GOLF South Island Title To K. D. Foxton

Press, Volume C, Issue 29633, 2 October 1961, Page 9

GOLF South Island Title To K. D. Foxton

Habit evidently dies hard with K. D. Foxton, of Russley, who won the North Canterbury amateur golf championship in each of the six years from 1955 to 1960; he won it again at Waitikiri yesterday, and this time took the South Island title as well, the two events being run in conjunction for the first time. It was Foxton’s first success in a South Island championship.

Four strokes behind the New Zealand representative, R. C. Murray, after the first 36 holes on Saturday, Foxton played beautifully easy, relaxed golf yesterday. Until only five holes remained to be played, he was involved in a keen struggle with R. E. Clements, the Waitikiri cham. pion, and Murray, who was still close enough to succeed had he been able to discover the brilliance of which he is capable. But while Clements and Murray blundered their way home. Foxton’s golf was calmly immaculate, so that in the end he won by six strokes from Clements, with a 72-hole score of three over scratch—29l. There was much good golf in this splendid tournament The scratch score of 72 was beaten six times and equalled in four rounds, and this was a good performance on a course which, for all its aesthetic appeal, played rather long, and demanded considerable accuracy in the placing of the shot Waitikiri at this time of the year should be included on scenic tours of Christchurch; for this tournament it was a polished emerald, a credit to those responsible for it In another rural solitude, the god Pan, it is recorded, drew out the heart of a man with his persuasive piping, and something of this sort must have occurred at Waitikiri. which rather tends to lull the senses, fatally. But to the credit of golfers, they do refrain from the Arcadians’ habit of beating the image of Pan if they return empty-handed from the chase. z Golden Smuhine On Saturday the weather was cold and the wind from the south sharp, but yesterday afternoon the tournament ended in golden sunshine, with hardly enough breere to flutter the flags. In these splendid conditions, Foxton’s golf waa superb. He won like a champion. Until the last hour, it was a keenly competitive business, but he played with a wonderfully sure touch, while those about him floundered. In the last six holes he scored three birdies. and might well have had more; his little gallery became a royal retinue. On Saturday morning A. C. Browne, of Ashburton, was the dominant figure. This young player, who strikes the ball vigorously and well, seems on the greens to alternate between senius and sheer inaptitude. In this first round, he was on his best behaviour. His driving was adequate. his iron plav flret. class. and they were supported by some magnificent putu.-ig. rxe was out in scratch 35, had birdies at the fifteenth and eighteenth, and his TO, two under, led the field by two strokes. C W. Caldwell, who has played very little golf nines his long illness, played a lovely and e’Tort.es* round of 71. He very nearly had an eagle 3 at the 475-yard twelfth, and it was only a dreadfully unlucky bounce which cost him a stroke at the last hole. But after that, he was not in the picture—a clear and understandable case of lack of stamina. Another early leader was D. V. Williamson. who also scored 73. He hit the ball well, and was down the middle regularly. Only a threeputted eighteenth green marred an excellent effort. R. E. Clements began with two birdies but after that had to struggle a little and at lunch was fourth equal on 73 with T.

Pfahled. of the West Coast a player whose chipping and putting won much admiration. On Saturday afternoon, Murray took the lead with his 71. Some uncertainties on the greens and an occasional tee shot dragged to the left were overcome by some splendid iron play, and chips of strict accuracy. R. 3. Ramsay, back on his old course from Wellington, putted magically at times to score 71, but his whole game was much more accurate than in the morning. By lunch-time yesterday, it seemed that the irresistible force would meet the immoveable object—Foxton, six times North Canterbury champion, was a stroke behind Murray, who had won the South Island title in each of the three previous years. Foxton’s TO in the morning was a lovely round. A few putts of moderate length slipped past the hole, but he had three 2's at the short, holes, which helped Immensely. Fdur strokes behind Murray after 36 holes, he fought back tenaciously. and his birdie at the seventeenth was a masterpiece of improvisation. Difficult Position Foxton's fairway wood second eaught .the trees at the left of the opening, and the ball bounced back into a Very difficult position. But a flat fouriron sent the ball down a straight little path through all the timber. It ran on to finish pin high, about 10 feet wide of the hole. Foxton calmly holed the putt, and the birdie made him level with Murray. At the last, however, he dropped a stroke when his second was a shade short, and Murray started the final round one stroke ahead, with Clements one more behind Faxton. The round of the morning, however, was played by the former Otago representative, JB A. Colquhoun. Aggressive in his methods, but handling his putter with astonishing skill, he was one under after 11 holes, this although a very bad lie at the sixth had cost him a stroke. Three holes from home, he was back to scratch, but at the sixteenth he holed a putt of 12 feet for the birdie. He had another, with two putts, at the seventeenth, and on the last green dropped a putt of 12 feet for his third successive birdie. Clements also played very fine golf in the morning. He had bia woods and irons under firm control, and some of his tee shots were of extraordinary length. At the twelfth a per-fectly-judged chip rolled up to the hole and gently struck the Rin —an eagle, with a shade of ick. His 70, two under scratch, put him in a strong position for the final round.

would undoubtedly have gone over the back of the green, had it not struck a ball deposited near the hole by A. W. Robinson. Foxton seized this piece of good fortune by holing his fourfooter for a birdie, then at the next rolling in a very tricky downhill putt of 20 feet for another birdie. While Murray and Clements stumbled and fell. Foxton went on serenely, and a long, low iron at the seventeenth gave him another birdie. It was a meritorious win. But yesterday, some of the best golf was played by B. L. Clegg, whose drives and irons were entirely admirable, but who could not get a putt in, while regularly .getting very close to the hole. Creighton, whose form had been a little disappointing, also finished well with a scratch round. Results were:— South Island and North Canterbury Championships.—K. D. Foxton. 75. 74. 70, TO—201; R. E. Clements, 73, 77, 70. 77 297; A. C. Browne, 70. 77, 76. 77—300; B. A. Colquhoun, 77, 80, 60, 74 300: R. C. Murray, 74, 71, 73. 82300; B. L. Clegg. 75, 80, 73, 76 304; P. K. Creighton, 79, 75, 79, 72—305, North Canterbury B Grade Championship.—J. D. Lawson, 79, 83, 78. 75—312; I. D. Dobson, 80. 75. 77, 33—315; F. Bradley, 85, 82, 77 82-328; R. Bradley, 83, 81, 85, 79—328; P. J. Amos, 86. 77, 82, 84—325; R B. Grey. 80. 82. 88, 80—330; C. S. F. Holland, to, +9, 81. 90-330. North Canterbury C Grade Championship.—D. 3. McNish, 84, M 81 83—340; K. McLachlan, 88, to. to, 92-344; M. Maher. 95, 79 83. 85—346; D. M. Palmer. 91, St, 88. 83-347; G. Hoddinott, 89, 85 82. 92—348: F. Littler. 92. 88, 84. 84-348; M. G. Stammers, 86, 86. 88, 88—348. Open Events 72-hole Net.—Senior: B. A. Colquhoun 296, I. B. Cromb 298. B grade: R. Bradley 300, J. Paerata 303, R. G. Pore 303, M. J. Souter 303. C grade: G. Hoddlnott 292. F. Littler 296. 36 Holes Gross (Saturday).— A grade: R. C. Murray 145. B grade: E. 8. F. HoUand 159, C. grade: M. G- Stammers 172. 36 holes net, Saturday—A grade: A. C. Browne 147. B grade: A. I. McNish 147. C grade: D. A. Crombie 150.

36 Holes Gross (Sunday).—A grade: B. L. Clegg 149. B grade: F. Bradley 159. C grade: F. Littler 168. 36 holes net (Sunday)—A grade: L. J. Stephens 149. B grade: C. V. Stokes 147. C grade: D. M. Palmer 147. Best 18 holes net, Saturday—A Sade: D. F. Williamson. 72, 3 , B grade: R. Ayres. 79, B—7l. C grade: M. Maher 79, 10—■69. Sunday, A grade: 3. E. Monk. 75, 3—72 on a count-back from P. Creighton. B grade: B. J. Rippin. 77. 6—71. C grade: E. Robinson. 80. 11—89. Best gross round of tournament: B. A. Colquhoun 69.

For the first 12 holes or so in the afternoon, Murray, Foxton and Clements all had winning chances. Murray, whose game had been a little ragged i the morning, had saved himself with three birdies in four holes—the odd one being a bogey 3 at the fourteenth when his chip left the ball almost hanging over the edge of the cup. Something similar was expected in the closing stages of the fourth round. Murray, after dropping five strokes going out, suffered one of his very rare lapses of concentration. He is noted for hia ability to fight back, but this time he simply dot worse. There were two fine birdies at the long holes, twelve and thirteen, between two s’s at the short eleventh and short fourteenth. His putting failed him, and his tee shots were inaccurate.

For a considerable period, however, Clements and Foxton also made so many errors that the lead changed swiftly and frequently. Perhaps the turning point was the 550-yard thirteenth, where Murray had a birdie and Clements, after two wretched shots and an astounding recovery, holed a long curling putt for his birdie. Foxton, playing In the next three, sent his third scurrying up the slope of the green, far too hard. It