AUSTRALIAN GOLF

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27151, 22 September 1953, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN GOLF

AMATEUR FOURSOMES

CHAMPIONSHIP (Rec. 12.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 21. The New Zealand golfers finished fourth and fifth in the Australian amateur foursomes golf championship at the New South Wales club's course at La Perouse today. T. Jeffery and D. L. Woon, pairing for the first time in a championship event, finished fourth with 80 and 72 for a 36-hole total of 152.

S. McDonald and S. Jones were one stroke behind in fifth place, with rounds of 76 and 77. Four sixes on the second nine holes of the morning round possibly cost Woon and Jteffery a win. They finished five strokes behind the leaders, Peter Heard (New South Wales) and D. Bachli (Victoria) and W. Edgar and F. Gluth (Victoria).

After the tie for first place the Australian Golfing Union ruled that the two pairs would play off tomorrow over 18 holes to decide the winners.

Woon and Jeffery lost all hope of winning the title after their first round of 80. They were out in 37, one over par, but home in 43. The last nine included a six at the par four tenth, a birdie two at the eleventh, and another birdie at the next hole. But at the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth the New Zealanders had sixes, which made them seven over par. At these holes each of the tee shots landed in the rough. A strong wind, which was blowing across the course from the sea at the time, carried the shots away from the fairway. In the afternoon round Woon and Jeffery had a brilliant run when they covered 18 holes in par figures of 72. They were the only pair to return par figures in the championship. They were two strokes over par after the first four holes, but had birdies at the fifth and seventh to be on par. From then on they had par figures for thu rest of the round.

At the par five fifteenth, Woon missed a seven-foot putt for an eagle, and then Jeffery missed a follow-up putt. After the round, they said they were pleased with their golf. Jones and McDonald were only three strokes behind the leading scorers after their first round of 76. They were out in 39 and home in 37. After taking three putts at the fourth they had a birdie at the fifth to be all square, but dropped strokes at the next three holes to be three over par at the turn. On the homeward nine they returned par figures at the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth holes, but dropped a stroke at the next hole. They had par figures for the last five holes. In the afternoon round they were four strokes over par after the first five holes. They bunkered their tea shot at the second hole, and dropped two shots when McDonald’s explosion shot did not go out. They had par figures for the next six holes, dropped two strokes after the next two, had a birdie at the next, and took par figures for the last three. Jones and McDonald said after their match that they were again out of touch with their putting. They did not hole one putt more than five feet from the pin.

The New Zealand team’s manager, K. Glendinning, playing with a New South Wales golfer, A. L. Spooner, had two rounds of 81 to finish last in the championship.