Hard Decision For Australian P.G.A.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31211, 8 November 1966, Page 19

Hard Decision For Australian P.G.A.

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyrightl

SYDNEY.

The Australian Professional Golfers’ Association will be asked tomorrow to change its mind and permit P. W. Thomson and K. D. G. Nagle to play in the New Zealand Open.

It is a decision bristling with difficulties, says the golf writer, W. Fitter, in the Sydney “Sun Herald.”

The New Zealand Open dashes with the North Coast Open at Coff’s Harbour, in Northern New South Wales, as it did last year. To keep faith with Austra - lian tournament sponsors generally, a P.G.A. special subcommittee last month refused all applications by Australian professionals to play

overseas on the dates of the Coff’s Harbour fixture, November 17-20. Thomson and Nagle have asked their council to exercise a discretion in rule 40, which allows overseas play during a current Australian I tournament where a player’s , absence “may not injure or ; discredit the Australian 1 P.G.A.” ’ “It is a nice point whether . i the P.G.A. would be more *indjured’ by permitting the two

players to visit New Zealand or by endorsing its sub-com-mittee’s refusal of permission,” Fitter said. “Thomson, as current holder of the New Zealand title, and Nagle, as runnerup last year and a previous title-holder, undoubtedly feel that they have a moral obligation to support the game in New Zealand by strengthening the Open field. “On the other hand, if the P.G.A. cannot guarantee sponsors star-studded fields, its attempt to build up the Australian professional golf circuit will founder.” Fitter said the American P.G.A. negotiated a similar problem over W. Casper’s appearance in the recent Melbourne Wills tournament by getting an American sponsor to waive the rules.

“Perhaps Coff’s Harbour—with a guarantee of nonclashing dates in future — could get everybody off the hook with a like gesture,” he said.