Eagle-eyed Tairua golfer wins a shot at playing in the hallowed British Open

Annette Eltringham plays at the Tairua Golf and Country Club and is off to a qualifying tournament at Millbrook Golf Club. Photo / Golf NZ

A casual nine-hole game of midweek golf with friends has earned a golfer from Tairua a “once-in-a-lifetime” shot at flying off to England to play in a world invitational golf tournament leading into the famed British Open.

Annette Eltringham - who plays at the Tairua Golf and Country Club – was randomly selected as a monthly winner in a promotion being run by Golf New Zealand. The highly-patronised event, tagged Make Time Play 9, is open to golfers of all abilities and handicaps across the country, who simply submit a nine-hole scorecard to go in the draw.

As a starter for winning the most recent monthly draw, Annette won return airfares to Queenstown to compete in the final of the Make Time Play 9 New Zealand event, which is being held in March in conjunction with the New Zealand Open golf championship.

Nine finalists from around New Zealand will take part in the Queenstown shootout at Millbrook Golf Club, with the two best Kiwi players going on to represent the country at The R&A 9-Hole Challenge on the eve of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club this year.

The final in England will feature 42 nine-hole players from 21 other countries. The Make Time Play 9 initiative is literally a “money-can’t-buy opportunity” - as the only way to secure an invite to the world final is through winning each country’s qualifying tournament.

Annette, who took up the game as a 14-year-old and now plays off a 30 handicap, admits that winning a trip to Queenstown wasn’t on her mind when she took part in the qualifying round at Tairua Golf and Country Club.

“Just winning a trip to Queenstown is an amazing prize... let alone being in with a chance to go and play the lead-in event for one of the world’s most special golfing majors,” said 68-year-old Annette.

“I feel a bit like Lydia Ko or Ryan Fox. I’ll certainly be hitting the driving range and putting greens over the coming month to get in a bit of extra practice, as there’s a lot on the line for winning.”

Annette and her sister were inspired to get into the sport by watching their mother, who worked at the Howick Golf Club in Auckland, where the club offered an attractive junior programme that included coaching.

After retiring and moving permanently into the family holiday home at Tairua, Annette joined the club’s Nine Holes Group in about 2018. She cites companionship, fresh air, fun, and the spectacular scenery as the primary factors that motivate her to get on to the fairways and greens every week - often against women aged in their 80s and 90s.

Golf New Zealand development general manager Thiem Nguyen said the Make Time Play 9 initiative had attracted some 220,000 entries nationwide to date.

“For two lucky Kiwi golfers, they will have the opportunity to play on the same golf course as Ryan Fox and the best professional golfers in the world for the Open Championship,” said Nguyen.

“I know that Annette, along with the other qualifying finalists, will be excited about the Queenstown experience, and will be practicing incredibly hard over the coming weeks to sharpen up her game, with an eye to securing that elusive spot to play in the world finals.

“The last draw to qualify for the Queenstown playoff is being made in the middle of February, so there is still time for everyone to play a quick nine holes and be in the chance to win a spot.”