Tomorrow's final of the Lion Foundation women's amateur championship will be an international affair between Australia's Nikki Garrett and England's Shelley McKevitt at Mount Maunganui.

Garrett made a fast start and held off a comeback from Otago's Kyla Welsh winning 2 and 1 in the semifinal battle between the two players who were not selected for their respective national teams for last week's Commonwealth Tournament.

McKevitt, the British strokeplay champion, overwhelmed South Africa's Lee-Ann Pace 5 and 4 in the other semifinal.

McKevitt made no race of her semifinal, streaking to a 3-up advantage after three holes and had the match effectively over when she went through 10 holes 6-up. The English player did not give any leeway, going on to win 5 and 4.

The 24-year-old from Reading, outside of London, enjoyed mixed success in last weekend's Commonwealth Tournament, winning two singles and losing two. The former English Girls champion is the current British strokeplay champion and was a semifinalist in the English matchplay championship.

Garrett also made a fast start to be 2-up after five holes. Welsh missed a grand chance to grab one back after a strong drive on the sixth but a pulled approach shot eventually cost her a double bogey and the hole. She fought back to be 1-down after 10 holes before dropping the 11th to a lengthy Garrett birdie putt and the 12th to a bogey.

The Kiwi pulled one back before she ran out of real estate, losing 2 and 1.

Garrett, 19, is a former New South Wales junior champion and played for Australia against New Zealand in both the Junior and Senior Tasman Cup clashes over the last 12 months.

In the morning quarterfinals Welsh fought back to grab an outstanding win over Australian No 1 Sarah Kemp. Two-down after six holes against the second qualifier, Welsh won three of the next four holes to move to 1-up after 10 holes.

The Otago player won the 11th and 12th to move to 3-up, before dropping the 13th and winning the 14th to retain her advantage. She eventually closed out the match 2 and 1.

Fellow Kiwi Enu Chung, 1-up after four holes, was1-down after 12 holes with both players making outstanding birdie putts on the par-5 12th. Chung went 2-down after 15 holes when she went through the back of the green before making a birdie at the 17th to close the deficit. However the Canadian made sure of her par on the 18th to secure the victory.

Pace was two-down at the turn against Canada's Eom Ji Park before winning the 11th and 12th holes to square the match. Pace took the crucial lead on the 16th before closing out the match 2up.

Garrett outlasted Scotland's Lynn Kenny on the 19th after there was never more than one hole between the pair throughout.

NZ Championship Quarterfinal Results
Lee-Ann Pace (South Africa) def. Eom Ji Park (Canada) 2up
Shelley McKevitt (England) def. Enu Chung (New Zealand) 1up
Kyla Welsh (New Zealand) def. Sarah Kemp (Australia) 2 and 1
Nikki Garrett (Australia) def. Lynn Kenny (Scotland) at the 19th

Semifinals
McKevitt def. Pace 6 and 5
Garrett def. Welsh 2 and 1

Plate quarterfinals
Sarah Kenyon (Australia) def. Grace Jeong (Harewood, Cant) 6 and 5
Stacey Tate (Huapai, Nth Harbour) def. Robyn Boniface (Queens Park, Sthland) 6 and 4
Veronique Drouin (Canada) def. Jackie Little (Canada) 5 and 4
Sarah Nicholson (Hutt, Wgtn) def. Rochelle Miles (Australia) at the 19th

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