The Otago women's golf team pulled a real Houdini act in the third round of the Toro interprovincial teams tournament, played on the Waitikiri course in Christchurch yesterday morning.
The team was gone for all money, trailing by a 1 to 4 margin at the turn with only No1 Laura Hoskin holding a slender lead of one.
Team captain Liz McRae heaped praise on the young team for its spirited fightback which gave it a 3 to 2 win over Tasman.
The win gives Otago four points and eight games but the team had a bye in the afternoon so was unable to add to this.
The win was timely as the team has a tough draw today, meeting the favoured Auckland quintet in the morning and North Harbour in the afternoon.
Susan Greig at No5 was the first to turn her game around after she lost two of the first three holes and turned two behind Amber Boyce.
She won 10, 11, 12 and 13 to turn the tables before losing the 14th to a birdie.
Greig won 2 and 1 and said she sank crucial putts at crucial times to turn her fortunes around.
Sumin Kang, at No4, also turned two down after losing four holes in a row on the front nine.
She started her comeback by birdieing the eighth, then blitzed Tasman's Tracy Bary, winning 14, 15, 16 and 17 to finish the match.
No3 Abigael Crawford trailed by one at the turn to the experienced Emily Stenhouse and could not get in front, losing the match on the 15th green.
Danielle Bailey (No2) lost two of the first five holes and turned six behind, after losing four consecutive holes.
Every time she looked like getting a win, Stenhouse dropped a lengthy putt and after a good first day, Bailey lost on the 12th green.
The return of Hoskin playing at No1 has helped the young Otago team, as she has now won all three games.
But her match with Tasman's Lizzie Neale was her toughest yet, as after trailing early, she required two birdies to get back to square.
She was one down after the fifth, the ninth and the 15th but hung in to take the honours on the final green.
