Pollock Cup.............

Congratulations to our Women's Pollock Cup team who emerged as winners after a very close final on Sunday. In the morning the team saw off a competitive Waitikiri 4 -0 in a result that did not reflect the true nature of the tussle with all matches going to 16 or beyond. The other semi was even closer than that with Waimairi eventually emerging victors over Country in a hole countback after finishing tied 2 all.

As the gloom gathered on Sunday evening and a biting chill began to pervade the air an anxious group of supporters and spectators began to ring the 18 green. News from the course was sparse apart from it was very close with perhaps Waimairi having their nose in front. Amidst the falling darkness only two players emerged up the fairway and it was established Waimairi had won the bottom match on 17 with Dabin Kim now 1 down playing the last.

Dabin's drive had found the middle of the fairway and her approach shot put her 5 feet below the front right pin; her opponent meanwhile had chunked her second into the front right bunker and compounded the error by flopping her recovery into the second bunker; notwithstanding a subsequent good up and down for a five Dabin now had 2 putts to win the hole and half the match in what could be a crucial outcome. Her first putt charged past the hole to leave her a tricky downhill three footer coming back for par. While there was some angst amongst the assembled crowd Dabin calmly sunk the putt down the hill and into the hole for a half. The match was still alive from the Christchurch view.

Focus now reverted to the 18 tee which was almost totally obscured in the fading light and it was impossible to see the order of hitting off, then somewhat magically a ball landed in the apron of the green and rolled to the left back portion, initially it was unclear as to the origin of the arrival and everyone waited with bated breath. After what seemed an eternity Monica Tulisi calmly strode forward to line up her eagle putt - in what could only be described as adverse conditions and under extreme pressure in a final Monica had in fact driven the green! Slyvie Williams from Waimairi shot to the centre of the green for her second to leave a longish down hill birdie putt.

Monica struck a superbly weighted putt breaking left to right to leave a gimme birdie three - Slyvie calmly stepped forwarded and slotted her putt to half the hole to put the spectators into a quandary but ultimately it was clarified Monica had won the match for Christchurch 1 up having won17 unbeknownst to those watching. It had been established in the other match that it was all square - Jess Guenzerodt playing for Christchurch against Nellie Tulisi for Waimariri now held the fate of the match in their hands.

Jess had pushed her drive right behind that ever so familiar "blue" tree and was now blocked from playing to the pin and to the most part of the green. Exercising great course management Jess hit her pitch pin high to the left just off the fringe above the bunker. Nellie had slightly misjudged her approach in the bad light leaving it just short of the putting surface but with a straight uphill chip/putt. Playing a delicate chip and run out of the semi rough, downhill and across the slope, Jess landed the ball a third of the way to the hole, watched it release to the perfect distance and finish in the ideal position below the hole albeit just slightly outside the leather.

By now in almost darkness Nellie's first putt was slightly too aggressive and slid past to rest above the hole and she was still away. In the increasingly difficult conditions the return stroke lipped the cup but flipped out meaning if Jess could sink her putt she would win the match and Christchurch the Pollock Cup. Needless to say Jess was up to the task and an extremely close match finished with Christchurch just in front 2.5 to 1.5. While it was an outstanding victory and the conditions were the same for both sides it was perhaps disappointing the players had to conclude the drama in marginal conditions where visibility was clearly impaired.

Congratulations to the team Jess, Monica, Dabin and Rachel together with Pip Idour and the caddies Kate, Helen and Terry who all contributed on the day.