The rising stars of women's amateur golf will be challenging the supremacy of defending champion Brenda Ormsby at the New Zealand strokeplay championships starting at the Greenacres Golf Club in Nelson today.
Ormsby heads a high-quality field that includes promising teenagers Sarah Nicholson and Kyla Welsh, as well as four Australians.
The
42-year-old Te Puke player will be trying to win the championship for the seventh time since her first victory in 1980.
Despite her record, Ormsby said she did not have high expectations in the three-day, 72-hole tournament.
She was not entirely happy with her form after having limited playing opportunities over the past three months.
"I've only had four rounds since November because my business was seven days a week. These younger players have probably played that much golf in a week," she said.
"I've been practising off the men's tees and hitting one or two over par. That's not good enough."
However, Ormsby said she was looking forward to playing more often after leaving her job at the Rotorua Golf Club's professional shop just over three weeks ago.
"That's why I'm coming down to play in Nelson. I'm not working and want to see some friends. I have no expectations," she said.
Ormsby was also looking forward to the challenge of playing New Zealand's rising stars.
Nicholson, of Wellington, and North Harbour's Natalie Storck, both 16, are the youngest pretenders to Ormsby's throne.
Springfield's Penny Brook and Timaru's Welsh are aged 17, and Queen Sirikit Cup member Claire Dury, of Manawatu, is 18.
"It's good for New Zealand golf that there are so many good young players. When I saw Sarah for the first time I thought, 'Far out, who's this?"' Ormsby said.
"She's strong and gives the ball a real whack. She really looks like a golfer."
The four Australians are largely unknown quantities, although Carlie Butler and Nadina Taylor were the top two finishers in last year's New Zealand amateur championships.
Nikki Campbell, who won four state titles in 1999, and Tamara Hyett are the other players in the well-performed Australian contingent.
The championships have an 18-hole round this morning, 36 holes tomorrow and 18 on Sunday.
- NZPA
