NZ. Golf Team To Be Announced On Friday

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29871, 11 July 1962, Page 11

NZ. Golf Team To Be Announced On Friday

QN Friday, New Zealand’s four-man team to compete in the Eisenhower Trophy, the amateur teams' and individual golf championship of the world, will be announced. This event, first played at St Andrew's in 1956 when Australia beat the United States in a playoff by two strokes, later was won by a booming 32-stroke margin by the United States at Merion, Philadelphia. At this late stage there is little, if anything, a player can do to influence the three selectors; probably the die has been cast and the team pencilled in, waiting only its formal announcement. It will not have been an easy choice for Messrs K. S. Glendinning, V. C. Hollis and J. A. Scoular, the selectors. To pick a team of only four, these to be matched against the finest amateur golfers in the world, in conditions very foreign to New Zealand, calls for quiet and sober judgment. The players must measure up to exacting standards. They need to have ability, experience, a flair for the big occasion and a temperament that will remain cool, calm and collected throughout four days of tense competition. Additionally, they must be players adept at stroke-play golf—a department of the game too often neglectedgood team men, and in form at present. For these reasons, the selectors are expected to name on Friday a foursome which most closely approaches the ideal—S. G. Jones (Hawke's Bay), the amateur champion, R. R. Newdick and W. J. Godfrey

(Auckland), and R. C. Murray (Canterbury). AU four played with distinction in the New Zealand team which beat Australia, 54-3 J, at Melbourne last year. Each won his singles, and Newdick and Godfrey gained New Zealand’s only victory in the foursomes. Jones, Newdick and Godfrey also played in the tournament at Merion in 1960. The fourth man was R. J. Charles, now a professional. Of the four probably Newdick and Murray are the most assured of tneir places. They have in common youth, strength and experience, plus a high personal standard that refuses them to be satisfied with the second best. Jones, too, is no less a personal taskmaster, but it is probable that he has lost the fine edge on his play. However, he is still very worthy of his place, probably as team captain, although it could be his last tour. Godfrey has the ability

to outshine all others when his game is under control, and at Merion he finished second to Charles, of the New Zealand team, nine strokes ahead of Jones and 12 in front of Newdick, with his 72-hole total of 301.

In the Freyberg Rose Bowl tournament at Balmacewen, both Godfrey and Newdick played extremely well. Each won five matches and halved one. Newdick sharing his match with Jones and Godfrey halving with I. S. Harvey. Murray was less commanding than usual, with three wins, two halves and a loss to Newdick, and Jones, too, had one defeat, to J. G. Stern, of Manawatu-Wanga-nui.

Of the many other fine golfers with strong claims for selection Harvey is probably the most deserving. A superlative striker of the ball whose controlled and fluent swing is golfing perfection, he had a fine record at Balmacewen of five wins and a half. Harvey has been told so often that his putting is his only weakness that he now probably believes it himself, and it is a tragedy that such a talented golfer may be overlooked again because he lacks on the greens the confidence he shows in every other department of the game.

F. T. Gordon (Hawke’s Bay) and I. D. Woodbury (Wellington), who made up the team that went to Australia last year, will also have been in the selectors’ minds. However, Woodbury, who blazed into prominence in the 1960 Open with a fantastic putting streak, has not fulfilled all expectations and was less successful at Balmacewen than several others. Gordon, a fine player and greatly experienced, is now unlikely to gain favour over younger claimants.

It is unfortunate that not more than four players are required this year, for it will probably mean that the two outstanding youngsters at Balmacewen, B. T. Boys (Waikato) and J. P. Means (Taranaki), will have to wait for another year, although this may not be a bad thing in itself. Both played at No. one in their teams in the Rose Bowl and both lost only to Newdick, Means at the eighteenth where a 10ft putt would have given him a half. But these two, and Woodbury—for the last has not been heard of the Wellington player—will be pressing their claims for many years. Friday the thirteenth is traditionally an unlucky combination- but it could be a fortunate day for Messrs Newdick, Godfrey, Jones and Murray.