Judkins fights back to win final
CALLUM Judkins (Wakatipu Junior) came from behind to beat Jonny Mackay (Lower Waitaki) in the final to win the inaugural North Otago matchplay title yesterday afternoon.
Mackay started strongly, winning four of the first five holes, but Judkins pegged the first one back with a birdie three on the sixth hole.
The margin was reduced to two when Mackay bogeyed the par3 seventh and the pair halved the next two holes with Mzackay turning two ahead.
Judkins made a birdie three on the 10th and got back to square with a birdie three on the short 13th.
The pair were neck and neck with halves coming home but a threeputt on the par3 17th cost Mackay the hole and the title.
Top qualifier Phil Bungard (North Otago) relished playing at home after a stint in Christchurch but went out of the championship io Balmacewen’s Ben Patston in the first round.
However, he regained his mojo yesterday beating Kyle Clark and Stephen Waby to win the championship flight.
Leading triallist Brandon Hodgson (Otago) was a casualty of the cutthroat 18hole qualifying but posted three convincing wins to win the secondtier event.
He was 5under when he beat Ryan Bellamy 7 and 6 in the morning and claimed the final 6 and 4 at the expense of Mackenzie Gibson (Chisholm Links).
Foursomes may be worth only half the points, but the Town women learned their value when they lost to Country in windy conditions at St Clair yesterday.
Country won 75 but took a valuable lead winning three of the four morning foursomes.
The teams finished 44 in the afternoon singles games.
The individual scoreboard also pointed to Country dominance as Joanna Booker, Liz McRae and Becs Calder all featured in a foursomes and single win.
Country junior Danielle Bailey was also unbeaten with a foursomes win and a half with the experienced Susan Greig in the afternoon.
The upset of the day came when Town’s Annabelle Evans beat the highlyrated Laura Hoskin in the feature singles match.
Hoskin has recently returned from a scholarship in the United States and scored the best at Chisholm Links and at Queenstown.
Beating Hoskin by an impressive 4 and 3 is a notable win for Evans which augurs well of the younger brigade of women’s golf.