Local player Megan Allen gave it her hall, but former New Zealand international Lisa Herbert proved too good in their championship quarter-final match at the NZ senior women's tournament on the Poverty Bay course in Gisborne. Photo / Kerali Golf
Local player Megan Allen gave it her hall, but former New Zealand international Lisa Herbert proved too good in their championship quarter-final match at the NZ senior women's tournament on the Poverty Bay course in Gisborne. Photo / Kerali Golf
Goliath won this one but David was “chuffed” as the eight title hopefuls became four at the New Zealand senior women’s golf championship in Gisborne today.
Megan Allen bowed out of championship division contention with her head held high on her home Poverty Bay course.
She lost her quarter-final matchplayclash 5 and 3 to No 1 seed Lisa Herbert – a former New Zealand representative who plays at the Paraparaumu Beach course near Wellington.
Herbert was joined in the last four of Division 1 of the over-50s tournament by Jill Morgan (Cambridge), Heather Keefe (Rotorua) and Jenny Peters (Northland).
Allen, who plays off a 10-handicap, was up against one of the leading New Zealand amateur golfers of her time in left-handed Herbert, on a scratch handicap these days.
Top seed Lisa Herbert's game was described as "elegant" by her quarter-final opponent at the NZ senior women's tournament in Gisborne. Photo / Kerali Golf
With no shots given in the top division, Allen was staring up the face of Everest and Herbert ultimately, and perhaps predictably, proved too classy.
“It was magnificent to watch,” Allen said. “Effortless ... elegant.
“I was chuffed to get to the 15th. Once I got over the nerves on the first couple of holes (she hit her drive off the first tee on to the adjacent fifth fairway) I really enjoyed the experience.
“It was a great opportunity,” said Allen, although she admitted she would probably wake up at 3am over “three shots that will haunt me”.
The semi-finals pit Herbert against Morgan and Keefe against Peters.
Morgan defeated Robyn Pullar (Invercargill) 3 and 2 in the quarters, Keefe beat Tracy Bary (Rarangi) 4 and 3, and Peters knocked out Diana Syer (Hastings) 2 and 1.
Meanwhile, Poverty Bay’s Teresa Lewis advanced to the Division 5 semi-finals. She won her first match 4 and 3 and her quarter-final 5 and 4.
