Higgins contends with cold putter to win again

OLIVIA HIGGINS has the swing to take her a long way in golf and perhaps not only to the North Carolina University where she is soon headed. At 18, the Jersey champion, awarded a golf scholarship in the States, retained the CI matchplay title, beating the home representative Sue Wellfair 4 and 2 at L'Ancresse.

It was a commendable performance in defeat by Wellfair, who had beaten the favourite Veronica Bougourd in Friday's Guernsey final.

Wellfair coped well with the inevitable tension of her first CI final against a player hotly-tipped to romp to a big win, and even enjoyed a two-hole advantage early on.

But by the turn of the morning round, Higgins had levelled and by lunchtime had forged four holes ahead.

Wellfair battled hard after the break and narrowed the deficit to two deep into the back nine, but there always a large degree of inevitability about the result and the end came on the 34th hole.

Afterwards, Higgins said that she had taken nothing for granted on only her second visit to the course.

'You can never be confident as I didn't know Sue's game at all.

'I came here thinking if I play well I'll be happy.'

Most of her impressive game worked a treat, but her putting was not part of it.

'This afternoon the putting let me down a bit, but overall I'm pretty happy,' she said, amid all the congratulatory hugs and kisses.

Wellfair's short game was not at her best either, as she admitted.

'I was striking the ball well but not finishing it off,' she said.

Wellfair had enjoyed an ideal start, winning the first and then seeing her opponent hit two balls out of bounds in losing the second.

But consecutive threes at seven and eight brought the Jersey champion level and on the back nine was a model of consistency which Wellfair could not cope with.

Higgins moved two up when Wellfair inadvertently played the wrong ball at the 12th and the margin was doubled when the home player three-putted the 18th to lose it to a par.

The afternoon round saw Wellfair claw one back early on, but Higgins won five with a solid par to restore a comfortable buffer and apart from blips at 11 and 12 to slip back to two up, she continued to strike some majestic four-woods and irons.

Of the two, Wellfair's putter was the warmer but invariably the putts were for saves.

An exception were those at 14 and 15.

At the 14th, Wellfair set up a superb birdie opportunity with a fine approach but missed a 6ft effort for the win.

Then, at 15, she left a 9ft birdie attempt just short and was made to pay as the Caesarean rolled in an 8ft putt for the birdie and go dormy.

There was to be no miracle.

Higgins again split the fairway off the 16th teebox and lofted a high approach to the heart of the green to set up another good birdie chance.

Wellfair, in contrast, went the scenic route down the right, but after a horrible second into the down slope of the hazard, played a wonderful recovery.

She was not to play another stroke.

Higgins rolled her putt dead and the Guernsey player's concession spelt the end.

'But it's good.'

And so is she.