GB AND I v NZ COULD BE SATURDAY DECIDER IN ASTOR TROPHY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Great Britain and Ireland will meet New Zealand on Saturday in the likely title decider on the penultimate day of the Astor Trophy women’s amateur interntional team match-play round robin tournament at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lytham St Annes.

The GB and I squad of five and team captain Tegwen Perkins had the day off today and they did not come near the course but they come back into the fray with two wins out of two against a Kiwi team who made it three wins out of three today by beating great rivals Australia 4-3.

This was the toughest match yet for the New Zealanders but GB and I will not "fear" the World No 1 Lydia Ko, only 14, and the World No 3, Cecilia Cho, only 16, as much as perhaps the other countries have.

Last week in the British women's open amateur championship at Royal Portrush, Kelly Tidy beat Lydia Ko on her way to the semi-finals while 16-year-old eventual champion Lauren Taylor numbered Cecilia Cho among her victory march to the final.

OK, so you might say that Lauren is not playing in this tournament but there is still a psychological one-up for the GB and I team in that one of their own kind has beaten Cho.

This is the New Zealanders’ last match - Sunday is their "rest day" - so they must stand or fall by the result and hope to make GB and I’s Sunday match against Canada a non-event.

South Africa caned Canada 5 ½-1 ½ in the other Friday match

Friday’s results:

NEW ZEALAND 4, AUSTRALIA 3

Foursomes (1 ½- ½)

Chantelle Cassidy and Julianne Alvarex alved with Minjee Lee and Emma de Groot.

Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko bt Ashley Ona and Cathlee Santoso 3 and 2.

Singles (2 ½-2 1/2)

Alvarez bt Santooso 3 and 2.

Cassidy lost to De Groot 3 and 2.

Emily Perry lost to Breanna Elliott 7 and 5.

Cho halved with Lee.

Ko bt Ona 1 hole.

SOUTH AFRICA 5 1./2, CANADA 1 ½

Foursomes (1 ½-1/2)

Bertine Strauss and Iliska Verwey bt Rebecca Lee Bentham and Christine Wong 1 hole.

Kim Williams and Henriette Frylinck halved with Jessica Wallace and Nicole Vandermade..

Singles (4-1)

Strauss bt Anne Catherine Tanguay 3 and 2.

Tiffany Avern Taplin bt Lee Bentham 3 and 2.

Verwey bt Vandermade 1 hole.

Frylinck lost to Wallace 1 hole.

Williams bt Wong 3 and 1.

HOW THEY STAND

New Zealand 3 wins, GB and I 2 wins, South Africa 1 win,

FINAL MATCHES

Satiurday – Australia v Canada, New Zealand v GB and I.

Sunday – GB and I v Canada, South Africa v Australia.