Top women golfers coming to town
On July 8 the New Zealand foursomes will be played for the 5th consecutive year at Matamata.
On the July 9 and 10 the 42nd Ruth Middleton Memorial tournament has yet again attracted a great field.
Leading the field are the Keh sisters – Wenyung +3.7, Munchin +2.6 and younger sister Siyi +0.8 is also one of the scratch handicappers.
Wenyung has just returned on holiday from a golf scholarship in the US.
Her college team won the American College Golf Competition. The top three seeds have been or currently are New Zealand representatives.
Alanna Campbell from the Omanu club is another of the NZ representative. They also appear in the top ten of the NZ Order of Merit for 2016.
Last year’s winner Chantelle Cassidy will be absent as she has a two month stint playing golf in the UK and Europe.
A number of golfers from Auckland and North Harbour will again be taking part.
Leading the charge is J’aime Bellingham (Royal Auckland 0.7 Hcp) Yena Chang Akarana +1.5, and Rose Zheng, Pakuranga +0.9. Waikato’s representatives Fai Tongdesthri, Jill Morgan, Zeta Syme, Zoe and Zoann Huang, Robyn Pellow, Katherine Janpanich, Deb Foster, plus a host of other Waikato players will be part of the elite field.
All up there are 7 players on 0 or better and a further 33 on single figure handicaps. Leading the way for Matamata is Pam Wright (5.0), Susan Hancock and Donna Gaskell.
Pam earlier in the year represented Waikato at the NZ Women’s Masters. Sheelah Lamb, the tournament coordinator, will be playing in this event for the 23 consecutive year.
The New Zealand foursomes commence at 8 am on Friday with the top combinations of Siyi and Munchin Keh, Annette Muir and Lucy Owen and Yena Chang and Rose Zheng playing in the No 1 grouping. Thirty six pairs are taking part.
The Middleton family continue to support this tournament in memory of their mother Ruth Middleton, who was a top Matamata, Waikato and New Zealand golfer.