Golf: Sydney teenager takes NZ matchplay title

By BOB PEARCE

Carlie Butler's golfing year started badly and has just got better and better, culminating in the New Zealand matchplay title at Huapai yesterday.

The 18-year-old from the New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney beat another Sydneysider, Nadina Taylor, 4 and 2 in the final over 36 holes.

It was all so different from the frustrating opening to 2000 when Butler languished with a bout of glandular fever and had to miss the first two Australian ranking tournaments.

But she fought her way back into form, joining Taylor in the victorious New South Wales state team and setting a course record at Manly on the eve of her trip to New Zealand.

She struggled to read the greens during the 36-hole qualifying at Huapai, but still finished second and had to turn back a stern New Zealand challenge to reach the matchplay final.

In the game of the Honda tournament she needed three extra holes to beat New Zealand Espirito Santo representative Tina Howard, of Taupo, in the quarter-finals.

And in the semifinals she had to come back from one down with four to play to see off the impressive Anita Boon (Muriwai).

Boon made her one mistake off the tee on the 16th to let Butler lead for the first time. And one up was the margin of victory after they both birdied the last two holes.

The 22-year-old Taylor has won four state titles this year and advanced to the Huapai final by beating Angela Hawkes, the top qualifier, and her twin sister, Wendy, the defending champion.

The final featured some of the best women's golf seen in this country. Butler was four up at halfway in a nearly flawless round, including six birdies.

Taylor found herself six down with 10 to play in the afternoon. At that stage she had three consecutive birdies to give herself a glimmer of hope, but Butler was just too steady. Remarkably, Taylor had seven birdies in the afternoon - and lost.

After the tournament the national selectors named Penny Newbrook (Springfield), Sarah Nicholson (Wainuiomata), Natalie Storck (North Shore), Teiria Te Riini (Kawerau) and Kyla Welsh (Timaru) for the Junior Tasman Trophy in Tasmania in January.

The reserve is Shannon Pawhau (Ngaruawahia).

Meanwhile, Steve Alker showed he is in good form for the start of the Australasian golf tour when he won a 36-hole pro-am at Whitford Park by four shots with a five-under total of 137.

The Hamilton golfer was in second place with a one-under 70 after the first round, but blitzed the field with a 67 in the second.

That score was beaten by second-placed Stu Malcomson from Takapuna, whose second-round 66 earned him second place and a new course record.

Touring pros Phil Tataurangi and Marcus Wheelhouse led with 69s on the first day, but faded with 74 and 76 on Saturday, allowing New Plymouth's Dominic Barson to take third place.

Top amateur, with a total of 143, was Chris Johns (Auckland).

Alker, who leads the Canadian tour's Order of Merit after winning two tournaments, has opted to play the New Zealand Open in January, rather than the final Canadian tour merit event.

Tataurangi, recovering from injury, heads back to the United States shortly to play in the US PGA tour school in a bid to regain his card.