GB and I CRACK KIWIS' 100 PER CENT RECORD, NOW FOR CANADA

Pamela Pretswell in action for G B and I at the AstorTrophy tournament today (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Great Britain and Ireland won the Battle of the Titans - the only two teams with 100 per cent win records - to be hot favourites to retain the Astor Trophy match-play team title at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes tomorrow.

Skipper Tegwen Matthews' squad of five won by 4 1/2 to 2 1/2 against a New Zealand team who had won their previous three matches.

The position is that GB and Ireland and New Zealand both have three wins but the Kiwis have completed their four-match programme. Sunday is their rest day.

GB and I's Kelsey Macdonald, Pamela Pretswell, Kelly Tidy, Holly Clyburn and Amy Boulden go into battle for the last time when they meet Canada who have lost all three matches they have played so far.

A word of caution in the midst of the euphoria. Canada, although beaten 4-3 by Australia today, actually “won” the singles session 3-2. They may be running into form in time to give GB and I a tougher match than expected.

None of the other countries can achieve a final total of three wins.

Today’s summit meeting brought together the only two countries with 100 per cent records in this week’s tournament, GB and I coming back into the fray off a Friday rest day with two wins under their belt to meet New Zealand’s all-conquering, three wins out of three squad, which includes the World ranked Nos 1 and 3, 14-year-old Lydia Ko and 16-year-old Cecilia Cho.

The morning foursomes were shared at one win apiece and so it was all to play for in the five singles. The game plan for GB and I had to be to collect full points from the first three singles, which would be enough for overall victory in a 7pt match, and then it would not matter if the last two singles went the way of the whiz kids Ko and Cho.

And that’s exactly how it turned out.

Pamela Pretswell made it 2-1 for GB and I with a 6 and 5 win over NZ’s Emily Perry, having been five up at the turn.

Fellow Scot Kelsey MacDonald then made it 3-1 by beating Julianne Alvarez 2 and 1 after being one up at the turn and then two ahead on the 12^th tee. But Alvarez made a fight of it all the way, winning the 13^th with a birdie 3 and snapping at Kelsey’s heels until MacDonald finished her opponent off by taking the short 17^th.

Holly Clyburn got the winning fourth point by beating Chantelle Cassidy 3 and 2. Holly surged into a three-hole lead after nine holes with birdies at the second, third and ninth. That became a four-hole lead at the 10^th and she was able to resist Chantelle’s efforts to turn the tide over the closing holes.

New Zealand got their first and only singles point from World No 1 Lydia Ko who avenged her British championship defeat at Royal Portrush by Kelly Tidy, winning by 5 and 3 with a five-birdie performance after being one up at the turn.

Amy Boulden did well to get a square match with World No 2 Cecilia Cho, playing particularly well on the outward half to go two up after four. Cho got into her stride to square the match at the eighth – and it was a battle royal after that.

Cho got her nose in front at the 11^th but Boulden pegged her back at the 14^th and went ahead with a birdie at the long 16^th  Cho’s par 3 at the 17^th was enough to square the match and a half in 5s at the last for a square match was a fair result.

“It was a GB and I  team performance with a capital T,” said a delighted Tegwen Matthews.

“They are a great team to be with, on and off the course, and they have made my job a very easy one. There’s so much strength in depth in this squad of five that it doesn’t really make any difference which order I place them in for the singles.”

Australia, winners of the Astor Trophy four times, scored their first victory of the week by a 4-3 margin over Canada. When the Aussies took the morning foursomes 2-0, it looked like being a big margin win by the end of the day but the Canadians had other ideas and, even though they lost to Australia, they will go into their final match against GB and I with their tails up. That’s because they won three of the five singles, highlighted by a wonderful fightback by Jessica Wallace to beat Australia’s Ashley Ona.

The Canadian was five down at the turn and still five down after 10. Then an eagle 3 at the 11^th inspired Jessica. She won that one, to be followed by wins at the 12^th, the 14^th (with a birdie), the 15^th (another birdie) and the 16^th, with another birdie, to square the contest.

A par at the 17^th put Wallace ahead for the first time in the match and when she was able to halve the last in birdie 4s, the Canadian had pulled off the comeback win of the tournament.

Other singles winners for Canada were Christine Wong, by two holes over Emma de Groot, and Nicole Vandermade by one hole against Minjee Lee.

Australia’s afternoon winners were Cathlee Santoso, by one hole against Anne Catherine Tanguay, and by Breanna Elliott, who beat Rebecca Lee Bentham by 4 and 2.

TODAY'S RESULTS

AUSTRALIA 4, CANADA 3

Foursomes (2-0)

Minjee Lee and Cathleen Santoso bt Christine Wong and Anne Catherine Tanguay 2 holes.

Breanna Elliott and Ashley Ona bt Jessica Wallace and Nicole Vandermade 3 and 2.

Singles (2-3)

Santoso bt Tanguay 1 hole

Emma de Groot lost to Wong 2 holes.

Elliott bt Rebecca Lee Bentham 4 and 2.

Lee lost to Vandermade 1 hole.

Ona lost to Wallace 1 hole

GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND 4 1/2, NEW ZEALAND 2 ½

Foursomes (1-1)

Kelly Tidy and Holly Clyburn bt Julianne Alvarez and Chantelle Cassidy 1 hole.

Pamela Pretswell and Kelsey MacDonald lost to Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko 3 and 2.

Singles (3 ½-1 ½)

MacDonald bt Alvarez 2 and 1.

Clyburn bt Cassidy 3 and 2.

Pretswell bt Emily Perry 6 and 5.

Amy Boulden v Cho

Tidy lost to Ko 5 and 3.

HOW THEY STAND

GB and Ireland 3 wins, New Zealand 3 wins, South Africa 1 win, Australia 1 win, Canada 0 wins.

SUNDAY – FINAL MATCHES

Great Britain and Ireland v Canada

South Africa v Australia.

FOURSOMES LINE-UPS

GB AND I v CANADA
8.0 Pamela Pretswell and Holly Clyburn v Nicole Vandermade and Jessica Wallace.
8.10 Kelsey MacDonald and Amy Boulden v Anne Catherine Tanguay and Rebecca Lee Bentham.
+Singles from  12.40 to 1.12.

SOUTH AFRICA v AUSTRALIA
8.20 Bertine Strauss and Iliska Verwey v Breanna Elliott and Cathleen Santoso.
8.30 Kim Williams v Henriette Frylinck v Ashley Ona and Emma de Groot.
+Singles from 1.20 to 1.52.