Wooster defends senior am title

Sue Wooster with her Senior Amateur Trophy 2018 for women.

Sue Wooster defends her title next week at the Australian Woman's Senior Amateur Championship at the Nelson Bay Golf Club at Port Stephens in northern New South Wales without great expectations.

Wooster, 57, of The National, has had an excellent time in the last two years in which she has twice reached the final of the US Senior Amateur just to fall short.

But Wooster, who won her first Australian title last year at Sandy Creek in South Australia, said she had taken a break since returning from North America and anticipating another grandchild (soon), her seventh. "I'm going to Sydney tomorrow," she said. "So I'll probably have another one when I come back."

She will go to Port Stephens fresh and hungry for more success.

"I didn't think too much about golf," she said today. "Since we returned from the United States at the end of last month, we have built a house without organizing it, so I have not had much golf. It will be nice to get away and get my head back in golf.

"It doesn't hurt to take a break sometimes. You can overdo it. You only have to do what you have to do. If you feel like exercising, you can keep doing it for hours and sometimes you may be a bit brain-dead. "

Wooster became second in the US senior am in 2018 and this year lost the final to Lara Tennant 3 and 2 at Cedar Rapids in Iowa. Although it was a devastating result for her, it continues to push her forward.

"When I went there in the early 50s, I wasn't good enough to win it," she said. “It was a big goal for me to try and win that. It gave me something to work towards and to improve my game in different areas. I feel like I'm winning now. I came there. Sometimes it's hard to do when your opponent plays well and you make a few mistakes on one of those courses that are difficult to set up. That is all you have to do; a few mistakes, a few missed putts, missed fairways and you lose the game. "

For Wooster it's all about the search for self-improvement. "My game is getting better because I want to keep learning," she said. "It's more stimulating that way. I feel that if I think & # 39; I can't get better & # 39 ;, I lose a little interest, then I get a tip from someone and I think & # 39; yes, I could try & # 39; I always like to work somewhere. It sounds a bit weird. "

A field of 125 players – including a large contingent of 39 flies from Perth – will contest this year's titles in Port Stephens, with the 36 holes starting on Monday. The top 16 graduates to the match play phase, with the final on Friday.

A player who chases her first title in the highest rank is Louise Mullard from New South Wales, who has won both Mid-Amateur titles in Australia and New Zealand in the last two years. The Kiwi & # 39; s have a strong challenge, including Robyn Boniface, Robyn Pullar and Brigit Holford.

Two-time national champion Jacqui Morgan of NSW will certainly also compete.

This championship is the last event in order of merit of the older women for 2019, with the most points to grab. Helen Pascoe leads the OOM of Morgan and Sharon Dawson.

As far as Wooster is concerned, it's about the process. "I'm not trying to live up to expectations. Golf is too unpredictable for that," she said.

Starting times, starting list here