N.Z. GOLFERS IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27132, 31 August 1953, Page 9

N.Z. GOLFERS IN AUSTRALIA

N.S.W. WINS FOUR OF SIX MATCHES

(Rec. 8.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 30. The New Zealand amateur golfers made a good showing, although they were beaten, four matches to one, with one drawn, against New South Wales at the Royal Sydney course yesterday. They hope to do better in later matches against Australia. The New South Wales team was possibly the strongest they will meet in Australia. The New Zealanders lost both foursomes during the morning, but played greatly improved golf in the singles during the afternoon to win one match and share one. They said the New South Wales players were “too good." During the afternoon round, the New Zealanders showed lapses in putting, but they expect to correct this before they play Australia. The final result gave no indication of the closeness. of the matches, as three of them finished on the eighteenth. A highlight of the day was the brilliant golf played by Tim Woon in beating the New Zealand and New South Wales amateur champion, Harry Berwick. Woon was out in 32, three under par, but home in 40. which gave him par figures for the 18 holes. Berwick fought back, but Woon won the match at the eighteenth, with a par four. Peter Heard, playing at the peak of his form, was two under par for 14 holes when he beat S. G. Jones 5 and 4.

Jones missed several 3ft putts, which robbed him of any chance of drawing level with Heard.

Tom Jeffery was beaten at the eighteenth by the former New South Wales amateur champion, Keith Pix, when Pix sank a 16ft putt to give him a birdie three and the match, 1 up.

Jeffery, however, returned a par 72 and had birdies at the eighth, tenth and fifteenth, but his putting let him down at several holes. During the round he three-putted on four greens. Jeffery said he was quite pleased with his form, and expects to do better after getting used to the greens. Sid McDonald finished all square with Bruce Crampton, the 17-year-old runner-up for the State championship. The two played brilliant golf at the seventeenth when Crampton sank a 40ft putt and McDonald replied by sinking a 30ft shot. New South Wales won both the opening foursomes. Jeffery and Jones were beaten 6 and 5 by Pix and Heard, and Woon and McDonald were beaten 3 and 2 by Berwick and A. Watterson. When both matches finished the Nev/ Zealand players were three strokes over par. A crowd of 200 followed the players in dull, rainy weather.

The New Zealand players were satisfied with their form. Woon said he had no excuses for his and McDonald’s defeat.

“Our long game let us down at times and dropped us short on the greens,” he said. The New South Wales course was longer than the normal New Zealand course, but the fairways and greens were just as good, if not better.