WOMEN’S GOLF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1939, Page 6

WOMEN’S GOLF

MIRAMAR TOURNEY. MISS COLLINS CHAMPION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Miss Susanne Collins (Wairarapa and Wellington), woman golf champion of the Dominion, won the open championship at the Miramar Ladies’ Golf Club’s tournament yesterday, defeating Mrs Thurgood (Wellington) by 3 up and 1 to play in the final. Miss Collins dominated the championship contest throughout, heading the qualifying rounds, and winning her matches in convincing fashion. The weather was gloriously fine, with a cool northerly wind tempering the rays of the sun. The following are the results: — Open championship:— Semi-finals: Miss Collins beat Mi's Russell (Miramar), 5 and 4; Mrs Thurgood beat Mrs Mackenzie (Miramar), 1 up. Final: Miss Collins beat Mrs Thurgood, 3 and 1. Miramar handicap:— Semi-finals: Mrs Elsmore (18) beat Miss Barton (11), 3 and 1; Mrs Younie (17) beat Miss McKay (19), 1 up. Final: Miss Younie beat Mrs Elsmore. 4 and 2. Miss Collins and Mrs Thurgood set off at 1.30 p.m. to contest the final. They had an even tussle going out, and the gallery got a thrill when they halved the short sixth in birdie 2’s. They halved the seventh against the wind in bogey 5, and Miss Collins made a strong run to win the eighth (340 yards) and the ninth (353 yards) with bogey 4’s. Out in 40 to 43, Miss Collins had a lead of 2 up at the turn.

The New Zealand champion gave a taste of her quality, reaching the edge of the tenth green (4GO yards) with a drive and an iron and drawing 3 up with a birdie 4 to a bogey 5. Both slipped from grace at the next two holes, the eleventh being halved in 7 and the short twelfth in 5. Miss Collins found a bunker at the eleventh and Mrs Thurgood popped her ball into a sandpit at the twelfth.

A splendid drive and a perfect high second to the green enabled Miss Collins to draw 4 up with a birdie 4 to a bogey 5 at (lie thirteenth. Mrs Thurgood retaliated with a birdie 4 at the fourteenth, where she ran down a 24fool putt. They halved the fifteenth in 5, where both duffed their second shots. Both were short off the tee going to the short sixteenth, and Mrs Thurgood reduced her leeway to 2 down by taking lhe hole in 4 to 5. The end came at the seventeenth, where Mrs Thurgood pushed her drive out into tiger country and Miss . Collins hit a beauty. Mrs Thurgood could only chip out with her second and failed to reach the green with her third. The hole went to Miss Collins in 4 to 7. which gave her the championship by 3 and 1.