TRIBUTE TO THOMSON

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30602, 19 November 1964, Page 18

TRIBUTE TO THOMSON

Popularised N.Z. Coif

A warm tribute to the Australian golfer, P. W. Thomson, was paid by the captain of the Christchurch Golf Club (Mr O. A. Y. Johnston) at a cocktail party at Shirley last evening to welcome competitors to the New Zealand Open, which begins today. Mr Johnston said that in 1950 Thomson had not finished his term of apprenticeship but the New Zealand Professional Golfers' Association had asked the New Zealand Golf Association whether it would accept Thomson, then but a promising youngster, in the field for the Open. Consent had been given: and Mr Johnston thought that that consideration had been responsible for Thomson coming back year after year. Thomson’s regular appearances had, he felt, done much towards popularising golf and inducing the present keenness for the game. The president of the New Zealand Golf Association (Mr H. A. Hansen) commended the “magnificent condition” of the Shirley course. Provided the weather stayed fine, he thought there would be some excellent scoring.

“In some clubs there is often a fear that someone is going to break a course record, or par, or something.” Mr Hansen said. “I think the finest thing, which can make a tournament come to life, is someone coming in with a 64 or a 65.”