Golf: Dangen secures strokeplay title

Whangaroa's Sam Dangen was far too good for the rest of the Silver Medal field in the Northland Champion of Champions Strokeplay competition, winning by a comfortable margin of eight shots.

Dangen fired in a 77 the first round on Saturday morning at the Whangarei Golf Course and followed it up with a 78 in the afternoon to win the title for 2012.

"The course really played well, with the fairways in lovely nick for this time of year and the greens were very nice as well," she said.

Some of her expected rivals faltered, however, on the hard, dry course - particularly in the morning - with some players unsure how to play it.

"There were some big scores and listening at the clubhouse afterwards, some players were trying to drop it short and then getting a huge kick through some of the greens, while others were playing long and sometimes getting a big kick sideways off the fairway," she said.

It was a double victory for Dangen as her Whangaroa club won the Iris Farrell Rosebowl competition.

The club was graced by the presence of the 97-year-old Farrell, who lives near the course and who watched some of the action from the clubhouse.

The Whangaroa team of Dangen, Phoebe Cowan and Petrina Maddren won the Northland competition to earn the right to take part in the national postal competition; ahead of the Northland Golf Club team of Margaret Pearce, Mickey McKegg and Anita Peachey.

Wellsford's Sjanna Bonnington was runner-up in the Silver (0-19 handicap) division after improving from a wayward 85 in the morning with a second round 78.

Ngunguru's Moira Pullman won the Bronze division, while McKegg was the runner-up, while Whangarei's Kerry Pevy took out the Senior 18-hole competition ahead of the Houhora's Kyra Rapana.