Golf: Annette moves onward in style

By Bob Pearce

Annette Stott, who has been in the top flight of women's golf for more than a decade, ended her amateur career in style at Muriwai yesterday.

In her last tournament before becoming a professional coach, the 30-year-old won the North Harbour open matchplay title, completing a 5 and 3 victory over Carolyn Dobbyn (Omaha Beach) with a birdie on the par-five15th.

The West Auckland course was a fitting venue for Stott's finale. She has been a club member for 20 years and learnt her immaculate swing there from professional Aubrey Jolly.

She burst on the national scene when she was runner-up in the national matchplay championship as a 17-year-old before heading to the University of Texas on a golf scholarship.

In 1990 she was a member of the New Zealand team who were second in the world amateur championships at Christchurch and she was also in the Queen Sirikit-winning team at Hong Kong that year.

The following year Stott holed a 10-foot putt to give New Zealand victory over Australia in the Tasman Cup at Mt Maunganui. She also won the national strokeplay title the following week at Tauranga.

After concentrating on a golf fashion business, she has come back into competitive golf in the past couple of seasons and was disappointed not to be considered for the upcoming Commonwealth tournament in Canada.

"But that's not the reason I have decided to leave the amateur ranks," she said.

"I had a taste of what a playing professional's career would be like at university in the States and it's not for me.

"I have been a great supporter of tournaments at smaller clubs and I know there are many women who are crying out for coaching and I hope to be able to help them."