Wellington women finish 2 places better than previous year in 2016 Masters event.

2016 New Zealand Women’s Masters

Methven Golf Club

Final Results – A Win For Auckland

Sunday 03 April

Article courtesy of NZ Golf

With a massive overnight lead of 19, Auckland has won the 2016 New Zealand Women’s Masters at Methven Golf Club.

Returning to the same club where the Women’s Masters started 25 years ago, Auckland has the Russell Grace Cup again, for the fourth time.

Led by captain and past New Zealand representative Lisa Herbert (nee Aldridge), their final team score was 388 gross stableford points, with Herbert contributing in all four rounds.   Herbert was one shot shy of the best individual trophy, with 132 individual points.

Teammate Sian Kelly had the best round of the tournament, 38, in round three, yesterday afternoon.  Scarlett Jeon also contributed in all four rounds and along with Brigit Holford, competing in her 13^thMasters, the combined team total, (that combines the best 3 scores each round), gave them a winning margin of 12 shots ahead of the field.

Chasing and with a final round of 98 points to secure them the silver medal, was the defending champions Southland “dubbed the ones to beat” such has been their dominance in this tournament over the past eight years.   Auckland was the ‘bridesmaid’ to Southland in both 2014 and 2015.

Team captain Robyn Boniface had the best round today with 37 points, and Robyn Pullar narrowly missed out on the best individual trophy with 132 individual points.   Southland’s final score was 376.

Taking the Canterbury Shied with 133 individual points was past professional golfer Catherine Knight.   Such is the cruelness of sport at times, Knight’s individual win was on a count back from Vaha Fapiano (North Harbour) who has been in the top three on 3 occasions in the last four years.  

Locals got the chance to cheer again for Knight, as her Aorangi team won the bronze medal with 369 points, 7 shots behind Southland.   This was a major improvement in form after a 13^th placing in 2015.  Their solid start in their 2016 campaign was bolstered by a ’37-pointer’ by Ginny Bolderston in round 1, and with steady play in all four rounds, they were always a potential medal winner.

Aorangi denied Waikato a top-3 placing who finished in 4^th place with 366 points, 1 point ahead of Bay of Plenty, who finished in 5^th place.

Northland finished in 6^th place and a personal best score by Sam Dangen who had been in the running, for the individual trophy.  Dangen finished with 129 points, after a modest 29 point score today.

Hawkes Bay were hoping that the return of the spirited Janie Field to the team, would give them a much needed lift from their 2015 placing of 9^th.  With 350 team points, they finish in 2016, two places better, in 7^th place.

Wellington finish up the table in 8^th place, up two places from their 2015 standing.  With 120 points, Kellie Orchard was the most consistent of the capital’s team.

North Harbour, despite Fapiano’s strong showing, has dropped to 9^th place, 3 down from 2015, with a 2016 total of 340.  Tasman finished with 337 points in 10^th place, up 2 from 2015.  Taranaki have also had a significant drop in position, back to 11^th place on 325 points, where they held 7^th place in 2015, despite their best round today of 90.

Making up the fourteen districts are Manawatu / Wanganui and Otago, tied 12^th equal with 317 points, and a big drop for Otago, down from their 2015 8^th placing.  Canterbury had a tough time on the Methven course finishing on 314 points.

Final 2016 Team Points

1          388 - Auckland: 98, 93, 106, 91

2          376 - Southland: 88, 90, 100, 98

3          369 - Aorangi: 96, 87, 94, 92

4          366 - Waikato: 88, 87, 100, 91

5          365 - Bay of Plenty: 93, 91, 88, 93

6          352 - Northland: 84, 86, 92, 90

7          350 - Hawkes Bay / PB: 82, 90, 91, 87

8          343 - Wellington: 87, 80, 96, 80

9          340 - North Harbour: 78, 83, 92, 87

10        337 - Tasman: 87, 83, 80, 87

11        325 - Taranaki: 77, 82, 76, 90

12        317 - Manawatu / Wanganui: 72, 77, 84, 84; Otago: 79, 80, 88, 70

14        314 - Canterbury: 72, 81, 85, 76