Four Britons Lead Open

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31421, 14 July 1967, Page 11

Four Britons Lead Open

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON.

The vanguard of the American challenge—J. Nicklaus, the holder, G. Brewer and D. Sanders—were chasing four little known English professionals after the opening round of the British Open golf championship, United Press International reported.

Brewer, the United States Masters winner, shot a two-under-par 70, while Nicklaus and Sanders had 71s. The 32-year-old Yorkshireman, L. Platts, stormed into the lead with a 68, holing a 20-yard chip at the third and a 45ft putt for a birdie four at the 515-yard fourteenth. He was out in 36 and back in 32. The three Britons on 69, one stroke behind the leader, were P. Jones, D. Bonthron and J. Hume. Jones, the 24-year-old chief assistant to Henry Cotton at Temple, had a magnificent inward 33 that included a 12-foot putt on the home green. Bonthron, who came in as a reserve, was unlucky not to tie for the lead. A long putt on the last green touched the hole but refused to drop. The top Australian trio of B. Devlin, P. W. Thomson and K. D. G. Nagle, were poised among the leaders. Nagle and Devlin on 70 and Thomson on 71. The ■ spotlight, however,

remained on the Americans in the 72-hole event, which ends on Saturday. Nicklaus, playing extremely well from tee to green, managed only three birdies because of putting difficulties. The 11 to 4 favourite to add this title to his recent United States Open victory, he required 34 putts in the round. “So Frustrating” Another who had trouble with his putting was the South African, G. Player, the 1959 winner, who finished with 72. “It’s all so frustrating and unbelievable,” said Player, who did not sink a putt of more than three feet. More successful with their putting were Nagle, winner in 1960, and Sanders. Nagle sank a 9ft putt at the eighth and a 20-footer at the short ninth. Sanders was not striking the ball well, but sound putting on the wellwatered grens enabled him to finish in 71. Charles Troubled

The New Zealander, R. J. Charles, finished well down the list on 75. “I just played miserably and did not hit one good shot all day,” he said. In the first nine boles he had three one-overs, a twoover and two birdies. On two other holes he had pars only after safely getting out of the rough in one case and a bunker in the other. Coming back, he had a birdie at the twelfth where he holed a IMooter, but was over the eighteenth green, chipped to three feet and missed it for a one-over five.

Newcombe Wins.—The Wimbledon champion, J. Newcombe, ruthlessly moved through the second round of the Welsh tennis championships today without conceding a game to unranked Briton, O. Bartlett. Another Australian, A. Roche, defeated H. Cox, of Britain, 6-0, 6-0, also.

Malaysians Coming.—Malaysia will come to New Zealand to play off the Thomas Cup badminton challenge match whether Indonesia turns up or not, the president of the Malaysian Badminton Association (Mr Mohamed Khir Joharl) said last night.