Foxton Played Good Golf To Win Canterbury Title

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30275, 30 October 1963, Page 15

Foxton Played Good Golf To Win Canterbury Title

n’HE absence of several A Canterbury representatives lowered the quality of the field at the Canterbury amateur golf championships but R. C. Murray. I. S. Harvey. C. W. Caldwell or E. H M. Richards would have needed to have shown good form to have taken the senior title from K. D Foxton. For Foxton again displayed die fine qualities which make it extremely hard to understand why he has not had much more success at the national level Foxton looked a Little abuse the rest at the field for most of the week-end at Shirley. He always seemed the likely winner, for he had the ability to compensate for a lapse from the tee or with his tong irons by making ful' use of his fine short game. Few have the ability of Fbxtoo to sink the short vital putt, and success from time to time with putts of more significant length far birdies is usually inevitable. In every match he produced at some stage a series cf perfect and telling putts f.r which his opponents had no adequate answer. Fixton’s putting methods are essentially sound and he wastes no time once he addresses the ball. His te T;t>erament particularly under pressure is excellent, and while he has had many recent successes in stroke

events he seems now to be equally able m the cut and throst of match play. Other features of this year's event was the fine effort of 1. B. Cromb in reaching the semi-finals. The veteran remains firstclass value tor spectators as he adds his comments to the results of his decisive methods, and be gave a superb exhibition of chipping to score a fine win over A C. Browne. ’Drirtys. x (rotes in a day tires C.-ocrb now more than meet, but he hung on tenaciously again*-, a young opponent who has shown a marked advance this season.

Browne was disappointing—it seemed logical to expect him to be Foxton's chief rival—and it may be that he has had too much golf recently, for he appeared jaded and his long game lacked its usual power and precision. D. F Williamson, who has had a bad season, was another disappointment. He has reached the final in each of the last two seasons, losing by one bole to A. R. Timms in 1961 and 2 and 1 after a fine match last year with Foxton. Williamson this time failed to qualify. For some reason there was a marked decline in spectator interest this year. When two then joined toe finalists at toe third hole, their presence doubled the gallery, not counting the caddies, toe umpire, the reporters. and a photographer.

At toe finish there were about 20 following the match and it was a pity that more were not present to observe toe great advances the new greenkeeper. Mr M W. Stanley, has been

able to make in the Shirley course in only a few short months. Shirley is now well on the way to regaining status as one of this country’s finest courses and there can be little doubt now that it will be at its best for the national championships next year.