Magnificent First-Half 29 In 65 By Thomson

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29237, 22 June 1960, Page 17

Magnificent First-Half 29 In 65 By Thomson

(N.Z. Press Assbcidion—Copyright)

LONDON, June 21

Australia’s Peter Thomson, the latest hit-and-run pirate to threaten British golfers with the poorhouse, continued his fantastic prize-plundering spree at Sunningdale, Berkshire, yesterday, the "News Chronicle” reported.

He tapped down a six-inch putt on the home green, collected a £350 cheque, waved his glittering goldheaded putter towards openmouthed spectators and sauntered off in the general direction of Ireland where—this week-end—he will defend the Canada Cup for Australia. “It is his third successive tournament triumph in 12 days, and, counting the second place he won in the Penfold and Swallow tournament, it meant that he has now accumulated pocket money amounting to precisely £2315 within the last three weeks,” said the newspaper’s golf writer.

“But that’s not half the story. Yesterday Thomson stood on the threshold of immortality. For the first nine holes of his final round played with incomparable grace and glory, put him within conceivable reach of the lowest score achieved in world golf.” A splendid morning round of 64 by Britain’s Bernard Hunt meant that Thomson needed a final 65 to win the Bowmaker £3OOO tournament.

“Thomson merely fixed the familiar half-smile on his face and set off down the first fairway. What happened in the next three and a half hours amounts to the most astonishing round of golf I have watched,” said the writer. “Thomson tore out of the turn in a fabulous 29 shots—and it should have been 27. For two putts stubbornly ran round the hole and stayed out. He eagled the par-five first hole, birdied the second, third, fifth, sixth and ninth. “But mere mundane facts like these cannot recapture the superb mid-iron play with which Thomson was reducing the 3016 outward yards to pitch-and-putt status,” said the “News Chronicle” writer.

As the news of his feats flashed across the course, hundreds hurried out to the tenth tee to come

home with the man who looked in the mood to knock a shot off the world record round of 59. “But even as they gathered, the story was ending. Two concentra-tion-wrecking incidents—first a scaremonger spectator yelling ‘Fore’ as Thomson was driving, then a woman chasing a dog as he was chipping—disturbed the tensely silent Australian, on the tenth and eleventh holes,” he said.

The sequel came at the twelfth when Thomson leaned into a three-wood shot up the steep bunker-crated fairway and sent it skidding a miserable 78 yards. Three holes later he was nn trouble again and world record thoughts were shattered. But he recovered to reel off three fours at the final holes and collect first prize.

Leading totals in the tournament were:—

132 P. W. Thomson. 67, 65. 133 B. J. Hunt, 69. 64. 135 H. Weetman, 69, 66, P. J. Butler, 66. 69. 136 T. B. Haliburton. 70. 66. 137 P. Alliss. 69, 68: E. G. Lester, 68. 69; S. S. Scott, 67, 70.