Leanne Richardson finally found golf's heaven on Earth.

After 30 years of trying and clearly earning the reputation as New Brunswick's top female amateur golfer, Richardson put together the game of her life, a 1-under-par 71 at the Moncton Golf and Country Club here yesterday, and finally won the Royale New Brunswick ladies amateur championship.

Does it get any better than this?

"You dream of playing like I did today. Every part of my game was on," said Richardson, a Country Meadows Golf Club standout whose margin of victory in the 54-hole championship was a whooping 15 strokes.

Richardson finished the championship at 7-over-par 223 on rounds of 74-78 and 71 over the par 72 Moncton challenge. Her 71 was the only sub-par score by any player.

Immediately after she tapped in her final putt on the 18th hole, many of Richardson's closest friends stormed the green and swished her with bubbling champagne.

After she wiped away tears, plus champagne, she immediately hugged her mother, Roberta, her dad, Willis, and her brother, Steve, who all followed the action.

What was also so special about the final round was Richardson, Margo McLeod of Woodstock, and Stephanie Chubb of the Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, the final threesome, were accompanied by now retired New Brunswick Hall of Fame golf champion Mary Ellen Driscoll of Rothesay.

Driscoll, a 25-time amateur champion, is the greatest female player in New Brunswick history and she constantly passed on special support to all three players.

Beginning the payoff round with a 10-stroke cushion, it didn't take long for Richardson to establish her game. She started out par, birdie 2, birdie 4, birdie 4 and was off and running.

"I started out thinking hey, I'm going to stay in my moment and I'm not going to lose a 10-shot lead,' and then how I played holes two, three, four was perfect. I was settled in for sure after that. I was feeling so good," she said.

Richardson took a bogey 5 on nine for a outbound score of 1-under-par 34. Then, she was even-par 37 coming home.

On the backside, she was 2-under par after six holes but slipped with a bogey six on 16 and bogey four on 17.

"I was playing so well and then it got away a little," she said. "I was working on perhaps the best game I had ever played and it just got away at the end. That's okay I guess."

Richardson, a 17-time New Brunswick amateur team member and a 11-time N.B. player of the year, confessed winning her first amateur title will changes things a little.

"I've been so close a few times and now I've done it. It's amazing. Everybody likes to play well ... everybody likes to experience winning, too," she said.

The 45-year-old Richardson was honoured to have Driscoll taking in the championship.

"To play like I did with Mary Ellen here makes me feel so good and winning even more special," she said.

McLeod and Chubb, the defending champion, tied for second at 22-over-par 238. McLeod was 76 yesterday after games of 84-78. Chubb was 76, too, following scores of 75-87.

Katherine Ann Beamish of Hampton finished fourth at 30-over-par 246 (89-78-79) and will join Richardson, McLeod and Chubb on the four-member New Brunswick team that will travel to the Royale national ladies amateur at the Kingsville Golf Club in Kingsville, Ont., July 26-30.

Meanwhile, Kathy Grebenc of the Gowan Brae Golf Club in Bathurst won the senior ladies championship for the third season in a row. Grebenc carded a final round 81 to record a two-shot victory over Susan Dyker of the Westfield Golf Club in Grand Bay. Grebenc's games were 81-83-81 and Dyker was 77-82-88.

Monique Taylor of Moncton finished third and Pam Cossey of the Rockwood Park Golf Club in Saint John was fourth.

Grebenc, Dyker, Taylor and Cossey will be the four-member senior team will compete in the Royale senior nationals at the Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, B.C., Aug. 23-26