Golf: Waikato, BoP surge into semis

By BOB PEARCE

Waikato-King Country have powered into the semifinals of the women's interprovincial championships thanks to their Ngaruawahia connection.

Sarah McDonald and Robyn Pellow from the North Waikato club preserved their perfect six-win record as the defending champions beat Wellington and Manawatu-Wanganui yesterday to make the semifinals with one round to play.

Wellington have clinched the other semifinal place from that section, thanks to a 5-0 win over Taranaki yesterday afternoon.

Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley, with Brenda Ormsby still unbeaten, are through from the other group, but after Auckland spoiled North Harbour's party yesterday afternoon, Canterbury, Auckland or North Harbour could clinch the last place.

There has been a solidity about Waikato which has been impressive all week through the storms of Wednesday and the brilliant sunshine yesterday which dried out the North Shore course.

Pellow, a food distributor who lives in Taupiri, is an 11-year veteran of the team and she is playing some of her best golf at No 4.

At No 3, McDonald, an anaesthetic technician at Waikato Hospital, was heading for a par round of 72 when she beat Janie Field yesterday afternoon.

Waikato beat Manawatu-Wanganui 5-0 and allowed Wellington only a half as No 1 Jan Storey beat two New Zealand representatives, Claire Dury and Hee-Jeong Chun.

North Harbour began the day looking odds-on semifinalists. But they lost 4-1 to the strong Bay of Plenty team and then had their hopes dashed by Auckland.

Auckland's teenagers, Enu Chung, Keun Ji Lim and Yu Jin Bang, delivered the victory, which was capped by an outstanding half from No 1 La Nahi against national representative Anita Boon.

Nahi, from the Onewhero club, was three down with eight to play, but fought back with a couple of birdies and only narrowly missed a winning putt on the last.

Auckland play Canterbury today, with the winner guaranteed the last semifinal place. If they halve the match, it may well come down to a playoff.

The only other possibility is that North Harbour beat Otago 5-0 to slip past if the other two share their match.

The teams will play only one round today. The semifinals of the Lion Foundation event start at 8 am tomorrow, with the final at 1 pm.