To Play World’s Best

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31162, 12 September 1966, Page 3

To Play World’s Best

Three seasoned Internationals and one newcomer have been chosen to represent New Zealand in the Eisenhower Trophy amateur golf championship in Mexico City late next month. The team is.—J. D. Durry (Wellington), S. G. Jones (Hastings), R. C. Murray (Dunedin), B. A. Stevens (Hamilton). The non-travelling reserve is I. D. Woodbury (Wellington). Stevens- is the only player without previous international experience, but he should hold his own in a strong team. New Zealand has done exceptionally well in previous Eisenhower Trophy matches, and the 1966 team should also be prominent. Aged 27 and on a handicap of one, Stevens equalled the course record of 67 at Te Awamutu when he was third in the recent North Island

stroke championship, and he; is a former holder of the I Helensville record, with around of 68. Stevens did not play golf until 1956, and he reduced to a single figure handicap In his first season. He is | completely self-taught. For the last three years, he has won the South Auckland championship. In the Waikato Freyberg trials he had eight rounds at an average of 73. none of them exceeding 75. Four years ago Stevens was in a car accident and his right eye was injured by a splinter of glass. He has only half-sight in his right eye, and for some time found difficulty judging distances and putts. He has triumphed over this disability spectacularly. Durry, who is 30. won the amateur title in 1063 an-1 1965. He represented New Zealand in 1958, 1959, 1964, and 1965. He has previously played in Eisenhower Trophy events at St. Andrews in 1958 and at Rome in 1964. Jones won his sixth amateur title on Saturday. He is 41 years old, and has competed in all the Eisenhower tournaments—at St. Andrews, at Merion in 1960, Kawana in 1962 and Rome. He has been a New Zealand representative since 1953. Although he has yet to win the amateur championship,

i Murray has been at the top tn New Zealand golf for some years. He went to South Africa with the Commonwealth tournament team in 1959 and played in the 1962 and 1964 Eisenhower Trophy matches. The player unlucky to be left out is E. J. McDougall, of Tokoroa. The big-hitting McDougall, amateur champion in 1957, has a good overseas record with New Zealand teams. He has played eight rounds In Eisen hower Trophy contests, and one of them was 88. It was the only one which has not counted in the team score—the best three of the four players’ rounds are used. In his other seven round* McDougall has averaged 74.5. This is also Murray’s average in these events. He has also had seven of eight rounds counted, and has never exceeded 77. On the other hand Jones has seldom shown overseas the quality of golf he displays at home. In his 16 Eisenhower rounds, he has an average of 77.8 and only half of the rounds have counted In team scores. Durry's average is 78.1 and his score has been counted five times in eight. At Rome two years ago, Jones’s score was counted only once in the four rounds, and with this background he seemed unlikely to retain his place. But at Russley last week he qualified second, and won the match play convincingly. It is to be hoped that this time Jones will be able to produce his best in international competition.