Charles Again, Now 9 Up On Palmer

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31196, 21 October 1966, Page 13

Charles Again, Now 9 Up On Palmer

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

It was R. J. Charles’s day again at Shirley yesterday. By scoring a five-under-par 68, he increased his lead over A. Palmer to nine strokes in the Benson and Hedges challenge golf event, with two matches still to be played.

Much was expected of Charles on his home course, and he did not disappoint the crowd of 5500, the largest ever to see a golf match in Canterbury. His golf was of the immaculate quality he had produced at Balmacewen the previous day, with beautifully-struck woods and irons and putting which, if it did not quite match the superlative standard it reached at Dunedin, was still outstanding.

Palmer fell into error more frequently than Charles, and again he had trouble on the greens, although he putted more soundly than he had done at Dunedin.

His eagle 3 at the tenth (456 yards) was a little piece of golfing perfection.

Only some dreadful difficulties at the long fourth, where he dropped two strokes, left him with a two-under-par round of 71 which, by the best Palmer standards, was no more than fair. But a best-ball score of eight under the card was royal fare for an appreciative audience.

The day will be remembered mainly, perhaps, for the reflection it offered of the standing of golf in New Zea-

land. It was a colourful spectacle, with a magnificent setting: a quality production, in its every aspect. Although many stayed away from the course through fear the crowd would be too big for much of the golf to be watched in comfort, the management of the gallery won much credit for the club organisation, and for the police officers, who did a most valuable job in helping the players and their caddies through the throngs. The crowd itself was splendidly behaved, receptive to the stewards’ requests, mindful of the state of the course.

Palmer captured the crowd during the clinic the players conducted before the match began, and his cheerful acceptance of misfortune, as well as his powerful hitting and fine execution of stroke, further increased his stature. He is a prime example of the basic head still, straight left arm tenets of the game. Perhaps he is not, as he

said after the match, hitting the ball as well as he would like, but with very little luck on the greens, he had two birdies to go with his eagle, and he dropped strokes only at the ill-fated fourth; even then, his 7 was two better than the great Gene Sarazen managed at the same hole. Charles played delightfully relaxed-looking golf, although all his great powers of concentration were there when he was making the shot. Between times, he was extremely cheerful and co-operative, and Palmer’s reference at the clinic to the New Zealander’s fine overseas record brought a warm ovation.

Some great shots were played, and they will be remembered. So too will the spontaneous applause of the huge crowd about the Pagoda when the golfers came to the sixteenth green. As a spectator sport, golf is still in its infancy in New Zealand. Days like yesterday will become more frequent. Choice Of Shots Shirley looked at its best. There were not the views of valleys and residential areas won from Balmacewen’s hills, but there are not many more pleasant places to be than at Shirley in the late spring. Besides, it is considerably kinder

to the limbs and wind than the Dunedin course. Its problems yesterday were in the placing of the tee shot, because of the strong, keen easterly wind which partly tempered the warmth of the sunshine.

The wind was troublesome, but it required from Palmer, particularly, a delightful exhibition of how to make the ball command the instructions of the club. There was a little draw when he needed it, a little fade if it helped, and into the wind, a low boring shot which made mockery of usual ideas of driving distances.

Palmer seemed to enjoy his golf. So too, did his caddy, the Christchurch club captain, Mr A. W. Robinson.

Appreciation of the task ahead of him had persuaded Mr Robinson to put in some road running training before the match, and it must have helped, for Palmer carried 16 clubs—two more than tournament rules normally allow. He had a new set, and a couple of old faithfuls —in all, four woods, ten irons and two putters. These, with his huge bag, weighed 501 b or more.