Evening star., 1962-08-31
NonchoIont Miss Gunderson
Now Favored for Sd Title

81 CAP) jeanne Gunderson.
20 nonchalant about golf that
she frequently applauds with
the rest of the gallery when
her opponent sinks long putt
stood over a 4-footer at the
18th hole Of the Country Club
Of Rochester yesterday.
She drew back the blade OF
her putter, then stopped.
erinned at pretty Barbara Will
liams. and said: I'm nervous.
wanna putt this one for me?"
Then this 23-year-old fun
loving girl from kirkland.
Wash. walked back to her ball
and stroked it into the cup
while a crowd Of nearly a thou
sand persons roared.
Two holes later Joanne again
had won her way into the semi
finals Of the National Women's
Amateur championship and set
herself up as the favorite to
nail her third title tomorrow.
It's the strawberry blond
from the Pacific Northwest.
national champion in 1857 and
1860. against TiSh PreuSs of
Ponpano Beach. Fla. and IT.
year-old Annie Baker of Mary
Vile, Tenn, against giant
killer Patsy Hahn of Whining
ton, Del, in the 18-hole semi
finals today.
Title on Line Tomorrow
The winners play 36 holes
tomorrow for the title and once
again there will be a new
champion. Defending Cham
pion Anne Quasi Decker, at
tempting to become the first
queen to repeat since Betty
Jameson in 1939-40, ran into a
patsy who wasn't one in Miss
Hahn yesterday.
The 22-year-old. five-time
Delaware State champion fired
a -under-par 35 on the front
nine of the 6.161-yard. par
36-36-72 course. built a Sup,
lead over Mrs. Decker and :
coaSted to a 5-and-4 upset.
Miss Maker, who will be a
senior at Maryville High School
next week. eliminated Marcia
McLachlan of Danbury, Conn, .
2 and /. while Miss PreusS was
one over par in beating Mrs.
Harry Nevil. the New York =
State champion from Coopers- {
town. 4 and 2. +
But it was Miss Gunderson's !
1-up. 20-hole victory over Miss B
Williams. a 24-year-old secre- <
tary from Richmond, Calf. c
and tiger at match play. that 8
furnished the bulk of yester- 4
days drama. Even for Miss d
Gunderson. who told a late
arriving friend:
IT'S Just as we'll you didn't ]
make it in time. I'm not sup R
posed to be nervous, but l was Q
dying out there" :
JO Anne Trails l
Three-up after IL holes, 10
Anne found herself trailing
going to the 18th and shaking
like a leaf" Miss Williams,
who had appeared out of it,
had dropped a l0-foot putt for ,
a winning par on the 18th, a
five-footer for winning birdie
on the 18th, 25-footer for a
winning birdie on the 18th and
then had raped her tee shot
within l8 inches of the cup for
another birdie on the par 8
10th.
After 10 Anne tied it with
par on II. Barbara sank a six
footer for a par on the 18th
and Miss Gunderson was faced
with a -or-else situation.
THE putter was wobbling so
much I was afraid I'd miss the
ball completely" she said. II
didn't expect her to sink her
putt. When she did. I got up
to mine much too fast. Even
after I backed away and then
went to putt again. I was so
nervous I thought I'd die" !
Once the ball plopped into
the cup. 10 Anne dropped her
putter, looked at the heavens
and put her hands together
in a prayer gesture, and then
marched into overtime. After ,
they halved the first extra hole,
she won at the goth with a par
5 while Barbara hit into a
ditch on her third shot, had to
take a one-Stroke penalty for
a lift out of the hazard, pitched
on the green in five and missed
the putt. f
Miss Preuss, runnerup to Mrs.
Decker last year, said she
played her best golf Of the
tournament so far against Mrs. ;
Nevil but added: I'll have to
do 1t again against Gundy. She
can hit with any woman in
golf. She'll outdrive me from
80 to 40 yards on every hole"
Although they've played
alongside each other for several
years in Curtis Cup and other
tournament play. it'll be their
first head-to-head match. Miss
Baker and Miss Hahn are
totally unsure of what to ex-
pect from each other.
IT know who she is" Annie
said, but we've never even