Jessica Pickwick (Kilmore) and Deborah Rix (Cobden) will take the joint lead into tomorrow’s final round of the Betty Kernot trophy after the pair both fired opening rounds of 78. A congested leaderboard at the top sees the top nine players separated by only two strokes setting up a final round showdown between the current cream of the crop in women’s country golf.
Defending Betty Kernot Champion Casey Wild (Wodonga) is one of the contenders poised to strike just one stroke from the lead along with leaderboard regular Helen Pascoe (Buninyong), Louise Briers (The National) and Georgia Macklan (Yarrawonga) who all sit just one shot from the lead setting the stage for an exciting final round.
The Betty Kernot trophy makes up the stroke qualifying component of the Victorian Women’s Country Championship, with the top eight players after 36 holes stroke play qualifying for the knockout match play rounds which will take place on Thursday 30 – Friday 31 July to determine the 2015 Victorian Women’s Country Champion.
In the Glenelg Cup, a 36-hole nett event, Cheryl Garner (Woodend) had a fine opening round of 70 nett from a handicap of 23 on the Captains Course to lead the field by one stroke. Trailing Garner is Linda Thomas (Maffra) who fired an opening round 71 nett with Pam Burton (Woodend), Diane Byrne (Seymour) and Ellen Banko (Rich River) in third place with all three recording nett scores of 72.
The two hundred and fifty nine strong field have been blessed with near perfect winter conditions during today’s opening round. With favorable conditions predicted for tomorrow’s final stroke play round, scoring is expected to heat up the frosty fairways of Tocumwal in what shapes as an exciting climax to both the Betty Kernot and Glenelg Cup trophies.
To view full results of both the Country Championship & Glenelg Cup, click here.