CHARLES AHEAD BY 5 STROKES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30681, 22 February 1965, Page 3

CHARLES AHEAD BY 5 STROKES

(N.Z. Prest Association —Copyright) TUCSON (Arizona), February 20. The New Zealander, R. J. Charles, took a five-stroke lead in the Tucson open golf tournament today, scoring a brilliant five under par 67, to go 15 strokes under par for 54 holes with an aggregate of 201.

His round included six birdies. He went one over par at the last green when he took three putts. It was his only three-putt green in seven competitive rounds. Al Geiberger, scoring one of the day’s 66s went into second place at 206, a stroke in front of Tommy Jacobs, also with a 66 today. Next came Lionel Hebert and Bert Weaver at 208, Dick Eikes at 209, and Billy Casper and Lou Graham at 210. Graham had the other 66. But the biggest galleries followed Charles.

Charles, who jumped in front on Thursday with a seven under par 65 on the 7200-yard Tucson National Golf Club course and opened a three-stroke margin yesterday with a 69. is following a Tucson open pattern set two years ago. In 1963. Don January led from start to finish, winding up 22 under par with an 11 stroke victory at 49ers Country Club. “CONSERVATIVELY”

Charles, playing “fairly conservatively.” nonetheless put his approaches and chips so close to the pins that three of his birdie putts were only four feet and another was a foot.

In fact, the only long putt he made was a 25-footer at the twelfth hole.

He salvaged a fine bogey at the ninth hole when his tee shot wound up beside a tree and he missed his first green of the tournament. He played a "safe” iron shot short of the green before holding a five-footer for his bogey. Although seemingly making a runaway nf the tournament Charles said afterwards: “I

can’t relax yet, but it does make things a little easier now I can sort of protect my lead.” SECOND ROUND Charles had a second round 69 (34-35) on Friday for an aggregate of 134—10 under par. A 40-yard chip gave Charles an eagle at the second hole and he sank a 15-foot put for a birdie at the sixteenth. Charles described the eagle on the 520-yard second hole as “one of those lucky shots that happen in golf.” “I hit a four-wood over the green and I must have been the best part of 40 yards from the pin. I hit it with my sand wedge.

“The pin was up in front and I had plenty of green. The ball rolled up and just dropped.”