Canterbury Shares Golf, 8-All

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31054, 9 May 1966, Page 3

Canterbury Shares Golf, 8-All

•'The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON. I. D. Woodbury, the Wellington and New Zealand golf representative, was in magnificent form yesterday when Wellington and Canterbury drew, 8-8, at the Hutt Club. Woodbury, the outstanding player in the match, won his first round singles against the top Canterbury player, R. E. Clements, by the incredible margin of 9 and 7. Then in the second round he beat the Canterbury number two, D. R. Hope, 2 and 1. The only other player to win two singles was the Wellington number seven, B. R. Boon.

Clements made amends in the second round by halving his match with the New Zealand amateur champion, J. D. Durry, who had earlier accounted for Hope, 5 and 3. The match was a dress rehearsal for this week’s Freyberg Rose Bowl tournament at the Grange, Auckland, but as a guide to the prospects of either team, it was of confusing value. The poor shape of most of the greens made putting a hit-and-miss affair and affected most of the matches. Woodbury was four under the card in winning nine of the first eleven holes against Clements. The latter was plagued by a succession of one-overs and his tee shots were anything but consistent Woodbury started well, sinking putts of 25 and five feet for birdies at the first and second. Par golf, plus birdies at the seventh and T

ninth, saw him seven up at the turn, and another birdie—an eight foot putt at the eleventh—put the issue beyond doubt. Against Hope, however, Woodbury did not have one birdie and carded three one overs. Hope was steady but two short approach irons late in the game, and the resultant chip and two putts, let Woodbury in. In the first round of singles Hope met Durry and started sensationally with two birdies. Durry was unmoved, and, after bringing the match back to square, and then losing the sixth by three-putting, Durry dropped , successive birdie putts of 30 and 25 feet and was one up at the turn. In went another 25-footer at the eleventh and four successive lives by Hope gave Durry his win, 5 and 3. Durry was two under in beating Hope but flrst round form meant nothing in the second round when Durry and Clements

clashed. Durry started with a birdie but the Canterbury player struck back by sinking a 15-footer for a two at the third. Fortunes fluctuated and It was all square at the turn. Clements was hitting long, straight tee shots—in direct contrast to hts morning match with Woodbury—and he was one over; Durry was square with the card. Durry jumped to two up but Clements pegged him back. Pushing hfs second into the trees at the sixteenth Clements lost the hole but Durry’s tee shot at the last ended-in a bad lie and he dropped a stroke to let Clements back to halve the match.

R. W. Wilkinson and J. E. Meikle (Wellington) and E. H. M. Richards (Canterbury) halved both their matches. Wilkinson was chasing J. R. Broadhurst from behind most of the way until the last hole when Broadhurst went into the trees end Wilkinson won the hole for a half. Then he eame from behind to beat Richards, again winning the eighteenth to halve the match. Richards was also ahead of .F. K. Creighton coming/to the last hole but Creighton won it. Broadhurst and Creighton had a close tussle until Broadhurst won the fifteenth and then sank

a 40-footer on the seventeenth green for a birdie and 2 and 1 win. Relentless par golf enabled R. K. Atkinson (Canterbury) to beat K. J. S. Smith comfortably, and then Atkinson, maintaining form, was two up with three to play against Meikle. Put Meikle birdied the sixteenth and then had a four to a five on the last to scramble out with a half. Results (Wellington names first):— FIRST ROUND J. D. Durry beat D. R. Hope. 5 and 3: I. D. Woodbury beat R. E. Clements, 9 and 7: R. W. Wilkinson and J. R. Broadhurst, all square: P. K. Creighton and E. M. H. Richards, all square; J. E. Meikle and J. F. Logie, all square; K. J. S. Smith lost to R. F. Atkinson, 5 and 3; B. R. Boon beat A. T. Baxendine, 4 and 3: J. R. Ralfe lost to M. W. Stanley, 6 anl 5. SRCOND ROUND Durry and Clements, all square; Woodbury beat Hope, 2 and 1; Wilkinson and Richards, all square; Creighton lost to Broadhurst, 2 and 1; Meikle and Atkinson, all square; Smith lost to Logie, 4 and 2; Boon beat Stanley. 1 up: Ralfe lost to Baxendine, 2 and 1.