GOLF Thomson Scores 64 To Lead In N.Z. Open

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 22

GOLF Thomson Scores 64 To Lead In N.Z. Open

(From Our Own Reporter)

NEW PLYMOUTH, October 12. There should be much rewriting of New Zealand’s golf records before the open championship of 1961 ends on Saturday. Today, in the first round, the Australian professional, P. W. Thomson, scored an incredible 64, the lowest in the history of the open; if the weather remains as pleasant as it has been, Thomson should also reduce the winning total record of 278, held bj’ another Australian, K. D. G. Nagle.

Thomson had the round of the tournament and the shot of the day when he holed his approach at the fifteenth for an eagle 2. His partner today, the Wellington amateur. J. D. Durry, also played splendidly, and is second to Thomson with his 67, four under scratch. Nagle is third with «, and three other players scored 70—R. J. Charles, the Christchurch professional, W. Godfrey (Auckland) and E. A. Southerden, the Napier professional. Thomson had an eagle and five birdies, covering each half of the 6380-yard course in 32. His score was made up of 17 woods, 18 irons, and 29 putts. It was an astonishing performance although the weather and the course offered the players every opportunity of scoring unusually well. The beautiful Ngamotu course makes no demands on length with the three long holes. Only the tenth (555 yards) could not be reached today with two good shots. Most of the bogey fours were within easy reach after a good drive. But accuracy was essential for the course is quite un. dulating. At some holes considerable carries are required over deep depressions. Three of the four short holes have high tees, and the player who failed to find the wellguarded green below usually suffered some fearful bounces, sometimes at right angles or backwards, Long Uphill Shots At some holes, too. notably the long tenth and the last, there are long uphill shots to be played to the greens. But for the good player in form it was really too easy. Thomson made it seem so. A light northerly breeze, said by New Plymouth people to be perfect Jot the player at Ngamotu, barely ruffled the bunched flags above the club-house and scoreboard. The greens were like wellkept billiards tables and extremely fast. No New Zealand championship could have begun in more magnificent surroundings. Every fairway is a pleasant vista, and from tire thirteenth tee the view is unparalleled—the magnificence of Mount Egmont as a back, drop, and below, the exotic green of the course, with the pohutukawas beginning to show their rich colours already. Splendid View From this same point, in right and sound of the seatoday the extravagant blue of a child's painting—the golfer with less on his mind might have been distracted by the splendour about him, by the piping notes of the birds, carrying far in the warm air. by the romantic appeal of the shipping at anchor near the grim, grey Paritutu sugar loaf. Thomson was one who certainly responded to the atmosphere. From the time his first drive went whistling off down the fairway he looked most relaxed. Still very much a stylist, Thomson hit all his elubs well, but even in so fantastic a round, managed at least one of utter incompetence. His fairway wood at the long eighth was hit like a novice's dreadfullooking effort But he still had his bogey 5. He began his gentle massacre with birdies at the

second and third, both bogey 4’s of moderate length. At the long seventh he was on for two and had another birdie at the short ninth where he holed a putt of eight feet to become four under. After that, he played on calmly, finding the greens in regulation figures, until his success at the fifteenth. To hole out from nearly 100 yards away might seem to be enjoying fortune’s smile, but there never seemed any real reason why the ball should not go in the hole. Thomson played the shot with a sand iron. Through the air it was directly on line with the pin. It pitched a yard or two inside the green, there was a fairly vigorous bounce, and then a small one as the stop took effect. After the second bounce the ball crawled meekly up to the hole for about five feet and nudged the pole gently. Thomson was extremely careful in taking out the flag; at first the ball stayed where it was, but it fell obediently after a moment. A few minutes later Thomson sank a putt of 15 feet for a birdie 2 at the sixteenth and very nearly had another birdie at the last hole. But enough was enough; already he has done his best to ruin the tournament. Durry, the top amateur in the Paraparaumu tournament last week-end, gave one of his finest displays. He is nearly always a better medal than match player, and today he responded splendidly to the pace set by Thomson. Fine Drives Solidly built, smooth in his swing, and quite unflurried, Durry hit many fine drives, and putted as if it was his home course. He had five birdies, and only once dropped a stroke. He failed to find the green with his second at the third hole.

Two under going out, he was only a stroke behind Thompson with four holes to be played. But his birdie and three bogeys lost him ground rapidly. Nagle began wretchedly, hitting a tree with his second at the third hole, and threeputting the next. After that the muscular and genial player tried very hard indeed. He had birdies at the seventh, eighth, and ninth holes, and was soon two under. But he had one or two misadventures coming home, without dropping any strokes. However, be was probably not very satisfied with his form, even if he finished two under scratch. Southerden, as plodding and phlegmatic as ever, played another distinguished round for his 70 but young Godfrey, ahead of the card for most ot the round, frittered away strokes wilfully near the end. Charles had a rather struggling round. He missed a very reasonable putt for his birdie at the first and only a very good 10-footer saved him from a two-over at the second, where he was bunkered. He barely emerged from the trap with his third. A 25-fbot putt for a birdie at the fifth, and a magnificent iron at the short sixth which gave him an easy birdie, should have put him to rights, but he has sufficient difficulty in keeping the ball straight from the tees to cause his followers much anxiety. However, his 70 was a better start than usual when he was overseas. Among those with a scratch score of 71 was a 19-year-old New Plymouth boy, 3. S. Goudie. who made a good impression with his attacking methods. W. G. Horne is on 72 with S. G. Jones, who played particularly well until the last three holes, each of which cost him a stroke. Two of them were from little putts he missed. Good Round One of the greatest New Zealand amateurs a few years ago. D. L. Woon played one of his best rounds at an open tor a long time. He was scratch two holes from home, but twice missed the green with hooked irons. Earlier, he had dropped strokes at four holes with inaccurate seconds, bat had compensated with four birdies. His driving was good and his putting not Mich an agony to him as recently. The new national repre-

sentative, F. T. Gordon, had an unhappy outward half, which took him 40, but he played grand golf after that. R. C. Murray, another member of the team to visit Australia, never had his game really under control. He fought hard, and, looking a little more relaxed, came home in scratch figures tor his 73. I. S. Harvey, of Timaru. looked as good as any of the amateurs, although he dropped strokes at three of the four short holes. His putting looked easy and confident, although it let him down woefully when he took three putts after a fine iron had put him squarely on the twelfth green. The other New Zealand team members were disappointing. R. R. Newdick is forty-second equal on 77 and I. Woodbury fifty-sixth equal on 78. But both still have every chance of qualifying for the amateur match play, as have the Christchurch representatives. I. B. Cromb and H. J. Gossett, each of whom scored 78. Cromb, a distinctive figure in a complete outfit in canary yellow, had some excellent moments, and Gosset, after dropping two strokes at the third, was still only two over at the turn. Results were:— 64—*P. W. Thomson (Victoria). 67.—J. D. Durry (Shandon). 69—*K. D. Nagle (Pymble, N.S.W.). 70. —*E. A. Southerden (Napier), *R. J. Charles (Christchurch), W. J. Godfrey (Titirangi). 71. —J. S. Goudie (New Plymouth). 72. —L. H. Lee (Manawatu), S. G. Jones (Hastings). A. N. Jeffrey (New Plymouth). W. G. Horne (Wellington). 73. D. L. Woon (Hamilton), R. W. Thompson (New Plymouth). R. C. Murray (Russley), J. P. Means (Hawera). R. F. Mackie (Waipukurau), F. T. Gordon (Hastings). B. T. Boys (Hamilton), I. S. Harvey (Timaru). 74. —»P. T. Tuohy (Wanganui). J. Stem (Manawatu), T. Ormsby (Waitomo), O. J. Evans (Hamilton), T. Moorhead (New Plymouth). 75. —B. M. Silk (Wanganui), W. B. Perkins (Manawatu). H. R. Carver (Wanganui), B. R. Boon (Hutt), T. J. Jeffrey (New Plymouth). K. E. Carter (Miramar). 76. —’J. B. Parkinson (Poverty Bay). D. V. Sutherland (New Plymouth). P. A. Maude (Waitomo), F. Malloy (Akarana), R. P. Luckie (Hmflton), J. M. Lacey (Paraparaumu Beach), •N. D. Hayden (Manukau). G. Hawken (Hawera-). »E. Fennell (Rotorua), B. D. Bamfield (Remuera), J. Ni. Andrews (Manawatu). R. L. G. Pease (Stratiord). 77. A. R. Timins (St. Clair), G. Sullivan (Remuera), D. R. Scaife (Paraparaumu Beach). R. 3; (North Shore). A. W. Middleton (New Plymouth), T. S. Leech (Taupo), S. M. (Hamilton) I. A. Ewen (Hutt). *H. Doherty (unattached). P. K. Creighton (Paraparaumu Beach), R. A. Court (New Plymouth), J, s. Rox<«*lson), C. P. Murphy (tM 0 "’- w ' w ' Smlth M. Stout (Miramar), & £• , R^x. dru P (Remuera) A. JS- (New Plymouth), t D. Woodbury (Hutt). J. Meikle (Hutt), S. A. McDonald (Manor Park). I. S. Macdonald (Hastings) H. D. Law (New Plymouth L *J. Harvey (Remuera). H. j. Gosset (Christchurch). I. B. Cromb (Kaiapoi). 79. —B. A. Stevens (Hamilton), B. Stapp (Stratford), J. Logan (Paraparaumu Beachi R A. Jackson (Akarana). E. Billington (Hawera), H. J. Best (StratJ e?- § m i th (Wanganui). C. A. S. Smith (Linton Camp). 80. —R. A. Wilson (New PlySOUJ£).5 OU J£). * J - Watt (Wellington), K. W. Stephen (Miramar) *J. A. Paterson (Tauranga). J. R. Ralfe (Hutt), *A. Murray (unJj Farley (‘Wangah- W. Edwards (Titirangi). Buckler (Lochiel). B. V. Watt (Hamilton). »Marshal! (Manor J?® 1 *). N- Payne (Manor Park). P. W. Shutt (Geraldine). *W. s. White (Timaru), G. R. Lummis (Nelson), B. E. Downey (Akarana), *R. Doms (Taumarunui). J. G. Christie (Hawera), c. C. W. Carley (Walkare), G. S. Barclay (Levin), •!. Arundle (Masterton), N. R. Ogier (North Shore). B?.—G. C. Stevenson (Waikare). D. G. Bullick (Hamilton), P. K. Heginbotham (Paraparaumu Beach). R. Jenkins (Foxton). 83.—T. G. Tricker (Taumaru5 ul L B. C. Parsons (Miramar). J. E. Nicolaus (Paraparaumu Beach). B. W Lobb (New Plymouth). J. Holden (New Plymouth). G. D. Brown (Timaru). —J. M. Dorreen (Napier). C. J. Ward (Christchurch). 83.—F. V. Higgins (Wanganui). 86. —A. I. M. Mann (Maungakiekie). C. Cook (Palmerston North). H. Szigetvary (Miramar). 87. E. B. Warren Lochiel).