after carrying an eight-stroke advantage into the final day, Judithanne Astwood and Joan Connors had to go to the last putt before retaining their women's title in the Bermuda Four Ball Championships at Port Royal Golf Club yesterday.

Actually it was Astwood who pulled her team through after Connors struggled on the last four holes to leave Astwood to battle Pat Morgan and Ginette Spinucci for the title.

"We were trying not to get into a match play situation,'' explained a jubilant Astwood afterwards. "They played the front nine really well.'' The top two pairs began the final round of their 54-hole competition tied on 148. And when Morgan and Spinucci, a former Bermuda resident, went three strokes ahead after yesterday's front nine they were seemingly on their way to victory.

However, they lost a stroke on the par-three 12th and two more on the 14th when Morgan and Spinucci both lost balls before settling for a double-bogey six as the teams returned to even with four holes to go.

"I should have taken my time playing my (second) shot,'' said Spinucci of the 14th, which proved to be the turning point. That second stroke hit the trees and the ball was lost.

And even though opponent Connors had her own problems after that hole as Astwood carried the load, Spinucci and Morgan did not have things their own way. The teams remained deadlocked until the final hole when Astwood sunk an eight-foot putt for par.

"I put all the pressure on you,'' Connors told her partner as they hugged on the edge of the green.

"One person can play two persons very easily,'' Spinucci said of Astwood's determination.

Added partner Morgan: "We were playing steady golf and when Ginette wasn't there I was there and vice versa. I played a good game with Ginette, we compliment each other.'' Connors gave full credit to her partner, pointing out that when she was not able to help with her club, she was still giving support. "My partner did it coming into the stretch,'' said Connors, who hails from Miami Lakes in Florida.

"I'm kind of getting used to that situation,'' Astwood added. "It was all right, all I was trying to do was play par golf. I wanted them to make mistakes.'' There was a great deal of emotion shown when Astwood sunk that decisive putt.

"It was because I was under a lot of pressure,'' she explained. "It made victory that much sweeter.'' The success of Swenson and Fitch was expected as early as the first round on Thursday when a brilliant eight-under-par 63 set them on their way. The overnight eight-stroke lead was stretched to nine shots as the visitors finished with an even-par 71 while Henry Ascento and new partner Clyde Burgess carded a 72 to finish second on 280.

"It's still pressure,'' said Swenson, in reference to the big lead he and his partner held on Saturday night. "Eight shots is a lot but never enough.'' The win means that Swenson has now won the tournament four times in five tries with three different partners. He won twice with Dave Powell and again with Rob Roland.

"We had a bogey on the first hole, birdied the second hole and then made pars all the way in. We just didn't want to make big numbers today,'' explained Fitch who, like Swenson, hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. Both are also one-handicappers.

"We had four teams that came over and everybody had a great time,'' said Swenson. "The course is in great shape.'' Ascento, who won last year with Bill Pitt, was left struggling for a partner just hours before the tournament started because of the late withdrawal of Pitt through injury.

Taxi driver Burgess answered the call and raced to Port Royal for his first golf since the recent Bermuda Open.

"I was actually working when I got the call,'' he explained. "Their first round set them up. We were swimming up stream like salmon.'' The best round of the day for the men came from Barry DeCouto and Dave Purcell who shot a 67 to finish fifth on 283.

The men's net was won by George Gomez and Paco Gomez on 266 with Fitch and Swenson second on 267 while Jan Bath and Mary Ellen Hurton won the women's net with a three-round 205. Connors and Astwood were second on 211.

NEW CHAMPIONS -- John Fitch, left, and Norman Swenson won the men's division of the Bermuda Four Ball Championship yesterday by nine strokes at Port Royal Golf Club.