Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay golfer Lucy Owen knows this week's national inter-provincials in Hamilton could be her last for a while so she intends to make the most of them.
Waipawa's Owen, 18, who will begin a golfing scholarship at Arkansas University in Little Rock next year, couldn't have asked fora better start to the Toro inter-provincials yesterday when she recorded the HBPB team's only victory during a 4-1 loss to hosts Waikato at the Riverside club's Lochiel course. The two handicapper was two under par with three holes to play when she signed off a 4 and 3 win against Waikato No3 Hana-Rae Seifert.
"I was pretty stoked because I hadn't targeted Hana as a win," Owen said.
"If Lucy keeps playing like that this week we might have to do some fundraising to get her flights back from the States next year," HBPB manager Sue Sowerby said as her troops strolled around the Hamilton Zoo during their bye round yesterday.
"There is a girl at this tournament who has returned from her scholarship commitments in the States so it might be a possibility for me next year," Hastings Girls High School product Owen said.
Sowerby pointed out her team's Waikato opponents were inspired by their men's inter-provincials tournament win last week and capitalised on their local knowledge and training at Lochiel when playing HBPB. In a repeat of the April New Zealand Amateur final Napier's HBPB No1 Kate Chadwick was beaten 2 up by Chantelle Cassidy after holding a two hole lead for a large chunk of their clash.
Sowerby's No2 Jaimie McIvor of the Maraenui club lost 3 and 2 to Brooke Hamilton, her clubmate Kathy Olsen lost 6 and 4 to Waikato No4 Fai Tongdethsri and HBPB No5 Sara Deam, who plays for both the Napier and Puketitiri clubs lost 7 and 5 to Michelle Archer.
Hawke's Bay must beat Aorangi South Canterbury and Taranaki today if they are going to repeat last year's top three finish. Taranaki lost 5-0 to Canterbury and 3.5-1.5 to Waikato yesterday while Aorangi South Canterbury lost 3.5-1.5 to Manawatu-Wanganui and 4-1 to Bay of Plenty.
