SENIOR PRO'S APPLAUD G. DONALD'S WIN

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30940, 22 December 1965, Page 11

SENIOR PRO'S APPLAUD G. DONALD'S WIN

A STORY is told in Britain to Illustrate the unsympathetic and bitterlycontested role of the professional golfer. A young, up-and-coming player was drawn to play with a veteran of more championships and tournaments than he wished to remember. When the youngster greeted the veteran on the first tee before they drove off. he received in reply a sharp nod of the head and the terse comment: “That’s the lot of the social chatter. Let's get on with the golf.” From then on they played in silence until the eleventh hole, when the young professional saw his beautifullyplayed wedge shot to the green hit the apron and jump at right angles into a cavernous bunker. He turned to the veteran and exclaimed: “Have you ever seen such blasted luck.” The veteran turned to him slowly, and with a sneer, said: “Lend me yer handkerchief, and I’ll shed some ruddy teen.” It need hardly be stated that the veteran professional was not the Australian, Peter Thomson, for his whole attitude to the victory by his 20-year-old countryman, G. F. Donald, at Russ-. ley last Saturday, was all that the golfer’s in the story

was not Thomson was clearly enthusiastic that Donald should have come through an enormous ordeal with such brilliant success. “Donald's victory is truly a great performance,” said Thomson. "To stay out in front for the whole of the 72 holes and never waver is a magnificent achievement for any golfer, let alone one of 20 winning his first major tournament. "Also, his win will be of tremendous benefit to the other young professionals.” Thomson’s words were echoed by R. J. Charles and G. B. Wolstenholme. Charles hoped that Donald’s victory would give that extra encouragement to the young New Zealanders, W. J. Godfrey and R. R. Newdick, to break through into the top bracket. Donald, himself, gave Godfrey a neat deal of credit for his first tournament success. “Walter stayed with me when he eras in Australia and we are like brothers,” said the young Victorian. "The greatest luck I had in the tournament was being drawn with him for the last two rounds. If I had been drawn with Thomson or Nagle Pm sure I would have gone to pieces.'* A professional since he left school at the age of 16, Donald was sponsored on the

New Zealand circuit by the Woodlands Golf Club, in Mel. bourne, where he is employ, ed as assistant professional. Two years ago he finished eighth in the Australians Wills Masters, with such players as Gary Player and Arnold Palmer in the field, but that was the closest he had ever come to winning a major tournament before last Saturday. He described his play on the first six tournaments in New Zealand as “a mess, from start to finish,” and his total earnings from these six was £65. His plans for the future include a return to New Zealand next year, and possibly playing on the Far Eastern circuit Asked if Britain was his next stop, he said: “No. For me it’s the American circuit like Bruce Devlin and Bruce Crampton. That’s where the teal money is." A thing that impressed in his play at Rusaley was the confident manner he played every kind of shot Apparently Ms confidence knows no bounds. It wiH be interesting to watch for his name in the future. After all, Thomson had his first major win, the 1950 New Zealand Open, as a 19-year-old in Christchurch. And if Donald follows in Thomson's footsteps they will take him to the fame and fortune be is looking for.