GOLF Combined Team Performed Well Against Canterbury

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30497, 20 July 1964, Page 12

GOLF Combined Team Performed Well Against Canterbury

The combined South and Mid-Canterbury golf team was beaten by Canterbury at the Brandon links, Ashburton, yesterday, losing by 5} matches to 1(H in the morning, and by seven matches to nine after lunch. But of greater importance than the result of this encounter between teams of 16, was the 1106 performance of the top players of the new southern association.

For if the match had been played between teams of six, as for the Freyberg Rosebowl competition, Canterbury would have lost both contests by the same margin, 2} games

to 3J. The combined team’s leading players performed with particular merit throughout the day. T. E. Pfahlert was unmatched for steady, usually unspectacular, but often flawless golf, and he thoroughly deserved his two fine wins over E. H. M. Richards and

K. D. Foxton. In top position A. C. Browne had a day of driving horrors —some of his efforts from the tees would have tempted a

24 handicapper to retire to the nearest fireside—but when it was all over he had accounted, not only for the New Zealand representative, R. C. Murray, but for R. E. Clem-

ents as well. I. S. Harvey was never near his best in losing to Murray, but he finished square with Clements in the morning, and G. D. Brown although he. seldom played badly, lost both his matches. G. P. Vesty had a half with R. K. Atkinson after losing to J. A. Orr, and in sixth position B. V. Watt lost to Atkinson but played well to finish one up on Orr. Pfahlert was three over the card in beating Richards, one over against Foxton, and he made few mistakes of real con

sequence. He hit the ball well from the tees, used his irons crisply, and putted soundly. Richards had some loose long shots and was without luck on the greens, but his long game has seldom been better than against Brown after lunch.

Foxton putted well against Brown, but his usually impressive short game failed when he met Pfahlert. He had 38 putts, Including three three-putt greens, and while he was hitting his tee shots well, he also had some iron troubles. But Foxton would have needed to have been at his best to have won. against a player who offered his opponent few chances to take control.

In beating Brown. Foxton finished one under, but Brown was well in the game until fine irons and good putts gave Foxton three successive wins from the fifteenth, and the match. Browne's day was spent mostly in the rough on either side of the fairways, although quick hooks left him in most trouble. Some of his golf was quite incredible from the tees: and his recoveries equally amazing. Fine irons from all

sorts of positions usually left him handy, and he gave a wonderful exhibition of chippihg against Murray, and putted extremely well. Browne finished In par 73, notwithstanding all his . troubles. He had two birdies and dropped two shots, while Murray had not a single birdie although he had a number of chances from under 12 feet. At one hole in the afternoon match against Clements, the considerable gallery found it prudent to retire at least 10 yards when Browne, playing last, stepped on to the tee. He duly had one of his worst low hooks, but typically, he halved the hole without trouble. i- While Clements surprisingly

failed often around the greens. Browne carried on with good Iron recoveries and fine short work. He hardly missed a putting chance, was twice unlucky from over 30 feet and was always in front. Against Harvey. Murray hit the ball very well in a nearscratch round, but Harvey was frequently badly astray with drives, fairway woods and irons, and he had little putting fortune. Harvey all day was far removed from the player who has earned a reputation as one of the finest strikers of the ball in New Zealand. Results were (Canterbury names first): R. C. Murray lost to A. C. Browne, 3 and 2; R. E. Clements square with I. S. Harvey; K. D. Foxton beat G. D. Brown. 3 and 1; E. H. M. Richards lost to T. E. Pfahlert, 2 and 1: J. A. Orr beat G. P. Vesty. 2 and 1: R. K. Atkinson lost to B V. Watt, 2 and 1; J. F. Logie beat R. S. Wakefield, 3 and 2; C. G. Munro beat D. M. Murdock, 5 and 3; R. B. Townsend lost to M. J. Holden, 5 and 4: J. G Scott beat I. F. Beswarlck, 4 and 3; J. R. Broadhurst lost to J. B. Forrest, 1 up: RBradlev beat J. M. Lister, 2 up: D. R. Hope beat G. W. Irving. 7 and 6: C. H. Johnson beat S. Bennie, 5 and 3; D. J. Gaudin beat G. Ritchie, 2 up: J. E. Monk beat J. N. Isaacs. 1 up. Murray beat Harvey. 4 and 3: Clements lost to Browne, 3 and 2; Richards heat Brown, 2 and 1; Foxton losj to Pfahlert, 2 up: Atkinson square with Vesty: Orr lost to Watt, 1 up; Munro beat Wakefield. 2 and 1: Logie lost to Murdock, 4 and 3; Scolt beat Holden. 6 and 5: Townsend beat Beswarick, 1 up; Bradley square with Forrest; Broadhurst lost to Lister. 2 'up: Johnson square with Irving: Hope beat Bennie, *3 and 2; Monk square with Ritchie: Gaudin beat Isaacs, 2 and 1.