GOLF Tunnell Leads In N.Z. Open After First Round Of 68

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27499, 5 November 1954, Page 14

GOLF Tunnell Leads In N.Z. Open After First Round Of 68

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, November 4. The Wanganui professional, J. B. Tunnell, was at the head of the field with a beautifully made 68 when the first round of the New Zealand Open was decided at Heretaunga today. Only a stroke away was R. J. Charles, aged 18, of Masterton. I. A. Ewen (Hutt) and J. H. Lowes (Napier), with 70, were also under the standard scratch score of 71, and among a group a stroke behind this pair was the Australian professional P. W. Thomson, who is expected to win the title for the fourth time. The weather, cloudy in the morning, was pleasantly sunny and warm later, and there v/as a large gallery. Of the 13 Christchurch players only two failed to break 80, and H. J. Gosset was well placed with his 72. Tunnell’s steadiness gave him his good figures. His only lapses today occurred when he missed a 2ft putt at the seventh hole and an even shorter putt at the eighth after hooking his second into the rough. After that he had scratch figures, a’ birdie, and a superb eagle 3. Tunnell set an example n °t.wasting time between shots. Others failed in that respect. The last pmr, due off at 1.45 p.m., Was very late away and was not back in the clubhouse until 6.30 p.m. i ?’ s f oU . n . d was a triumph. A left-hander he hit the ball solidly and straight and concentrated well. He came home brilliantly in 33, as did T yf* ce he had the golf gods with him. At the fourth he sliced out bounced back fai ™ a y a tree. Later he ra S er stra ggling recovery irom near the green. su P*zF b form. He holed dramatl c length, but his woods and irons were his slaves in a studious, skilful display. Thomson Makes Mistakes Thomson had a hard struggle to get to P an'S»?/ii. he “d for mfre A. round was not playing well. At the second hole he put an easy iron into a bunker, and there was a shocked silence as though the housemaid had just dropped the Ming finTtK° d the pieces b y find the green at the short tbl f d J takul S J M that was not enough he dropped a third stroke at the sixth. Thomson looked jaded and for the next few holes he made other jL S , S ,„ C . errors. Then he settled down to his usual rhythm, and a pair ®j^ irdles in the last three holes saved ..On® of the day’s best rounds was that of Lowes, who had a 70. Lowes’s capable use of irons took him to the green with a persistence that was quite remarkable. His outward 34, one better than scratch, was the best of the day. He played fine orthodox golf. Not once was he able to hole a putt of longer than 6ft, which in itself speaks volumes for the. calibre of his driving and his shots to the green. N. V. Edwards had a good round. He made some grievous errors, but compensated for them with thrilling recoveries.

D. L. Woon played well enough at times to suggest that a score about 66 was not beyond the bounds of possibility. A ball hooked out of bounds at the fourth cost him dear, but always his insistence on taking a chance hinted a superb score or disaster.

Gosset Recovers Well After dropping two strokes in four holes, Gosset played splendidly. He was still two over at the turn, but by hitting. the ball straight and keeping his putts up to the cup consistently, he finished well. B. Crampton, the young New South Wales professional, was on terms with par for a considerable time, but his irons began to stray and his putting to falter.

For consistency there was no-dne to equal the Otago youngster, J. D. Durry. He scored scratch figures at 17 holes, and dropped a stroke at the other. Of the Christchurch players, I. B. Cromb had more misadventures than the rest put together. R. D. Kearns, in his first Open, played and putted well, but inexplicably had 4’s at two consecutive short holes. W. J. McGavock had a commendable run home in a scratch 36, and D. C. Watson, after losing a ball at the fourth, fought back well for a 36 home and his 74. M. W. Stanley was out in a scratch 35, but lost three strokes immediately and recovered none of them, and L. A. Watson scored a useful 75.

The Press Association reports the following results (P.) denoting a professional:— Open Championship J. B. Tunnell (Wanganui) (P.)) .. 68 R. J. Charles (Masterton) .. ..69 I. A. Ewen (Hutt) .. .. 70 T. H. Lowes (Napier) .. ..70 D. L. Woon (Hamilton) .. ... 71 N. V. Fdwards (Titirangi) .. ..71 P. W. Thomson (Australia) (P.) .. 71 G. Cunningham (Miramar) .. 72 B. 1 M. Silk (Wanganui) .. 72 J. D. Durry (Otago) .. ..72 B. W. Young (Titirangi) .. *.72 A. C. Relph (Springfield) .. ..72 H. J. Gosset (Christchurch) .. 72 .T. A. Patterson (Tauranga) .. ..72 F. T. Gordon (Poverty Bay) .. 73 R. C. Murray (St. Clair) 73 J. N. Andrews (Manawatu) .. 73 S. E. Cox (Aucland) .. ..73 J. H. Woon (Shandon) .. ..73 I. E. Deadman (Springfield) .. 73 R. F. Mackie (Walpukurau) .. 73 T. M. Stout (Miramar) .. .. 73 D. C. Watson (Russley) .. •• 74 N.- F. Dowden (Akarana) ..74 D. G. Leng-Ward (Manawatu) .. 74 E. A. Southerden (Napier), (P.) ~ 74 M. W. Stahley (Russley) .. .. 74 G. L. Taylor (Hamilton) . , ..74 R. A. Court (New Plymouth) .. 74 W. J. McGavock (Avondale) .. ..74 J. H. Rogers (St. Clair) (P.) .. 74 R. D. Kearns (Christchurch) .. 74 A. R. Kitto (Wanganui) .. " 74 D. B. Dunn (Manor Park) •• > <. 74

N. H. Amon (Paraparaumu) .. 74 B. Crampton (Beverley Park, N.S.W.J, (P.) .. .. .. ..74 F. J. Cullen (Matamata) .. ..74 W. G. Horne (Wellington) .... 74 G. T. Seccombe (unattached) (P.) .. 74 N. H. Fuller (Christchurch) (P.) .. 75 G. E. Hudson (Palmerston North) (P.) .. .. .. ..75 J. Mitchell (Dannevirke) .. .. 75 R. D. Wilson (Gore) .. .. 75 D. E. Collins (Wellington) .. .. 75 K. F. Carter (Manor Park) .. .. 75 J. L. Black (Hutt) .. .. 75 H. A. Black (Miramar) .. .. 75 W. C. Crisp (Miramar) .. .. 75 R. B. Bailey (Dannevirke) .. ..75 R. H. Glading (Hamilton) .. ... 75 R. Hay-McKenzie (Titirangi) .. 75 R. A. Jackson (unattached) (P.) .. 75 L. A. Watson (Christchurch)) .. 75 P. G. ,F. Smith (Akarana) .. ..75 A. E. Guy (unattached) (P.) .. 75 G. W. Faulknor (Masterton) .. ..75 I. Dyer (Grange ) .. ..75 R. G. Holland (Shandon) .. ..75 J. P. Hornabrook (Paraparaumu). .. 75 G. E. Wilson (Waipukurau) .. ..75 A. W. Jensen (Maraenui) (P.) .. 76 A. S. Jameson (Manor Park) .. 76 G. N. Tustin (Hutt) .. ..76 M. J. Thornton (Rotorua) .. .. 76 T. S. Galloway (Rotorua) (P.) .. 76 K. S. Glendining (Manawatu) .. 76 D. H. Graham (Feilding) .. ..76 F. X. Buckler (unattached) (P.) .. 76 James Galloway (unattached) (P.) .. 76 K. F. Thom (Hutt) .. ..76 J. F. Farley (Wanganui) .. .. 76 G. P. Roberts (Hutt) .. ..76 K. W. Stephen (Miramar) .* ..76 A. Murray (unattached) (P.) •• 76 J. S. Casey (Hamilton) .. •• 76 I. B. Cromb (Christchurch) .. .. 76 L. J. James (Waitikiri) .. ..76 S. Keeble (Manor Park) .. ..76 G. R. Lindsay (Miramar) .. ..76 J. W. Scott (Manor Park) .. ..76 A. M. Johns (Manawatu) •• .. 77 B. E. King (Manor Park) .. ..77 B. C. Parsons (Miramar) .. ..77 W. W. Smith (Titirangi) 77 S. Haynes (Wairoa) .. 77 T. Burrell (Miramar) .. ..77 D. M. Ross (Hutt) .. ..77 J. Watt (Wellington) .. ..77 P. R. Harsant (Manakaup .. ' .. 77 N. D. Hayden (unattached) (P.) .. 77 N. Payne (Manor Park) ..• ..77 R. B. Carr (Manakau) .. ..77 J. B. Crawford (Manor Park) .. 78 R. Dailey (Miramar) .. ..78 A. B. Jolly (unattached) (P.) .. 78 S. C. Cooper (Northern Wairoa) .. 78 S. Booth (Titirangi) .. ..78 A. J. Shaw (unattached) (P.) •• 78 S. A. McDonald (Hutt) .. *.78 D. A. Stevens (Miramar) .. •• 78 A. R. Timms (St. Clair) .. ..78 I. Arundel (Russley) (P.) .. ..78 H. W. Lawrence (Avondale) .. ..78 B. A. Colquhoun (St. Clair) .. ..78 P. L. Peacock (Waipukurau) .. 78 D. Brodie (CastlecUff) .. ..80 A. J. Fletcher (Te Aroha) .. ..80 N. M. Fowke (Christchurch) .. ..80 N. Jarman (Manakau) .. ..80 R. L. Linley (Miramar) .. ..80 E. B. Treacy (Akarana) .. ..80 W. J. Heenan (Ashburton) .. ..80 J. D. Lewis (North Store) .. ..80 J. H. Duncalf (Shandon) .. ..80 G. Payne (Hutt) ... .. ..80 E. J. Astin (Manawatu) .. ..80 C. Bidwell (Wellington) .. ..80 C. R. Falloon (Masterton) .. ..80 A. L. Guise (Hutt) (P.) .. ..80 T. P. Jones (Taumarunui) .. ..81 John Galloway (Hamilton) (P.) .. 81 T. E. Irwin (Dannevirke) .: ..81 C. B. McLeod (Whangarei) .. ..81 J. C. Mitchell (Titirangi) .. ..81 R. D. Cock (Te Awamutu) .. ..81 T. A. Pannett (Roxburgh) .. ..81 J. Hamilton-Gibbs (Nelson) .. 81 W. S. Douglas (Auckland) .«> ..81 F. J. Shearer (Masterton) .. ..32 L> -Evans (Shandon) .. ..82 N. J. D. Corrin (Manor Park) .. 82 J. G. Scott (Christchurch) .. ..82 M. Miller XHanmer Springs) .. 83 V. L. J. Quinn (Manor Park) .. 83 D. J. Oliver (Shandon) ..84 E. Fennell (Poverty Bay) (P.) .. 84 H. D. Randrup (Hamilton) .. .. 87 RAWHITI LADIES' CLUB.—Mid-week closing day—Stroke, A grade net: Mrs L. Russell, 78, 12—66; Mrs P. Hobson, 79, 13— 86; Mrs J. Booth, 86, 17—69. Mrs Russell won on the count-back. B grade, pet: Mis R. Hooker, 89, 23—66; Mrs L. Meier, 89, 21—68; Mrs A. Kneebone, 92, 24—68. Approaching: Mrs P. Cotton. Putting, A grade: Mrs E. P. Miller. B grade: Mrs A. Knee-

none. PETER THOMSON. British Open Golf Champion. Nevr Zealand Champion, and GOLFER OF THE YEAR, plays DUNLOP 65 GOLF BALLS EXCLUSIVELY. . —Advt.