One-arm golf swing ‘an inspiration’ at NZ senior women’s open in Gisborne

Wairarapa golfer Jane Williams and the one-arm golf swing she developed after an elbow replacement 20 years ago. She has been playing in the New Zealand senior women's golf tournament at the Poverty Bay course this week. Photo / Kerali Golf

Jane Williams was told her golfing days were probably over after elbow replacement surgery 20 years ago.

She refused to accept that.

Unable to strike the ball properly with her right arm, she adapted her game to hit the ball with her left arm only ... and she’s been doing it ever since.

“Golf was all I did,” said the 71-year-old, who is competing in the New Zealand senior women’s (over-50s) championship on the Poverty Bay course this week.

Williams is a member of the Castlepoint course in the Wairarapa, inland from the east coast with Masterton to its west.

She used to live in Dannevirke, where her golfing career took a dramatic turn in a cycle accident at a one-lane bridge.

Williams went over her handlebars and, in her words, “left my elbow on the road”.

She received a cobalt chrome elbow replacement but was advised not to play golf.

Jane Williams competing at the 2005 Poverty Bay women's open. She had a regulation two-armed swing back then but 21 years later, at the New Zealand senior women's championship on the Poverty Bay course this week, she is swinging with one arm due to an elbow replacement. Photo / Gisborne Herald

She loved the game too much to be discouraged, so came up with a way to continue to play by hitting her fuller shots with her left arm.

Williams’ backswing is John Daly-like, the club finishing over her shoulder and around her neck, well past parallel. Daly’s practice routine, which includes hitting one-armed shots, provided motivation.

The short game is not an issue. She still chips and putts with both arms.

Williams was a competent golfer before the accident. She was on an 11-handicap and had been as low as a 7 at Dannevirke Golf Club.

She played off a 6 at the 2005 Poverty Bay women’s open in 2005, losing 2 and 1 to Gisborne Park member Karen Hay in the final. Hay is also competing in the NZ seniors this week.

In her first official 18 holes back after surgery, Williams shot 148. A week later she improved by 24 shots. Playing predominantly on the Dannevirke and Riversdale Beach courses, she maintained a handicap in the mid- to high-teens, but that rose when she shifted to Masterton.

She is on a 23 this week, qualifying for Division 5, where she won her first-round match but lost her quarter-final on the 18th to Heather Richardson (Waikare).

“She’s an inspiration,” said Richardson, who is also on a 23 and did not actually notice Williams was swinging with one arm until someone told her.

Williams played down such praise. She said there were plenty of golfers with far worse afflictions.

Williams, who won her third match this morning to advance to the flight 1 final, said she had “never thought of not playing”.

She reckoned nowadays “the only thing I can do with it [the elbow] is play golf”.