Golf: Waikato worthy champions

By BOB PEARCE

From their caddies' red bandannas in support of child cancer research to their enthusiastic reserve, Shannon Pawhau, Waikato-King Country were the team of the women's interprovincial championships.

And it was teamwork that allowed them to retain their title in a tense final with Wellington at North Shore on Saturday.

The 3-2 win came down to a 7ft par putt on the final hole which gave No 2 Wiki Shailer a half in her match with Amy Smith.

"It was good that it fell to Wiki because this has been a real team effort and everyone has made vital contributions at some stage," said No 1 Jan Storey, a 20-year veteran of this event.

Waikato had beaten Auckland 3-2 in the morning semifinals, when Storey and the solid core of Sarah McDonald and Robyn Pellow provided the wins.

In the final, Storey, who admitted she had little left after her morning effort, was well beaten by Hee-Jeong Chun, and Pellow, who had won all her previous matches, needed a clutch putt on the last to halve with Sarah Nicholson.

McDonald beat Margot Oliver 3 and 2 and No 5 Debbie Wells, a loser in the morning, made amends 5 and 4 over Lyn Andrews.

Shailer, a 20-year-old from Tokoroa, trailed Smith until the 15th. Smith regained the lead with a birdie on the 16th and needed only to halve the final hole to win the match and to send the final into a playoff.

It came down to two par putts. Shailer nailed hers while Smith missed from closer range.

Wellington had earned their place in the final with a 3-2 upset of favourites Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley in their semifinal of the Lion Foundation event.

With the Bay's Brenda Ormsby and Penny Newbrook completing perfect seven-win records, it came down to a battle between the No 1s.

Wellington's Chun dropped only one stroke to par in a fine round which saw her beat Tina Howard one up and put her team in the final.

North Harbour finished their week on a strong note, downing Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay 3-2 to finish fifth.