Eagle, 10 Birdies In Player’s Superb 62

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30894, 29 October 1965, Page 15

Eagle, 10 Birdies In Player’s Superb 62

(N.Z. Freis Association —Copyright)

ADELAIDE.

The South African golfer, Gary Player, shattered the Kooyonga course record with an incredible first round of 62—11 under par—in the Australian Open championship yesterday.

Scoring an eagle and 10 birdies, Player broke the course record by four strokes. He said it was the lowest score he had ever shot in ah international tournament.

Player began with an eagle on the first hole, then hit five successive birdies before he broke the sequence with a bogey at the short seventh. But he birdied the eighth

and ninth to reach the turn in 28—nine under the card. On the back nine Player had regulation figures for five holes, birdied the tenth, twelfth and sixteenth' and had a one over at the seventeenth.

Player performed like a machine. His score came from flawless long play and his longest putt in the first nine holes was a 15-footer at the sixth.

His 62 also equalled the record for a national open round which was set by Ramon Sota (Spain) in the recent French campionship. Player’s sizzling golf put him four strokes ahead of his nearest rival, Jack Nicklaus, of the United States, who took a 66.

R. J. Charles played delight-

ful golf for 34 both ways, and with 68 is bracketed with the British Open Champion, Peter Thomson, and veteran Australian, Norman von Nida. On 69 are four Australian professionals—B. Crafter, B. Devlin, C. McGregor and R. Brown —and an amateur, J. Myers. The other New Zealand players were W. J. Godfrey, on 72, and R. R. Newdick, 74. The biggest disappointments of the day were Philippines amateur, Luis Silverio, who went out in 36 but crashed to 41 on the way home, and Guy Wolstenholme (England), both on 77. Two South Africans who lost their chances were Cobie Legrange and Cedric Amm. Each scored 74.