N.Z. Golf Team Had Financial Worries

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30575, 19 October 1964, Page 12

N.Z. Golf Team Had Financial Worries

(New Zealand Press Association)

PALMERSTON N., Oct. 18. The New Zealand golf team which played outstandingly to gain third place in the Elsenhower Trophy event in Rome, did so in spite of severe and worrying financial problems, the team manager, Mr P. L. Phillipps, said in New Plymouth today. He arrived home last night after spending 20 days overseas with the team—J. D. Durry, R. C. Murray, E. J. McDougall, and S. G. Jones. “It is a terrible state of affairs to be looking after a team of sportsmen naturally very keyed up over their matches who had hanging over their heads the knowledge they were very short of cash,” Mr Phillipps said.

Coming from a country with one of the highest standards of living thev appeared “virtually poverty stricken” compared with those of the other countries, he said. Many countries far less prosperous than New Zealand had no money worries, including such places as Iceland. During the tournament he became physically and mentally exhausted worrying over the financial matters and he still had to tie up many of the problems that the money shortage created. Each team member was allowed to take £9 a day for expenses. Their daily cost included a room £6, meals £4, caddy £2, laundry £l, golf balls 10s, out-of-pocket, expenses £l, amounting to £l4 10s a day. Mr Phillipps said. Their laundry bill for the 12 days in Rome was £6O. A letter posted home airmail from the hotel cost ss. Most of the charges had a 21 per cent tax added to them, Mr Phillipps said. On arriving at Rome the team had no one to meet them them and struck language difficulties with customs and transport and in reaching their hotel. Travelling home they met trouble with excess baggage. They were first charged £132 for extra freight. They did considerable repacking and air-freighted a trunk home to reduce the charge to £65. Their dubs had already been air-freighted home but one set was wrongly unloaded at Sydney and they were charged £25 10s there instead of paying all the charges at Wellington.