Chisholm Park's Sally Shaw is the other change from the team which competed at St Clair last year, and she will make her debut at No 4.
Crawford is a year 11 pupil at South Otago High School and did not compete in the South Island teams event at the weekend because she sat her first exam, level one English, yesterday morning.
She started playing 18 holes on the Balclutha course when she was 12 and followed her older brothers, Liam and Matthew, who are both keen golfers.
The three golfers returning are Laura Hoskin (Arrowtown) at No 1, Susan Greig (St Clair) at No 3, and Liz McRae (Wanaka) at No 5.
Hoskin was an obvious choice at No 1, having won four of her six games in that spot at St Clair last year.
Greig played at No 5 last year, winning five of her six games, many by large margins.
Missing from this year's line-up are two Arrowtown golfers - Jo Hicks-Beach, who had four wins at No 2 last year, and Dale Dagg, who was at No 4 last year.
Hicks-Beach was unwell earlier this year and returned to the United Kingdom but has since recovered and wants to come back to New Zealand.
However, she has been unable to obtain a visa, which has cost Otago one of its best women golfers.
Otago women's team
in playing order
Laura Hoskin (Arrowtown), Abigael Crawford (Balclutha), Susan Greig (St Clair), Sally Shaw (Chisholm Park), Liz McRae (Wanaka).
Travelling reserve/manager: Judy Bevin (St Clair).
Non-travelling reserve: Tracey Storer.
