Buninyong golfer Helen Pascoe is confident she has put in the appropriate work over the past 12 months to go even deeper in the Australian Women's Senior Amateur Championship this week.
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Pascoe was knocked out by eventual winner Sharon Dawson in last year’s semi-final, but after a diligent preparation, focusing on the consistency of her golf game, to this year’s championships she enters with a sense of optimism.
“I’ve been working hard over the last 12 months since I came back from Perth. When you play in them (top events) you realize how much work you have to do to be able to compete – so I’ve been working pretty hard in preparation for it,” Pascoe said.
“I think I’ve put in enough work to get me through. I’m confident that I’ll qualify (to the match-play stage) and give it a crack.
“It’s a very quality field, so I’m looking forward to the competition.”
Pascoe, who plays off a handicap of one, won the Ballarat and District Open earlier this year – her 11th crown - and has had strong results in a number of Golf Victoria events throughout the year but no doubt this event, which welcomes the best women’s amateur golfers over the age of 55 to the Ballarat Golf Club, will be the ultimate test.
She felt her knowledge of the course and the wet conditions could work in her favour as the Ballarat conditions are sure to be foreign to many making the trip. But Pascoe said inevitably it will come down to who is the form golfer over the five days.
“Definitely you’re going to have some advantage from knowing the course a bit better than some of the others.
“Probably the fact that it’s a little bit wetter and the conditions are going to favour players that are used to playing in the wet conditions. Knowing the course is one thing, but how you’re striking the ball on the day is just as important.”
Following the final round of the PGA National Futures Championship being called off on Friday due to wet weather, Ballarat Golf Club general manager assured competitors the course would be in good condition and ready for play on Monday.
The five-day tournament sees competitors play stroke-play for the first two days before the top 16 qualify for the match-play stage of the championship. The top qualifier gains the advantage of playing the 16th qualifier in the knockout format, second takes on 15th and so on.
There is five different age categories, with the open final to be played on Friday. The open grade will have upward of 24 competitors, with a large contingent making the trip from Western Australia and Tasmania.