Paraparaumu Beach golfer Lisa Herbert wins NZ senior women’s golf crown

Lisa Herbert was crowned NZ senior women's (over-50s) champion at Poverty Bay's Awapuni Links course on Thursday. She beat Northland's Jenny Peters 2 and 1 in the Division 1 final. Photo / Kerali Golf

Cool, calm, and she collected.

The seemingly unflappable Lisa Herbert added another chapter to an already glowing amateur golfing career with victory in Division 1 of the New Zealand senior women’s golf championship in Gisborne on Thursday.

It wasn’t quite the dramatic end of the Paraparaumu Beach left-hander’s morning semi-final, when she made a hole-in-one on the 15th at the Poverty Bay Awapuni Links course to win the match.

But her 2 and 1 defeat of Northland’s Jenny Peters to win the Veterans Challenge Cup final was another example of her composure under pressure, matched by a swing smoother than the finest silk.

Herbert, to those unfamiliar with the name, is a former New Zealand international (maiden name Aldridge) who has competed at the highest amateur level.

One of the “Legends of the Links” at her home course, she represented her country multiple times, including winning the Queen Sirikit Cup – the Asia-Pacific teams’ championship – twice (1990 and 1999), the only Kiwi golfer to have achieved that feat.

Left-handed in everything she does – her husband and son are also left-handed golfers – Herbert only became age-eligible for the NZ seniors (over-50s) a few years ago.

She was runner-up to world No 1 amateur senior woman Nadene Gole, of Australia, in the 2024 NZ senior women’s tournament at Rotorua Golf Club.

Last year, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals and went on to win the flight – defeating Peters, then Jill Morgan (Cambridge), both of whom she also beat in Thursday’s semis and final, albeit in reverse order.

Herbert earned the No 1 seeding and Curtis Cup in the 18-hole strokeplay qualifier on Monday with a 1-over par 75 on a windswept course.

Local players got firsthand experience of her talent, with Electrinet Gisborne Park member Karen Hay her first-round scalp and Poverty Bay’s Megan Allen losing to her in the quarter-finals.

Hay, 70, got to the final of the plate, losing 5 and 4 to Ngaruawahia’s Alison Glover.

Another local, Rochelle Taewa (Poverty Bay), won the Division 2 flight 1 final in emphatic fashion, winning the opening six holes against Faye Mathews (Matamata) in a 6 and 4 victory. Her only loss was to division winner Celeste Sattler (Piopio Aria) in the quarters.

Clubmate Lynne Holmberg defeated Jeanette Fox (Ngaruawahia) 4 and 2 in the Division 3 flight 2 final.

Birgitt Whyte (Poverty Bay) was beaten 2 and 1 by Australian Vicki Philp in the Division 5 flight 2 final.

Another Poverty Bay player, Teresa Lewis, was beaten in the semi-finals of Division 5.

Herbert was among those to pour praise on the tournament and a supreme Awapuni Links course produced by head greenkeeper Rowan Clark and his crew.

At the prizegiving, one of the players spoke glowingly of the volunteers (including Marg Colebourne and Pen Wanklyn) and said they had set a high standard for next year’s tournament.

This year’s 90-plus field featured a smattering of Australians and a large contingent from the South Island as far south as Invercargill. One of them made her way north by motorbike, enduring punctures along the way.

The camaraderie and fun were what brought them back each year, one player told the Gisborne Herald.

RESULTS - Qualifying round, best gross: Lisa Herbert (Paraparaumu Beach) 75.

Best net: Teena McColl (Invercargill) 70.

Best gross, 70 years+: Eleanor Newton (Chisholm Links) 86.

DIVISION 1 – Championship final: Lisa Herbert (Paraparaumu Beach) def Jenny Peters (Northland) 2 and 1.

Plate: Alison Glover (Ngaruawahia) def Karen Hay (Electrinet Gisborne Park) 5 and 4.

Flight 1: Robyn Pullar (Invercargill) def Diana Syer (Hastings) 2 and 1.

Flight 2: Allison Drake-Wells (The Dunes Matarangi) def Teena McColl (Invercargill) 7 and 6.

DIVISION 2 – Championship final: Celeste Sattler (Piopio Aria) def Rahira Ellison (Maraenui) 7 and 5.

Plate: Sandra Thompson (Ngaruawahia) def Sue Lourie (Ngaruawahia) 1-up.

Flight 1: Rochelle Taewa (Poverty Bay) def Faye Mathews (Matamata) 6 and 4.

Flight 2: Judith Griffiths (Australia) def Chrissie Courtman (Hamilton) 1-up.

DIVISION 3 – Championship final: Leslie Hatcher (Ngaruawahia) def Hoana J Ayto (Greenacres Country Club) 3 and 1.

Plate: Pat Woodberry (Aust) def Carol Leary (Waihī) 2-up.

Flight 1: Helen Green (Hamilton) def Nicola Duffy (Winton) 2 and 1.

Flight 2: Lynne Holmberg (Poverty Bay) def Jeanette Fox (Ngaruawahia) 4 and 2.

DIVISION 4 – Championship final: Barbara Hawkins (Chisholm Links) def Pauline Pullman (Ngunguru) on the 19th.

Plate: Kay Gregory (Ngaruawahia) def Claire Williams (Hauraki) 3 and 2.

Flight 1: Sally Pullar (Invercargill) def Ros McIvor (Aust) 4 and 3.

Flight 2: Trish Hoile def Mandi Smalley (Winton).

DIVISION 5 – Championship final: Heather Richardson (Waikare) def Kathryn Mensch (Ngunguru) 3 and 1.

Plate: Bev McLean (Cambridge) def Wendy Thompson (Waitomo) 5 and 4.

Flight 1: Jane Williams (Castlepoint) def Nola Banfield (Aust) 1-up.

Flight 2: Vicki Philp (Aust) def Birgitt Whyte (Poverty Bay) 2 and 1.

DIVISION 6 – Championship final: Peg Purdie (Waitomo) def Georgina Ellis (Invercargill) 3 and 2.