N.Z. Golf Team To Be Chosen This Week

Press, Volume C, Issue 29599, 23 August 1961, Page 13

N.Z. Golf Team To Be Chosen This Week

ZEALAND’S amateur golfers, as well as the new professional R. J. Charles, have done much in recent years for this country’s reputation overseas. Amateur teams have visited England, America and South Africa, and with consistent performances of high standard, have proved that our golfers are in world class. Competition for places in these teams has been extremely keen, and there will be considerable interest again in the selection of the New Zealand team to tour Australia in November. The team will be announced on Friday, and there will be general agreement that R. R. Newdick and W. J. Godfrey (Auckland), R. C. Murray (Canterbury), and S. G. Jones (Hawke’s Bay) are certain selections. Newdick is the reigning amateur champion, and Godfrey, a surprise winner a few years ago when only 16, seems likely to be an established member of teams for many years to come Jones, still far from the veteran stage, is still possibly the finest all-round player, with unequalled ability to rise to brilliant heights in international oompetition, and Murray is now a really solid, sound, and reliable player

who surely cannot again be overlooked. But the Australian association has agreed that six players instead of the usual four, will tour this year, and it is the selection of the final two places which will provide the problems.

There must be at least six or seven with strong claims to these remaining two places. J. D. Durry iHutt) a former New Zealand representative, F. T. Gordon (Hastings), I. S. Harvey (Timaru), and J. Stem (Manawatu) are experienced yet still comparatively young in the golfing

sense, and there is a group of extremely capable youngsters such as I. MacDonald of Hastings, J. Meikle (Hutt), J, Scott (Manor Park), and two from Hamilton, J. Means and B. Boys, both of whom are only 17. It seems more than possible that one player may be chosen on little more than very real promise, but the value of experience in topclass golf is something that should not be underestimated. Durry could well be recalled to the New Zealand side, although he has perhaps done little to really force his clai--s since he was dropped from the team which went to America.

Gordon has been one of New Zealand’s best players in the last eight or nine years, without quite making the top grade and this year he may get his chance. Stern is another fine player, but his best performances seem to be nearly always at Paraparaumu, where he could easily have won the open championship two years ago.

There are few more natural golfers in this country than Harvey, yet he has nevei quite fulfilled his early promise, probably because he has been so suspect on the greens. But he hits the

ball beautifully and has shown some signs of overcoming his putting troubles. He is the type of player who might derive enormous benefit from a major tour; it seems that the selectors have their chance to take a bold step by which New Zealand could profit for many years. There seems to be general agreement that on the perfect and large greens of the major Australian courses, the really good putter has a major advantage. The selec-

tors will probably keep this in mind in making their decision and if this factor tends to count against Harvey, then it must surely help considerably the prospects of Woodbury, runner-up to Newdick for the amateur title at Invercargill last year. One of the features of this tournament was the putting of Woodbury, who consistently laid the ball absolutely dead by the pin from almost anywhere on the green. He has played fine, consistent golf since Invercargill, and has deposed Durry as Wellington’s No. 1. Gordon is another with a good reputation for the standard of his work on and around the green. Woodbury seems to have every chance of selection, and the final place may go to Harvey if the selectors are prepared to take a chance, or to Gordon. But if a place is to go to a really young golfer of promise J. Means may well be favoured. Al No. 2 for Taranaki he impressed good judges at the Freyberg Rose Bowl meeting, where he had a good deal of success. He hits the ball a long way, and has the makings of a good putter.