ANNETTE Ford has claimed her first Open golf championship at the Blue Lake Golf Links, with an impressive performance last week in the grand final.
It was a case of third time lucky for Ford, who defeated former champion Dianne Perryman.
As predicted it was a tight affair, with Perryman off to a flying start, winning the first three holes, then squaring the next two, but Ford was able to win holes six, eight and nine to leave Perryman one-up on the turn.
The scores see-sawed until Perryman had a birdie-two on the par three, 14th hole and at the end of 18 she was two-up.
Neither player stopped for lunch and it was Perryman who faltered on the 19th with an out of bounds to concede the hole.
She won the next, but Ford was able to claim the 22nd, 24th, 25th and 27th, placing her one-up going into the last nine holes.
With the end in sight Ford was able to dig deep after squaring 28 and 29 and a win on the 30th hole.
However, Perryman was not done yet and won the 31st and 32nd holes, squaring the scores, but it was Ford at Dormy – two-up with two to go – on the 35th hole when she was able to put the ball into the cup from off the green to clinch the final.
Division 2
THE Division 2 final was also an exciting affair, as both Lucy Richards and Marlene Lingham were equal to the task and after six holes the scores were even.
But it was Richards first to show dominance, winning the next three to be three-up on the turn.
Richards won five of the outward nine, while Lingham could only manage two wins, to give Richards a five-up lead after 18 holes.
Lingham was not deterred and squared the 19th, then won the 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd to be one-down.
Richards took charge again and won the 24th and 25th – finishing 3/2 to win.
Stableford competition
AN 18-hole stableford competition event was staged for those players not involved in the championships.
There was only one division and it was won by Lyn Annand with an impressive score of 41 points, followed closely by Carlene Laslett 39, Viv Wilson 37 and Fiona Punton 37.
Nearest the pin was won by Lee-Anne Medhurst.
The Blue Lake Golf Club presentations were held last Friday night and results of trophy winners will be published next week.
Today’s competition is a single stroke round with a novelty prize for the most accurate fairway drives.
