The Bay of Plenty Masters team: Kellie Orchard (captain, left), Nikki Kirsopp, Shelly McElroy, Heather Keefe and Vivianne McIntosh.
The Bay of Plenty Masters team: Kellie Orchard (captain, left), Nikki Kirsopp, Shelly McElroy, Heather Keefe and Vivianne McIntosh.
Opinion by Crispian Stewart
OPINION:
Bay of Plenty golfing representative Heather Keefe has won the individual title at the New Zealand Women’s Masters.
The Arikikapakapa Golf member took out the result at the Ōtaki Golf Club earlier this month.
The tournament was made up of four representative players from each province, with a strongfield of 48 of the country’s top Masters players.
Course conditions varied most days, with changing weather patterns playing a major part in daily results, along with the unfamiliarity of the host course.
Keefe won the Canterbury Shield, awarded to the player with the most gross Stableford points, accumulating 131 points over four rounds.
Following behind Michelle Archer from Waikato for most of the tournament, she was able to grind her way back to win by a single point.
After the second round, she trailed Archer by five points. A solid level par in the third round allowed her to close the gap to be just one point behind the leader.
Bay of Plenty golfing representative Heather Keefe.
Continuing the momentum in the final round, Keefe rallied to overtake Archer by two valuable points and take the win by one point after four rounds.
Kyle Jacoby from North Harbour finished third with 129 points, with three points separating the top trio.
Keefe must have had nerves of steel to prevail in such a close finish.
She first started playing golf as an 11-year-old and has a handicap of just 0.7. She was overwhelmed with her performance and the result, given some personal challenges could have ended her golfing career.
Keefe was the 2015 champion, so to repeat the win for a second time made it so much more special. Ironically, the luck of the Irish may have had an influence, with her “Airbnb bedroom” featuring a mural of a four-leaf clover on the wall!
Playing at number one for Bay of Plenty, she credits her performance to good preparation and solid, consistent play.
She was quick to recognise the support from the Bay of Plenty team as an integral part of her win.
Captain Kellie Orchard turned in some good results and was well-supported by Nikki Kissop and Shelley McElroy. Their fourth-place teams finish was a welcome improvement on last year, when they finished in 13th position.
