Amelia Garvey holds 54-hole NZ Women’s Stroke Play Championship
Amelia Garvey
(Golf New Zealand Photo)
HASTINGS, New Zealand (March 25, 2017) -- Amelia Garvey (Kaiapoi Golf Club) will take a two-shot lead over Chantelle Cassidy (Riverside Golf Club) in the New Zealand Women’s Stroke Play Championship after making eagle on the final hole at the Hastings Golf Club today.
Garvey started the round three ahead of her rivals and was on fire on the front nine with birdies on the 1st 3rd and 5th hole. Such was Garvey’s dominance over the front nine that she had increased the lead to seven shots and looked like racing away with the title.
However, a wayward drive on the 14th and a careless tee shot on the 16th saw her drop to nine under par for the tournament and come back slightly to the rest of the field.
Meanwhile Chantelle Cassidy was mounting her charge in an attempt to once again have her name engraved on the Mellsop Cup.
Cassidy roared into life on the back nine with birdies on the 11th, 13th and 15th holes and got within a shot of the lead on the 16th. Both Garvey and Cassidy had good birdie chances on the 17th which they couldn’t convert.
Heading down the 18th Garvey launched a booming drive leaving 155m to the flag and her crisply struck six iron landed two metres from the hole which she calmly converted. Not to be outdone Cassidy managed a birdie of her own and will pose a big threat starting only two back tomorrow.
After the round Garvey was pleased with her efforts.
“I was pretty steady today, a lot of pars, it was kind of frustrating as the putter wasn’t very hot but I’ll take it. Three under is pretty good and I’ve put myself in a good spot for tomorrow.”
“I hit one close on the first and two putted for birdie on three and made a good one on five but I was just trying to stick to my own game. It got a bit frustrating on the back nine when I was making a lot of pars and then Chantelle started holing a couple of good putts.”
“I wanted to hang onto the lead and not get angry for letting that lead go, I stayed in a pretty good mindset and started to play my own game and hit greens and make as many puts as possible.
“That eagle will bring me back tomorrow, to hole one on the last was very pleasing.”
Garvey was in a confident mood after the round with the belief that she has the game to take out the title tomorrow.
“I’ve played enough tournaments and been in contention enough to know that I have to not think about the end result, take it one shot at a time, have fun out there and embrace it. You’re not going to have many chances to be in contention for your national title. Winning would mean a lot”, she said.
Rose Zheng (Pakuranga Golf Club) and Alanna Campbell (Omanu Golf Club) will be hoping it doesn’t become a two horse race. Both players share third place on six under par five back from the lead held by Garvey.
The first players tee off tomorrow at 7:45am with the leaders teeing off at 8:35am