QLD Women's Amateur C'ships move to Brookwater
IN: News | Queensland Women | Queensland Women's Amateur Championships (2003) | Preview | 09 Jul 2003
Brookwater will host its first major amateur championship this week when it welcomes the Women's Queensland Amateur Championships from July 12 to 16.
A field of more than 170 female amateurs will take part in the six day tournament which will decide the State champion in events including a Foursomes Championship, Age Championship, Veteran's Championship and the Open Women's Amateur Championship.
The Amateur Championship will commence with two stroke-play qualifying rounds on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July, with qualifiers entering the match play championships on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 July and final qualifiers competing in a 36-hole match play to determine Queensland's top amateur on the Wednesday.
Women's Golf Queensland Executive Director Wendy Cuthbert said that the high quality field of players would require every degree of skill and luck to overcome the challenging Brookwater course.
"There are twenty-three players in the field with a handicap of three or less so the competition will be very close, especially playing the testing Brookwater course," Ms Cuthbert said.
"I'm sure the local Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Golf Academy, which is based at Brookwater, will have quite an advantage in local knowledge at the course as they play it weekly, so players like Heidi McCulkin [handicap of 1] and Jane Evans [handicap of 2] will be players to watch out for.
"In recent years, we've had players of the calibre of Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull who has just won two LPGA tour events in the USA, and Virginia Irwin take the title of Queensland's number one amateur... this tradition of progressive talent is set to continue," she said.
Brookwater Golf Club General Manager David Townend said that he is delighted the club is going to be a part of the State Championships and assures players that the condition of the course will be well prepared for tournament standard play.
"Brookwater has received high praise from the golfing fraternity, both in Queensland and nationally and we hope to be regarded as a serious contender for a major tour event in the next five years," he said.
"Brookwater is the perfect venue for Women's Golf Queensland to host its amateur event and we'll be sure to have the course ready for the talented players taking the Brookwater challenge for the first time.
"With the establishment of the QAS Golf Academy at Brookwater in the last year, amateur golf in Queensland has gone from strength to strength, with many Academy players competing well nationally and I'm sure they'll perform well at the Championships," he said.
Sponsors for the Championship, Ipswich City Council will have Ipswich Deputy Mayor Paul Pisasale on hand with other Council representatives for the presentation ceremonies taking place on the Sunday and Wednesday of the tournament.
