 14, lost 15 and 16 with bogeys and also the par-3 17th which she conceded.
The bottom singles was also close throughout between newcomers. Auckland’s Emily Eng went 2 up after eight, but the match was square after 11. Eng went 1 up at 14, but Brooks leveled with a par at 17 and they halved with bogeys at the last, Eng holing a 1m putt to stay square.
With the match in the balance, Waikato’s top pair stamped their mark. Hawe won the 17th against Tania Tare to go 1 up and had the luxury of three-putting the last to stay that way.
Perry and previously unbeaten Auckland No. 1 Cecilia Cho were square at 14, but Perry birdied 14 and she made spectacular recoveries, chipping dead at 16 and 17 to stay 1 up before winning the last hole with a par.
Auckland had made the final by beating Southland. 4 1/2- 1/2, and Waikato won a tense semi-final against Northland, 3 1/2- 1 1/2.
NZ WOMEN GOLF FINAL RESULTS
Results of the semi-finals and final at the Toro New Zealand women’s inter-provincial team tournament at the Nelson Golf Club today were:
Final
Waikato 3 1/2 Auckland 1 1/2: Emily Perry bt Cecilia Cho 2 up, Erin Hawe bt Tania Tare 1 up, Hanna Seifert lost to Jane Lee 5 and 4, Kelly Nicholas bt Hayley Clinning 2 and 1, Charlotte Brooks halved with Emily Eng.
Semi-finals:
Auckland 4 1/2 Southland 1/2: Cecilia Cho bt Lisa Henderson 4 and 2, Tania Tare bt Katrina Manaena 2 and 1, Jane Lee halved with Robyn Pullar, Hayley Clinning bt Olivia Frost 2 and 1, Emily Eng bt Fiona Murray 3 and 2.
Waikato 3 1/2 Northland 1 1/2: Emily Perry bt Caroline Bon 2 and 1, Erin Hawe lost to Phoebe Perrin 3 and 2, Hanna Seifert halved with Sunny Namkoong, Kelly Nicholas bt Aroha Tito 5 and 4, Charlotte Brooks bt Jo Wech 1 up.
Play-offs
For fifth and sixth
North Harbour 3 1/2 Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay 1 1/2: Rica Tse bt Sheridan Graham 6 and 5, Hanee Song lost to Kate Chadwick 5 and 3, Jenna Hunter bt Kathy Olsen 2 up, Faye-Amy Nickson halved with Jaime McIvor, Lydia Ko bt Vicky Turley 3 and 2.
For seventh and eighth
Bay of Plenty 5 Tasman 0: Zoe Brake bt Lisa Wright 3 and 2, Penny Smith bt Sarah Rutledge 5 and 3, Susan Lines bt Andrea Corbett 3 and 2, Krystle Kearns bt Rete Kydd 2 up, Heather Lavery bt Jodi Meadows.
For ninth and 10th
Manawatu-Wanganui 2 1/2 Wellington 2 1/2: Stephanie McKillop halved with Lucy Davis, Maraea Durie lost to Megan Leech 5 and 4, Jaimee Lee Morrah lost to Heu Sina 2 down, Marama Baker bt Pesi Sina 9 and 7, Tracey Corbett bt Alanah Braybrook 5 and 4.
For 11th and 12th
Aorangi-South Canterbury 3 Taranaki 2: Catherine Knight bt Gemma Mathieson 4 and 3, Kyla Welsh bt Debbie McCallum 9 and 7, Amber Boyce bt Nicole Keegan 2 and 1, Janelle Amalfitano lost to Rochelle Keegan 4 and 3, Anita Lawson lost to Melissa Hill 5 and 3.
For 13th and 14th
Canterbury 3 Otago 2: Jenny Sim lost to Monica Tulisi 2 and 1, May Chang bt Liz McRae 3 and 2, Nellie Tulisi bt Kathryn Fletcher 2 up, Hayley Beaumont bt Julie Cooper 3 and 1, Elisha Crosbie lost to Shani Arona 2 and 1.
Final standings:
Waikato 1 Auckland 2, Southland 3, Northland 4, North Harbour 5, Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay 6, Bay of Plenty 7, Tasman 8, Manawatu-Wanganui 9, Wellington 10, Aorangi-South Canterbury 11, Taranaki 12, Canterbury 13, Otago 14. |
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