Three-Birdie Finish Gives Nagle Tie

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30932, 13 December 1965, Page 3

Three-Birdie Finish Gives Nagle Tie

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

In a sensational finish to the B.P. £2OOO golf tournament at Titirangi on Saturday, the Australian, K. D. G. Nagle, birdied the last three holes to tie with his countryman, P. W. Thomson.

Nagle’s final round was a sensational 61— eight under par—and equalled the course record set by E. W. Dunk, another Australian, in winning this tournament last year. Nagle’s putt on the sixteenth green was 15ft long; the birdie on the seventeenth was a straight forward one on a short par-five hole, and the putt for the birdie on eighteenth was a sevenfooter.

But Thomson, staggered that Nagle in front of him had cut to shreds his apparently unassailable lunch lead of seven strokes, responded brilliantly. Told by spectators at the fifteenth that he needed two birdies to tie, Thomson

rolled in a 7ft putt for a birdie at the fifteenth, just missed one at the sixteenth, and then holed a 6ft putt for another birdie at the seventeenth after badly duffing his second shot with a 3-iron. Then, with the tournament hanging on the result, Thomson’s 10-footer at the eighteenth rolled just past the cup, and it was a twoway tie. It might have been a threeway tie, for G. B. Wplstenholme, the tall Englishman, had putted successfully from 12ft for an eagle 3 at the seventeenth, and at the eighteenth, one stroke behind Thomson and Nagle, he had to sink a 10ft putt for a birdie and equal scores. Slid Past Hole

But Wolstenholme’s putt, like that of Thomson’s, slid just past the hole, and he picked up £2OO for third place, while the two Australians each won £350 for their fabulous tie. R. R. Newdick was fourth on 281 (seven under par), the veteran Waikato player, F. X. Buckler, was fifth bn 282, and R. J. Charles, in spite of a final 66, shared sixth place with J. J. Sullivan, on 283. J. C. R. Oliver (Muriwai) shot a last round of 68 to be top amateur with 292. Thomson began the last day two strokes ahead of Wolstenholme, and increased his lead to three with a third round of 73. Putting Was Worse Thomson’s iron play was rather erratic, but Wolstenholme's putting was worse, Buckler was feeling the intense heat, and Charles was taking a 74. No-one gave a thought for Nagle, whose drives out-of-bounds at the second and third holes the previous day

had cost him four strokes, and who was at this stage chipping and putting indifferently for a

Only Newdick, with 66 strokes and some brilliant putting which brought him level with Wolstenholme in second place, seemed to have a hold on the course. But Nagle is not a man who can be discounted. At the first hole of the final round he was bunkered with his drive, but a long putt gave him a birdie anyway. There was another long putt at the fifth, a 12-footer at the sixth, and a superb chip at the eighth. He was out in 31 strokes—four under par. At the twelfth there was a 15-footer for an eagle, and if three putts at the fourteenth slowed him down briefly, Nagle soon hit back with those last three birdies. Scored Nine Threes His round included seven birdies, one eagle and that one three-putt hole where he dropped a stroke. All told there were nine threes. Thomson dropped strokes at both the first and third in his final round, and while he birdied the long fifth, he was one over for the half. Coming home he was staggered at the twelfth to duff his drive less than 100 yards, and he failed to birdie either this hole or the next—both of them short par-fives holes that could be easily reached in two shots. But those spectators at the fifteenth urged him on, and two birdies gave him the tie. Charles found his putting form in the last round for a fine 66. and Oliver burst home with 68, but the scores for the most part were disappointing, and very little was seen of the many young hopeful Australian professionals.