MAY CADDY

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31162, 12 September 1966, Page 1

MAY CADDY

Two Christchurch schoolboys may next month play a minor but not insignificant part in New Zealand’s effort to win the world amateur teams' golf championship in Mexico City. Geoffrey Pitman, aged 13, of Upper Riccarton (left in the photograph) and his brother Michael, who is one year his junior, have every prospect of caddying for two of the New Zealand players in the Eisenhower Trophy tournament. They both have excellent reputations as caddies, and Geoffrey has caddied for R. C. Murray whenever possible, for eight years. He was with Murray throughout his inter-club matches in Christchurch for several years, and caddied for him in the Freyberg Rose Bowl tournament at Waitikiri last year, and the 1966 event at Auckland. He caddied for Murray in the amateur championship at Russley last week. Michael was with S. G. Jones, who won the title.

An offer has been made to finance the boys’ trip and it seems very likely to eventuate. In the meantime they are looking forward to caddying for Murray and Jones in the Sloan Morpeth match between Australia and New Zealand at Auckland next month. Most of Michael’s caddying has been for the Russley and Canterbury player, J. F. Logie. The boys were sought by Murray in a telephone call from Dunedin before the Russley event began, and both he and Jones are keen for them to go to Mexico City. The youngsters—nephews of the Canterbury representative R. K. Atkinson —are both keen golfers, but their golf so far has been restricted almost entirely to making shots on the Russley practice fairway. Geoffrey swings a club at home for an hour each evening. It is this enthusiasm which has helped make the boys into expert caddies.